Virtual Simulation Experiments: A Teaching Option for Complex and Hazardous Chemistry Experiments

Abstract

Teaching through experiments has always been an indispensable teaching method in chemistry and other STEM disciplines. Letting more students have access to experiments at the frontier of scientific research is essential to stimulating students’ interest in chemistry. With the advancement of computer technology, virtual simulation experiments (VSEs) provide a new method to perform chemical experiments for the students who might have no resources to conduct an experiment. Here, a VSE of preparation and test analysis of flexible nanochannel membrane materials is designed by our group at Xiamen University in China, which is an interactive learning platform for studying and practicing experiments reported in the latest scientific articles. The objective pursued herein is to equip students with the appropriate tools and strategies required to perform a dangerous or complex chemical experiment. Multiexperimental paths are designed in different experimental modules and steps to meet students’ exploration needs. Our platform suits both on- and off-campus undergraduates or graduates with open access. After practicing 5–6 times, students can gain more professional skills and get higher scores in the test section as the feedback. VSE could become a remote-flexible experimental teaching method with a safer process, lower cost, and wider academic community, especially during the pandemic or in the postpandemic era.