=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-1844/10000319
|storemode=property
|title=VlabEmbed - the New Plugin Moodle for the Chemistry Education
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1844/10000319.pdf
|volume=Vol-1844
|authors=Pavlo Nechypurenko,Serhiy Semerikov
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/icteri/NechypurenkoS17
}}
==VlabEmbed - the New Plugin Moodle for the Chemistry Education==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-1844/10000319.pdf
VlabEmbed – the New Plugin Moodle for the Chemistry
Education
Pavlo P. Nechypurenko1, Serhiy O. Semerikov2 (0000-0003-0789-0272)
1Kryvyi Rih State Pedagogical University
54 Gagarina Ave., Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine
acinonyxleo@gmail.com
2State institution of higher education «Kryvyi Rih National University»
11, Vitalyy Matusevych Str., Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine
semerikov@gmail.com
Abstract. Research goals: The necessity of developing a plugin for Moodle,
which is used to support the activities of experimental chemistry are substanti-
ated. Description of created VlabEmbed plugin and the process of installing and
configuring VlabEmbed plugin in system Moodle are reviewed. Object of
research: Moodle plugins for chemistry education. Subject of research:
VlabEmbed – the new plugin Moodle for the chemistry education. Research
methods: review and analysis of scientific publications and Moodle plugins for
the chemistry education. Results of the research: VlabEmbed plugin in system
Moodle are created.
Keywords: Moodle, Tools of teaching chemistry, Virtual laboratory, Vla-
bEmbed plugin.
Key Terms: Key Terms. Methodology, InformationCommunicationTechnology, IC-
TTool
1 Introduction
1.1 The Problem Statement
Moodle is an open learning platform, which aims to create a personalized learning
environment for the user. The infinite variety of user interests is the "engine" for the
development and improvement of the Moodle.
There are many chemistry courses are implemented in Moodle. Proper construction
of the chemistry course is impossible without taking into account specifics of chemis-
try science. So the main tool of teaching chemistry is a chemical experiment.
1.2 The State of the Art
Moodle has enough tools to visualize the other chemistry features – the chemical
language (formulas, special symbols and notation forms) and the models of micro-
cosm objects (atoms, molecules, crystal lattices). Some popular chemistry plugins and
modules: Chemistry editor, EasyChem Chemical Structure and Equation Editor,
Chemical Structures and Reactions Editor (for writing chemical formulas and equa-
tions); Jmol (for embedding 3D-models of the molecules in the learning modules);
EasyOChem (set of plugins for creation of test tasks in organic chemistry with chemi-
cal formulas and equations usage).
But ensuring the possibility of chemical experiments (even a simulation) in the
Moodle there was a gap. To carry out virtual laboratory experiments in chemistry
there is a sufficient amount of software, the most famous of which is Model Science
ChemLab and ChemCollective Virtual Lab (VLab). ChemLab is a proprietary soft-
ware which runs only on the local computer. VLab is non-commercial software,
available both online and offline. VLab allows to perform virtual laboratory works on
chemistry (mainly analytical and physical chemistry). The program has multilingual
interface (German, Spanish, French, Greek, Portuguese, Russian, Ukrainian etc.) with
a large repository of chemistry problems.
1.3 The Purpose of the Article
Our main purpose was to create a plugin that brings the VLab functionality into Moo-
dle and allows to download and install the VLab files to the site with Moodle training
courses.
2 Presenting the Main Material
2.1 The Technological Aspect of Use
New plugin VlabEmbed is a filter that allows to embed the VLab problems into the
Moodle courses pages using an applet vlab.jar. For correct operation of the applet,
you will need to install Java Plugin.
VLab also requires several data files for the operation, mostly with the extension
.xml. One of these files contains links to all the other files and is considered as a main
file. The essence of the VlabEmbed filter is to replace the links to the according main
XML file on the applet call, which runs virtual laboratory. For this purpose the link to
the main XML file of virtual lab or any other text with a hyperlink to this file should
be inserted into the block of the tags [vlab] ... [/vlab].
To install and run the filter, you need to follow the next steps:
1. Download the archive with the plugin to the computer by the link
https://moodle.org/plugins/view/filter_vlabembed.
