An International Perspective: Teaching Chemistry and Engaging Students During The COVID-19 Pandemic
An International Perspective: Teaching Chemistry and Engaging Students During The COVID-19 Pandemic
org/jchemeduc Communication
■ 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
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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J. Chem. Educ. 2020, 97, 3318−3321
Journal of Chemical Education pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc Communication
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■
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ASSOCIATED CONTENT Educ. 2020, 144, 103701.
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*
sı Supporting Information
P. Reflections on “YouTestTube.com”: An Online Video-Sharing
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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 ChemistryA 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
ClassesCOVID 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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