Compared to prior studies (see e.g. the CoVID-19 Special Issue in the Journal of Chemical Education11), our case descriptions of students’ and instructors’
experiences presented herein show that the basics of learning and teaching, such as access to learning material and ensuring effective communication, dominated the discussion. early on in this time of transitioning, virtual labs and remote laboratory settings only slowly started to emerge and were not yet implemented. Thus, the instructors and students in our cases were mainly occupied by ensuring teaching and keeping up with the learning content.
although aspects of pedagogical knowledge and implementing meaningful learning experiences were evident in instructors’ search for support, aspects of how to achieve meaningful chemistry learning online are seldom brought up by the students. This points towards the challenge of providing mean- ingful chemistry learning online, such as evidence-based remote laborato- ries and virtual labs, when the basis aspects of access, communication and organization of teaching and learning online are not yet fully established.
Instructors need support in organizational aspects such as how to provide Figure 3.8 Further support and community-building aspects, as expressed by a
departmental satellite.
Downloaded from http://books.rsc.org/books/edited-volume/chapter-pdf/1746414/bk9781839165238-00015.pdf by RMIT University user on 06 February 2024
29 Supportive Aspects of Online Learning and Teaching
online lectures and organize breakout rooms, but pedagogical advice how to teach lab skills in online courses with available educational resources as well.
a post-CoVID learning and teaching landscape with enhanced digitaliza- tion of chemistry education should ideally learn from the experience that we all gained in this transition. There is a plethora of digital teaching and learn- ing methods and a high level of digital ingenuity among both instructors and students. a significant potential here is that a broader range of means for accessing and learning course content, and for providing/receiving sup- port, can be made available. but the digital tools themselves are no panacea and instructors and students alike need support in learning how to select and make use of appropriate tools—a systematic support system for instruc- tors and students addressing both technical and pedagogical questions is needed. The model of having experienced chemists and chemistry educators that offer both technical and pedagogical support with in-depth understand- ing of both the chemistry disciplines and the needs of the instructors in the specific local context is something that should be further developed.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Ginger Shultz and Carlos antonio arias Álvarez for facilitating the recruitment of the participants. We would further like to thank all the students who voluntarily participated in the interviews and the departmental satellites and instructors who provided their impressions and experiences.
References
1. See Chapter 31: b. DeKorver and D. herrington, in Digital Learning and Teaching in Chemistry, ed. Y. j. Dori, C. ngai and G. Szteinberg, royal Soci- ety of Chemistry, united Kingdom, 2023.
2. See Chapter 30: a. Shauly, G. Shwartz and S. avargil, in Digital Learning and Teaching in Chemistry, ed. Y. j. Dori, C. ngai and G. Szteinberg, royal Society of Chemistry, united Kingdom, 2023.
3. See Chapter 20: p. pullen, a. Motion, S. Schmid, S. George-Williams, S.
Wilkinson and S. leach, in Digital Learning and Teaching in Chemistry, ed.
Y. j. Dori, C. ngai and G. Szteinberg, royal Society of Chemistry, united Kingdom, 2023.
4. K. a. jeffery and C. F. bauer, J. Chem. Educ., 2020, 97, 2472–2485.
5. j. l. Davenport, a. n. rafferty and D. j. Yaron, J. Chem. Educ., 2018, 95, 1250–1259.
6. l. Groos, K. Maass and n. Graulich, J. Chem. Educ., 2021, 98, 1919–1927.
7. C. l. Dunnagan, D. a. Dannenberg, M. p. Cuales, a. D. earnest, r. M.
Gurnsey and M. T. Gallardo-Williams, J. Chem. Educ., 2020, 97, 258–262.
8. F. Zimmermann, I. Melle and j. huwer, J. Chem. Educ., 2021, 98, 1863–1874.
Downloaded from http://books.rsc.org/books/edited-volume/chapter-pdf/1746414/bk9781839165238-00015.pdf by RMIT University user on 06 February 2024
Chapter 3 30
9. M. barak, r. hussein-Farraj and Y. j. Dori, Int. J. Educ. Technol. High.
Educ., 2016, 13, 35.
10. r. hussein-Farraj, M. barak and Y. Dori, Interdiscip. J. E-Learn. Learn.
Objects, 2012, 8, 115–135.
11. T. a. holme, J. Chem. Educ., 2020, 97, 2375–3470.
12. W. j. howitz, T. a. Thane, T. l. Frey, x. S. Wang, j. C. Gonzales, C. a. Tretbar, D. D. Seith, S. j. Saluga, S. lam, M. M. nguyen, p. Tieu, r. D. link and K. D. edwards, J. Chem. Educ., 2020, 97, 2624–2634.
13. D. a. Guarracino, J. Chem. Educ., 2020, 97, 2742–2748.
14. j. I. Selco, J. Chem. Educ., 2020, 97, 2617–2623.
15. M. Schultz, D. l. Callahan and a. Miltiadous, J. Chem. Educ., 2020, 97, 2678–2684.
16. e. a. perets, D. Chabeda, a. Z. Gong, x. huang, T. S. Fung, K. Y. ng, M.
bathgate and e. C. Y. Yan, J. Chem. Educ., 2020, 97, 2439–2447.
17. o. Villanueva, D. a. behmke, j. D. Morris, r. Simmons, C. anfuso, C. M.
Woodbridge and Y. Guo, J. Chem. Educ., 2020, 97, 2458–2465.
18. b. M. McCollum, in Active Learning in College Science: The Case for Evidence- Based Practice, ed. j. j. Mintzes and e. M. Walter, Springer International publishing, Cham, 2020, pp. 621–637.
19. l. M. archambault and j. h. barnett, Comp. Educ., 2010, 55, 1656–1662.
20. l. brantley-Dias and p. a. ertmer, J. Res. Technol. Educ., 2013, 46, 103–128.
21. M. Koehler and p. Mishra, Contemp. Issues Technol. Teach. Educ., 2009, 9, 60–70.
22. e. Wenger, r. McDermott and W. M. Snyder, Cultivating Communities of Practice, harvard business School press, boston Ma, 2002.
23. a. Cox, J. Inf. Sci., 2005, 31, 527–540.
24. G. Szteinberg, S. balicki, G. banks, M. Clinchot, S. Cullipher, r. huie, j.
lambertz, r. lewis, C. ngai, M. Weinrich, V. Talanquer and h. Sevian, J.
Chem. Educ., 2014, 91, 1401–1408.
25. j. e. Froyd, C. henderson, r. S. Cole, D. Friedrichsen, r. Khatri and C.
Stanford, Change: The Magazine of Higher Learning, 2017, vol. 49, pp.
35–42.
26. C. henderson, a. beach and n. Finkelstein, J. Res. Sci. Teach., 2011, 48, 952–984.
Downloaded from http://books.rsc.org/books/edited-volume/chapter-pdf/1746414/bk9781839165238-00015.pdf by RMIT University user on 06 February 2024
31 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