2. Log in to Moodle as an administrator, go to the Site Administration | Plugins | In-
stallation of plugins.
3. In the installer of modules Select the file ... with downloaded plugin archive and
click the Install the module from ZIP package.
4. Select the Site Administration | Plugins | Filters | Filters management.
5. Select On or Off in the drop-down menu, against "VlabEmbed".
6. Set the plugin parameters convenient for you: the width and height of the applet
window and the language (Brazilian Portuguese, Catala, German, Spanish, French,
Greek, Russian, Ukrainian) drop-down menu.
7. Because of the discrepancies in licensing the applet files that are required for the
virtual laboratory, are not included into VlabEmbed filter package. But they can be
downloaded from an external source using the built-in downloader by choosing the
link Try to get a minimal set of Virtual Lab applet files from ChemCollective site.
You can also specify some paths (an external links), which will be used for the up-
loading of VLab files in the editing window: http://ict-
chem.ccjournals.eu/vlab_ukr.zip,
http://kdpu.edu.ua/download/kaf_chem/books/vlab_ukr.zip or
https://sites.google.com/site/kafedrahimiie/necipurenko-p/chemistry-virtual-lab-
ukrainian-version/ukraienskaversiavirtuallab/vlab_ukr.zip. If none of these links will
be correct, plugin attempts to upload a minimal set of files from the ChemCollective
site. If this does not succeed – visit the ChemCollective site, download manually the
archive of Virtual Lab for offline use (for example, an international version for Win-
dows), and ask your administrator to extract the archive files into the filter directory
(path_to_moodle_on_server/filter/vlabemebed) according to the instructions given in
n. 5 of the README.md file (access mode:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ssemerikov/moodle-
filter_vlabembed/master/README.md).
Running a virtual lab is possible only with the presence of the main XML file and a
set of files at the appropriate path.
2.2 The Ways of Implementation
Start a virtual lab is possible in several ways:
1. To insert a link in the form of http://address_of_your web-
site_moodle/path_to_main_file.xml into the block [vlab] ... [/vlab].
2. To upload a separate problem, which is contained in the filter directory, select the
necessary files to run it in paragraph 4 from the list below.
3. Create a separate directory on the site and download the necessary files from an ex-
ternal source.
4. Download the required files from an external source, and upload them in specially
created course directory or attach them to the document, and then insert a link to
the main XML file into the block [vlab] ... [/vlab].
The downloadable archive vlab_ukr.zip (by the links in the settings of the filter)
and vlab.2.1.0.int.zip (from the ChemCollective site) both have an identical problems
set.
The following table lists the files and virtual laboratories for which they are needed
(see Table 1).
Table 1. Lists the files and virtual laboratories
Main file and
Title Author Problem description Path
directory files
Contains the species, reac-
Default Lab Mike tions, and solutions used by Default.xml
assignments
Setup Karabinos the Default Stockroom of /default/
the Virtual Lab.
An introductory
Walkthrough.x
Step by Step Emma walkthrough detailing some
ml assignments
Demonstration Rehm of the most commonly used
/walkthrough/
features of the Virtual Lab.
assign-
Dilution Prob- David Dilution of a glucose solu- Dilution.xml
ments/molari
lem 1 Yaron tion. /dilution/
ty
Preparation of a stock solu- assign-
Dilution Prob- Mike Dilution2.xml
tion from a concentrated ments/molari
lem 2 Karabinos /dilution2/
acid. ty
Jordi Concentra-
Molarity, molality, mass assign-
Sucrose Prob- Cuadros, tion1.xml
percent, mole fraction, un- ments/molari
lem Tim /concentration
derstanding concentrations. ty
Palucka 1/
Jordi
Making Solu- assign-
Cuadros, Making salt solutions at Molarsoln.xml
tions from ments/molari
Mike different concentration. /molarsoln/
solids ty
Karabinos
Jordi
assign-
Metals Density Cuadros, Identify metals from their Metals.xml
ments/molari
Problem Tim density. /metals/
ty
Palucka
Jordi
LiquidDensi- assign-
Liquid Density Cuadros, Identify a liquid from its
ty.xml ments/molari
Problem Tim density.
