Evaluation of 3DMolSym found here. The MERLOT submission page can be found here.
Quality of Content: One of the biggest hurdles in teaching biochemistry is getting students to the point where they can visualize and build models of complex molecules. 3DMolSym is an amazing tool which allows you to display certain molecules in several formats and analyze the symmetry of the molecules. The content of simulation is outstanding and the interface is easy to understand after a few minutes of exploration.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool: The 3DMolSym could be used in several ways. It can be used as an introduction/demonstration to initially show 3D molecules of common organic (and inorganic) molecules. It allows the instructor to demonstration different types of symmetry, another hard to grasp concept for most students. Once students have an understanding of how to use the simulator, they can explore different molecules on their own and observe how many bonds certain elements can have. Students can also manipulate molecules and move them around the X, Y or Z axis to observe the total structure of the molecule. While the simulation doesn't allow for a lot of student practice, it could be used by students to predict the planes, axis or centers of molecules. It could then allow for immediate feedback to the student or could be used by the teacher to provide large or small group feedback. A nice addition to the simulator would be giving the user to option of predicting where the areas of symmetry would be prior to seeing the simulation.
Ease of Use: At first view the 3DMolSym looks complicated, but after a minute or two it is easy to figure out most of the functions. While there is a lot of information presented in a small screen, each section is labeled. The user can choose from several common types of molecule drawings which allows for customization and makes it easier for the user to understand what is being presented. The most challenging portion of the simulator is using the symmetry elements. It is important that you have a symmetry element selected from the element type and then choose one of the elements' selection prior to clicking on the perform reflection button. If you miss a step you'll get an error message which doesn't easily explain how to correct your mistake. To make sure your students do not get frustrated at this step, a simple demonstration in class on how to use the simulator is best advised.
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