ERIC Number: EJ1067686
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015-Jul
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-1756-1108
EISSN: N/A
Enhancing Undergraduate Chemistry Learning by Helping Students Make Connections among Multiple Graphical Representations
Rau, Martina A.
Chemistry Education Research and Practice, v16 n3 p654-669 Jul 2015
Multiple representations are ubiquitous in chemistry education. To benefit from multiple representations, students have to make connections between them. However, connection making is a difficult task for students. Prior research shows that supporting connection making enhances students' learning in math and science domains. Most prior research has focused on supporting one type of connection-making process: conceptually making sense of connections among representations. Yet, recent research suggests that a second type of connection-making process plays a role in students' learning: perceptual fluency in translating among representations. I hypothesized that combining support for both conceptual sense making of connections and for perceptual fluency in connection making leads to higher learning gains in general chemistry among undergraduate students. I tested this hypothesis in two experiments with altogether N = 158 undergraduate students using an intelligent tutoring system for chemistry atomic structure and bonding. Results suggest that the combination of conceptual sense-making support and perceptual fluency-building support for connection making is effective for students with low prior knowledge, whereas students with high prior knowledge benefit most from receiving perceptual fluency-building support alone. This finding suggests that students' learning in chemistry can be enhanced if instruction provides support for connection making among multiple representations in a way that tailors to their specific learning needs.
Descriptors: College Science, Undergraduate Study, Correlation, Concept Formation, Science Instruction, Hypothesis Testing, Chemistry, Intelligent Tutoring Systems, Molecular Structure, Instructional Effectiveness, Prior Learning, Teaching Methods, Technology Uses in Education, Educational Technology, College Students, Experimental Groups, Control Groups, Comparative Analysis, Scoring Rubrics
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