Learning Chemistry at the University of Sharjah: Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This study attempts to analyze the students’ satisfaction with learning chemistry before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic at the University of Sharjah. Microsoft Forms were used to build the questionnaire and collect the data. The widely used online class applications are Blackboard Ultra, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and WhatsApp Group features. Students had printed textbooks, e-books, and lecture notes posted under Blackboard contents as learning media. The Chemistry laboratories were carried out in a hybrid mode during the pandemic; 30% of the experiments were conducted face-to-face inside the University in an alternate mode, while the remaining 70% were conducted virtually using home-developed videos, McGraw Hill simulation, or Journal of Visual Experiments platforms. Most students experienced challenges implementing the online learning process, so they prefer the usual traditional learning methods. In addition, the assessment of the educational program learning outcomes (PLO) was measured over the last three academic years, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Results of such an assessment indicated that there is a decline in the skill outcomes B, C, and E during the COVID-19 era. The study recommends the adoption of Flex-Hybrid Classrooms, using interactive online class applications like face-to-face learning, as hybrid learning can contribute positively to the quality assurance process of the instructional methodologies. Chemistry Laboratories must be conducted in person to enhance the technical and hands-on experience skills of students. All classes, regardless of delivery mode, should be recorded, as they can contribute positively to the quality assurance process of the instructional methodologies and material deliveries.

1 Introduction

As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease that causes infected people to experience mild to moderate respiratory illness. The virus originated in Wuhan, the capital city of China’s central province, and started to spread exponentially all over the globe, leading to what the World Health Organization declared a pandemic [1,2,3,4,5]. Sending billions of people into lockdown, the virus leads to countless deaths, and presidents have declared their countries in a state of emergency, accordingly. The WHO further announced that no special treatment is required for people infected with the virus, as their immune system is sufficient to help them recover. However, people diagnosed with chronic or long-term illnesses such as aging, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and cancer are at risk of developing severe sickness or even dying [6,7,8].

Higher education institutions worldwide, including the University of Sharjah, tried experimenting with distance learning using electronic means since traditional methods went against preventative measures [9,10,11]. Due to the severity of the effects of COVID-19 and the lack of knowledge about the disease, a major disruption in the education system resulted [12, 13]. Integrating chemistry education into the digital realm, with the help of electronic devices and special-sized software, resulted in self-build problem-based learning methods that proved to be interactive and effective [14, 15].

Another source of disruption in the education system was digital exclusion before the pandemic, where factors such as income, technology-usage skills, and the digital-utilization gap were contributors to the cause [16]. Before the pandemic, traditional chalk-and-talk methods of classroom interaction were the norm, with the laboratory and theory classroom layouts suitable for their cause. Using e-learning platforms was limited or optional. However, due to the unpremeditated situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, a mandatory transition to completely virtual learning techniques was perceived [17]. This transition led to the development of an effective distance learning approach by offering an improved learning management system (LMS). This will enable the implementation of a future blended classroom approach, using both the traditional and virtual means of learning [18]. The LMS software provides a tactical approach leading to managing and delivering online learning content more effectively.

Although several involved stakeholders, such as governmental authorities, students, parents, staff, and faculty were concerned whether the transition to virtual learning after a long time of traditional learning would produce desired results, the higher education sector was provided an opportunity for innovation during the testing times of the online learning approach. New challenges were anticipated from implementing the transition on a wider scale.

The public domain interrogated institutions about the quality of distance learning and teaching. This study aims to present further understanding of learning chemistry before, during the lockdown, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, associated challenges and COVID-19-induced opportunities will be discussed. In addition, the impact of the implementation of new methodologies on the PLO achievements is assessed using the capstone instruments and grade analysis over the past three years.

2 Research Methodology

We acquired a descriptive quantitative method using a questionnaire to assess the effectiveness of learning chemistry at the University of Sharjah. It includes questions on demographic variables (sex, level of education, digital means, and the Internet) and questions on the education method that students prefer to implement after the coronavirus lockdown. The students’ perceptions of learning chemistry at the University of Sharjah were assessed on a five-step Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree).

The data was collected through an online survey using the Microsoft Office Forms tool conducted over 20 days (about 3 weeks) from February 17, 2022. It was conducted anonymously; no personal information has been identified.

The PLO assessments are conducted using Exit exams, Senior research courses, Industrial Training courses, exit surveys, and total grade analysis for students over the pre-, during, and post-COVID-19 era.

