Using Variation Theory with Metacognitive Monitoring To Develop Insights into How Students Learn from Molecular Visualizations

Abstract

Molecular visualizations have been widely endorsed by many chemical educators as an efficient way to convey the dynamic and atomic-level details of chemistry events. Research indicates that students who use molecular visualizations are able to incorporate most of the intended features of the animations into their explanations. However, studies also suggest that learning from visualizations is imperfect. In this study a new theoretical framework, variation theory, was used to examine learning and understanding based on students' reported experience of variation while viewing visualizations. Student metacognition was examined to gain insight into how students recognized variation between their mental models and the visualization models. Results from this study provide visual evidence of a transitional state of understanding in which students' previous conceptions merge with new conceptions learned from the visualizations. However, limitations in students' ability to monitor their understanding made unpacking what students understood challenging, as students tend to communicate only what they believe to be the most essential details.

Exploring the Design and Use of Molecular Animations that Conflict for Understanding Chemical Reactions

“…Several studies have focused on how students make sense of what they see in animations and how this information positively enhances students' understanding of atomic level events. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] Kelly noticed that students tend to incorporate aspects of animations into their observable explanations when they notice the variance between their models and the animation models. 2 However, she observed that when students were asked to describe how animations were similar to or different from their mental models they had difficulty and often failed to represent many details in their drawn and oral explanations of the chemistry concepts.…”

“…2 However, she observed that when students were asked to describe how animations were similar to or different from their mental models they had difficulty and often failed to represent many details in their drawn and oral explanations of the chemistry concepts. 2 The students seemed to be unclear on how to justify their mental representations. Clearly, how students take in information from animations is complex.…”

“…23 Kelly observed that students were most influenced by the very general characteristics of animations, and they spent less attentional effort on detailed pictures, dismissing features as unimportant. 2 These decisions affect how students adapt what they see in the visualization to fit with their understanding. Therefore, there is a clear need to teach students the value and limitations of models.…”

“…They are a useful educational support that help students build mental models of the behavior of particles. 2 Several studies report that animations are very effective and students' have much better conceptual understanding of chemistry events after viewing them. [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] However, learning is often reported to be uneven, and many students continue to have difficulty conceptualizing the particulate level.…”

“…[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] However, learning is often reported to be uneven, and many students continue to have difficulty conceptualizing the particulate level. 2,[14][15][16][17][18] Transforming students learning requires providing them with experiences where they must critically self-examine the assumptions and beliefs that have structured their interpretation of the experience. 19 The goal of this research has been to help students learn how to use experimental evidence, presented in videos, to evaluate the plausibility of three different molecular animations of a reaction event: One animation that is scientifically accurate and two that are inaccurate.…”