Title: The benefits of using blended-learning methods in spectroscopy

Authors: Barbara Dębska; Barbara Guzowska-Świder; Karol Hęclik

Addresses: Department of Computer Chemistry, Rzeszow University of Technology, Al. Powstancow Warszawy 6, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland ' Department of Computer Chemistry, Rzeszow University of Technology, Al. Powstancow Warszawy 6, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland ' Department of Computer Chemistry, Rzeszow University of Technology, Al. Powstancow Warszawy 6, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland

Abstract: In 2003, the American Society for Training and Development identified blended-learning as one of the top ten trends to arise in the knowledge delivery trade. Seven years later, the US Department of Education reported an updated meta-analysis because technology had evolved considerably. The study concludes that blended instructions have been more effective than pure face-to-face instruction-led training or pure internet-based learning. At the same time, for several years, members of the Department of Computational Methods in Chemistry at the Rzeszow University of Technology create online courses and the mentioned courses support both: teacher and student. Teacher - because of dynamic models of special devices that can be used during classroom lessons. Student - because of knowledge which is available all-time, after normal lectures or laboratories. From e-learning courses at the beginning, it evolved to blended-learning courses. The chemical portal www.e-chemia.pl created by the authors, consist of several courses, including spectroscopy course. The possibilities to teach the basics of spectroscopy and the possibilities of spectral data processing by means of advanced chemometric methods were presented in the article.

Keywords: blended learning; spectroscopy; structure identification; chemical portals; chemistry education; higher education; Poland; spectral data processing; advanced chemometric methods.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCEELL.2016.076012

International Journal of Continuing Engineering Education and Life-Long Learning, 2016 Vol.26 No.2, pp.153 - 167

Received: 24 Apr 2015
Accepted: 30 Sep 2015
Published online: 21 Apr 2016 *

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