ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic simultaneously disrupted supply chains and generated an urgent demand in medical infrastructure. Among personal protective equipment and ventilators, there was also an urgent demand for chemical oxygen. As devices to purify oxygen could not be manufactured and shipped rapidly enough, a simple and accessible oxygen concentrator based on pressure swing adsorption was developed at ETH Zurich in spring 2020. Instead of building devices locally and shipping them, it was decided to educate others in need of oxygen. The implementation encompassed education on process chemistry, material choice, and assembly and optimization of the concentrator and was realized using synchronous teaching tools, such as video call, and asynchronous ones, such as a website and video streaming. The project gained traction and interaction with engineering teams from universities and non-Governmental Organizations (Red Cross and the UN Development Program) in developing countries and emerging market economies, including Ecuador, Mexico, Somalia, and Peru. At the end of the project, the teams were surveyed regarding their experience in the educative knowledge transfer. It was reported that the learning experience prepared these groups well to build the device and to teach others as well. Major challenges were accessing some parts of the device and optimizing its performance. While synchronous communication is expected to be a very effective teaching method, the survey results showed that explanations via a website and video streaming have contributed the most to the implementation of the oxygen concentrator and thereby provide autonomous and sustainable education tools.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic simultaneously disrupted supply chains and generated an urgent demand in medical infrastructure. Among personal protective equipment and ventilators, there was also an urgent demand for chemical oxygen. As devices to purify oxygen could not be manufactured and shipped rapidly enough, a simple and accessible oxygen concentrator based on pressure swing adsorption was developed at ETH Zurich in spring 2020. Instead of building devices locally and shipping them, it was decided to educate others in need of oxygen. The implementation encompassed education on process chemistry, material choice, and assembly and optimization of the concentrator and was realized using synchronous teaching tools, such as video call, and asynchronous ones, such as a website and video streaming. The project gained traction and interaction with engineering teams from universities and non-Governmental Organizations (Red Cross and the UN Development Program) in developing countries and emerging market economies, including Ecuador, Mexico, Somalia, and Peru. At the end of the project, the teams were surveyed regarding their experience in the educative knowledge transfer. It was reported that the learning experience prepared these groups well to build the device and to teach others as well. Major challenges were accessing some parts of the device and optimizing its performance. While synchronous communication is expected to be a very effective teaching method, the survey results showed that explanations via a website and video streaming have contributed the most to the implementation of the oxygen concentrator and thereby provide autonomous and sustainable education tools. © 2023 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 outbreak represented a remarkable challenge in universities and colleges since it forced the transition from a face-to-face model in classrooms and laboratories to a remote, online model using computers, tablets, and cell phones. In Mexico and other Latin American countries, the return to educational activities was a slow-paced process. The lack of presential activities had a deep impact on education, particularly in under- and graduate Chemistry courses, where laboratory work allows students to develop skills and abilities by applying their knowledge to solve experimental problems. As a consequence, institutional and personal efforts were put together to overcome this situation. These efforts led to remarkable experiences and outcomes with high educational value. This work presents experiences and outcomes of the Instrumental Analysis course offered in the Chemistry Clinical Biologist bachelor program throughout three nonconsecutive semesters, each time on different contexts, to describe the challenges faced, and the emerging opportunities from the experience throughout the pandemic. Each experience is described in a case study. Case 1 exemplifies a regular, pre-COVID-19 semester, in 2019, in a fully face-to-face teaching modality. Case 2 describes a semester in the middle of the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, in a 100% online teaching modality. Finally, Case 3 presents a semester with low prevalence of COVID-19 cases, using a hybrid modality, in 2021. Our observations suggest significant differences related to the knowledge integration process when laboratory work was interrupted, and provide evidence about how online activities impacted the learning process in experimental chemistry courses. © 2023 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
ABSTRACT
The goal of this study was to assess student's laboratory technique learning during online laboratories in response to the transition online caused by COVID-19. From Summer 2020 through Fall 2021 our General Chemistry 1 laboratories were completely online using at-home lab kits and 3 h weekly web conference sessions. Starting Spring 2021 select sections were given a practical final examination where they had to generate a video of themselves performing a series of basic laboratory techniques. Results from faculty coding analysis of these videos illustrated that there were gaps in student skills and an intervention was attempted in Summer and Fall 2021 by the introduction of student-generated video technique quizzes throughout the semester. After the intervention student's skills increased significantly in three key areas on the student generated final video exam: weighing solids using the balance, quantitative transfer of a solid, and creation of a solution by dilution of the solute. This study indicates that student's laboratory technique skills can be developed and improved even in a completely online laboratory environment with direct targeting using student-generated technique videos. © 2023 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
