Technology Project #1 ChemBuddy

Technology Project #1: ChemBuddy (www.chembuddy.com)

  Chemical calculator including general chemistry software for pH, concentration and stoichiometric calculations for grade levels 9-12. The ChemBuddy software consists of four general chemistry programs. The software is designed to give hands-on experience to students while learning about new curriculum. The software also serves as a time and money saving device for educational purposes. The chemicals used in titrations, buffers, and solutions may not be available to chemistry laboratories thus, hindering the students ability to use and explore the chemicals they are learning about. Not having the ability to interact with chemicals and experience their outcomes can have a negative impact on the students ability to fully understand and practice judicious review of the curriculum. The ability to apply and have an adequate understanding will likely result in long-term knowledge on the topic.
  The following will be a breakdown of the four different types of software available through ChemBuddy. This information was obtained from analyzing the tutorials and descriptions found on the website. The actual software costs money ($143 for all four types) so actual experience with the software is/was not available.

Learning to use various technologies
              Buffer Maker- buffer calculator, buffer composition, pH of mixtures.
              The buffer maker program utilizes the visual and interactive aspect of buffers. All types of acids and bases can be used in the composition of buffers. The buffer analysis can be conducted on the program or the program can be used to locate a desired buffer composition to be measured and performed in lab. The exact recipe of the buffer can be printed out for the students records. Numerous types of plots and information is given on the software in regards to the buffer. The buffer maker program gives the student interaction with pKa, Ka, and pH values. Also, the use of the Henderson-Hasselbalch equation, Bronsted-Lowry acid and base definitions, and chemical formulas will increase the students practice with general chemistry topics.

              CASC Concentration calculator- convert concentrations, prepare solutions.
              The CASC program allows the student to calculate concentrations and perform concentration conversions, and dilution calculations. It also, can be used to formulate recipes for all solutions that can than be carried out in the lab or on the program itself. The built-in solution mixer will allow the students to mix solutions with chemicals from a very large database (300 reagents).

              BATE pH calculator- acid/base equilibrium, titration curves.
              The BATE pH calculator allows the students the option to determine the pH of solutions and the change in pH as a titration is carried out. The program gives access to titration curves that can be printed and analyzed. The programs ability to carryout a titration for numerous acids and bases allows students to work with and see how chemicals that may not be available in the laboratory will react in an engaging experience.

              EBAS Chemical equation balancer- balance equations, calculate stoichiometry.
              The EBAS program allows the students to access help with key fundamental general chemistry concepts such as equation balancing and stoichiometry. The program will balance equations, determine percent composition, find limiting reagents, determine empirical formulas, and much more. The findings from using this program can easily be saved or printed for students future use.


Creating ways in which you might use the technologies with students (projects, tutorials, student collaboration, assessment, etc)
The ChemBuddy software contains numerous programs to help students interact, apply, and experience general chemistry topics. There are many ways in which to incorporate the ChemBuddy software into the students learning experience. The software offers the students an opportunity to use and evaluate the reactions of numerous reagents that may or may not be available in the laboratory. I will discuss the suggested ways in which I would use the software in each program available. 
The buffer maker program would be used as a supplemental tool to help students understand what an acid and base is and their function. The program would serve as a resource to do a prelaboratory exercise to create a buffer and analyze how their buffer should ideally work. Then they would print out their created buffer recipe and perform the experiment and record data. Then in their lab report the documents from the program would be analyzed compared to what the experiment yielded and all aspects would be submitted with complete report. 
The CASC program could be used to help students better understand concentration and conversions. Again I would use this program to have the students conduct a prelaboratory exercise that will give them a foundation for what they will do in the lab. This will allow them to print or save the recipes for their solutions to be prepared in the laboratory experiment. I would also have work time for students to use the program as a study guide for exam questions on conversions and concentration calculations. The program gives the solutions with the click of a button and would be used as a check after the students carry-out the calculation themselves.
The BATE pH calculator will not only work as a prelaboratory exercise but very helpful in analyzing experiments. The titration between an acid and a base can be carried out on the program to yield a data collection. This is a quick and efficient way to analyze a titration without using expensive constant pH reading tools. However, an actual hands on titration would be carried out but the program could utilize acids and bases that are more difficult to titrate or more toxic.
The EBAS chemical equation balancer program would be used to supplement students has they learn to balance chemical equations and learn about stoichiometry. These two general chemistry concepts are sometimes difficult to understand but play a significant role in using and understanding chemistry. The students could use this software as a way to check their calculations and find the best way to approach stoichiometric exercises. The program allows the students to determine (%w/w) and work with density, mass, and volume in a hands-on approach with instant feedback.


