Abstract:

Introduction:
To maximize the experimental learning process of the student in experimental sessions, any experimental work in the lab requires a pre-lab learning time in which concepts such as security in the lab, good practices and standard procedures and protocols use routinely in the Chemistry lab have to be introduced to the students. Nowadays, a small period is available to explain these concepts to a high and heterogeneous group of students. This situation happens in Chemistry Subjects of the first year students enrolled in the degree in Food Science and Technology, where the students are initiated in the experimental lab practices. LABSKILLS is a learning tool that contains the scientific approach to enquiry and how to carry out experiments, thereby allowing teachers to fit in more practical work. By rehearsing key practical skills in a virtual environment before lab sessions, the tool builds student confidence in the laboratory.

Aims:
The aim of this Project is the use of LabSkills PreLabs for General Chemistry (Cengage learning, OWL) as virtual tool before practical work in Chemistry lab of the first years students, to facilitate the learning process and to improve the quality of the teaching.

Methodology:
LABSKILLS have several chemistry modules, each one contains a range of learning activities (stepped-out videos, interactive moduless and quizzes) . These activity are done before go to the lab to do any practical work. We have used available tools in this platform such as “Reports” and “Gradebook” together with assessments to evaluate the student learning progress.

Results:
The high level of engagement of the students with this learning tool, it has been translated in high marks in Chem Lab for the majority of the participants.

Conclusion:
The use of the learning tool LABSKILLS in the first year of the degree in Food Science and Technology at our University achieves a high level of integration of the students in the chemistry lab, improving efficiently the acquisition of basic experimental learning outcomes.

Keywords:

Prelab learning, learning interactive tool, virtual lab.