Operationalization of Visualization via Deconstruction

North Carolina State University, Raleigh NC

Investigators

Abstract

Because chemistry explores phenomena that can be observed with the senses, but are explained based on the molecular-level behavior of invisible molecules, atoms, and ions, effective use of visual representations of molecular-level phenomena is essential for communicating about chemistry. Research also shows that there is a positive relationship between the ability to see chemical concepts among different representations and successful chemistry problem solving. Chemistry instructors may sometimes assume that, as their instruction addresses conceptual understanding, students' visualization skills will naturally develop. Consequently, instructors may not explicitly teach visualization skills and processes in their courses. This Improving Undergraduate STEM Education project will develop and test a set of ten modules to explicitly teach visualization skills and the use of visual representations to students in college chemistry courses. The modules will support students in understanding progressively more complex content and visual representations across the chemistry curriculum. Each of the ten modules will be developed, pilot tested, revised, and ultimately implemented in an upper-division chemistry course. In developing the modules, three main mechanisms will be employed to support students development of visualization skills: drawing attention to prominent features and patterns to reduce attention to extraneous information and cognitive load, decomposing a complex problem into more manageable parts, and problematizing to encourage students to make their ideas and thinking processes explicit. During the pilot-testing phase, the main data sources will include the copies of students' work on the activities and recorded sessions from focus groups. Analyses of these data will employ a drawing to learn framework to assess visualization objectives and an argumentation framework to assess problematization. In addition, the selection of representations included in the module activities will be evaluated for areas of visual attention using eye-tracking methodologies in conjunction with a retrospective think-aloud method. Once the modules have been pilot tested and revised, they will be implemented as a set during a one-semester intervention, scaffolding both chemistry content and visual complexity in representations. A rubric will be developed to track students' progress in the use of deconstruction as a problem solving strategy and sophistication in verbalization of visual mental constructs. Quantitative data from pre- and post-test scores on two standardized visualization tools will complement documentation of visualization gains, and the impact of the intervention on student achievement will be determined. Ultimately, the project will provide faculty with robust instructional materials that they can use in their classrooms to promote visualization and effective problem solving in chemistry.