Virtual laboratories in organic chemistry learning environment for Ecuadorian high school students

Abstract

The importance of this study stands out in the implementation of virtual laboratories with third year high school students of the Vicente Anda Aguirre Educational Unit (Ecuador), a tool that benefits in the acquisition of knowledge that through the use of technological advances promotes the realization of practical activities, which contribute to the reinforcement of knowledge; Unfortunately, the insufficient assimilation of the concepts of organic chemistry is reflected in the lack of enthusiasm and disinterest to face academic challenges with autonomy, a factor that harms the student's experience, participation, experimentation, analysis and decision making; it is important to highlight that due to the COVID-19 sanitary emergency that affects the population, the student does not perform the practices in a real laboratory.

For the above reasons, the objective of the study is to implement didactic strategies in virtual environments in the learning process of organic chemistry contents. The inquiry is framed in a quantitative approach, the methodology focuses on problem-based learning (PBL), with a correlational, descriptive and explanatory scope. In the process of implementing virtual laboratories, the students' ability to construct and understand arguments, representations or models that include experiments carried out virtually is analyzed. From this concept, strategies applicable in the classroom are designed according to the curricular proposal and the evaluation method