Combining Paper-Pencil Techniques with Immediate Feedback for Learning Chemical Drawings

Abstract

Introductory chemistry courses teach the process of drawing basic chemical molecules with the use of Lewis dot diagrams. Many beginner students, however, have difficulty in mastering these diagrams. While several computer applications are being developed to help students learn Lewis dot diagrams, there is a potential hidden benefit from paper and pencil that many students may not realize. The goal of this research is to begin identifying which paper-pencil techniques provide educational benefits for learning Lewis dot diagrams. Sketch recognition has been used to identify advanced chemical diagrams, however using the recognition in an educational setting requires focusing beyond identifying the final drawing. This study focuses on creating an effective application that allows students to practice constructing Lewis Dot Diagrams with the same interaction techniques (constructing, checking, and modifying) from pencil and paper, while also providing users informational feedback during the drawing process. Two applications are compared to determine whether including paper-pencil techniques have any educational benefit when drawing Lewis dot diagrams. An analysis of pre-post assessments show how combining sketch recognition of paper-pencil techniques and immediate feedback allows greater benefits for students with a basic chemistry understanding.