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An International Perspective: Teaching Chemistry and Engaging

Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Rodney A. Tigaa* and Swapnil L. Sonawane*
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ABSTRACT: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused the loss of

many lives and transformed the global educational system. This has
resulted in a rapid transition from face-to-face classroom meetings
to online education delivery. Online education provides another
Downloaded via Swapnil Sonawane on September 8, 2020 at 08:03:28 (UTC).

opportunity to engage students during crises, such as pandemics.

However, during the transition to online education, both students
and educators faced tremendous challenges, especially at rural
locations. To shed light on these experiences, we conducted a
survey to learn more about student learning and engagement in
two similarly sized institutions in Dhule, India, and St. Cloud,
USA. The data collected provides an insight into student
engagement and their learning during the crisis. About 49% of participants from Dhule reported that internet issues were a
major challenge they faced, while 19% of participants reported a financial burden as a major challenge met during the pandemic. In
comparison, 63% of participants from St. Cloud reported that internet issues were a major challenge they faced, while 11% of
participants reported financial burden as a major challenge they faced. However, only 22% and 9% of the students from Dhule and
St. Cloud, respectively, rated the level of chemistry learned during the crisis as exceptional. Through analysis of these results,
strategies to overcome some of the challenges and improve student learning outcomes are presented.
KEYWORDS: General Public, First-Year Undergraduate/General, Multimedia-Based Learning, Distance Learning/Self Instruction,
Professional Development

■ INTRODUCTION
Disruption in teaching and student learning can range from
learning through the creation of an engaging environ-
ment.2,3,12−14
ineffective classroom management to crises such as a natural Teaching Reflection
disaster, disease, terrorist attack, student protest movement, As we all are facing many difficulties due to the current COVID-
etc.1−5 In such events, most students struggle to find a peaceful 19 pandemic, many academic institutions have either closed
learning environment to engage in the classroom.6 Thus, down entirely, suspended instruction for a few weeks to months,
students often rely on their teachers to create such an or transitioned all F2F classroom instruction to entirely online.15
atmosphere for learning and engaging content to help them This has caused a disruption in the education of students,
overcome such struggles. especially those enrolled in science, technology, engineering,
No doubt, one important goal of education is to facilitate and mathematics (STEM) courses such as chemistry.
learning and extend the knowledge of future generations in order Disruptions in fields such as chemistry, the so-called central
to build a thriving society. Education can be delivered using science as it connects almost all the branches of science, have far
traditional face-to-face (F2F) methods of teaching and via reaching consequences for student learning outcomes.16 Efforts
online teaching platforms, or a combination of the two.7 Though to address this concern pushed F2F classroom education to
technology can be adapted for online teaching and learning, F2F online education delivery. For instance, many academic
classroom teaching better provides a teacher−student inter- institutions and organizations have provided chemistry educa-
action for improved student learning outcomes.8,9 This is
because F2F classroom teaching provides a social context and Special Issue: Insights Gained While Teaching Chem-
immediate feedback to the students on subject matter topics istry in the Time of COVID-19
they are learning.10,11 However, online teaching offers flexibility Received: June 2, 2020
in learning and helps low-confidence learners via a variety of Revised: July 13, 2020
platforms for studying and learning. Therefore, applying both Published: July 29, 2020
methods of teaching (blended learning) could enhance student
© 2020 American Chemical Society and
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00554
3318 J. Chem. Educ. 2020, 97, 3318−3321
Journal of Chemical Education pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc Communication

tors with guidelines on online instructional course design to

speed-up the transition to help engage and support students
learning chemistry.1,17
Teaching and learning through the use of technology is
common in developed countries such as the United States and is
also widespread in some parts of developing countries such as
India.2 However, in rural areas of countries, including India and
the United States, the use of technology for teaching and
learning remains a challenge due to factors such as unreliable
access to software and hardware, a lack of high-speed internet,
unreliable power supply, financial constraints, and a lack of
continued educator training in online education course design. Figure 1. Pie charts showing the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on
student learning environment.
Despite the immediate implementation of digital pedagogy to
overcome the effect of the current COVID-19 pandemic on
education by some countries, many difficulties were faced.18 reported that internet issues and a financial burden, respectively,
Therefore, there is a need to reflect on the teaching and the level were the difficulties they encountered (Figure 2 and Table S2).
of student engagement during the COVID-19 crisis.4 In this
work, teaching and learning challenges in chemistry, as well as
the level of student engagement at two rural universities, in the
Dhule region of Maharashtra in India and the Saint Cloud area in
Minnesota, USA, during the pandemic are presented. The
results for the study were obtained from a brief survey of
students enrolled in chemistry courses (beginner, intermediate,
and advanced levels). Through analysis of the results, strategies
to help overcome the challenges faced by both students and
educators are discussed.

■ RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Methodology
The data was collected by conducting an online survey of
students enrolled in chemistry courses at JET’s Z. B. Patil Figure 2. Various challenges students faced in each institution during
College in Dhule, India, and St. Cloud State University in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Minnesota, USA (additional details in the Supporting
Information). The survey questions were based on the
experiences and challenges faced by the students enrolled in
chemistry courses during the COVID-19 pandemic. These were Similarly, 63% and 11% of the respondents from St. Cloud
open ended questions that ranged from student self-assessment reported internet issues and a financial burden as the difficulties
of the effects of the pandemic on their learning, to sources of they faced, respectively (Figure 2 and Table S2). The lack of
technology utilized, to the method of communication with their reliable internet in some rural regions of both countries makes it
course instructors. The survey was completely on a volunteer almost impossible for students to stream high-definition lecture
basis, and the results that were presented do not represent the videos, participate in online lectures synchronously or use
experiences and challenges faced by all the students or the views educational software to study. Additionally, most students rely
of the two institutions. In terms of participation, a total of 46 and on their employment on-campus and at commuting distances in
104 students from St. Cloud and Dhule, respectively, took part order to support the pursuit of an education. Unfortunately,
in the study. most of these jobs were lost due to the quarantine measures
imposed by local, state, and federal government agencies. Other
Discussion of Student Survey Results
significant challenges mentioned by students include an
The majority of students surveyed from either country reported unreliable electrical supply (15% of Dhule respondents) and
that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly affected their too many assignments (57% of St. Cloud respondents).
learning environment. Up to 59% of both Dhule and St. Interestingly, none of the Dhule participants mentioned too
Cloud survey respondents rated the level they were affected many assignments as an issue, which is attributed to the fact that
from 50% to 100% (Figure 1 and Table S1). most students were unable to attempt or complete assignments
This is unsurprising as the pandemic has wreaked havoc in due to a lack of access to a reliable internet and electrical supply.
both countries, especially in the USA. The pandemic caused a These results highlight the necessity of access to reliable
rapid change in daily lives and devastated the economies of technological infrastructure (high-speed internet and electric-
countries. Therefore, the design of courses for the upcoming ity) in rural areas to help educators to efficiently deliver
academic year should adopt a hybrid or blended format to allow instructional materials to students and engage them for
for flexibility in case the virus resurges. improved learning outcomes. The challenges expressed by
Some of the challenges faced during the pandemic include students having to do with too many assignments could be
unreliable internet, power outages, unfamiliarity with instruc- addressed at the institutional level through a concerted effort of
tional software or devices, and a financial burden. Analysis of the departments to unburden students with assigned reading and
survey results showed that 49% and 19% of Dhule respondents graded materials.
3319 https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00554
J. Chem. Educ. 2020, 97, 3318−3321
Journal of Chemical Education pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc Communication

In order to create an engaging environment for learning, the gap in the level of technological access in rural areas of
information communication technology (ICT) tools can be developing and developed countries. For example, in order to
employed to deliver study materials.14 In one of the questions, access the internet to complete assignments, most Dhule
students reported that YouTube videos were a valuable resource students had to purchase mobile data which is a financial burden
for learning during the pandemic according to 66% and 72% of for most. Thus, Dhule students preferred to rely on
the Dhule and St. Cloud respondents, respectively (Figure 3 and communication platforms that require lower-bandwidth data
Table S3). for internet access compared to the preference of St. Cloud
students.
The satisfaction of students with the transition from F2F to
online learning, as well as their self-assessment of the level of
chemistry learned during the transition, was evaluated. When
students were asked if teaching and learning in an online setting
was better than in an F2F setting, only 24% and 15% of Dhule
and St. Cloud respondents, respectively, strongly agreed (Figure
4a and Table S5). However, 36% (Dhule) and 22% (St. Cloud)
partially agreed. This is attributed to the different learning skills
of students and the fact that they were affected by the pandemic
differently (Figure 1).
As a result, it is not surprising that only 22% and 9% of Dhule
and St. Cloud students, respectively, rated the level of chemistry
learned as exceptional (Figure 4b and Table S6). This goes to
show that the lack of F2F teaching affects both student
engagement and their learning environment. The posting or
Figure 3. Different technology platforms students reported using to uploading of online teaching materials by educators without
supplement their learning. constant reminders and step-by-step directions significantly
affects the assimilation of chemical concepts by students,
especially for the beginner. This shows that the pandemic
Google classrooms (49% of Dhule respondents) and the disrupted the learning outcomes of the students that took part in
institutional learning management system (89% of St. Cloud this study. The study highlights the importance of training and
respondents) were also popular technology platforms used by equipping educators with ICT tools to enhance their
students for learning (Figure 3 and Table S3). This suggests that effectiveness. In addition, a constant channel of communication
the transition to online learning should involve curating should be established to allow for student feedback and their
instructional materials on institutional learning management participation in planning and implementing strategies to
system platforms and adopting chemistry YouTube videos in overcome the disruption during crises.

