Chemistry Outreach Project to High Schools Using a Mobile Chemistry Laboratory, ChemKits, and Teacher Workshops

Abstract

The Chemistry Outreach Program (ChOP) of Virginia Tech was a university-based outreach program that addressed the needs of high school chemistry classes in underfunded rural and inner-city school districts. The primary features of ChOP were a mobile chemistry laboratory (MCL), a shipping-based outreach program (ChemKits), and teacher workshops. ChOP targeted schools that lacked basic chemistry equipment and resources, as well as schools where science teachers had limited training in chemistry. The MCL, a fully equipped chemistry laboratory in a 78-foot-long tractor–trailer, visited high school chemistry classes on a regularly scheduled basis. From 2000 to 2004, the MCL served 38 high schools in which 9100 students performed 36,200 experiments. ChemKits, working in concert with the MCL, resulted in an additional 23,450 experiments conducted by students in 33 high schools from 2002 to 2004 and 17 high schools in 2004 to 2005. Teachers attended ChOP workshops in the summer prior to using the MCL or ChemKits in their classrooms. As a result of the collaboration between ChOP and high schools, participating chemistry classes posted an average 37-point gain in their pass rate on standardized state exams in chemistry over a three-year period.

Physics on the Go: A Mobile Computer-Based Physics Laboratory for Learning Forces and Motion

“…Therefore, when MCPL is used instead of simulation used by [32], this results in increased conceptual understanding. This is also similar to a study by [4] which showed that student learning using experiments was better than field trips such as a visit to a museum and other informal science experiences. Therefore, low achievement in the topic of Forces and Motion can be increased by using MCPL.…”

“…Teachers gain more benefits in terms of improve skills in conducting experiments, along with lessons or teaching and learning sessions. This is aligned with [4] who showed that student engagement towards science learning and teacher ratings were better through mobile labs than field trips and other informal science experiences. The ChemKits program [3] also provided computers and probes.…”

“…Therefore, a MSL that serves as an alternative laboratory can be a solution for this problem. Several studies suggest that such laboratories promote students' motivation, improve performance on high-stakes tests [4], provide new pedagogical approaches to teachers, save costs in laboratory maintenance in the long term [4] and enrich teachers' pedagogical skills [6]. The MSL could be enhanced with MBL to minimize the time required for carrying out experiments and data collection.…”

“…Mobile Science Laboratory (MSL) is a vehicle replicated as a travelling laboratory [3,4] or an electric wide-beam barge [5] and basically it offers as a service or off-theshelf version [6]. MSL is established in America in 1998 and widely implemented to outreach activities in United Kingdom, then India, European country and other developing countries such as South Africa in 2006 until recent year [6,7].…”

Monitoring water quality through citizen science while teaching STEM undergraduate courses during a global pandemic

“…Environmental coursework can easily be adapted to existing curricula ( Wenzel and Austin, 2001 ) and teachers can set the level of complexity based on the students' background (e.g., freshmen vs. senior students) as well as on the available budget. Among the different environmental topics, water quality has been implemented in a few service-learning activities included in analytical and/or environmental chemistry courses during the last decade ( Dameris et al, 2019 ; Jung et al, 2017 ; Schwarz et al, 2016 ; Tomasik et al, 2014 ; Donaghy and Saxton, 2012 ; Long et al, 2012 ; Kammler et al, 2012 ). Most of these activities include the collection and analysis of different water samples.…”