/liquiddens/ ty
Palucka
Jordi
Determine the concentration assign-
Alcohol Densi- Cuadros, Alcohol.xml
from the density of the solu- ments/molari
ty Problem Tim /alcohol/
tion. ty
Palucka
In this problem, students assign-
Donovan Jello.xml
Jello Problem mix together solutions in an ments/stoichi
Lange /jello/
attempt to control their col- ometry
or change.
Limiting reagent problem to assign-
Oracle Prob- Donovan Oracle2.xml
determine the stoichiometry ments/stoichi
lem Lange /oracle2/
of a reaction. ometry
The limiting reagent prob- assign-
Oracle Prob- Donovan Oracle.xml
lem from above with a more ments/stoichi
lem 2 Lange /oracle/
challenging solution. ometry
David
Textbook Style Solving text-book style assign-
Yaron, Hslimit1.xml
Limiting Rea- limiting reagent problems ments/stoichi
Mike /hslimit1/
gents Problems using the virtual lab. ometry
Karabinos
Open-ended
Text Book assign-
David Design an experiment to Hslimit2.xml
Style Limiting ments/stoichi
Yaron answer a limiting reagent /hslimit2/
Reagent Prob- ometry
style problem.
lem
Predicting Predict the results of a limit- assign-
David Dnabind.xml
DNA concen- ing reagents problem in- ments/stoichi
Yaron /dnabind/
tration volving strings of DNA. ometry
In this limiting reagent ex-
ercise, students develop an
DNA/Dye David DnaDye2.xml assign-
experiment to determine the
Problem 2 Yaron /dnadye2/ ments/quant
concentration of an unla-
beled container.
Unknown Determine the concentration
Mike Silver.xml assign-
Concentration of Silver ion in a Silver
Karabinos /silver/ ments/quant
Problem Nitrate solution.
Gravimetric Determine the amount of
Jordi ArsGrav.xml assign-
Determination arsenic present in soil sam-
Cuadros /arsgrav/ ments/quant
of Arsenic ples.
An experiment that looks at assign-
Bob Bel- Cobalt.xml
Cobalt Lab Cobalt (II) Complexes ments/equili
ford /cobalt/
LeChatlier’s Principle. brium
Explore equilibrium con- assign-
DNA Binding David Dnabind.xml
stants in biochemical sys- ments/equili
Problem Yaron /dnabind/
tems. brium
Temperature Rob Bel- assign-
Examine the solubilities of Sol.xml
and the solubil- ford, Da- ments/solubil
salts based on temperature. /sol/
ity of salts vid Yaron ity
Determining Rob Bel- Determine the solubility assign-
Sol2.xml
the solubility ford, Da- product constant (Ksp) for ments/solubil
/sol2/
product vid Yaron various solids. ity
Solubility De- David Determine the solubility of CuClSolu.xml assign-
termination Yaron CuCl at different tempera- /cuclsolu/ ments/solubil
Problem tures. ity
Observe and then determine assign-
Thermochem- David Thermo.xml
the heat of reactions in ments/therm
istry Problem 1 Yaron /thermo/
aqueous solutions. ochemistry
Tim
assign-
Palucka, Create a solution of Coffee Coffee.xml
Coffee ments/therm
David with a desired temperature. /coffee/
ochemistry
Yaron
A demonstration of Hess’
Law using three reactions,
Heats of Reac- Barry the solubility of NaOH in assign-
Heatrxn.xml
tion – Hess’ Charing- water and in HCL and the ments/therm
/heatrxn/
Law ton reaction of a solution of ochemistry
HCL and a solution of
NaOH.
Tim
Measure and compare the assign-
Palucka, Freeze.xml
Coolant I heat capacity of an un- ments/therm
Jordi /freeze/
known liquid. ochemistry
Cuadros
Tim Measure and compare the
assign-
Palucka, heat capacity of an un- Freeze2.xml
Coolant II ments/therm
David known liquid with an un- /freeze2/
ochemistry
Yaron known density.
Tim
Ther- assign-
Palucka, Measure the enthalpy of a
Camping 1 moQ1.xml ments/therm
David reaction.