ABSTRACT
Since the appearance of the COVID-19 pandemic and its subsequent stage, the changes produced in the chemistry teaching process have allowed educators to use a wide range of strategies, methodologies, and tools to promote student learning. To carry out laboratory practices, some strategies reported include the use of simulators and educational software, as well as the development of remote lab activities. In recent years, the teaching of microextraction techniques and the greening of the sample treatment process represent an important topic in instrumental analytical chemistry courses, incorporating green chemistry topics in the curricula. In this context, a hands-on activity through a kit of materials, equipment, and reagents delivered to students for teaching microextraction techniques during the pandemic's learning conditions is presented. The activity was designed to extract a food coloring dye applying four microextraction techniques, including solid-phase extraction (SPE), solid-phase microextraction (SPME), in-tube solid-phase microextraction (IT-SPME), and micro polymeric magnetized bar adsorptive extraction (μ-PMBAE). Finally, for quantitative analysis, a colorimetry and absorbance-based experiment through image acquisitions and RGB analysis was used. The experiments were applied as extracurricular activities, and students' feedback was fruitful due to the enthusiasm that it produced in them to carry out laboratory tasks after so much time of confinement. Among the successful points of the activity, it is possible to mention the ease of carrying out the experiments from home and the application of green sample treatment techniques that minimize the use of materials and reagents. © 2023 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
ABSTRACT
[...]the fourth article is a self-study of one teacher educator's ability to guide and support teacher candidates during the COVID-19 lockdown. Social emotional resiliency is no longer a nice aside but a central component to preventing future learning loss. [...]as the editorial team for Teacher Education Quarterly, we hope that these articles provide you with the opportunity to reflect, connect with the authors' ideas, and utilize their recommendations to support your own efforts to improve your teacher education program, teacher education courses, or to support the various other educator stakeholders that are in partnership with your schools of education. [...]the self-study article by Orit Schwarz-Franco and Oren Ergas, "Links in the Chain-A Self-Study ofEmotional Support in Teacher Education During COVID-19 Lockdown," reflects critically on a chain of emotional support by stakeholders linking a preservice philosophy teacher, a pedagogical instructor, a school counselor, and a high school student during the first COVID-19 lockdown.
ABSTRACT
The year 2020 will be remembered as the year of COVID-19 and its subsequent lockdowns. The time to return to face-to-face teaching has arrived, but the shadow of the disease still hangs over teachers, students, and society. Disruption in teaching can still occur for students, or even teachers, if they are either diagnosed as COVID-19 positive or as a contact case and forced to self-isolate. In order to limit the impact of self-isolation on learning, synchronous hybrid teaching (i.e., teaching face to face to students in a classroom and to students online at the same time) was successfully implemented owing to the combination of video conference software and a large interactive touchscreen. The setup presented in this paper allows courses to be broadcast to students at home (i.e., voice, visual pedagogic support, and, more interestingly, indications handwritten by the teacher) as well as simultaneously teaching to students in the classroom face-to-face. It also allows self-isolated teachers to teach tutorials from their home to students in the classroom. This paper focuses on the use of large interactive touchscreens for synchronous hybrid teaching and its evaluation by students using a questionnaire. The key findings of this study are that students prefer synchronous hybrid teaching rather than missing a course and that synchronous hybrid teaching should only be used in case of absolute necessity. © 2023 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
ABSTRACT
Self-study is an integral part of chemistry learning, whereby the students consume knowledge outside of the classroom environment. The COVID-19 pandemic magnified the need for efficient methods of synchronous and asynchronous instructional content delivery worldwide. Virtual reality (VR) presents a prospective technological solution to aid asynchronous content delivery, particularly for visual subjects such as chemistry. We investigate the feasibility of using carefully designed VR-based content to assist offline instruction about enzymes and the differences in their types. They are an essential concept in biochemistry due to their comprehensiveness and the similarities between their amino acid sequences responsible for their different functions. We compare the efficacy of VR-aided self-study against self-study assisted by recorded video lectures. An experiment is conducted to simulate self-study in three scenarios, i.e., conventional text-based self-study (1) without any additional aids, (2) assisted by recorded video lectures, and (3) with VR aids. Our findings indicate that VR can assist asynchronous content consumption leading to better learning and satisfaction.
