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Published on September 4, 2007

Teerapap Changwichukarn, 21, the group leader, said ChemLive is an electronic learning application designed specifically for learning chemistry for students at primary and secondary school levels.

The concept of ChemLive is to bring chemistry to life for students. It is a chemical lab lesson that allows students to do real-time chemistry experiments without going to a real laboratory and using real chemical substances and real lab equipment.

Once students enter the virtual lab - an online lab equipped with the ChemLive program - they can choose the topics of lessons and try the experiment themselves using just a computer  mouse.

For example, students use a mouse to click on substance A to mix with substance B and the result will come up immediately. The program can support experiments mixing several substances. It gives a display in three-dimensional cartoon pictures that make chemicals more interesting for students.

"The program was designed based on an idea to make chemistry fun and enjoyable, along with getting knowledge. This program provides students with more chances to learn about chemical laboratories, even if their schools have limited lab equipment," said Teerapap.

Since it is a Web-based application, it allows students to do the lab experiments together at the same time from different places. ChemLive supports multiple users at the same time. Teachers can develop a Web page as an online chemical lab, and then allow students to access the lab from any computer connected to the Internet to conduct chemistry classes together. Students can participate in group lab assignments or do their own homework individually anywhere.

"During the laboratory work there are instructions as well as quizzes for practice. It works as an electronic-learning program, but it is designed to let students feel like they are playing a game as they interact with cartoon pictures instead of real pictures of chemical substances and equipment. These let them learn and have fun," said Teerapap.

It is designed to let teachers develop and add further chemistry subject matter as they see fit. The program has been tested in some school labs and has been well received.

Teerapap and his friends developed this application for the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2007 and it won the first runner up award.

It is possible the company will contact his team to do further development of the program to turn it into a practical program for schools in the future.

Teerapap said the inspiration for the development came from his experience when studying chemistry at a younger age. Back then, with limited equipment in the chemistry lab at the school, he missed the chance to see the practical experiments.

He learned how the chemicals reacted only through reading and using his imagination.

"It was boring for students who were enthusiastic to learn science but the equipment was not available. It was difficult for children to understand chemistry without seeing the experiments, and if students cannot do the experiments themselves it is even harder to understand," said Teerapap.

Asina Pornwasin

 The Nation