AI-Assisted Development of an Interactive 3D Molecular Visualization Platform for Chemistry Learning

Abstrak

Hydrocarbon molecular structures remain challenging in chemistry because students often have difficulty visualizing abstract and submicroscopic representations. Teachers’ administrative workloads may also hinder the development of innovative learning media. This study aimed to develop an interactive three-dimensional (3D) molecular visualization platform for chemistry learning through an AI-assisted development process. Google Gemini was used as a development tool through iterative prompting, in which researchers provided predefined functional, instructional, and interface specifications, and Gemini generated and refined the web-based platform through multiple prompting cycles. The platform was designed as an open-access learning tool incorporating hand-gesture interaction for visualizing hydrocarbon molecular structures. Employing a Research and Development (R&D) approach, the study involved 24 senior high school students and four chemistry teachers. The platform was evaluated in terms of conceptual understanding, spatial ability, cognitive load, learning motivation, and instructional media effectiveness using a 25-item Likert-scale questionnaire. Descriptive analysis yielded an overall feasibility score of 79.56%, with conceptual understanding and spatial ability scoring 81.33% and 80.83%, respectively. These findings indicate promising preliminary feasibility. However, the results do not establish causal learning effectiveness. Further studies with larger samples and controlled experimental designs are required.

Kata kunci

• 3D Molecular Visualization
• Artificial Intelligence
• Chemistry Education
• Hydrocarbon Molecular Structures
• chemistry learning