Abstract:

Information, computer and Internet technology are receiving increased attention in education, especially in flipped-classroom environment. The challenge of integrating the technologies into science education has been made to pay attention in a scaffolding mechanism. This research presents a flipped-teaching approach by means of using a computer-aided blended and scaffolding learning toolbox to reinforce numerical concepts for science education. This toolbox has been developed in MATLAB environment and framed in Adobe Captivate 6 as a HTML5-based e-Learning application to be used for laboratory session. The application provides different tools to establish the calculations needed to perform an instrumental analysis calibration and the quality parameters of an analytical chemistry method. In addition, it includes the most relevant analytical tests that are normally used to study the possible matrix effect or to compare the results from different methods or students’ calculations. Through this tool, students can acquire the skills needed to establish the quality parameters of an analytical method in science education. This application, named AChemFIT, was used as flipped-teaching approach, that is, one of blended and scaffolding learning systems. Thus, the main objective is to investigate how and to what extend students would benefit from applying this new toolbox other than what the traditional teaching strategies that are currently used in laboratory exercise. The research appoints a general good perception of the application and highlighting the application feasibility to achieve a more significant learning.

Keywords:

Science eduction, computer-aided, flipped-classroom, MATLAB.