Correct Interpretation of Chemical Diagrams Requires Transforming from One Level of Representation to Another

摘要

Volunteer non-major chemistry students taking an introductory universitychemistry course (n = 1 7 ) were interviewed about their understanding of a variety ofchemical diagrams. All the students' interviewed appreciated that diagrams of laboratoryequipment were useful to show how to set up laboratory equipment. However students'ability to explain specific diagrams at either the macroscopic or sub-microscopic levelvaried greatly. The results highlighted the poor level of understanding that some studentshad even after completing both exercises and experiments using the diagrams. Theconnection between the diagrams of the macroscopic level (equipment, chemicals), the sub-microscopic level (molecular) and the symbolic level (equations) was not alwaysconsidered explicitly by students. The results indicate a need for chemical diagrams to beused carefully and more explicitly to ensure learner understanding. Correspondingly,students need to interpret visual chemical diagrams using meta-visualization skills linkingthe various levels of representation, and appreciating the role of the diagrams inexplanations need to be developed.