Experimental Chemistry Workshop in Pandemic Times: A Support Activity for Students of the Graduate Chemistry Course

Abstract

The Covid-19 pandemic caused several impacts on education, causing teachers and students to adapt to a new reality, as a result, educational institutions had to adhere to Emergency Remote Teaching (ERE). This measure adopted, especially, by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) totally affected the training of students, above all, of Licentiate in Chemistry (LQ) courses. In this sense, among the aforementioned problems involved in the experiences of LQ students, the departure from experimental subjects is presented as one of the main challenges in the teaching and learning process. From this assumption, with the objective of mitigating the damages caused by the ERE, through a qualitative and participative research, the Tutorial Education Program - PET Química, of the Federal Institute of Paraíba - IFPB, João Pessoa campus, carried out an activity of teaching called “Oficina de Química Experimental (OQE)” in which experimental practices alluding to the menu of the subject of Experimental Chemistry I (DQEI) of the LQ course of that institution, were offered to all students who completed it remotely. This workshop had as target audience the students belonging to the classes of the periods 2020.1, 2020.2 and 2021.1. The application of this teaching intervention was divided into five moments: i) Bibliographic research; ii) Development of the workshop; iii) Practical activity of measuring the volume of liquids and Practical activity of weighing substances; iv) Practical activity of simple filtration and vacuum filtration and Practical activity of materials and substances; v) Practical activity of electrolyte conductivity and Practical activity of alkali metals and alkaline earth metals. With the execution of the above mentioned phases, an effective participation and interest was verified during the whole process of the activity, on the part of the licensees. However, the action developed by PET Química was uplifting, as it served as a professional aggrandizement for the scholarship holders of the program, as well as for the workshop participants, since the science of Chemistry is essentially experimental and must necessarily be present in the training of future graduates in Chemistry.