3 Results and Discussion

The demographic information included students’ gender and year of study. About 71% female and 29% male students participated in this study. However, students were from all years of study: 74% of them were 1st-year students, where 14% were 2nd, 8% were 3rd, and only 4% were 4th-year Senior Students (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1

Survey answers: Gender (a) and year of study of the participating students (b)

Among the participants, 42% were from the College of Engineering, 33% from the College of Sciences, and 27% from the College of Medical Sciences. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2, almost 40% of the participating students have an Engineering Major, 16% with majors in the Medical Sciences, and only 14% with a Chemistry major.

Fig. 2

Survey answers: College (a) and major of the participating students (b)

In response to the question Which chemistry courses are you taking? Fig. 3 shows that 66% of the participating students are taking General Chemistry 1, 11% are taking General Chemistry 2, 14% are taking General Chemistry for Medical Sciences, and 9% are taking other Chemistry Courses.

Fig. 3

Survey answers: The chemistry courses of the participating students

In response to the course mode of delivery and learning platform, 77% of the participants are taking Chemistry Courses online, 9% were hybrid, 8% in-person face-to-face, and only 6% were taking courses in blended mode. Figure 4 shows that the main LMS was BBU with 99% of the participants, and only 1% were taking courses via MS Teams.

Fig. 4

Survey answers: The course mode of delivery (a) and learning platform of the participating students (b)

In response to a question about how easy the transition was from the traditional face-to-face mode to a virtual learning environment, 42% found it challenging, 32% found it easy, very challenging for 15% of the participants, and very easy for 11% of them (Fig. 5).

Fig. 5

Survey answers: The transition to virtual learning of the students who participated

On the other hand, in the response to how comfortable the e-learning tools used were, Fig. 6 shows that 30% of the participating students are very comfortable, 34% are somewhat comfortable, and only 6% are very uncomfortable.

Fig. 6

Survey answers: The comfort of the participating students with e-learning tools used at the University of Sharjah

Figure 7 shows that only 20% found the interaction with their instructors not easy or extremely not easy, whereas more than 50% found it extremely easy or easy. However, the interaction with classmates was extremely not easy for 14%, and 15% found it extremely easy.

Fig. 7

Survey answers: The feasibility of interaction of the participating students with instructor (a) and classmates (b)

Results of the response to the preferred learning mode of the participants during and post the pandemic are presented in Fig. 8. It is clear that even during the pandemic, more than 50 percent of the participating students prefer either traditional face-to-face learning or a hybrid-flexible learning mode. While, post-pandemic, 51% of the participants prefer traditional face-to-face learning, 33% prefer hybrid-flexible learning mode, which brings the total to 84% of students who prefer to come back to campus classes.

Fig. 8

Survey answers: The preferred learning mode of the participating students during (a) and post the pandemic (b)

In a response to the question “What would you say about your own experience in online/hybrid education in the courses you have taken?”, 70 responses were obtained from which the following was quoted:

“Flexible time management and increased my awareness on time management.”

“Extremely very bad experience, one of the worst experiences I have been through.”

“It is easy and saves a lot of time.”

“It was great for me since I live in Ras al Khaimah, online classes helped me mentally since I don't need to worry about going to Sharjah every day and I feel like it helped me with my grades last semester.”

“I feel that the online education is better because whenever I want to study or if I didn’t understand something I can watch the records easily.”

“It is exceedingly difficult to adjust to. My marks get affected by it in a negative way.”

“I graduated high school with amazing grades and almost had bright plans but, I do not know if it is my stupidity of not adapting and accepting the drastic new change or the fact that I genuinely enjoy studying with my classmates around me and the professor/Doctor in front of me supporting me. Either way, I am trying hard in all my courses, but it has been a real struggle... And I am just on a tight rope.”

“The only advantage is that the lectures are recorded.”

“Although most people will not share the same opinion as me, I found online education to be extremely convenient. Not having to commute saves me lots of time that I can reinvest into studying and maintaining a healthy sleep schedule. Since my lectures are completely online and my labs on campus, I have no complaints regarding the mode of education.”

“The first semester was hard since it was fully online, but the second semester was better because it was hybrid.”

“I found it rather easy to adapt to online/hybrid learning.”

“Successful and convenient.”

“Not that good experience, and hard to stay focused.”

“I get really distracted in most of my online classes.”

“It’s okay but I would have preferred to get the full university experience and be able to attend lectures in class where there would be more of a relationship between the professor and the students.”

In a response to the question, the question “What are the disadvantages of online/hybrid education that affect the learning of the chemistry courses?”, 68 responses were obtained from which the following was quoted:

“Feeling bored sometimes because there is no eye contact between the doctor and the student.”

