TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION IN THE STUDY OF CHEMISTRY IN THE CONDITIONS OF DISTANCE LEARNING IN GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

Abstract

This article highlights the trends in inclusive education in the study of chemistry in distance learning. The concept of "virtual laboratory" is considered, the types of virtual tools that allow all participants in the learning process, regardless of physical capabilities to do chemical experiments and the relevance of their use in an inclusive environment of general secondary education. The purpose of the article is to analyze virtual chemical laboratories and their capabilities, to test their effectiveness in teaching children with special educational needs. Literature sources on the use of virtual chemical experiment in chemistry lessons in teaching children with special needs are analyzed. Based on research, the advantages and disadvantages of using virtual laboratories, their positive impact on the learning process of children with special needs have been identified. A review of modern virtual chemical teaching aids that should be used in an inclusive environment in the study of chemistry. Examples of virtual chemical laboratories that are recognized in Ukraine and abroad are given, namely: ChemCollective, phet.colorado.edu, Chemist Free-Virtual Chem Lab, VirtuLab. Their functionality and methods of application as specially developed software for use for educational purposes in an inclusive environment of general secondary education are described. It has been established that virtual chemical laboratories allow anyone to perform a chemical experiment, regardless of the physical characteristics of students. They provide an opportunity for students who were absent from the class to perform experiments, provide an individual pace of the experiment and motivate them to learn new material by working in a virtual environment. Thus, conducting chemical experiments with the help of virtual laboratories allows to effectively solve a number of educational tasks such as safety for students’ health, financial inaccessibility and the ability to learn and perform experiments during the pandemic and distance learning. Promising areas for further research are indicated.