Chemistry can be a very difficult topic for students to understand, in part because it requires students to think abstractly about the behaviors and interactions of atoms, molecules, and ions. Visualizations in chemistry can help to make chemistry at the particulate level less abstract because students can actually "see" these particles, and dynamic visualizations can help students understand how these particles interact and change over time as a reaction occurs. The chapters in this book are divided into four categories: Theoretical aspects of visualization design, design and evaluation of visualizations, visualizations studied by chemical education researchers, and visualizations designed for the chemistry classroom. Chapters 2-4 of this book focus on theoretical issues and concerns in developing and using animations and simulations to teach chemistry concepts. The theoretical frameworks described in these chapters not only include learning theories [such as Behaviorism, Cognitive Load Theory, and Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development], but also describe design principles that are informed by educational research on learning with multimedia. Both of these frameworks can be used to improve the way dynamic visualizations are designed, created, and utilized in the chemistry classroom. Chapters 5-8 of this book provide two examples of paired articles, in which the first chapter introduces and describes how the dynamic visuals were designed and created for use in chemistry instruction and the second chapter describes a chemical education research study performed to evaluate the effectiveness of using these dynamic visuals for chemistry instruction. Chapters 5 and 6 focus on interactive simulations created as part of the PhET Interactive Simulations Project. Chapters 7 and 8 focus on the virtual-world program Second Life and how it is being used to teach chemistry lessons. Chapters 9-14 of this book describe the results of chemical education research studies on the use of animations and simulations. Chapters 15-17 describe how specific dynamic visualization programs and modules were designed and how they should be utilized in the chemistry classroom to improve student learning.

Winner of the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title 2017 Award This comprehensive collection of top-level contributions provides a thorough review of the vibrant field of chemistry education. Highly-experienced chemistry professors and education experts cover the latest developments in chemistry learning and teaching, as well as the pivotal role of chemistry for shaping a more sustainable future. Adopting a practice-oriented approach, the current challenges and opportunities posed by chemistry education are critically discussed, highlighting the pitfalls that can occur in teaching chemistry and how to circumvent them. The main topics discussed include best practices, project-based education, blended learning and the role of technology, including e-learning, and science visualization. Hands-on recommendations on how to optimally implement innovative strategies of teaching chemistry at university and high-school levels make this book an essential resource for anybody interested in either teaching or learning chemistry more effectively, from experience chemistry professors to secondary school teachers, from educators with no formal training in didactics to frustrated chemistry students.

The role of technology in educational settings has become increasingly prominent in recent years. When utilized effectively, these tools provide a higher quality of learning for students. Optimizing STEM Education With Advanced ICTs and Simulations is an innovative reference source for the latest scholarly research on the integration of digital tools for enhanced STEM-based learning environments. Highlighting a range of pivotal topics such as mobile games, virtual labs, and participatory simulations, this publication is ideally designed for educators, professionals, academics, and students seeking material on emerging educational technologies.

Chemical modelling covers a wide range of disciplines and with the increase in volume, velocity and variety of information, researchers can find it difficult to keep up to date with the literature in this field. This book is the first stop for any materials scientist, biochemist, chemist or molecular physicist wishing to acquaint themselves with major developments in the applications and theory of chemical modelling. Containing both comprehensive and critical reviews, its coverage includes materials for energy storage, nanoflakes, chemical modelling of fluidics near surfaces and organic solar cells.

This volume offers a critical examination of a variety of conceptual approaches to teaching and learning chemistry in the school classroom. Presenting up-to-date research and theory and featuring contributions by respected academics on several continents, it explores ways of making knowledge meaningful and relevant to students as well as strategies for effectively communicating the core concepts essential for developing a robust understanding of the subject. Structured in three sections, the contents deal first with teaching and learning chemistry, discussing general issues and pedagogical strategies using macro, sub-micro and symbolic representations of chemical concepts. Researchers also describe new and productive teaching strategies. The second section examines specific approaches that foster learning with understanding, focusing on techniques such as cooperative learning, presentations, laboratory activities, multimedia simulations and role-playing in forensic chemistry classes. The final part of the book details learner-centered active chemistry learning methods, active computer-aided learning and trainee chemistry teachers` use of student-centered learning during their pre-service education. Comprehensive and highly relevant, this new publication makes a significant contribution to the continuing task of making chemistry classes engaging and effective.

During the past 30 years, researchers have made exciting progress in the science of learning (i.e., how people learn) and the science of instruction (i.e., how to help people learn). This second edition of the Handbook of Research on Learning and Instruction is intended to provide an overview of these research advances. With chapters written by leading researchers from around the world, this volume examines learning and instruction in a variety of learning environments including in classrooms and out of classrooms, and with a variety of learners including K-16 students and adult learners. Contributors to this volume demonstrate how and why educational practice should be guided by research evidence concerning what works in instruction. The Handbook is written at a level that is appropriate for graduate students, researchers, and practitioners interested in an evidence-based approach to learning and instruction. The book is divided into two sections: learning and instruction. The learning section consists of chapters on how people learn in reading, writing, mathematics, science, history, second language, and physical education, as well as how people acquire the knowledge and processes required for critical thinking, studying, self-regulation, and motivation. The instruction section consists of chapters on effective instructional methods—feedback, examples, questioning, tutoring, visualizations, simulations, inquiry, discussion, collaboration, peer modeling, and adaptive instruction. Each chapter in this second edition of the Handbook has been thoroughly revised to integrate recent advances in the field of educational psychology. Two chapters have been added to reflect advances in both helping students develop learning strategies and using technology to individualize instruction. As with the first edition, this updated volume showcases the best research being done on learning and instruction by traversing a broad array of academic domains, learning constructs, and instructional methods.

Creative thinking, be it that of the teacher or the student, has tended to be overlooked in science, but exercising it is important. This book shows how it can be done in chemistry, both in the context of creative chemistry teaching and in learning chemistry.Going beyond principles and ideology, readers will find practical strategies, tools, examples, and case studies in a variety of contexts to bring creative thinking theory into practice. Beginning with a discussion on the nature of creativity, the authors’ debunk misconceptions and address the relationship between creativity and problem solving. Delving into opportunities for practising creative thinking in science, for instance, hypothesis generation and experiment design, the authors’ then move on to discussions around assessing and evaluating creative thinking. Further areas covered include: multisensory chemistry, language and literacy, practical work and story-telling. As a resource, this book points the way to fostering exploration and the development of creative thinking in chemistry for the benefit of the student, and for the benefit of the teacher in offering a source of satisfaction and achievement in the work they do.With a foreword by John Holman.