Natural User Interfaces (NUI) are now widely used in electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles. We have tried to apply this technology in the teaching of chemistry in middle school and high school. A virtual chemical laboratory was developed in which students can simulate the performance of laboratory activities similar to those that they perform in a real laboratory. Kinect sensor was used for the detection and analysis of the student's hand movements, which is an example of NUI. The studies conducted found the effectiveness of educational virtual laboratory. The extent to which the use of a teaching aid increased the students' progress in learning chemistry was examined.The results indicate that the use of NUI creates opportunities to both enhance and improve the quality of the chemistry education. Working in a virtual laboratory using the Kinect interface results in greater emotional involvement and an increased sense of self-efficacy in the laboratory work among students. As a consequence, students are getting higher marks and are more interested in the subject of chemistry.
The rapid development of information and communication technologies has enabled the development of interfaces, which allow the recognition of the gestures and movements of the user. These interfaces, due to their affordable prices, are available to a wide range of users. They are called natural user interfaces (NUI). NUI are commonly used in game consoles and electronic devices, such as smartphones and tablets. We used the Kinect sensor from Microsoft in our studies to identify the movements and gestures of the user. This interface was used by us in teaching Chemistry in a Middle School and High School by developing a virtual chemical laboratory, which is based on a system of hand movements. We have analyzed the gestures and movements of the virtual chemical laboratory user to determine how they raise the effectiveness in chemical education. The results show how much better students work with a virtual laboratory, when studied by us in chemical areas, that concerned remembering information, understanding information, applying their experience in situations familiar to them from school and in solving chemical problems.
Experimentation plays an important role in chemical education.
It is the key to understanding and confirming the laws of nature.
Students with physical disabilities face obstacles in laboratory activities
related, among other things, to problems with understanding of many
laws and theories. For this reason, the authors pay particular attention
to the factors contributing to the limitations experienced in these
activities. Research has been conducted on the impact of various factors
that facilitate the understanding of information among deaf–mute
and hard of hearing students in a junior high school and a high school.
A methodology for the creation and use of didactic films demonstrating
chemical experiments to students with hearing and speech disability
has been developed and presented. The impact of these films on absorption
and retention of knowledge and their educational efficacy in the chemical
education of deaf and deaf–mute students has been assessed.
Particular attention is paid to the role of the sign language interpreter
in the educational process. It is shown that the use of specially
developed films creates conditions enabling deaf–mute and hard
of hearing students to obtain similar educational results as students
without these disabilities.
One of the cognitive theories is the embodied cognition theory. According to this theory, it is important to use appropriate gestures in the process of assimilating new information and the acquisition of new skills. The further development of information and communication technologies has enabled the development of interfaces that allow the user to control computer programs and electronic devices by using gestures. These Natural User Interfaces (NUI) were used in teaching Chemistry in middle school and secondary school. A virtual chemical laboratory was developed in which students can simulate the performance of laboratory activities, similar to those that are performed in a real lab. The Kinect sensor was used to detect and analyze hand movement. The conducted research established the educational effectiveness of a virtual laboratory, which is an example of a system based on GBS gestures (gesture-based system). The use of the teaching methods and to what extent they increase the student's complete understanding were examined. The results indicate that the use of the gesture-based system in teaching makes it more attractive and increases the quality of teaching Chemistry.
Key words: chemistry experiments, educational simulation, gesture based system, embodied cognition theory.
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