At home, but still doing lab work
Over the last 18 months, Ateneans have been taught online. However, the transition to a digital learning environment presented challenges for science education and training. Doing hands-on laboratory exercises, for example, would be difficult in a virtual setting without the necessary equipment. The challenge sparked ideas among faculty members at the School of Science and Engineering’s Department of Chemistry, resulting in the creation of the SoSE Chemistry Lab@Home Kits.
The SoSE Chemistry Lab@Home Kits were assembled in a laboratory in Schmitt Hall with the professors, chemical technicians, TAs, and maintenance staff all helping to ensure that students would be able to complete lab work comparable to the labs they would have performed in class. The kits were then delivered to students all over the Philippines through the Loyola Schools Bookstore.
“We expect that this kit will help beginning students gain practical experience that will help once a return to labs is possible,” says Dr. Modesto T. Chua, a Professor Emeritus of Chemistry at the department. “While the current situation presents new challenges to learners and educators alike, it has also underscored the importance of research and innovation in solving fundamental human issues and creating a more sustainable and humane future for us all.”
Watch Jenna Escueta, a first-year B.S. Health Sciences student, unbox her SoSE ChemistryLab@Home Kit:
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