■
lecture materials to increase accessibility.
The transition from F2F instruction resulted in both students
CONCLUSION
and educators having to rely more on phone calls and media
such as email, Zoom, Skype, and WhatsApp to communicate In summary, the leadership of the educator plays an important
assignment rubrics and course policy, and for tutoring or role in student engagement and learning. As educators we are
mentoring sessions. Thus, unsurprisingly, the majority (71%) of tasked with the role of preparing tomorrow’s citizens through
Dhule respondents reported using WhatsApp/Facebook to motivating, aiding, and supporting our students to think
approach their instructors, while 51% and 10% report using critically and inculcate the habit of lifelong learning. Therefore,
email and Zoom/Skype, respectively, to reach their instructors it is important for educators to constantly sharpen their skills in
(Table S4). However, 78% and 43% of the St. Cloud information communication technologies, especially during
respondents report using email and Zoom to approach their times of crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The disruption
instructors for help on solving assigned problems as well as other of teaching and learning by the pandemic at two academic
queries, respectively (Table S4). The difference in the methods institutions (Dhule, India, and St. Cloud, USA) was assessed,
students used in reaching their instructors implicitly highlights and strategies to tackle some of those challenges were presented.

Figure 4. Comparison of (a) F2F and online learning to determine student preference and (b) student self-assessment of the level of chemistry learned
from instructor shared materials during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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■
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■ AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Authors
(14) Dori, Y. J.; Rodrigues, S.; Schanze, S. How to Promote Chemistry
Learning Through the use of Ict. In Teaching ChemistryA Studybook:
A Practical Guide and Textbook for Student Teachers, Teacher Trainees
and Teachers; Eilks, I., Hofstein, A., Eds.; SensePublishers: Rotterdam,
Rodney A. Tigaa − Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 2013; pp 213−240.
St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, Minnesota 56301, United (15) Koester, V. Experiences of Two Researchers in the COVID-19
States; orcid.org/0000-0001-8976-168X; Email: ratigaa@ Crisis. Chemistry Views 2020. DOI: 10.1002/chemv.202000031
stcloudstate.edu (16) Brown, T. E.; LeMay, H. E.; Bursten, B. E.; Murphy, C.;
Swapnil L. Sonawane − Department of Chemistry, JET’s Z. B. Woodward, P.; Stoltzfus, M. E. Chemistry: The Central Science; Prentice
Patil College, Dhule 424002, Maharashtra, India; orcid.org/ Hall: Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1994; Vol. 8.
0000-0002-6123-9053; Email: [email protected] (17) Cullen, D. Sharing Resources for those Moving to Online
ClassesCOVID 19. Chemical Education Xchange (accessed June 2,
Complete contact information is available at: 2020, www.chemedx.org/blog/sharing-resources-those-moving-
https://pubs.acs.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00554 online-classes-covid-19).
(18) Crawford, J.; Butler-Henderson, K.; Rudolph, J.; Malkawi, G.;
Author Contributions Glowatz, M.; Burton, R.; Magni, P. A.; Lam, S. COVID-19:20
Countries’ Higher Education Intra-Period Digital Pedagogy Responses.
Both authors contributed equally to the manuscript. JALT. 2020, 3 (1), 1−20.
Notes
The views presented in this article are those of the authors and
do not represent the views of their respective institutions.
The authors declare no competing financial interest.

■ ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors acknowledge the students of the respective
institutions who participated in the survey.

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