Program Highlights
Presentations
  • October 2014 - Society for Advancement of Hispanics/Chicanos and Native Americans in Science – Los Angeles, CA (invited speaker) - Kelly, R. -  Insights into how students learn from molecular visualizations.
  • March 2015 - ACS National Meeting - Denver, CO (Invited Speaker) 1.  Kelly, R. – How visualizations have affected my work and research 2.  Kelly, R. – Insights into how students learn from molecular visualizations through the lens of variation theory
  • April 2015 - University of Northern Colorado – Greeley, CO (invited speaker/award recipient) Kelly, R. – The nexus between chemical education research and teaching practice
  • June 2015 - Gordon Research Conference – Lewiston, ME (invited speaker) Kelly, R. – Exploring a molecular visualization framework that incorporates examining evidence and critiquing models.

Research/Pilot Study -  The goal of this digital ambassador assisted project was to study how first semester, general chemistry students would use experimental evidence, presented in a video, to evaluate the plausibility of two different molecular animations of a redox reaction event: One animation was accurate and the other contained errors. 
  • Fall 2014 - Video of experimental evidence and an animation with errors were designed and produced.  A pilot study began in November. Animation design and subject participation incentives were supported with funds from Digital Ambassador Program. 
  • Spring 2015 - Data analysis 
  • Summer 2015 - Project results were presented and a paper is being written for publication.

Images from the key components of the visualization framework under investigation

Picture
Video - Experimental Evidence of a Redox Reaction
Still image from video of experimental evidence showing distilled water, aqueous silver nitrate and aqueous copper (II) nitrate with copper coils added to each test tube. The redox reaction between aqueous silver nitrate and solid copper results produces the formation of silver metal on the surface of the copper wire.
Picture
SJSU Animation by Mina Evans and Resa Kelly
Still image from an animation that represents a possible mechanism for the reaction between aqueous silver nitrate and solid copper. Students were asked to critique the animation for its accuracy and to determine how experimental evidence supported or refuted what was depicted in the animation.
Picture
VisChem Animation by Roy Tasker
Still image from an animation by VisChem (Roy Tasker) that shows a detailed mechanism for the redox reaction between aqueous silver nitrate and solid copper. Once again, students were also asked to critique the animation for its accuracy and to determine how experimental evidence supported or refuted what was depicted in the animation.