Virtual Reality Assisted General Education of Nuclear Chemistry and Radiochemistry

Abstract

Nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry is a branch of chemistry that has high experimental risks, has high research costs, and is subject to certain prejudices. However, it has an extremely important influence on the development of human life. It is particularly important to emphasize the general education of nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry without compromising the quality of the teaching. The introduction of the general education mode into nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry overcomes the shortcomings of narrow audiences. However, single theoretical courses are limited to a slide-based lecture. Although the audience for general education is wide, it is difficult to carry out related experiments because of safety responsibility and teaching funds. In this work, VR technology was first applied to the general education of nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry, and the audiences of the course were not limited to students who major in chemistry. The research results showed that not only did the VR platform effectively improve students' learning confidence, but also the effect of teacher−student interaction and the usability of VR equipment were recognized. This work may bring enlightenment to the popularization of nuclear chemistry and radiochemistry through new media technology.

Exploring the Effect of Virtual Reality on Learning in General Chemistry Students with Low Visual-Spatial Skills

“…In recent years, many VR tools have been developed to teach chemistry. − ,,,,,,,, However, very few offer a realistic, immersive environment in which students can visualize and interact with objects on the submolecular and subatomic levels. ,, Yet, mastering general chemistry concepts requires a complete understanding of the atomic structure, proper visualization of the atomic orbitals, and figuring out the correct electron distribution among them.…”

“…In particular, some tools allow users to interact with and manipulate the 3D structures of molecules, 8−10 feel the formation of a chemical bond through the vibration in the fingertips of the haptic glove, 10 or perform the experiments in the copycat chemistry laboratory. 28,29 Other more specialized VR experiences include placing students in the virtual crime scene for subsequent evidence collection and analysis, 25 conducting virtual field trips overseas for environmental chemistry projects, 24 constructing enzyme structures and performing real-time interactive molecular dynamics simulations on them, 8 demonstrating the practical application of nuclear chemistry in medicine, 22 and teaching about metal coordination chemistry and molecular orbitals. 20 Educational VR games are also available to students, whether they want to practice electron configurations by playing the orbital battleship 27 or learn more about the molecular system that allows people to sense pain.…”

“…Even though VR technology has only recently entered the field of chemistry education, many activities, , demonstrations, − experiences, ,− and games , have already been developed. In particular, some tools allow users to interact with and manipulate the 3D structures of molecules, − feel the formation of a chemical bond through the vibration in the fingertips of the haptic glove, or perform the experiments in the copycat chemistry laboratory. , Other more specialized VR experiences include placing students in the virtual crime scene for subsequent evidence collection and analysis, conducting virtual field trips overseas for environmental chemistry projects, constructing enzyme structures and performing real-time interactive molecular dynamics simulations on them, demonstrating the practical application of nuclear chemistry in medicine, and teaching about metal coordination chemistry and molecular orbitals . Educational VR games are also available to students, whether they want to practice electron configurations by playing the orbital battleship or learn more about the molecular system that allows people to sense pain …”

Radiochemical Separation Techniques in Classroom Settings

“…To fill this gap in the United States, degree-granting programs, or courses at the minimum, in N&RC ought to be widely accessible. The utilization of virtual reality technology has enabled an unprecedented education mode and such application has been attempted in teaching introductory N&RC courses, too. , This is particularly meaningful during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the N&RC profession requires the mastery of hands-on experience, so the simulated experiments may assist but can never replace hands-on experiments.…”

AR, VR, and the Metaverse in Teaching: An Advocacy for Precise Differentiation

“…A large number of XR applications in chemistry are currently available, and IUPAC announced VR-enabled interactive modeling as one of the top ten emerging technologies in Chemistry 2022 . In chemistry education, the implemented topics most often address advanced visualizations, − or virtual laboratories, but also cover more specialized subjects, e.g., in environmental, nuclear, medicinal, or macromolecular chemistry . At the same time, non-XR applications in chemical education can be as efficient as XR implementations, while being inherently more accessible due to fewer hardware requirements.…”