Given that students are constantly communicating and documenting special experiences in their social and private lives with digital devices, we suggest that this behavior could be used to record and deepen learning experiences—such as visualizing reactions at the molecular level—in a chemistry class. An example would be the creation of stop-motion videos to aid the visualization process for the documentation of experiments. This approach makes use of well-established techniques for documentation and visualization (e.g., static models or pictures) and combines them with dynamic approaches (e.g., animations) in order to enhance explanations of chemical experiments. Here, we describe how we use this approach to augment the novel teaching method, EXPlainistry (experiments explained in chemistry) with 5th to 12th graders, and consider how it helps students use ICT (information and communications technology) in order to document, explain, and visualize experiments in chemistry education.

Interdisciplinary teaching approaches have gained significant importance in today’s educational landscape. Among these approaches, decision-making competence plays a pivotal role by nurturing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Focusing on the decision-making process regarding the sensibility of using sugar-substitutes, this study addresses three key questions. (1) Do chemistry and sports and health students differ in evaluation-competence? (2) What criteria do they use in evaluating the decision-making problem? (3) How do they use ChatGPT (OpenAI, San Francisco, CA, USA), an AI tool, in decision-making? Through surveys, the study revealed two evaluation-competence factors, identified decision-making criteria, and analyzed querying behavior using ChatGPT. The results revealed nuanced differences between the two student groups in the factors of evaluation-competence. While both groups showed improvements in recognizing moral dimensions and considering alternatives, chemistry students displayed enhanced abilities in establishing evaluation criteria and empathetic thinking. Furthermore, differences emerged in the criteria selected for decision-making and querying behavior, indicating varying engagement with ChatGPT. This study offers insights into enhancing interdisciplinary education and underscores the need for tailored interventions to address diverse student needs.

Multitouch Experiment Instructions (MEI) are interactive multimedia eBooks as a full-digital or Augmented Reality (AR) Instructions as a digital-augmented material for the individual promotion of learning while experimenting in chemistry lessons. They provide a digitized experimental instruction, which is made to support both cognitive weak and strong pupils in the sense of individualization. The aim of the MEI project is to improve pupil’s self-regulated learning using a digitized experimental manual which is based to main results of didactic and scientific learning. Initial research results have shown that the presentation of information follows a structured learning process. To connect the promotion of self-regulated learning, digital competences and experimental skills an existing experiment “Characterization of Alkanes” has been digitalized as one Multitouch Experiment Instruction.

Multitouch Learning Books (short: MLB) are digital interactive E-Books that can be used in class enriched with individual tools. Due to their multifunctionality, they offer an excellent framework for integrating further didactic functions exceeding the role of a learning companion. In this study a Multitouch Learning Book was developed which contains all three didactic functions of ICT (Information and Communication Technology). The MLB provides the digital framework for the series of lessons and accompanies the entire learning process. Learning tools include isolated applications, Augmented Reality and measured data logging, which fulfills the didactic function of an experimental tool. The topic "galvanic cell" was implemented and tested in two different classes. The intervention resulted in unanimously positive feedback from teachers and pupils alike