Design and Implementation of a Neuropedagogy-Based Intervention to Foster Organic Chemistry-Related Visual Literacy Skills

Undergraduate organic chemistry is considered a complicated subject, repeatedly identified as difficult by learners. To succeed, students must master the complex conventions of the organic chemistry language and use multiple types of visual representations. Understanding organic chemistry heavily relies on visual thinking skills, necessary for integrating new and highly specific visual input in visualization. Despite educators’ attempts to employ varied teaching strategies, many students struggle with the visual translations required to engage in multilevel thinking. To address and support students’ discipline-oriented visual literacy skills while teaching organic chemistry, we developed and implemented an intervention involving 10 tasks based on the application of neuropedagogy-based strategies expected to support the development of visual literacy skills (VLS). The VLS tasks were introduced during the semester in otherwise traditional lectures, keeping up with the rapid teaching pace required by the university curricula. As a preliminary evaluation of the intervention, we focused on students’ achievements and their overall perception of the course and the VLS tasks. Our findings suggest a positive correlation between the number of performed VLS tasks and students’ achievements. Moreover, students’ perspectives toward the course and VLS tasks’ perceived influence on their organic chemistry-related visual abilities were positive. Through this intervention, we learn that integrating neuropedagogy-based instructional strategies to promote visual literacy in undergraduate organic chemistry during lecturing is feasible and may potentially improve students’ achievements with minimal in-class effort while maintaining the course pace and curricular goals.