Define/Discover) I need a straightforward, easy to use app to help me learn, study or practice Chemistry.

Dream

The dream app for Chemistry would educate users about all fields learned in 9th Grade Chemistry: the Periodic Table of Elements, the Atomic Theory, Bohr models, ionic & convalent bonds/compounds, etc. It would also quiz you on those sections of Chemistry so you could study for quizzes, tests, exams, etc. It would have to be pretty straightforward and understandable for users.

Deliver

I found multiple Chemistry apps but none of them educated users about all fields of Chemistry. The closest thing I could get to my dream app was putting 2 apps together: ChemCrafter & Khan Academy.

ChemCrafter (iOS)

ChemCrafter by Chemical Heritage Foundation is a game created to educate users about chemical/physical reactions. You build your own lab & experiments to learn what happens when different elements are mixed. This app can give you a better idea of an experiment if you wanted to try it out in the future.

Magnesium + Water = Mg(OH)2 +H2 = Magnesium Hydroxide

Overall, the app is pretty straightforward. It takes you through a walkthrough/tour of the game & tells you what you’re supposed to do for an experiment & how you’re supposed to do it. Afterward you should have a solid understanding of the app and how it functions. You are free to experiment.

Pros

• Demonstrates what physical/chemical reactions occur when mixing multiple elements.
• Useful for visual learners (mostly visual content).
• Free (no in-app purchases).
• Can be used offline.

Cons

• Not every experiment is available right away (With every experiment you complete, you gain points. These points are used to unlock new experiments, elements & tools.).
• You have to wait a certain amount of time to receive elements & tools to experiment with (if you want to receive the elements & tools immediately, you have to use points).
• Not as useful for users who learn best by reading/hearing (mostly visual content).

 

With ChemCrafter, I learned what different chemical/physical reactions occur when mixing multiple elements. With a new Science 9 curriculum including more hands-on experiments, I think this app is a great learning, studying & practicing tool. If I hadn’t already finished the Chemistry unit, I would’ve used this app to help me with my studies. It would be useful for trying experiments if I couldn’t do them at home/in class.

Khan Academy (iOS)

Khan Academy is an app that educates users in all fields of education. You can find information on almost any subject. For studying/practicing, the app includes over 40, 000 different interactive questions with instant feedback. In the Science section, you can find information on all 4 units of the Science 9 curriculum.

This app is not as straightforward as ChemCrafter. There isn’t a walkthrough/tour of the app, as unlike ChemCrafter, it isn’t a game. Although it doesn’t include a walkthrough/tour, this app doesn’t need one. You just choose a subject to learn/study/practice and you’re off.

Pros

• Educates users in all fields of education (all information on Chemistry).
• Free (no in-app purchases)
• Useful for all learners (includes video, audio & written content).
• Can be used offline.

Cons

• No experiments.

With Khan academy, I learned all about Chemistry just like we did in class. As Riverside Secondary is becoming more & more digital, this app could soon be used as a digital textbook. It’s a great learning, studying & practicing tool. Although I’ve already finihed the Chemistry unit, I can use this app to learn & study Electricity.

Debrief

Together, these 2 apps are almost exactly what I was thinking of to be the perfect Chemistry app. ChemCrafter lets you experiment and observe while Khan Academy lets you learn, study & practice. In the future, I wish for an app that has the functions of these 2 apps all in 1.

I think that I used the method of Solution Fluency pretty well. I defined/discovered the problem, dreamed up the perfect app to solve this problem, delivered the app that I found & thoroughly explained it. I then debriefed the app & how I used Solution Fluency.