Teaching Chemistry with Arduino Experiments in a Mixed Virtual-Physical Learning Environment

Area of Science:

• Educational Technology
• Chemistry Education
• STEM Education

Background:

• Secondary chemistry education often relies on traditional methods.
• Integrating digital tools can enhance student engagement and learning outcomes.
• The study explores the impact of blended learning environments in science education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effect of Arduino experiments on declarative knowledge acquisition in Greek secondary chemistry students.
• To compare the effectiveness of Arduino experiments, virtual labs, and static visualizations within a digital application.
• To assess learning gains in a mixed virtual-physical learning environment.

Main Methods:

• A Digital Application (DA) was developed, integrating Arduino sensor experiments, Virtual Labs (VLs), and static visualizations.
• 154 Greek secondary students were divided into three groups, each using different components of the DA.
• A pre- to post-test analysis was conducted to measure declarative knowledge acquisition.

Main Results:

• Students using Arduino experiments and those using Virtual Labs (VLs) showed equivalent achievement in declarative knowledge tests.
• Both the Arduino experiment group and the VL group significantly outperformed the group using only static visualizations.
• The study indicates that blended learning approaches can be highly effective.

Conclusions:

• Conducting Arduino experiments in a mixed virtual-physical environment leads to learning gains comparable to using Virtual Labs.
• Digital applications incorporating interactive elements like Arduino sensors and VLs are effective tools for chemistry education.
• The findings support the integration of hands-on digital experiments in secondary science curricula for improved declarative knowledge.