A Tale of Two Lab Courses: An Account and Reflection on the Teaching Challenges Experienced by Organic and Analytical Chemistry Laboratories During the COVID-19 Period

A comparison of the experiences of both organic and analytical lab faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic distance learning initiative is described here. Faculty of both lab courses experienced four shared challenges in the transition to the online format: (1) experimental implementation, (2) assessments and postlab activities, (3) technological inequalities, and (4) synchronization of student attendance. Edited video content of the experiments was created for the organic laboratories but not for the analytical laboratories due to a lack of time and resources. A guided-inquiry activity used to engage organic chemistry students in the determination of the relative reaction rates of substitution reactions appeared to be less successful in the online environment for the students. Analytical lab faculty described using online guided data analysis problems to encourage students to keep up with the content and learn from their mistakes to further prepare themselves for related content in the activities that followed. Extended due dates were given on postlab assignments to mitigate technical issues encountered by the students. Interactive lab experiences for organic chemistry laboratories and hybrid laboratories for analytical chemistry laboratories are proposed for future semesters. Both courses implemented flexible scheduling of lectures, office hours, and workshops to offset student concerns.