Design and Assessment of an Online Prelab Model in General Chemistry: A Case Study

Pre-laboratory activities (prelabs) are extensively used to introduce and contextualize laboratory work in learning chemistry. The application of interactive online platforms for educational purposes provides a good opportunity to improve the prelabs’ quality and efficiency. In this research study, an alternative prelab model, which consists of an audiovisual tutorial associated with an online test, is suggested as a component of the chemistry learning resources in the PoliformaT platform, at the Polytechnic University of Valencia (Spain).To assess this prelab model, a case study was carried out in a first course of General and Organic Chemistry in Agricultural Engineering. Several information sources were used to compare it with the usual brief lecture at the beginning of each laboratory session: final examination marks, students’ opinions and, mainly, student-generated questions during laboratory sessions. A method based in the qualitative research software Atlas.ti was developed and applied to make sense of these questions. The results show that the proposed prelab model allows for considerable time saving and an improvement in prerequisite knowledge, and contributes to create an inquiry and contextualized learning environment.