Spatial ability and the impact of visualization/animation on learning electrochemistry

This study assessed the impact of computer animations illustrating the chemical reactions that occurinside a battery on students enrolled in a college introductory chemistry course. Students received twolectures on electrochemistry dealing with the chemical principles of how batteries generate electricityutilizing either animations or still diagrams. Students also completed a chemical knowledge test, aFlashlight pre-test and two chemistry content exams before receiving the lectures. A spatial abilitytest was given after the lectures and the students were classified as high or low spatial ability accordingto their spatial ability scores. The chemical knowledge and Flashlight pre-test and two previous contentexams were used as covariates; the spatial ahility test Lvas used to assess any interaction of spatial abilityand treatment. The dependent measures were two parts (knowvledge and transfer) of a post-test onelectrochemical concepts (labelled Postl and Post2). On Postl, instructor-guided animations led tobetter performance than static diagrams. No interaction of spatial ability and treatment was observed.On Post2, there was no main effect of treatment, but there was a significant treatment by spatial abilityinteraction. Animations led to better performance overall, but more so for students vith high spatialability. These results imply that instructor-guided animations may help students acquire a better understandingof targeted chemistry concepts, and that the relationship bet\veen narration, spatial ability andcomputer animations illustrating chemical concepts and principles should be further investigated infuture research.