ICT- based teaching and learning chemistry

For the past few years, there has been a growing understanding of the important role of information and communication technologies (ICT) in science education. Various new models of education are evolving in response to the new opportunities that are becoming available by integrating Web-based technologies. ICT can serve as a tool for designing new learning environments, integrating virtual models and creating learning communities. However, not all teachers are convinced that ICT should be an integral part of their teaching strategies. Though ICT- based medium is considered to be commonly used, but lack of knowledge on how to utilize ICT for educational purpose were mentioned as barriers for ICT integration and ought to be further investigated.
We have investigated and emphasized the effect of ICT- enhanced environments, as a tool for designing new educational area, on teaching and learning chemistry which seems challenging due to the complex and abstract nature of scientific concepts especially at a secondary school level. Helping students understand scientific ideas and chemical phenomena is the purpose of every chemistry instructor. One way of teaching for understanding is to have students engage in information processing and problem solving activities that focus on real-world experience, and daily-life chemistry. Another way is to employ visualization tools for enhancing conceptual understanding among students . Information processing, Inquiry-based activities, project-based learning, problem solving and utilizing visualization can be done by integrating ICT into the curriculum.
Our goal is to explore the integration process of ICT into traditional teaching. The learning technologies were integrated to enhance inquiry-based learning, visualizations, and knowledge sharing. The current study investigated chemistry instructors’ perceptions toward ICT and their activities while practicing the newly introduced technologies.

The result of this study indicated that according to existing limitations in the formal curriculum, it is necessary to pay serious attention to new approach which helps teaching and learning process and removes the educational shortages through providing virtual environment.