Browsing by Author "Won, Mihye"

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    ‘‘It is not just the shape, there is more’’: students’ learning of enzyme–substrate interactions with immersive virtual reality.
    (The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2024) Matovu, Henry; Won, Mihye; Tasker, Roy; Mocerino, Mauro; Treagust, David Franklin; Ungu, Dewi Ayu Kencana; Tsai, Chin-Chung
    Immersive Virtual Reality (iVR) can help students visualise and explore complex chemical concepts, such as protein enzyme structures and interactions. We designed a set of collaborative iVR-based learning tasks on the interaction between a protein enzyme and its substrate. We investigated how 18 pairs (36 students) in undergraduate chemistry courses changed their understanding of enzyme–substrate interactions through iVR learning tasks. Videos of pre- and post-interviews and student-generated diagrams were analysed. Before iVR, students had abstract models of the structure of a protein enzyme or its interaction with a substrate molecule. Over 90 per cent of the students (33/36) explained enzyme– substrate interactions using simplistic lock-and-key diagrams, exclusively focusing on the shape. Although many students employed key scientific terms like activation energy in their explanations, they were unsure how enzymes lowered activation energy or how catalytic reactions occurred. After iVR, all students discussed the inadequacy of 2D diagrams for representing complex enzyme–substrate interactions. About 90 per cent of students (32/36) used concrete ideas such as electron density and orientation of reactants in the active site to explain the probability of successful interactions between the enzyme and its substrate. Our findings provide evidence of how interactive iVR learning tasks can help students explore complex molecular structures, integrate ideas, and build a concrete understanding of challenging science concepts.
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    Students’ perceptions of physical magnetic models and immersive virtual reality for chemistry learning.
    (Taylor & Francis, 2025) Ungu, Dewi Ayu Kencana; Won, Mihye; Matovu, Henry; Hernandez-Alvarado, Ricardo Bruno; Treagust, David F.; Mocerino, Mauro; Tasker, Roy; Tsai, Chin-Chung
    Physical magnetic models and immersive virtual reality (iVR) both support students’ grasp of abstract chemistry concepts, yet the distinct affordances of each remain underexplored. In this qualitative study, forty undergraduate chemistry students (twenty pairs) completed learning activities on hydrogen bonds using both magnetic models and iVR. Pre/post semi-structured interviews were transcribed and analysed using a cross-case thematic analysis, beginning with inductive coding and followed by deductive mapping to existing literature. Four themes emerged – visualisation, interactivity, narrative (task design), and social features – highlighting the features of magnetic models and iVR that shape students’ learning experiences. Students reported that the magnetic model activity supported tactile exploration that helped them understand basic molecular concepts like attraction and repulsion. While it offers opportunities to test hypotheses, the magnetic model activity felt individualistic. In contrast, students saw iVR as a collaborative environment where complex tasks, advanced 3D visualisation, and interactivity deepened their understanding of hydrogen bonds. These findings highlight students’ distinct perceptions of each tool – magnetic models are effective for tactile, individual explorations, and iVR is valuable for collaboration, problem-solving, and visualising complex structures. Educators should leverage these differing affordances when designing learning experiences to support students’ understanding of scientific concepts. KEYWORDS: Immersive virtual reality (iVR), students’ perceptions, molecular visualization, physical molecular models