This study aimed to examine whether withholding answers coupled with physical manipulation of material strengthened by the self-explanation effect (SEE) contribute to the development of a deeper conceptual understanding and retention of learning about motion content in a hands-on (HO) learning environment. The correlation between students'…

Magnetic molecular models help students explore molecular structures and interactions. In this study, we investigated how pairs of students used magnetic models to explore hydrogen bonding and the 6-fold symmetry of snowflakes. Fourteen first-year students enrolled in a chemistry unit participated in pairs. Students' interactions with the magnetic…

For decades, chemical modeling sets have allowed the user to manipulate atoms and bonds using plastic/wooden ball and stick materials. Here is a design for an interlocking toy brick modeling set in which the undergraduate nursing student can manipulate electrons during the simulated chemical bonding exercise. The author presents a teaching and…

The main difficulty in studying molecular symmetry is the mental manipulation of molecules when searching for symmetry. Numerous methods of teaching molecular symmetry require students to identify symmetry elements of objects or molecules. As an alternative, we propose activity that identifies symmetry using elements outside the objects, together…

In order to comprehend complex and abstract phenomena, students must partake in the process of learning by integrating complex and invisible components without ever physically encountering or manipulating such components. Prior knowledge and experiences will influence the way students assimilate and model new experiences and knowledge. If prior…

The Next Generation Science Standards lay out a model of energy that locates energy within objects and fields, and tracks energy as it transfers between these objects and transforms between forms of energy while always being conserved. This model of energy pervades much of modern science and represents a foundational, cross-cutting concept for…

The use of interlocking toy building blocks (e.g., LEGO) as teaching modules with a focus on the topics in organic chemistry is presented. Interlocking building blocks were assembled on a baseplate to depict chemistry concepts of hydrogenation of alkenes, hydration of alkenes, Markovnikov's rule, cis and trans isomers, hydrogen bonding, optical…

Physical and virtual labs have unique capabilities that can influence how students learn from them. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of physical and virtual manipulatives on students' learning of heat and temperature and to examine the influence of various combinations of physical and virtual manipulatives. A total of 205…

Background: The question of the efficiency of withholding answers and the physical manipulation of material in science education has become the target of a large number of researchers (proponents of the Cognitive Load Theory) in recent years. However, no research has been found examining the contribution of these elements of teaching to the…

The authors describe the construction and use of tactile models for demonstrating intermolecular forces. These models are composed of inexpensive materials and can be used in college chemistry classrooms of varying levels including general and organic chemistry. The models were designed to be paired with an accompanying activity to encourage…

Educational games can be used as an effective means of transferring knowledge in a fun way to complement education and training. The aim of the study was to develop a game and get students' opinions on the game that can be played in Organic Chemistry courses in order to teach the names of commonly used organic compounds with cyclic and aromatic…

Embodied learning tools (ELTs), such as building and manipulating models, bolster students' learning of spatially demanding science content, such as stereochemistry. However, studies comparing the effectiveness of virtual to physical ELTs on student learning are limited. This study compares online instruction using a virtual ELT, virtual models,…

In this article, we present a low-cost lab experience, enhanced by new technologies and easy to execute. The objective of the experiment is to explore the moment of inertia of a fidget spinner quantitatively. Our choice was to integrate the teaching of physics with the use of a popular toy, the fidget spinner, very popular among young people and…

In collaborative learning, the intuition "the more device, the merrier" is somehow widely acknowledged, but little research has investigated the relationship between device-student ratio and the learning outcome. This study aims to investigate not only the main effect of different device-student ratio, also to identify the moderators in…

A simple experiment on the determination of the coefficient of restitution of different materials is taken as the basis of an extendable work that can be done by students in an autonomous way. On the whole, the work described in this paper would involve concepts of kinematics, materials science, air drag and buoyancy, and would help students to…