ABSTRACT
Self-study is an integral part of chemistry learning, whereby the students consume knowledge outside of the classroom environment. The COVID-19 pandemic magnified the need for efficient methods of synchronous and asynchronous instructional content delivery worldwide. Virtual reality (VR) presents a prospective technological solution to aid asynchronous content delivery, particularly for visual subjects such as chemistry. We investigate the feasibility of using carefully designed VR-based content to assist offline instruction about enzymes and the differences in their types. They are an essential concept in biochemistry due to their comprehensiveness and the similarities between their amino acid sequences responsible for their different functions. We compare the efficacy of VR-aided self-study against self-study assisted by recorded video lectures. An experiment is conducted to simulate self-study in three scenarios, i.e., conventional text-based self-study (1) without any additional aids, (2) assisted by recorded video lectures, and (3) with VR aids. Our findings indicate that VR can assist asynchronous content consumption leading to better learning and satisfaction. © 2023 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
ABSTRACT
In this self-study, I reflect critically on a chain of emotional support linking a preservice philosophy teacher, a pedagogical instructor, a school counselor, and a high school student during the first COVID-19 lockdown. With the help ofa critical friend, I focus on my role as the preservice teacher's pedagogical instructor and examine the particular challenges and new opportunities granted to this profesional and personal chain of response and responsibility under the conditions of remote learning. My interviews with the preservice teacher and a senior counselor revealed two main themes, which are also central objectives of my work in teacher education: integration of social emotional learning into subject matter contents and integration of preservice teachers into school staff during practical training. These two objectives merge in a holistic approach to teacher education. I suggest that teacher-educators should recognize three aspects of teaching in conditions of social distancing: the greater need for emotional support, unique obstacles to giving support, and new ways to overcome these obstacles. Additionally, I argue that we should embrace the new possibilities that digital channels offer us for creating intimacy and accessibility in our relationships with our students.
ABSTRACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic we developed an activity that encourages engagement with scientific reading and helps students to improve their reading skills as a complement to the glycobiology section of an undergraduate course of biological chemistry. Using Genially, an online platform for gamification and self-taught learning, we designed the activity named "Discovering a glycoprotein: The case of the H,K-ATPase” based on the characterization of the β-subunit of the gastric H,K-ATPase, a glycoprotein discovered in the 1960s. While testing users' knowledge in glycobiology, the game invites them to follow the research steps throughout four missions, where the experimental details and their results are presented. After solving the missions, participants were invited to answer a questionnaire through Google forms. Our results showed that the game is useful for students as it introduces an innovative way of analyzing a scientific article different from the conventional activities that students typically face without teacher assistance and in many cases do not complete. We expect that our pilot-study will be an additional boost for the implementation of gamification in the science classroom, and in turn, serve as an example of the importance of gamification in future teacher training as an assisting tool to traditional education methods. © 2022 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
ABSTRACT
Active engagement is critical to student success in Organic Chemistry. In this paper, I trace the trajectory of student engagement in an introductory organic chemistry lecture series over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. I detail my approach to cultivating student engagement in an online environment, evaluate the success of these approaches and discuss modifications, and recount our efforts to combat the "learned disengagement” that students exhibited upon returning to an in-person class format. Although engagement gradually dwindled over the course of online instruction, multiple interventions succeeded in maintaining a sense of classroom community in students and encouraging active participation. By building opportunities for engagement into the course structure and rewarding students who partake in class activities, I hope to once again enjoy the level of engagement that we had prior to the pandemic. © 2022 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
ABSTRACT
Active engagement is critical to student success in Organic Chemistry. In this paper, I trace the trajectory of student engagement in an introductory organic chemistry lecture series over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. I detail my approach to cultivating student engagement in an online environment, evaluate the success of these approaches and discuss modifications, and recount our efforts to combat the "learned disengagement" that students exhibited upon returning to an in-person class format. Although engagement gradually dwindled over the course of online instruction, multiple interventions succeeded in maintaining a sense of classroom community in students and encouraging active participation. By building opportunities for engagement into the course structure and rewarding students who partake in class activities, I hope to once again enjoy the level of engagement that we had prior to the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic, which emerged in early 2020, forced educational institutions in Thailand to chiefly rely on online learning during the government mandated lockdown for almost two academic years. Although migration to the online format seems to suit lectures, it is inadequate for laboratory courses since students could not do the experiment themselves. To overcome this deficiency, four existing in-class experiments in General Chemistry Laboratory courses at the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Chulalongkorn University were extensively revised to be Lab@Home format. Extra activities and design-your-own-lab were also included in every experiment. These experiments were prepared and bundled in two Lab@Home kits (<US$4 per kit), one for each semester, and sent to over 800 enrolling students twice by supportive staff. The self-evaluation of learning outcomes was satisfactory (4.26 +/- 0.16 out of 5 from five experiments). Students' feedback affirmed that hands-on experiences partook in a better knowledge acquisition since they witnessed the results and could develop their learning process much better than concluding something from merely watching videos. Moreover, the design-your-own-lab allowed them to gather information from their classmates, thus broadening their insight. They also acknowledged the act of caring, and many expressed their gratitude for the department's effort to deliver this experience. This Lab@ Home project is not only beneficial for students' learning but also an excellent opportunity for supportive staff to execute a sizable and challenging project.
ABSTRACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic we developed an activity that encourages engagement with scientific reading and helps students to improve their reading skills as a complement to the glycobiology section of an undergraduate course of biological chemistry. Using Genially, an online platform for gamification and self-taught learning, we designed the activity named "Discovering a glycoprotein: The case of the H,K-ATPase" based on the characterization of the beta-subunit of the gastric H,K-ATPase, a glycoprotein discovered in the 1960s. While testing users' knowledge in glycobiology, the game invites them to follow the research steps throughout four missions, where the experimental details and their results are presented. After solving the missions, participants were invited to answer a questionnaire through Google forms. Our results showed that the game is useful for students as it introduces an innovative way of analyzing a scientific article different from the conventional activities that students typically face without teacher assistance and in many cases do not complete. We expect that our pilot-study will be an additional boost for the implementation of gamification in the science classroom, and in turn, serve as an example of the importance of gamification in future teacher training as an assisting tool to traditional education methods.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the transfer of face-to-face instruction to an online mode. The current study sought to describe the delivery of online biochemistry laboratories to undergraduate students. The paper also attempted to assess its advantages and disadvantages at the faculty of dental medicine of Monastir (FDMM), Tunisia. Four online biochemistry laboratory sessions were offered to FDMM year 2 students. To ensure the installation of forums, videos, handouts, workshops, and test-taking, the Moodle platform was employed;however, to conduct synchronous meetings, Microsoft Office Teams was used. More than 95% of students actively participated in e-resources consultation, pretest, and exam taking. However, the student percentage in workshops decreased from phase 1 to phase 2. Just 52% of students attended the forums. The overall overview percentage, students who attended "equal to or more than 80% of the entire activities", was 27%. Students performed better scores in the first and second exams than in the third and fourth ones. Forums, workshops, and videos were the most important teaching tools that led to the success of the online laboratory. These methods improved conceptual knowledge and scientific process abilities. The current study contributes to the previous literature by investigating the major factors impacting successful e-learning adoption.
