A Molecular Workbench virtual experiment used in the Iranian study.

In the May Issue of Journal of Educational and Social Research, published by MCSER (Mediterranean Center of Social and Educational Research) in Rome, researchers from Iran and Malaysia reported that “students who were taught using the Molecular Workbench software performed better in post-tests on five chemistry topics as compared with those who received conventional instruction.” This study was conducted in Iranian secondary schools with 70 students. The researchers also reported that “students using the software also found this software useful in the learning of chemistry.” Their paper, titled with “Molecular Workbench Software as Computer Assisted Instruction to Aid the Learning of Chemistry“, is freely available in this open-access journal. The authors are Elaheh Khoshouie, Ahmad Fauzi Mohd Ayub, and Farhad Mesrinejad, from two universities in Iran and Malaysia, respectively.

This example, once again, demonstrates the power of visualization in science education. Regardless of the culture or religion children may have grown up with, scientific visualization transcends all the man-made barriers to convey science messages to the young minds. In the case of Molecular Workbench, the effect is even more profound because the heart of it has actually been written in the universal language of humanity — mathematics.