Socio-technical Challenges and Digital Transformation in Chemistry Education: Lessons from the Pandemic and Future Directions with AI and IoT

Abstract

The global education sector endured a massive disruption in early 2020 because of the pandemic caused by the spread of the coronavirus, thus requiring an instant shift from conventional pedagogy to emergency remote teaching. This study is specifically concerned with the distinctions of chemistry education, a subject of study that is heavily based on empirical demonstration and hands-on learning. By examining the educational landscape in three countries - India, Spain and the Philippines, the present comparative literature review including personal experience helps to highlight the impact of diverse socio-economic factors on the adoption of digital tools. The analysis of literature shows that the transition had a complex balancing act of synchronous (real-time) interactions versus asynchronous (self-paced) resources. One of the major barriers that was found in this shift was the "digital divide", which furthered the inequities around student access to reliable internet connectivity and devices. It points out the efficacy of structured interventions, and specifically mentions the DLPCA (Discover, Learn, Practice, Collaborate, and Assess) model (presumably referring to a particular digitally-integrated cycle of learning). There is evidence to show that when blended learning strategies are implemented with pedagogical intent (as opposed to as a stopgap) student academic performance may be maintained and even improved. Eventually, this period of crisis proved that the academic community is mighty enough and that the path to the future of teaching science lies in hybrid structures that help to take advantage of the flexibility of digital means, without sacrificing scientific rigor. The future of chemistry education is in adopting a proactive approach to integrate hybrid pedagogy and AI-driven tools to develop digitally-skilled experimentalists.