New Perspectives in Science Education

Organic chemistry by many students is seen as a particularly demanding field in their chemistry studies. Research has shown that students find it difficult to obtain information about the chemical properties of molecules from their respective structural formulas. [1] With missing this crucial part of information, however, the complex processes at the sub-microscopic level demand a large amount of cognitive resources. Students are tempted to fall back on their intuition or proven habits when working with structural formulas which corresponds to an insufficient connection between the symbolic level and the sub-microscopic level. [2] In this regard, dynamic multimedia instruction formats labelled as "learning videos" have attracted attention of chemistry education research. With the aim to find ways to foster learning in organic chemistry, this article presents the design and evaluation of a dynamic multimedia learning environment using the aldol reaction as an example.Therefore, it will be explained which general design criteria can be derived from the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning and how they can be interpreted for organic chemistry [3]. Considering their respective underlying mode of action, the design criteria are then applied to the example of the aldol reaction. Of particular importance are superordinate guiding principles that systematize chemistry as a natural science and are referred to as "basic concepts" in the German research landscape. [4]To assess the effectiveness of the instructional material, an evaluation instrument was developed utilizing a classic control group design. The sample consisted of 20 undergraduate students who had no prior knowledge of the aldol reaction. A posttest was used to assess transfer ability of both groups after the respective treatment as well as the spatial ability. [5] The main focus of the evaluation, however, was the examination of the mental models constructed in both groups. Following the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, the subjectively perceived cognitive load was measured with a corresponding questionnaire. Finally, group interviews in think-aloud format were used to investigate the mental models formed.

Keywords: Chemistry education, organic chemistry, instructional design, dynamic multimedia, cognitive load, animation.

References:

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• R. E. Mayer, in: The Cambridge Handbook of Multimedia Learning. R. E. Mayer (Ed.), 2014, New York, 47-49.
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