Augmented reality has become more pervasive within society through the proliferation of smart phones and apps, such as the popular game Pokemon Go. This technology has the potential as an easy-to-use tool for students to bridge the visualization gap between a 2D image of a molecule or orbital into 3D space. Chemistry students must develop this skill to be successful in courses that focus on structure and bonding theories. Modeling kits have served as a tool for decades to provide students a personal method of producing a 3D visualization of molecules and, in some kits, orbital interactions. However, building the molecules can be time consuming and cumbersome, particularly when lecturing or solving problems on worksheets. 3D prints of molecular structures and orbitals can provide accurate visualizations, but can be costly to produce, both financially and time-wise, on a scale that can result in wide-spread class participation. Using AR apps can provide a fast and low-cost alternative for students to visualize 3D figures. This presentation will focus on the application of AR technology in a problem-solving focused general chemistry course that covers VSEPR, hybridized, and molecular orbital bonding theories to describe chemical structures. Qualitative assessment of the effectiveness of the technology was performed on a group of students that had previously taken a lecture-based version of the course and underperformed.

Pokemon Go learn some chemistry: Applications of augmented reality to a general chemistry active-learning course

256th National Meeting (2018)

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