/thermoQ1/ ochemistry
Yaron
Tim Determine change in the
Ther- assign-
Palucka, enthalpy of a reaction as the
Camping 2 moQ2.xml ments/therm
David concentration of reactants
/thermoQ2/ ochemistry
Yaron are varied
David
Create solutions that when Ther- assign-
Yaron,
Camping 3 mixed, increase to a certain moQ3.xml ments/therm
Jordi
temperature. /thermoQ3/ ochemistry
Cuadros
ATP Reaction David
assign-
(Thermochem- Yaron, Determine the enthalpy of Atp.xml
ments/therm
istry and Bond- Jordi the ATP reaction. /atp/
ochemistry
ing) Cuadros
Text book style strong acid
StrongAcid.x assign-
Strong Acid Rea Free- and base problems that can
ml ments/acidba
Problems land be checked using the virtual
/strongacid/ se
lab.
Text book style weak acid
assign-
Weak Acid Rea Free- and base problems that can WeakAcid.xml
ments/acidba
Problems land be checked using the virtual /weakacid/
se
lab.
Method of Exploring the pH Scale by assign-
Bob Bel- Dilut.xml
Successive the method of successive ments/acidba
ford /dilut/
Dilutions dilutions. se
Prelab A collection of questions
PrelabAc- assign-
Exercises: Sophia and exercises to complete
id.xml ments/acidba
Acid Base Nussbaum before performing an ac-
/prelabAcid/ se
Titration id/base titration.
In this prelab exercise, stu- assign-
Standardiza- David Titration.xml
dents standardize a solution ments/acidba
tion of NaOH Yaron /titration/
of NaOH using KHP. se
In this exercise, students
Unknown Acid graph the titration curve of Unknownac- assign-
David
and Base Prob- an unknown acid and base id.xml ments/acidba
Yaron
lem to determine their pKa’s and /unknownacid/ se
concentrations.
Determine the pKa and assign-
pKa and Weak David Buffer.xml
concentration ratio of a ments/acidba
Acid Problem Yaron /buffer/
protein in solution. se
An exercise to design a assign-
Buffer Crea- Sophia MkBuffer.xml
buffer solution with specific ments/acidba
tion Problem Nussbaum /mkbuffer/
properties. se
Students examine equilibri- assign-
DNA/Dye David Dnadye.xml
um and buffer solutions in a ments/acidba
Problem Yaron /dadye/
biological setting. se
Students prepare an oxida-
Barry
Redox Reac- tion reduction reaction se- Redox.xml assign-
Charing-
tion Series ries from experimental data /redox/ ments/redox
ton
collected in virtual lab.
Filter embeds any assigments (both local and global). This filter will replace links to a
Vlab file (.xml) in [vlab]…[/vlab] block with a java applet that plays that ChemCol-
lective Virtual Lab inline. The plugin interface is very simple and easy to use for stu-
dents (see Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. Interface of VlabEmbed plugin Moodle for the chemistry education
3 Conclusions and Outlook
New VlabEmbed plugin very beneficial for the chemistry teachers. It helps in embed-
ding ChemCollective virtual lab problems using the Vlab Java applet. This plugin
greatly expands the capabilities of Moodle to support teaching chemistry, particularly
in the chemical experiment.
3.1 Acknowledgments
The authors express their gratitude to David Mudrak and German Valero Elizondo for
valuable comments, advice and participation in improvement of the quality of the
plugin.
References
1. Nechypurenko, P. P., Semerikov S. O.: Integration of Virtual Lab virtual chemical labora-
tory with Moodle. In: Third International Scientific Conference «MoodleMoot Ukraine
2015. Theory and practice of learning management system Moodle», p. 43. «Kyiv Nation-
al University of Construction and Architecture», Kyiv (2015) (in Ukrainian)
2. Nechypurenko, P. P.: Moodle system as a tool in formation of research competences of
students in profile learning chemistry. In: Third International Scientific Conference
«MoodleMoot Ukraine 2015. Theory and practice of learning management system Moo-
dle», http://2015.moodlemoot.in.ua/course/view.php?id=95. «Kyiv National University of
Construction and Architecture», Kyiv (2015) (in Ukrainian)