Spatial Thinking in Chemistry
Mike Stieff
Department of Chemistry
Learning Sciences Research Institute
University of Illinois-Chicago
Outline
• Locating Spatial Thinking
in the Undergraduate
Chemistry Curriculum
• Educating Spatial Thinking
in Undergraduate
Chemistry
•
Correlations exist between measures of spatial ability
and achievement in chemistry (Bodner, Guay, 1997;
Carter, LaRussa, & Bodner, 1987)
•
Sex differences in spatial abilities contribute to sex
differences in chemistry achievement (Carter,
LaRussa, & Bodner, 1987; Dori & Barnea, 1997; Stieff,
Dixon, Ryu, Kumi, & Hegarty, under review)
•
Training of spatial visualization supports chemistry
learning (Small & Morton, 1983; Barke & Engida,
2001)
Spatial Thinking with Diagrams
Glucose exists as both an open-chain and a cyclic structure. The
open-chain form consists of an unbranched backbone of six
carbon atoms. At C1 is an aldehyde, and one hydroxyl group
substitutes at each of the other five carbons in the chain. The
cyclic form consists of a ring of carbon atoms connected with one
oxygen atom. In one cyclic isomer, all of the hydroxyl groups are
positioned equatorial to the ring and the C1 hydroxyl group and
the C5 substituent are trans to each other.
Spatial Thinking in the
College Curriculum
• General Chemistry I & II (Year 1)
•
Atomic Structure, Hybridization Theory, Bonding,
Molecular Geometry
• Organic Chemistry I & II (Year 2)
•
Stereochemistry, Stereoselective & Regioselective
Reactions, Structure-Reactivity Relationships
• Spectroscopy (Year 3/4)
•
Structure Identification
• Physical Chemistry (Year 3/4)
•
Quantum Mechanics, Group Theory
General Chemistry
Organic Chemistry I & II
Spectroscopy
Physical Chemistry
Alternative Strategies for Spatial Thinking
in Chemistry
1. Draw 6 lines
connected in a
hexagon.
External
Visualization/
Diagramming
Internal
Visualization/
Imagery
Alternative Strategies for
Problem Solving in Organic
R
S
Students Use Imagery to
Reason Compare Structure
(Stieff, 2007)
Experts Apply Domain Heuristics
(Stieff, 2007)
Students Can Learn The
Heuristics
(Stieff, 2007)
Can Strategy Use Be Trained in the
Classroom?
•
Instrument: “Chemistry Achievement & Strategy Preference Survey”
•
•
•
12-item chemistry achievement test with retrospective self-reporting
of strategy use
Participants: 514 college students enrolled in organic chemistry
Protocol
•
•
Survey administered pre- and post-instruction
Students participated in one of three interventions
•
•
•
•
Spatial-analytic training (Fall 2009), n = 157, (M = 63, F = 94)
Spatial-imagistic training (Spring 2010), n = 159, (M = 52, F = 103)
Combined training (Fall 2010), n = 198, (M = 81, F= 116)
ANOVA
•
•
Strategy preference v. Sex v. Intervention
Achievement v. Intervention v. Intervention
How Does Differential Training Impact
Strategy Preference?
How Does Differential Training Impact
Student Achievement?
Do Men & Women Differ in Strategy Use?
What Role for Spatial Ability?
• Spatial thinking is a central component of
the undergraduate chemistry curriculum
• Spatial thinking in chemistry involves
multiple strategies and “tools” (e.g.,
models, diagrams, algorithms)
• Spatial thinking can be directly trained to
increase achievement on disciplinespecific spatial assessments
Thank You
[email protected]