Using chemistry simulations: attention capture, selective amnesia and inattentional blindness

Rodrigues, Susan (2011) Using chemistry simulations: attention capture, selective amnesia and inattentional blindness. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 12 (1). pp. 40-46. ISSN 1756-1108

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

Abstract

Twenty-one convenience sample student volunteers aged between 14-15 years worked in pairs (and one group of three) with two randomly allocated high quality conceptual (molecular level) and operational (mimicking wet labs) simulations. The volunteers were told they had five minutes to play, repeat, review, restart or stop the simulation, which in most cases lasted less than a minute. The volunteers were digitally video recorded as they worked in pairs. A semi-structured retrospective interview was conducted a few minutes later using the digital record depicting their behaviour and actions as a prompt. Participants were asked to explain what drove and determined their actions. The data sets show how attention capture, selective amnesia and inattentional blindness played a role in determining whether interaction was fruitful. The findings suggest that while some instructions may go through attention focus they may become 'unseen' or forgotten (selective amnesia) and other instructions may fall victim to inattentional blindness when cues provided by designers are missed. In addition, if initially two prompts (which may be a hint, or message or icon or symbol) appear together before one prompt disappears, then the remaining prompt gains precedence and, if interpreted inaccurately, may generate a false understanding.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	C700 Molecular Biology, Biophysics and Biochemistry F100 Chemistry
Department:	Faculties > Health and Life Sciences > Social Work, Education and Community Wellbeing
Depositing User:	EPrint Services
Date Deposited:	29 Sep 2011 09:58
Last Modified:	12 Oct 2019 15:25
URI:	http://nrl.northumbria.ac.uk/id/eprint/2943

Downloads