Learning is a lifelong process, which is why in my master’s thesis we focused on two different levels of education. As part of a pilot update of the course ''Practical course in organic chemistry'', we addressed the elimination of some common laboratory mistakes made by students. The update was carried out through the didactic use of information and communication technologies in cooperation with the University of Ljubljana’s Center for the Use of ICT in Education. In the thesis, we present the development of animations for two common problem topics: working with a separatory funnel and the correct use of gloves in the laboratory. These animations were subsequently employed in the ''Practical course in organic chemistry'' (2nd year study programme Chemistry, UL FKKT), where students provided feedback through a survey. In the second part of the thesis, we focused on preparing a laboratory experiment for high school students. Using readily available and safe chemicals, such as citric acid and urea, students can synthesize green and blue fluorescent carbon quantum dots with the help of a household microwave oven. The aim of the synthesis is to present the field of nanotechnology to students in an engaging and practical way. An interesting property of carbon quantum dots is their fluorescence, which can be reversibly quenched by certain compounds. We employed this property in the second part of the experiment, where students test for iron content in samples and measure the concentration of vitamin C in an effervescent tablet. For the concentration measurement, students use the technique of fluorimetry. The measurements are carried out with a mobile phone camera in an apparatus made from cardboard. The purpose of the laboratory exercise is to demonstrate one of many practical applications of carbon quantum dots and to illustrate a method for determining the concentration of substances.
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