ERIC Number: EJ984468
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1756-1108
EISSN: N/A
Development and Validation of the Implicit Information from Lewis Structures Instrument(IILSI): Do Students Connect Structures with Properties?
Cooper, Melanie M.; Underwood, Sonia M.; Hilley, Caleb Z.
Chemistry Education Research and Practice, v13 n3 p195-200 2012
Lewis structures are a simplified two dimensional "cartoon" of molecular structure that allow a knowledgeable user to predict the types of properties a particular substance may exhibit. However, prior research shows that many students fail to recognize these structure-property connections and are unable to decode the information contained in the structures, thus resulting in students' inability to use Lewis structures for their intended purposes. We have developed a survey instrument using responses from student interviews and open-ended questions from a previous research study to determine students' beliefs about the information that can be obtained from Lewis structures. The survey was found to be reliable and valid through multiple administrations to a total of 3203 students, including first- and second-semester general chemistry and organic chemistry students, junior/senior level undergraduate chemistry students, and graduate level chemistry students. We propose that this survey can be a useful informational tool for instructors for a wide range of courses where students' understanding of structure-function relationships is important. (Contains 4 figures and 2 tables.)
Descriptors: Test Construction, Test Validity, Test Reliability, Student Surveys, Student Attitudes, Chemistry, Molecular Structure, Undergraduate Students, Graduate Students
Royal Society of Chemistry. Thomas Graham House, Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge, CB4 0WF, UK. Tel: +44-1223 420066; Fax: +44-1223 423623; e-mail: cerp@rsc.org; Web site: http://www.rsc.org/cerp
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A