Author(s): Kaden Jensen
Mentor(s): Matthew Prater
Institution SUU
Connecting 2D molecular structures to their 3D counterparts can be exceptionally challenging for students studying chemistry, especially in the context of stereochemistry and symmetry. Many students struggle with vizualizing the spatial arrangement of atoms, which is crucial for predicting molecular properties. Virtual reality (VR) can be useful to bridge this gap of understanding by allowing students an immersive experience to interact with the 3D structures next to their 2D drawings. As no user-friendly application existed, we built a new VR program to help students internalize this important relationship. Our application was specifically designed to simplify difficult spatial reasoning by allowing them to rotate the 3D models. We used student survey data to examine student perceptions of the utility of this learning modality.