Using a Web Platform Developed for the Teaching of Chemical Processes to Reach Secondary School Students.

As a complement to the teaching of university students, the use of web based tools enhances students' autonomy, helps in dealing with different learning rhythms and allows reaching students in different locations. Moreover, the web can also be used to attract youngsters (basic and secondary school students) to science subjects. All these functions have been combined in a single web platform "LABVIRTUAL", based in the Chemical Engineering Department of the University of Coimbra. Even if the Portal was developed for the Teaching of Chemical Processes, a specific section directed to the secondary school students has been created as well, grounded on the basic concepts they acquire at the secondary level. In addition, the portal possesses an area dedicated to the understanding of Chemical Engineering. By guiding the secondary school students to the use of these tools, they are led to understand the connection between Engineering (Chemical Engineering) and the basic phenomena they are studying. Moreover, the proximity factor can contribute to rouse the curiosity of the users to search for more advanced information about Chemical Engineering science and applications. This approach may motivate them to engineering subjects and also to raise their interest in the study of basic science subjects for which they start finding a practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]