“Not being able to try the experiments in labs, and not understanding the concepts well.”

“Less lab sessions make it more difficult to develop practical application skills.”

“I don't comprehend as much information online as I do when I'm in a classroom.”

“In hybrid learning, the instructor would pay more attention to the students in class rather than those online.”

• “Very hard to visualize structures not being able to interact very well with the instructor.”

• “Makes it difficult to speak to professors directly.”

• “The only disadvantage with online education is less communication with classmates.”

• “Hard to focus and interact with the instructor.”

• “Bad Wi-Fi connection.”

• “Getting distracted easily (not because it's chemistry but because it's an online class which getting distracted happens in all online classes).”

• “It’s hard to focus during class especially when the class is 75 minutes.”

• “No group work, no face-to-face teaching.”

• “Chemistry Labs require hands-on experience, which is not possible with online learning.”

• “The lack of face-to-face explanation makes it harder to grasp the knowledge.”

After the surveys were analyzed, independent instruments are used to measure the influence of the change in the instructional methodologies on the educational learning outcomes for the chemistry program. Five assessment instruments are adopted, and the findings are shown in Figs 9, 10.

Fig. 9

The overall average over three years for the PLOs’ % achievements

Fig. 10

Analytics of PEO from 2019 to 2021 from course grades analysis

It is evident from Figs. 9 and 10 that there is a decline in the overall performance when it comes to the skills PLOs (A, C, E, I, G, and F). Such decline is expected as the hands-on skills were not nurtured during the COVID-19 era.

4 Conclusion

As the perceptions and attitudes of students toward online learning are a critical factor and an essential element in the success of this kind of education and cannot be disregarded or ignored, the results of this research have clearly shown that most students at the University of Sharjah have a positive perception of online learning during the confinement period.

E-learning has surely offered an effective non-disruptive learning approach, and paved the way for the future of learning methods in a blended classroom approach. It has also improved the software of available learning management systems for the delivery and management of learning content online. At the University of Sharjah, e-learning has enhanced the classrooms’ infrastructures, as well. However, online learning during the COVID-19 era has a negative impact on the skills’ learning outcomes. Hence, in all cases, the laboratories must have onsite sessions and distance learning might be avoided.

Scheme 1 is a proposed diagram for the evolution of learning chemistry from conventional to online to flex-hybrid classroom format. Online and distance chemistry education show positive features for students, giving them flexibility, independence, physical safety, and a growing virtual educational community. The results of this study show a positive result for a curricular implication of online teaching approaches for a sample of students studying chemistry in the college of sciences. For future implications, the online approach would provide students with the flexibility of referring to recorded sessions, encourage flexible communication between students and instructors, and develop broader virtual educational communities for students to build stronger relations with their fellow colleagues.

Scheme 1

A schematic diagram for evolution of learning chemistry from conventional to online to flex-hybrid classroom format

The university experience is much more than just learning various subjects, and further studies must include the instructors’ perceptions of the chemistry department for online learning.

5 Recommendations

From this study, the following recommendations are to be drawn:

• Flex-Hybrid Classrooms are promising for theoretical courses as they provide flexibility in learning methodologies. Students can learn according to their past. In addition, hybrid learning can contribute positively to the quality assurance process of the instructional methodologies.

• Chemistry Laboratories must be conducted in person to enhance the technical and hands-on experience skills of the students.

• Different class modes (face-to-face, hybrid, and online) should be recorded as recordings can contribute positively to the quality assurance process of the instructional methodologies and material deliveries.

6 Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

• PLO A: An ability to draw defendable conclusions from data.

• PLO B: An ability to solve problems using systematic methods.

• PLO C: An ability to rationalize properties and structures using the principles of chemistry.

• PLO D: An ability to identify relationships between chemical principles and the other sciences.

• PLO E: An ability to correctly describe chemical principles and theories.

• PLO F: An ability to use correct chemical nomenclature, structural symbols, and terminology to accurately describe a process

• PLO G: An ability to write a formal publication-quality report which concisely and unambiguously summarizes the results of an experiment and states a conclusion and reviews a scientific topic.

• PLO H: An ability to assess the safety of a procedure and take the necessary precautions, based on the issues of safety regulations, ethics, and societal issues in the use of chemicals in laboratory work.

• PLO I: Knowledge of the use of the proper modern tools and other equipment in laboratories.

• PLO J: An ability to work in research and industrial institutions.