The ability to extract structural information from a drawing of a molecule is key to being successful in organic chemistry. One source of difficulty for novices in interpreting structures is that hydrogens bound to carbon are represented implicitly in the often-used line-angle structures. Other representations that explicitly show hydrogens, such…

Teaching the three-dimensional structure of saccharides has consistently been a challenging aspect of organic chemistry courses, impeding students' ability to grasp more advanced topics in biochemistry and food chemistry. In this article, we designed and developed a novel d-glucopyranose model using 3D printing technology for the first time. This…

A strong understanding of molecular structure is key for mastering structure-function concepts in life sciences and is based on the visualization of biomolecules. Therefore, various approaches to help students translate between the 2D space of a textbook figure to the 3D space of a molecule have been developed. Object-based learning is an approach…

The initial learning experience is a critical opportunity to support conceptual understanding of abstract STEM concepts. Although hands-on activities and physical three-dimensional models are beneficial, they are seldom utilized and are replaced increasingly by digital simulations and laboratory exercises presented on touchscreen tablet computers.…

Many approaches to teaching Newman projections and conformational manipulation rely on lecturing using only two-dimensional representations. While molecular models are recognized as useful learning tools, students are often left to figure out how to use them during the initial learning process. The availability of basic online molecular models…