Introductory Undergraduate Chemistry Research Articles

Student perspectives on chemistry intelligence and their implications for measuring chemistry-specific mindset

Students’ beliefs about their ability to improve their intelligence (known as mindset) likely have more impact on their academic outcomes when engaging in challenging learning environments, such as introductory undergraduate chemistry courses. To date, little research has been conducted on the chemistry-specific aspects of intelligence which result in domain-specific mindset beliefs. Additionally, the existing mindset instrument, and its variations, have not been demonstrated as valid for a higher-education chemistry student population. In this work, we evaluate mindset trait terminology (“intelligence,” “chemistry intelligence,” and “chemistry ability”) interpretations across a large, diverse sample to identify key cognitive aspects students consider important within chemistry-specific contexts and qualitatively distinguish perspectives of students who describe growth mindset beliefs from those holding fixed mindset beliefs. It was determined that all three mindset trait terms yield broad ranges of interpretations, and that those specific to chemistry elicit meanings more relevant to the chemistry classroom context. Three distinct mindset perspectives were identified qualitatively within the sample based on students’ interpretation of the nature and origins of “chemistry intelligence”. These groups had significantly different mean values for the mindset construct as measured by the existing mindset instrument, however, the groups heavily overlapped in response patterns. These findings support the need to develop a chemistry-specific instrument that can produce valid data for this population as the different mindset perspectives were not distinguishable by the current quantitative measures.

Learning chemistry nomenclature: Comparing the use of an electronic game versus a study guide approach

Learning how to name chemical compounds is a critical feature of chemistry that many students often find challenging. Naming compounds requires both an understanding of the conventions and language of chemistry. Common strategies used to improve student understanding of chemical nomenclature include study guides and games. However, little is known about how these strategies impact student learning of chemical nomenclature. This mixed-method study compares the effect of a new electronic chemistry game, Topinomica, versus an existing study guide on the learning of nomenclature in an introductory undergraduate chemistry course for a diverse student population (n = 470). Research methods include pre/post-tests, short student surveys and instructor questionnaires, and classroom observations. Quantitative findings indicate significant pre/post gains for both conditions, but no significant difference between the game (n = 255) and the study guide (n = 215). Prior knowledge analysis shows a significant difference between conditions for high prior knowledge students, with the game treatment performing better. Qualitative findings demonstrate that instructors endorse and are adopting the game and that students prefer a game to a study guide. We discuss implications of this research for future science education studies related to study guides and educational games.

Spectroscopy of Sound Transmission in Solid Samples

These laboratory experiments are designed to familiarize students with concepts of spectroscopy by using sound waves. Topics covered in these experiments include the structure of nitinol alloys and polymer chain stiffness as a function of structure and temperature. Generally, substances that are stiffer or have higher symmetry at the molecular level transmit sound more effectively, and the higher pitched sounds that they produce upon impact can be heard and visually observed using a laptop microphone and SpectrumView freeware. This lab is designed for use in an introductory undergraduate chemistry course, although the techniques can be used for more and less advanced courses. Additional related classroom demonstrations are also presented.