Digitalchemlab─Digital and Complexity-Differentiated Learning Modules in an out of School Student Laboratory

Digital media can help students in a variety of ways. For example, they can support students in managing their own learning by choosing the order and level of difficulty of tasks themselves, thereby providing structure and autonomy. At the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, a platform called digitalchemlab is being established, dedicated to the use of and research into digital media in chemistry teaching. The platform and its aims and goals will be presented in this paper. A first research project investigates the integration of digital media in an out of school student laboratory while supporting individualization of the learning experience. For this purpose, we developed a digital and complexity-differentiated learning module. This learning module was evaluated in a pilot study with N = 65 students from three-eighth grade high-school classes, gathering quantitative and qualitative data. Using a pre-post-follow-up design, we examined students' knowledge gain, thematic interest, and academic emotions. In addition, students rated different aspects of the learning module. We finally examined how students used the learning module. First results indicate positive effects of the intervention on knowledge and learning emotions. The concept itself as well as results of the pilot study are presented in this article.