The integration of a viscosity simulator in a chemistry laboratory

Abstract

We integrated an interactive viscosity simulator into a pre-laboratory session in an attempt to improve training in a chemistry laboratory. The students were divided into two groups, the experimental group (EG) and the control group (CG). The students of the EG participated in a pre-laboratory session with additional instruction, including the use of the simulation on personal computers and other discussions. After the pre-labs, these students participated in the design of the experiments using the simulator as an educational tool, and then carried out the experiments; in addition, they processed their data on spreadsheets, and they pooled their results through a Local Area Network (LAN). Students of the CG performed the experiments following the traditional teaching procedure (recipe-labs), without attending the pre-lab session. Comparison of the two groups showed that the EG students valued the opportunity to question the teacher in the pre-laboratory session, and that they found this teaching procedure useful. As a result they felt more confident when they entered a laboratory and they understood better the theory behind the experiment than the CG students. [Chem. Educ. Res. Pract., 2007, 8 (2), 220-231.]