Teaching and Learning of Chemistry in the Age of COVID-19: Before, During, and After Covid

Abstract

One of the major problems in trying to understand chemistry is that while we can observe the macroscopic changes that occur during a chemical reaction with our own senses, to many people these processes appear to be magic. Understanding what happens at the atomic level (termed microscopic) is much more difficult since these processes cannot be observed even with microscopes (so a better term might be nanoscopic). Most chemistry texts present symbolic representations (such as H2O) which are often misunderstood by novice chemists. To gain a true understanding of chemical processes, learners need to view and merge all three types of representations together to make connections between the observable and the more abstract symbolic explanations to form appropriate schema or mindmaps. A variety of free online programs have been developed that intend to provide multiple representations to help students better visualize chemical processes. To make matters worse, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced all educators to rethink the way they teach. One of the biggest challenges during the pandemic has been providing students with authentic macroscopic examples of chemical reactions. The use of “local” and “household” chemicals and equipment is one of the new frontiers and areas of research and creativity in the chemical education landscape.