Using a metaverse to teach students to predict the interaction of acids and bases using hard and soft acids and bases (HSAB) theory

The paper describes guidelines for the planning, organization, and implementation of virtual activities within a metaverse environment, aiming to familiarize students with key concepts related to hard and soft acids and bases (HSAB) theory. The guidelines are based on experience gained during an online lesson given in January of 2022 for 188 incoming freshmen at a large Korean university during a week-long science program. The proposed lesson involves three parts: 1) a lecture describing HSAB theory, which was conducted on Zoom; 2) a group work activity in which students demonstrate their understanding of the lecture concepts within a metaverse designed on the Gather.Town platform; 3) a pairwork activity within the same metaverse in which students team up to describe the properties and interactions of acids and bases through the creation and presentation of a poster. In end-of-program evaluations, many students rated their experiences with social learning in the metaverse as their favorite component of the week-long program, and the instructors who administered the lesson indicated that the poster presentations that the students gave demonstrated a firm grasp of HSAB theory. The present lesson may be useful to practitioners who wish to teach concepts related to HSAB theory in a metaverse, such as Gather.Town. Copyright © 2023 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.