Using Blender 3D in Chemistry Education: Student Acceptance and Learning Outcomes in Creating Visual Scientific Content

Abstract

This study investigates the implementation of Blender 3D software as an educational tool for creating visual scientific content by chemistry students. We evaluated undergraduate and graduate students (n = 15) through precourse questionnaires for constructing technological acceptance profiles and postcourse questionnaires based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), in addition to analyzing their creation portfolios. The results reveal that although most participants (11/15) had no prior experience and perceived the software as complex, the high perceived usefulness of the tool for their academic objectives superseded the low perceived ease of use. Guided by the intervention, students progressed from modeling laboratory equipment (macroscopic) to creating complex molecular visualizations (submicroscopic), such as electrochemical cells and lipid micelles. We conclude that success in tool adoption was dependent on the pedagogical support structure, including a technical manual and a progression of scaffolded tasks.