Visualization has always been a crucial part of the educational process. Implementing computer algorithms and virtual reality tools into it is vital for the new generation engineers, scientists and researchers. In the field of chemistry education, various software that allow dynamic molecular building and viewing are currently available. These software are now used to enhance the learning process and ensure better understanding of the chemical processes from the visual perspective. The present short communication provides a summary of these applications based on the NarupaXR program, which is a great educational tool that combines the functionality and simple design necessary for an educational tool. NarupaXR is used with a companion application \"Narupa Builder\" which requires a different file format, therefore a converter that allows a simple transition between the two extensions has been developed. The converter sufficiently increases the efficiency of the educational process. The automatic converter is freely available on GitLab The current communication provides detailed written instructions that can simplify the installation process of the converter and facilitate the use of both the software and the hardware of the VR set.

The comprehension of molecular structure is pivotal in chemistry education. Over the past decade, Mahidol University International College has employed various teaching tools for the introductory chemistry laboratory class. This paper outlines our evolutionary shift from traditional tools, such as plastic and plasticine models, to the integration of computer software, and ultimately to augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) tools-specifically, MoleculARweb and MolecularWebXR developed by École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne researchers. In this paper, we detail the implementation of these tools in our classes and present the outcomes of student surveys. Our instructional focus encompasses VSEPR, Atomic Orbitals, Molecular Orbitals, Skeletal Formula, and Enantiomers. This paper not only serves as a model for educators in general chemistry at secondary school or university levels to incorporate technology into their classrooms but also showcases a collaborative endeavor between Swiss and Thai researchers.

Comparative research can help identify the similarities of and differences in different contexts, enabling us to recognize more possibilities and strategies of enhancing our understanding of different aspects of education. To review and analyse the current status of using comparative research designs in chemistry education research, a Boolean keyword search in Scopus and Web of Science has been performed to retrieve articles published from January 2016 to February 2023. In total 7682 entries have been retrieved, but less than 0.01 % of them have applied comparative research in addressing issues of chemistry education. Twelve of the retrieved articles have met the inclusion criteria for further analysis. Though comparative research has been found to be used by over 65 % of the analysed articles to study teaching and learning in chemistry education, its application in curriculum development and student development has been demonstrated by some analysed studies. In addition, 75 % of the analysed articles have declared being funded by local and/or national funding sources. This suggests that the importance of comparative research in chemistry education has been recognized at the national level in various countries. It is hoped that the opportunities brought about by comparative research designs as revealed in this article can enhance the varieties and possibilities in chemistry education research in the forthcoming future.

moleculARweb (https://molecularweb.epfl.ch) began as a website for education and outreach in chemistry and structural biology through augmented reality (AR) content that runs in the web browsers of regular devices like smartphones, tablets, and computers. Here we present two evolutions of moleculARweb\'s Virtual Modeling Kits (VMK), tools where users can build and view molecules, and explore their mechanics, in 3D AR by handling the molecules in full 3D with custom-printed cube markers (VMK 2.0) or by moving around a simulated scene with mouse or touch gestures (VMK 3.0). Upon simulation the molecules experience visually realistic torsions, clashes, and hydrogen-bonding interactions that the user can manually switch on and off to explore their effects. Moreover, by manually tuning a fictitious temperature the users can accelerate conformational transitions or \'freeze\' specific conformations for careful inspection in 3D. Even some phase transitions and separations can be simulated. We here showcase these and other features of the new VMKs connecting them to possible specific applications to teaching and self-learning of concepts from general, organic, biological and physical chemistry; and in assisting with small tasks in molecular modelling for research. Last, in a short discussion section we overview what future developments are needed for the \'dream tool\' for the future of chemistry education and work.

Many students assume a molecular structure for all substances, even after being instructed on the topic. But why do students struggle to understand key concepts like chemical bonding? One of the reasons is students\' tendency to overgeneralize: Students wrongfully transfer characteristics from familiar (e.g., molecular substances) to lesser-known concepts (e.g., ionic compounds). In this article, possible reasons behind this commonly observed tendency are discussed and a possible didactical solution is proposed. Comparing and contrasting approaches increased students\' ability to distinguish between similar concepts in mathematics.[1] The method of comparing and contrasting is therefore applied by simultaneously introducing the three types of chemical bonding to effectively tackle students\' overgeneralization tendencies.

