Under the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic, an interdisciplinary
project about the brewing and analysis of traditional Chinese rice
wine was performed at home by junior students of the chemistry major
at Huanggang Normal University under the remote guidance of teachers
during the spring lockdown semester of 2020. Students were exposed
to the concepts of yeast metabolism, analytical testing, and sensory
evaluation in terms of real project study and completed a series of
hands-on activities at home using readily available materials, utensils,
and self-made devices. In the spring semester of 2021, experiments
were conducted in the general lab with other students in the same
program to compare the results of the two groups of students. The
results were that the “home” results were credible,
the students were trained not only in laboratory skills but also in
analytical and communication skills, and, significantly, the majority
of students enjoyed the content and activities. This paper illustrates
an effective experimental design procedure that can be conducted at
home or in the laboratory in response to uncertain changes, such as
a pandemic lockdown.
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