Professionals trained in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) are in high demand. STEM-related jobs are expected to grow by 8.8 percent between 2018 and 2028, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.[1] Comparatively, jobs in other occupations are only expected to grow by 5 percent. To train the workforce needed to fill these technically demanding roles, schools and universities need new teaching and learning tools. The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting rise of virtual learning have only made this need more urgent.
Compared to other sectors, STEM has a special reliance on in-person education. Science is best taught through actual practice, and laboratory experiments form a key part of secondary and post-secondary education. The in-person laboratory gives students the chance to practice techniques under safe supervision and to use advanced (and expensive) instruments. For example, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometry, and chromatography form critical components of undergraduate chemistry curricula. Learning to work with these instruments prepares students for work in the chemical sector, and these machines are only accessible in physical laboratories.
However, even with its traditional reliance on hands-on practice, STEM education has benefitted from using technology to supplement the in-person classroom and laboratory. Computational chemistry labs—both on-campus and remote—help students understand structural conformations. Computer-based learning platforms and online videos explain concepts and guide students through problems. Use of such tools will only expand in the new virtual-learning environment.
For example, ACD/ChemSketch[2] Freeware is a comprehensive chemical drawing package that has been around for over 20 years. ChemSketch simplifies chemistry lessons with an intuitive, easy-to-use interface. It can help high school, undergraduate, and graduate chemistry students learn key chemistry concepts by drawing structures, reactions, etc. Users can also generate names for small molecules, calculate molecular properties (e.g., molecular weight, density) and create reports, presentations, and publication-ready figures. Dr. Ronald Soong uses ChemSketch to teach a chemistry course at the University of Toronto. He uses the software for illustrating simple to complex molecular structures. Importantly, with the readily made molecular templates, common biological compounds, such as DNA, amino acids and lipids can be illustrated with one click to keep up with the class. In addition, using the clean function, students can quickly draw compounds and ensure all the bond angles and lengths are correct when studying at home. This feature lets students focus more on learning molecular geometry and functional groups and spend less time worrying about drawing the molecule properly. The powerful 3D viewer tool can be used to illustrate hard-to-learn concepts such as 3D molecular geometry and stereoisomers such that the students can visualize the system in a way that is conducive to learning. ChemSketch has experienced a 40 percent increase in downloads amid the COVID-19 pandemic, showing the capability of the software in distance learning.
The biggest shift in learning modes will likely occur in the laboratory. Labs that were taught in person, with physical access to equipment, must now occur online. Thus, some of the tools most likely to see greater adoption are simulators. Simulation software mimics the experience of working with instruments by returning the simulated results once experimental conditions are entered. Often, such software is used by industry to speed up research and reduce the number of experiments needed. However, it can also be adapted for educational use.
As an example, one professor at Widener University replaced in-person chromatography labs with virtual labs using an LC simulator, ACD/Method Selection Suite.[3] Rather than manipulating conditions on an actual LC instrument, students changed conditions in the simulator and guessed how the simulated chromatograms would change. Then they ran the simulations to confirm their guesses. This approach preserves the trial-and-error experience of the traditional lab, adapting it to a remote setting. It also introduces additional advantages: because virtual experiments are not constrained by limitations in experiment time, available equipment, and material expenses, students can change conditions and run experiments that would be impractical in the physical lab. They have access to a greater range of (virtual) columns and time to run more conditions.
ACD/NMR prediction software[4] is another excellent tool that offers a range of useful inter-active simulations for teaching basic and complex concepts in NMR spectroscopy. This software has been used for many years to educate students in cases where there may be no access to expensive NMR instruments, or simply to help with spectral interpretation. It helps educators to create rich teaching materials for a virtual classroom or laboratory. Specifically, instructors can create exercises for students by revealing either a chemical structure or its predicted characteristic 1D and 2D NMR spectrum. Adjusting parameters such as solvent and frequency exactly to desired experimental conditions will help students understand the effect of these parameters on the chemical shifts. The students can use the software to simulate spectra for a variety of potential reactions or for a mixture of components with different component ratios without actually running these samples. While the virtual lab sacrifices some parts of the hands-on experience, it provides students with different benefits and helps them to grasp conceptually difficult ideas by demonstrating many examples.
Experimental work is an essential part of any chemistry teaching class, which presents a unique challenge in the context of remote learning. However, as we continue to encounter evolving needs in learning environments, such as remote classes, there are also well-established technologies that support remote or virtual laboratories. Many of these software packages simulate lab conditions to develop the practical skills needed such as experiment optimization, data interpretation, and analysis. These tools provide students with insights for a deeper understanding of experimental concepts. Adopting scientific software and online learning tools can help foster effective teaching methods and support education for the next generation of STEM leaders.