Effects of 3D Applications in Organic Chemistry Lessons on Preservice Teachers’ Spatial Ability

Chemistry lessons, especially organic chemistry lessons, requires basic skills to imagine and mentally rotate 3D and 2D objects. These skills are related to spatial ability. For a meaningful learning students have enough spatial ability and teachers should consider to develop students’ spatial ability. Spatial ability could be developed permanently by activities and trainings. 3D printers and 3D pens could be effectively used to design and apply such activities. This research is conducted to analyze the effect of 3D applications on Elementary Science Education students’ spatial ability in Organic Chemistry lesson. Organic molecule models were designed and printed in 3D printer. The molecules were used in Organic Chemistry lesson to show coordination of atoms. Also students draw 3D molecule structures by using 3D pen. The Purdue Visualization of Rotation Test was administered as pre-test and post-test to analyze spatial ability level of students. Result of the study shows that; traditional Organic Chemistry lesson has no significant effect on spatial ability development, however, 3D applications have significant effect on spatial ability development

Effect Of 3D Applications In Organic Chemistry Lesson On Students’ Spatial Ability

Chemistry lessons, especially organic chemistry lessons, requires basic skills to imagine and mentally rotate 3D and 2D objects. These skills are related to spatial ability. For a meaningful learning students have enough spatial ability and teachers should consider to develop students’ spatial ability. Spatial ability could be developed permanently by activities and trainings. 3D printers and 3D pens could be effectively used to design and apply such activities. This research is conducted to analyze the effect of 3D applications on Elementary Science Education students’ spatial ability in Organic Chemistry lesson. Organic molecule models were designed and printed in 3D printer. The molecules were used in Organic Chemistry lesson to show coordination of atoms. Also students draw 3D molecule structures by using 3D pen. The Purdue Visualization of Rotation Test was administered as pre-test and post-test to analyze spatial ability level of students. Result of the study shows that; traditional Organic Chemistry lesson has no significant effect on spatial ability development, however, 3D applications have significant effect on spatial ability development

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