ConfChem Conference on Interactive Visualizations for Chemistry Teaching and Learning: A Multimodal Examination of Visual Problem Solving

This communication summarizes one of the invited papers to the ConfChem online conference Interactive Visualizations for Chemistry Teaching and Learning, held from May 8 to June 4, 2015 and hosted by the ACS DivCHED Committee on Computers in Chemical Education. In our ConfChem paper, we presented a mixed-methods analysis of multimodal problem-solving data to look for themes in problem-solving strategies. We discussed the trends that emerged in how participants represented and interacted with representations of stoichiometry problems. In particular, we focused on the findings that suggested a need for directed reflection on problem-solving strategy and conceptual understanding of conservation. We used multiple, individual assessments to investigate student interaction with chemistry representations which allowed us to identify trends in both conceptual understanding and viewing strategy. Of particular interest were instances where a participant shifted between use of conservation concepts or viewing strategy. The ConfChem discussion provided a forum for deeper exploration of these research findings and future directions.