A general note about use of the software: The ChemBuddy software would be used as a supplemental form of technology to serve as an interactive form of learning. The students would use it as a way to reinforce what they may have just been presented. The software would have to be monitored so not used as a way to complete homework. 


Creation of some sort of product with the technology
No product was produced due to the fee associated with the ChemBuddy software.


Reflecting upon the technology in your blog including:


Links to or pictures/videos of technology artifacts
The following are links/urls to the descriptions and screen shots of the software.
Buffer Maker- buffer calculator, buffer composition, pH of mixtures.

CASC Concentration calculator- convert concentrations, prepare solutions.

BATE pH calculator- acid/base equilibrium, titration curves.

EBAS Chemical equation balancer- balance equations, calculate stoichiometry.

Description of and rationale (linked to learning theory/Bloom’s Taxonomy) for how the technology might be used with and preferably by students.
The rationale for the ChemBuddy software technology is that it allows students to utilize their creativity for working with a large database of reagents and experiments. It also helps them evaluate and analyze the outcomes of reactions and calculations. The analysis of the exercise performed using the software will help the students develop a better understanding for the content and concept. The actual use of the software will be a form of applying the student's understanding of the general chemistry concepts they know. By creating, evaluating, analyzing, and applying concepts using the software the goal is that the student will better understand the material and thus have a better long-term memory of the concepts. 


Consideration of struggles for implementation (student, systemic, and/or hardware)
The software for this technology requires it be used with PC and Windows 1995 or newer. Thus a struggle for implementation would include the type of computers available for the students in the classroom. Also, the same set of computers or computer lab would need to be available for the students to access the software. Once downloaded the software may only be accessed on that certain computer. Thus, computer sharing between classrooms would hinder the availability to the software. The software costs money so only a certain number of computers may have the program thus working in groups larger than ideal may be necessary. 


Consideration of the biases and trade-offs of the technology
The biases and trade-offs of the ChemBuddy technology include numerous aspects. The main bias is that the software primarily focuses on the theory of general chemistry. There is little about application of the concepts to real world experiences. The software gives instant solutions which helps the students check their work and prepare for lab experiments without wasting reagents. However, this feature would hinder the intellectual processing of how the calculations are carried out. The students can simply "plug and chug" and obtain answers without any thought process. The software does help eliminate the bias to certain chemicals used in experiments by allowing students to use more harmful chemicals on the computer controlled reactions. The trade-off to that is the lack of practice in performing general chemistry laboratory techniques. 


Explanation of how the project meets the selected teacher standard and student standards.
The project meets the INTASC standard number six. The supportive interaction in the classroom and collaboration between the software program and the calculations conducted by the students. The software also allows the teacher to use strategies to evaluate and ensure continuous intellectual and physical development, which is INTASC standard number eight. The software allows the teacher to make evaluation exercises having the answer instantly obtain from the software. The physical development of the learner is that the teacher will direct the students to use of software but they must understand how to use chemical names and formulas to run the software. Thus, engaging in judicious review leading to a better quality of understanding. It also facilitates and inspires students learning and creativity. Numerous chemical combinations and approaches may be taken on the software giving the student the creative option to explore chemistry. The student learning is met by concrete physical data that is obtained by using the software incorporated with the curriculum. This meets the ISTE standard number one. 


Cite & evaluate educational research related to the tech use (261).
The article by Nitza Barnea and Yehudit J. Dori discusses that chemistry software helps the students develop a better understanding of chemistry concepts. Those who were subject to chemistry software to supplement learning performed better on evaluations compared to those who did not use the software. Computer programs were found to improve the examined cognitive aspects of the average student. The use of computer programs is a beneficial strategy for those students who may have difficulties understanding science-oriented curriculum. The article focused more on the learning 3-dimensional molecular models using computer programs. Thus, there may be more benefit for that concept opposed to reactions and other concepts provided by the ChemBuddy software.


Barnea, N., Dori, Y. High-School Chemistry Students' Performance and Gender Differences in a Computerized Molecular Modeling Learning Environment. Journal of Science Education and Technology. Volume 8, 257-271.


Alyson Bechtum