As the accreditation guidelines of various accreditation bodies emphasize, acquiring psychomotor skills is a very important part of learning outcomes in a chemical engineering degree. Thus, it is crucial to ensure the effective achievement of these skills, even with limited physical delivery during this pandemic period. This challenge can be overcome by adopting virtual lab experiments and simulations, which enable the students to understand the concepts, important relationships between the variables, and the potential impact of manipulating the variables on the process operation. However, many simulation software programs cannot be purchased by students individually as the license is quite expensive. Hence, using TeamViewer software as a remote learning tool has significantly benefited students accessing license simulation software in the university from wherever they are with an internet connection, a valid ID, and a password. This paper highlighted the effectiveness of employing TeamViewer as a remote learning tool to facilitate online laboratory practices in two chemical engineering courses of CHE263 (Material and Energy Balance) and CHE249 (Separation Processes). The experimentation and data analysis showed that the proposal significantly increased students' psychomotor skills while enhancing their understanding. The learning that was attained in the face-to-face classroom format and the learning that was attained using the suggested remote laboratory were found to have similar outcomes. This study will benefit other educators who need an alternative tool to do an online laboratory that uses system software and needs remote access.

A high biocompatibility apatite coated titanium (Ti) could be achieved by biomimetic method. The method is beneficial in surface modification by lowering the processing cost and flexibility. However, the bond between apatite and titanium implant is weak. The structure and composition of apatite formed is different from the apatite in bone. The aim of this research was to investigate the effects of heat and alkali treatment on the physical and chemical properties of Ti6Al4V surfaces and to observe the formation of apatite in Dulbecco’s Phosphate Buffered Saline with CaCl2 and MgCl2 (DPBS) solution on the treated Ti6Al4V for medical implants. Ti discs were surface modified by alkali etching using 5M NaOH at temperature 60°C for 24 hours. A stable mechanical structure of sodium titanate layer formed on alkali-treated is consolidating by heat treated at 500°C and 600 °C. Treated samples were then incubated at 37°C into DPBS solution for 3 days. The morphology structure, phase changes and chemical composition were characterized by using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) and X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD). The results shows that apatite coating in globular shape, a group of flakes was found on the samples’ surfaces that had been pre-treated with 5M NaOH at temperature 60°C without thermal treatment and thermal treated at 500°C.

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The shift from traditional face-to-face classes to virtual learning influences the students' happiness and decreases their motivation to learn. Students may find it difficult to perceive cognitive, social, and teaching presences in online learning systems, making learning virtually difficult. This quantitative survey study investigates how teaching, social, and cognitive presences affect students' learning experiences. A thirty-four-item survey with three primary sections: teaching, social, and cognitive presence, was completed by 69 students from local university in Malaysia. The respondents ranged in age from 15 to 59 years old and held degrees ranging from matriculation/foundation/certificate to doctorate level in social science and technical fields. Results indicated that the course design and organisation as well as the facilitation provided by the instructors frequently helped keep the students on task in a way that helped the students learn in the setting of teaching presence. Among the three items measured in teaching presence, direct instruction scored the least mean value. Respondents also agreed with the statement that social presence is felt through affective expression, open communication, and group cohesion. However, lowest mean value captured in social presence through design and organization is regarding to how well instructor communicate important course goals. In contrast, cognitive presence is felt from online activities triggering events, exploitation, integration, and resolution. In the context of triggering event, they occasionally believed that the issues raised sparked their curiosity about the subjects addressed in class and that class activities aroused it. The results of this study have implications for administrators, instructional designers, and online instructors who aim to improve student learning experiences and engagement in their courses.