Chemistry requires mental visualizations to understand the nature of matter. There are concepts so abstract that students must grasp them theoretically with a language unique to chemistry but unfamiliar to them. They cannot visualize the internal structure, which hinders their scientific understanding of a phenomenon. In this project, Professor Mariela Damaris Urzua proposes using virtual reality as a tool to achieve understanding of these concepts.
Overview
In 2020, Professor Urzúa presented a proposal to be funded by Novus with the goal of helping her students understand abstract concepts and the internal structure of matter.
She proposed the implementation of virtual reality to allow students to learn chemistry in an immersive way.
"Discovering that technology can enhance students' learning processes motivated me to seek new innovations for my classes, such as the implementation of virtual reality. This was made possible thanks to Novus."
Development
The project was carried out over one semester in Toluca with high school students in two groups, impacting 63 students. Using the MelVr application and headsets, students "immersed themselves within molecules to analyze atomic models, the shape of atomic sublevels, and the placement of electrons in electronic configuration, the periodic table, among other things."
The project was developed during the pandemic, and according to the professor, this was a significant challenge for her, as achieving successful results required an adaptation to the hybrid model first:
"One of the most important challenges was that the project was developed during the pandemic. I had to ensure that all my students achieved the immersion needed for the project, and this immersion had to occur gradually because we were just returning to hybrid learning."
Impact measurement and results
In this project, three instruments were defined during the development of the experimental protocol to measure how the use of virtual reality affects both the understanding of chemistry concepts and the improvement of students' spatial visualization. These competencies are known as spatial visualization, academic performance, and scientific competence.
The results of the experimentation were very positive. After the students' participation, a significant improvement was observed in their spatial visualization, as well as a better understanding of the chemistry concepts covered, leading to improved academic performance.
This Novus project helped the professor achieve many of the challenges and objectives she set with the academic well-being of her students in mind.
“Novus allowed me to give a better focus to my work in education. With its support, I was able to develop a project that helped my students improve their understanding, motivation, and more. ”
Recommendations for other innovators
Professor Mariela recommends having a clear understanding of the needs identified in your classrooms and how addressing these needs can enhance your students' learning process. Once that need is defined, seek tools that aid in the development of the project, as Novus does.
“Professionally, the Novus project provided me with a lot of learning, many experiences, and new challenges with my students.”
Professor Urzua believes that immersive technologies like augmented reality have great potential in educational processes, as they allow students to use all their senses for understanding various topics.
Responsible: Mariela Damaris Urzúa
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