Abstract:

One of the goals during COVID-19 was to teach general chemistry lab face-to-face and that required adjustments in how lab was taught to maintain safety protocols. Also, changes were necessary so students could successfully complete lab in a specific amount of time and with limited help, though it was available; also they would be working by themselves vs. with a lab partner. The changes in the face-to-face lab environment are described such as prelab videos, prelab video quizzes, and prelab video notes. Other institutions also integrated prelab videos into their labs. The prelab videos in this study were introduced to address the overload of working memory students experience in lab such as reading lab instructions, setting up the lab, and understanding the chemical concepts. The challenges of cognitive overload in lab were magnified during COVID-19 because of the more restricted lab environment. The changes made during COVID-19 have been integrated into labs since COVID-19. A survey presents students’ opinions about prelab videos and prelab video notes and how they affected students’ clarification of the lab instructions, understanding concepts, time in lab, success, motivation, and preparation and completion of lab.

Keywords:

Cognitive overload, lab preparation, lab completion, general chemistry labs, prelab videos, prelab video notes, prelab video quizzes.