<br/>Online simulations in chemistry are a very effective approach to helping students visualize and understand particle interactions. The ongoing effort of the ChemSims project has been to understand how to effectively support student learning with simulations in out-of-class settings to provide impactful introductions to chemistry concepts that focus on understanding particle interactions. In this study, we investigated students’ understanding of equilibrium using the PhET Reactions & Rates simulation. Students at two different institutions showed learning gain with a large effect size whether answering questions while watching a screencast or with scaffolded use of the simulation. The biggest learning gains were realized for the learning objective associated with recognizing equilibria as dynamic processes, highlighting the power of the visual to clearly express this key concept. In analyzing the data, the class average follow-up scores were statistically equivalent independent of institution and treatment (even when the pretest scores were not equivalent). This suggests the potential of these types of out-of-class introductions as a means for leveling the playing field for students regardless of background. Additionally, instructional modality shifts due to COVID allow for a comparison between students in in-person and all online courses. Both scenarios showed similar learning gains across each of the learning objectives measured, supporting the flexibility of the ChemSims approach for developing introductory materials.

ChemSims: Helping students construct understanding of equilibrium with an online simulation

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.