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- Title
When is a molecule three dimensional? A task-specific role for imagistic reasoning in advanced chemistry.
- Authors
Stieff, Mike
- Abstract
Imagistic reasoning appears to be a critical strategy for learning and problem solving in the sciences, particularly chemistry; however, little is known about how students use imagistic reasoning on genuine assessment tasks in chemistry. The present study employed a think-aloud protocol to explore when and how students use imagistic reasoning for problem solving in organic chemistry. The analysis suggests that students employ imagistic reasoning preferentially for translating between various molecular representations. On more complex tasks typical of classroom assessments, the students' problem solving appears mostly dependent on the accuracy of self-generated inscriptions rather than the use of imagistic reasoning. The results indicate a variable interplay between imagistic reasoning and diagrammatic reasoning that suggests several pedagogical implications for teaching college chemistry.
- Subjects
CHEMISTRY education in universities &; colleges; ORGANIC chemistry education; REASONING; TEACHING methods; GRAPHIC methods; MOLECULAR models; PROBLEM solving ability testing
- Publication
Science Education, 2011, Vol 95, Issue 2, p310
- ISSN
0036-8326
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/sce.20427