Picture This: 
The Value of Multiple Visual Representations for Student Learning of Quantum Concepts

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Mental models for scientific learning are often defined as, “cognitive tools situated between experiments and theories” (Duschl & Grandy, 2012). In learning, these cognitive tools are used to not only take in new information, but to help problem solve in new contexts. If conceptual tools used by the students in science education are inaccurate, then the resulting model will not be useful. Students in college general science courses are presented with multiple abstract topics, and often struggle to fit these parts into complete models. This is especially true for topics that are founded on quantum concepts. Based on John K. Gilbert’s (2008) ideas of expert use of multiple visual representations of science models, many teaching tools are designed to introduce students to some of these methods. While this can often create a rich learning environment, they can also lead to confusion. As a result, students must learn how to use multiple methods of visual representation to further develop their own cognitive models and to reason with new and more complex information.
College general chemistry courses are often one of the first environments that require students to develop models based on abstract quantum concepts. The objectives of this research were focused on how students use visual tools introduced during instruction to reason with atomic and molecular structure, what misconceptions may be associated with these visual tools, and how visual modeling skills may be taught to support students’ use of visual tools for reasoning. While this research was conducted in a general chemistry course, the results suggest the more general importance of teaching students visual modeling skills. Join Dr. Emily Allen for this session hosted by the Institute for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.

Biography of Dr. Emily Allen

Dr. Emily Allen earned her doctorate in science education with a focus in curriculum and instruction. She currently holds a lecturer appointment at Boston University, where she is developing team taught interdisciplinary science courses for undergraduate students. Her research interests are centered on how students learn abstract scientific concepts, and are focused on misconception retention, conceptual change, learning with computer simulations, and the development of visual modeling skills in aiding cognitive understanding. Her dissertation work included the development of an activity-based intervention targeting visual modeling skills for students learning quantum concepts in a general chemistry course; a project that showed statistically significant conceptual change in those students who completed the intervention work. She has also worked on projects looking at the effect of pre- and in-service immersive teacher training programs on the cognitive change of educators. Dr. Allen’s teaching experience mirrors these research interests, including teaching lab-based natural science courses to education, business and other “non-science major” undergraduate students, and teaching high school physics, chemistry, and math with Boston University’s Upward Bound Program and at a New England boarding school.