Significant changes in the teaching–learning process have
occurred since the appearance of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the
SARS-CoV 2 coronavirus, due to the limited mobility and closure of
university education centers. In this context, essential challenges
were presented for teachers and students to finish the academic courses
by addressing the programmatic contents without undermining the learning
quality. Likewise, the teaching of upper-division undergraduate subjects
with a high academic load in laboratory practices represents a greater
difficulty since these competencies are acquired in the classroom
teaching system. In this communication, the authors present the experiences,
difficulties, and results obtained in the teaching of instrumental
analytical chemistry and its applications for biological samples analysis,
focused on the access to technology, learning of practical skills,
and evaluation of student learning of a public university, in the
context of COVID-19 disease.
The development and application of a simulator designed with Excel spreadsheets to teach procedural skills in atomic absorption spectrometry and atomic emission spectrometry are proposed. For the development of the simulator, different analytical procedures were followed including analysis of pharmaceutical, forensic, and environmental samples. The simulator worksheets enable the students to modify the instrumental conditions (such as type of gas, gas flow, lamp, and wavelength), prepare reagents, standards, and samples, obtain the analytical signals, and perform data analysis and results. The learning activity was tested by 71 students enrolled in the Instrumental Analytical Chemistry I subject and was delivered through a virtual platform environment. Students completed and submitted the activity guide and the Simulator's file. Student feedback demonstrated greater skills in handling MS Excel and instrumentation, operation, and applications of the analytical techniques included in the simulator. In addition, the application of the simulator as a learning activity provided an excellent opportunity to enhance students' understanding of the fundamentals, instrumentation, and application of some spectroscopic techniques.
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