Use of Student-Generated Technique Videos to Increase Laboratory Skills in an Online General Chemistry Laboratory

The goal of this study was to assess student's laboratory technique learning during online laboratories in response to the transition online caused by COVID-19. From Summer 2020 through Fall 2021 our General Chemistry 1 laboratories were completely online using at-home lab kits and 3 h weekly web conference sessions. Starting Spring 2021 select sections were given a practical final examination where they had to generate a video of themselves performing a series of basic laboratory techniques. Results from faculty coding analysis of these videos illustrated that there were gaps in student skills and an intervention was attempted in Summer and Fall 2021 by the introduction of student-generated video technique quizzes throughout the semester. After the intervention student's skills increased significantly in three key areas on the student generated final video exam: weighing solids using the balance, quantitative transfer of a solid, and creation of a solution by dilution of the solute. This study indicates that student's laboratory technique skills can be developed and improved even in a completely online laboratory environment with direct targeting using student-generated technique videos.