Spatial Thinking in Chemistry

1. Spatial Thinking in Chemistry • Mike Stieff • Department of Chemistry • Learning Sciences Research Institute • University of Illinois-Chicago

2. Outline • Locating Spatial Thinking in the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum • Educating Spatial Thinking in Undergraduate Chemistry

4. 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)

5. 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.

6. 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

7. General Chemistry

8. Organic Chemistry I & II

9. Spectroscopy

10. Physical Chemistry

11. 1. Draw 6 lines connected in a hexagon. External Visualization/Diagramming Internal Visualization/Imagery Alternative Strategies for Spatial Thinking in Chemistry

12. R S Alternative Strategies for Problem Solving in Organic

13. Students Use Imagery to Reason Compare Structure (Stieff, 2007)

14. Experts Apply Domain Heuristics (Stieff, 2007)

15. Students Can Learn The Heuristics (Stieff, 2007)

16. 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

17. How Does Differential Training Impact Strategy Preference?

18. How Does Differential Training Impact Student Achievement?

19. Do Men & Women Differ in Strategy Use?

20. What Role for Spatial Ability?

21. 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 discipline-specific spatial assessments

22. Thank You • mstieff@uic.edu