This chapter examines how common smartphones, already available to many students and teachers, can be used to conduct authentic and open-ended chemistry (and science in general) investigations either at school or at home.
We have shown two examples of powerful smartphone applications relevant to K–12 and post-secondary science learning. The phET suite of computer simulations and a corresponding smartphone app allow students to conduct investigations in a virtual lab that reflects many aspects of a real science labo- ratory, found at a university. The phyphox application allows students to col- lect data with their phone and then transfer it to their computers for further analysis. This application turns students’ smartphones into data acquisition devices, thus allowing students in schools with limited scientific equipment perform authentic scientific investigations. We have tested the power of the phyphox app during the virtual physics olympics at the University of British Columbia that took place in March of 2021.45 The app allowed us to try and level the playing field by making sure that all students who wanted to par- ticipate in the event had equal access to science equipment to conduct their experiments—their own smartphones. This allowed us to engage students from all across British Columbia in creative science explorations, even when their schools might have had limited access to science equipment.
The example of the ideal gas law investigation illustrated how these apps can be used with the secondary or even post-secondary students to engage all students in doing science. This chapter discussed the strengths and the limitations of these applications in the context of chemistry learning. Finally, we proposed how smartphone applications can be incorporated into science methods courses for future teachers.
one of the prominent themes discussed during the 6th STEM in Education 2021 international Conference (https://stem2021.ubc.ca/) was technology- based professional development for practising science teachers. despite the wide availability of these tools and ever-increasing student access, rel- atively few science teachers incorporate smartphone-enhanced inquiry in their science teaching. in order for STEM teachers to be open to using these powerful devices with their students, the teachers have to experience smart- phone-enabled science experiments as learners. This can be done during teacher-education, as well as during teacher professional development.
Thus, we call on science teacher educators to consider incorporating smart- phone-enabled science activities in their professional development activities.
More than 60 years after the launch of Sputnik and the birth of the science education reform movement, too few students in our classrooms have an oppor- tunity to experience “the pleasure of finding things out”.48 There is no better way to attract students into science than to provide them with this opportunity.
We hope that this chapter will encourage many chemistry (and science) educators to consider incorporating smartphone applications into their curriculum in order to engage all science students in meaningful scientific exploration.
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281 Advances in Chemistry Education Series No. 11 Digital Learning and Teaching in Chemistry
Edited by Yehudit Judy Dori, Courtney Ngai and Gabriela Szteinberg
© The Royal Society of Chemistry 2023
Published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, www.rsc.org