Evaluation of Immersive Technology for Chemical Education

Abstract

Incorporating immersive technology into education has the potential to offer robust pedagogical situations to students that they otherwise would not be able to experience. Research suggests the incorporation of immersive technology in future chemistry labs will require utilizing a 3D graphics engine designed with VC++ and OpenGL. The design requirements, prototype, and tools were outlined to aid in the construction of a platform independent 3D graphics engine for chemistry.

The lack of forensic chemistry materials currently available supported the development of a new hands-on forensic activity that exposes students to the drug screening techniques used by modern forensic chemists. In the activity developed, students are introduced to the common chemical spot tests used in forensic laboratories and are familiarized with forensic applications of thin-layer chromatography. The research presented has identified five easily accessible laboratory chemicals that can mimic illicit materials in a presumptive drug testing activity such as CSTs. Students can use the non-specific nature of CSTs to rapidly screen for the presence of ?illicit? material and tentatively identify any suspected material by TLC.