The three-dimensional arrangement of atoms in molecules is essential for understanding their properties and behavior. Traditional 2D representations and digital 3D models presented on 2D media often fall short in conveying the complexity of molecular structures. Autostereoscopic displays, often marketed as \"holographic\" displays, pose a potential solution to this challenge. These displays, with their multi-view and single-view configurations, promise to advance chemistry education and research by offering accurate 3D representations with depth and parallax. In this perspective, I delve into the possibilities and limitations of autostereoscopic displays in chemistry, discussing the underlying technology and potential applications, from research to teaching and science communication. Multi-view autostereoscopic displays excel in facilitating collaborative work by enabling multiple viewers to simultaneously perceive the same 3D structure from different angles. However, they currently suffer from low resolution and high cost, which could limit their immediate widespread adoption. Conversely, single-view autostereoscopic displays with eye-tracking, while limited to one viewer at a time, provide higher resolution at a lower cost, thus suggesting that they might become the technology of the future given the balance of price to performance. Despite current limitations, autostereoscopic displays possess undeniable potential for shaping the future of chemistry education and research.

Tasks in Czech lower-secondary chemistry textbooks were analysed to describe their position in textbook chapters, required response type, overall task nature, as well as cognitive requirements. The results showed older textbooks contain task banks at the end of chapters suggest a transmissive teaching paradigm, whereas newer textbooks containing tasks within the chapters. As far as the nature of the tasks is concerned, a strong stereotypical genre was found in the chemistry textbooks. Most of the textbook tasks require open-ended answers and target: factual and conceptual knowledge remembering or procedure application. The authors therefore suggest several changes to the tasks, including their position in chapters, cognitive difficulty as well as the required response type in order to meet chemistry education goals.

The past decade has seen a significant shift from teacher-centered pedagogy to a learner-centered approach in chemistry education research. Game-based learning has emerged as one of the most beneficial instructional approaches because it emphasizes \"hands-on\" and \"minds-on\" activities in chemistry classrooms. However, there has been a scarcity of review studies in chemistry education research that have attempted to document different educational games implemented and how such games have contributed to enhancing students\' motivation and understanding of chemistry concepts. A total of 57 articles were reviewed to identify educational games implemented in chemistry classrooms from 2010 to 2021 to address this gap. All the reviewed articles were downloaded from the Google Scholar search engine and have all been indexed by Scopus. A systematic analysis was adopted to identify the purposes, educational game designs and implementation, and the chemistry content areas of focus for all the reviewed studies. Results show that educational games enhance students\' conceptual understanding of chemistry and increase their motivation to learn and have fun while making sense of the learned content.

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of the heuristics on the reasoning processes of pre-service science teachers on the topic of melting and boiling point using the ten heuristic model proposed by Talanquer. In this phenomenographic study carried out in the spring semester of the 2018-2019 academic year, interviews were conducted with 30 teacher candidates enrolled in the Science Teaching Program of Firat University Faculty of Education. Participants were asked to answer three different questions during the interviews. These questions were about the ranking of some compounds according to their melting or boiling points. Six different answer patterns for each question were obtained from the answers. The findings of this study showed that students generally used shortcut strategies instead of analytical/scientific reasoning, as all ten heuristics affected participants\' reasoning. This study also revealed that although not included in the model proposed by Talanquer, periodic trends heuristic also influenced participants\' reasoning about the melting and boiling point.

Studies on students\' problem-solving skills worldwide suggest there is a room for improvement. This study aimed at improving upper-secondary school students\' problem-solving skills in chemistry lessons. They were given a problem tasks pre-test focused on their conceptual knowledge regarding the periodic table, ability to apply knowledge on the factors affecting chemistry reaction rate and compounds\' properties. Most students (72 out of 112) did not succeed to solve the tasks. For this reason, an intervention was designed based on a study using eye-tracking combined with think-aloud. It consisted of students\' working on (PISA-like) context-based chemistry problem tasks with a special scaffolding. A teacher provided formative assessment promoting students\' expansive strategies. The intervention\'s effect was again assessed using problem tasks in two post-tests. The results showed the action plan was successful in helping the majority of students reach above-average test score. The ratio of successful solvers also rose and unsuccessful significantly declined.