ABSTRACT
Considering COVID-19 as a boundary-crossing event, the study sought to bring forward the voices of teacher educators (TEs) in Israel as boundary-crossers. It focused on their sense of self-efficacy, professional learning, and professional identities in COVID-19 circumstances. The results of this nationwide quantitative research (N = 385) revealed that TEs were highly satisfied with their professional performance. Their sense of self-efficacy was highest about their ability to teach the content knowledge effectively. Yet, they rated lower their ability to integrate digital tools effectively in their teaching and provide social and emotional support to their students. It was also found that informal (individual self-study) and nonformal (social and collaborative) types of professional learning positively impacted and engaged the TEs. Institutional formal learning was ranked last. Finally, a change in professional self-identification emerged only in a small group of TEs who identified themselves more strongly as mentors, educational entrepreneurs, and curriculum developers over the COVID-19 events than before.
ABSTRACT
Chemical escape rooms (ChEsRms) are educational games in which students use their brain, chemical knowledge, intuition, and a bit of luck to solve a mystery. At the Weizmann Institute, we have developed ChEsRms that are implemented by teachers in their classes. Since the COVID-19 pandemic stopped all the educational activities that took place in physical space, we decided to design a virtual ChEsRm (VChEsRm) that is fully conducted in digital space. We describe the design principles that characterize the VChEsRm and present the students' and teachers' perceptions of the VChEsRm and how it differs from the ChEsRm. We describe "The Masked Scientist", a VChEsRm in which students must identify a scientist using their knowledge of basic topics in the chemistry syllabus: the model of the atom, radioactivity, and the periodic table. This VChEsRm has added values, a connection to history, human rights, and sustainability, as well as interesting and surprising chemical facts related to everyday life. Since it is conducted in virtual space, it could also include experiments, procedures, and materials that are dangerous and therefore forbidden in a physical ChEsRm or that could even change the course of history. Importantly, this 90 min activity includes the VChEsRm (9 puzzles) and a 45 min follow-up session that deals with the ideas behind the puzzles. It was translated from Hebrew to Arabic and English;therefore, high school and general chemistry teachers around the world can easily use the VChEsRm in their class after reading this paper by clicking on the link. © 2022 The Authors. Published by American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
ABSTRACT
Administering exams in large enrollment courses is challenging and systems in place for accomplishing this task were upended in the spring of 2020 when a sudden transformation to online instruction and testing occurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the following year, when courses remained online, approaches to improve exam security included measures like using test banks and reducing the allotted time for completing exams to reduce the sharing of information. A psychometric comparison using classical test theory of an unproctored online exam with one delivered in-person indicates both have comparable reliability. However, item-level analysis demonstrates some questions performed higher in the unproctored setting, with an important variable being the item's searchability online. Revising questions to increase generalizability and reduce searchability mitigate these performance differences. Further, changing the format for questions involving calculations from multiple-choice to open response with random number generation was found to increase difficulty and item discrimination and is a viable approach for improving exam security. © 2022 Authors.
ABSTRACT
The high demand for N95 and surgical masks made of nonbiodegradable petroleum-based materials due to SARS-CoV-2 challenges the recycling industry and is proving to be unsustainable. Although woven fabric masks present a longer lifetime, they are less effective in protecting against viral particulates. Here, through an at-home course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE), we demonstrate that alginate and soy-based materials are attractive alternatives for mask fabrication: stacking calcium ion-cross-linked alginate films with soy protein isolate sheets enables electrostatic and size-exclusion filtration. State-of-the-art aerosol testing confirmed this conclusion. Furthermore, because our synthetic and at-home analytical approach relies on cheap, abundant, and food-grade materials, and requires no equipment beyond kitchenware, it has the potential to be broadly adopted for practical and educational purposes. © 2022 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.