Exploring the Multimodality of Problem Solving in Chemistry - Implications for Assessment and Machine Learning - Applications

Aug 5, 2026

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Central to conceptual understanding of STEM disciplines is visuospatial processing. Despite its acknowledged role in assuring learners’ success, little is known about the underlying reasoning students must employ when solving 3-D problems. Gaining this can inform formative assessment and learning in STEM education. The thesis identifies how students reason when explaining predictions about molecular geometry in natural learning environments, and how different modalities relate to conceptual accuracy.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages320

Reading Time13 h 26 min

AccessFree to download

Applications

Research overview

Method and findings

Implications for assessment and machine learning

This thesis has been submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for a postgraduate degree (e. g. PhD, MPhil, DClinPsychol) at the University of Edinburgh. Please note the following terms and conditions of use: This work is protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights, which are retained by the thesis author, unless otherwise stated. A copy can be downloaded for personal non-commercial research or study, without prior permission or charge. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the author. The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the author. When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given. Exploring the Multimodality of Problem Solving in Chemistry; Implications for Assessment and Machine Learning Applications Nicola Agnes Kiernan Doctor of Philosophy 2024 Nicola Kiernan Exploring the multimodality of problem solving in Chemistry; Implications for Assessment and Machine Learning Applications Doctor of Philosophy, August 2024 Word Count: 92,593 SUPERVISORS: Professor Andrew Manches, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom Professor Michael Seery, University of Bristol , United Kingdom Professor Judy Robertson, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom I declare that the thesis has been composed entirely by myself and that the work has not be submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. I confirm that the work submitted is my own, except where work which has formed part of jointly authored publications has been included. My contribution and those of the other authors to this work have been explicitly indicated below. I confirm that appropriate credit has been given within this thesis where reference has been made to the work of others. The work presented in Chapters 3 and 4 was previously published in Chemistry Education Research and Practice as The Role of Visuospatial Thinking in Students’Predictions of Molecular Geometry and Resources for Reasoning of Chemistry Concepts: Multimodal Molecular Geometry respectively. These works were completed by Kiernan, N.A. , Manches, A. and Seery, M. K. , with Nicola Kiernan as first author and thesis supervisors Andrew Manches and Michael Seery as coauthors. Publications arising from this thesis Journal Papers: Kiernan, N.A. , Manches, A. and Seery, M. K. (2021) . The Role of Visuospatial Thinking in Students’ Predictions of Molecular Geometry. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. , 2021, 22, 626. [https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2021/rp/d0rp00354a](https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2021/rp/d0rp00354a) [Kiernan](Kiernan) , N.A. , Manches, A. and Seery, M. K. (2024) . Resources for Reasoning of Chemistry Concepts: Multimodal Molecular Geometry. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. , 2024, 25, 524-543. [https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/rp/d3rp00186e](https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/rp/d3rp00186e) [Conference Presentations:](Conference Presentations:) • Methods in Chemistry Education Research Conference Online, 2020. Poster Presentation: Exploring the Multimodality of Chemical Thinking To what extent can Students’Sketches Communicate their Understanding of Molecular Geometry? June 9th , 2020. • Royal Society of Chemistry Wessex Post-16 Chemistry Teachers'Conference, 2021. Teacher-Researcher Talk: Seeing is Believing; The role of visuospatial thinking in students’ predictions of molecular geometry, 1st July, 2021. • The University of Edinburgh Learning and Teaching Conference, 2022. Shaping our Futures. Workshop: Role of Gesture in Teaching and Learning. Theme: Challenging Accepted Ways of Thinking. June 14-15th , 2022. • ISGS 2022: The 9th Conference of the International Society for Gesture Studies, Chicago, Illinois, USA.

FAQs

What is the central focus of the thesis?

The thesis focuses on how visuospatial processing relates to students’ reasoning while solving 3-D chemistry problems, specifically molecular geometry predictions.

How does the thesis analyze students’ reasoning?

It codes students’ verbal and written responses to research tasks and examines written work, verbal responses, and spontaneous gestures to characterize reasoning components.

What does the thesis suggest about reasoning strategies and accuracy?

Students use multiple reasoning strategies and conceptual resources, and some show preference for alternative strategies informed by prior knowledge and imagistic reasoning, with higher accuracy linked to particular diagrammatic and gestured representations.

Aug 5, 2026

Upload by Skyler