Graduation Year

2025

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Chemistry

Reader 1

Daniel J. O'Leary

Reader 2

Malkiat Johal

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2025 Hiwot L Endeshaw

Abstract

Spatial abilities are invaluable skills for the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects. However, women, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and ethnic minorities are more likely to have less developed spatial abilities, which is one of the many contributing factors for the lack of diversity in STEM subjects like chemistry. Teaching spatial skills to undergraduate chemistry students may address this issue and help increase the diversity of students who go on to continue their education in the subject. 3D printing technology in higher education has exploded in recent years, presenting a unique opportunity to teach “hard to grasp” concepts that are not taught or taught poorly to students. Molecular orbitals are an integral topic in chemistry that are usually not incorporated into undergraduate education but are critical to expert-like understanding of molecular interactions. In this work, 3D printed model systems were developed to help students learn “hard to grasp” concepts like molecular orbital theory, molecular geometry of lone pairs on oxygen, the Bürgi-Dunitz angle for nucleophilic addition to carbonyl groups, and non-covalent bonding interactions. Orbital systems such as methane, water, nucleophilic attack to a carbonyl group, and N-acyl homoserine lactones were calculated with computational chemistry methods and 3D printed as educational models tailored for classroom use. Details about how to present these concepts to students are outlined in this work as well as how the 3D models can facilitate this learning in undergraduate chemistry students. With 3D models to aid students in their understanding of chemical concepts, they can more easily gain a more “expert-like”, intuitive understanding of chemistry and achieve success in the subject such that they may be encouraged to continue their chemistry education at a tertiary level. Future work stands to be done in expanding the set of 3D printed systems and accessibility for color-blind students and educators who may not have 5-color filament 3D printers.

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