OrChemSTAR App
About the OrChemSTAR app
The OrChemSTAR app helps you to learn how to read and draw chemical structural formulas. Three functions can be used:
AR mode
In AR mode, correspondingly prepared printed texts can be scanned. Chemical compounds in these texts are recognized and highlighted in color. The chemical compounds can then be selected, whereupon structural formulas and three-dimensional representations of the chemical compounds are displayed.
Scan mode
Hand-drawn structural formulas can be scanned. The app recognizes the most likely compound and displays additional information and multiple three-dimensional representations, which can be compared with each other in two parallel views. Errors in the drawn structural formula and missing lone electrons are recognized and these errors are pointed out so that the drawn structural formula can be improved.
Train mode (selective)
In train mode, tasks for drawing structural formulas are set for previously selected compound categories. The structural formulae drawn are then checked and errors or missing lone electrons are pointed out. Similar to a vocabulary trainer, chemical compounds with drawing errors are queried more frequently.
Train mode (adaptive)
In train mode, adaptive learning can be activated using a slider. In this mode, the app recognizes when users repeatedly make certain mistakes when drawing structural formulas (e.g. forgetting lone electron pairs) and, in addition to the selected compound categories, queries other compounds where the same mistakes could be made in order to counteract the recognized error types more effectively.
The team behind OrChemSTAR
The OrChemSTAR app was developed for research purposes as part of the SNSF-SPARK project “OrChemSTAR – Organic Chemistry Science Teaching and Learning with Augmented Reality” (project number 221108) by an interdisciplinary team from the Thurgau University of Teacher Education, the University of Konstanz and the Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences:
- Dr. Lars-Jochen Thoms, Thurgau University of Teacher Education and University of Konstanz (Project manager)
- Tobias Rothlin, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences
- Leonie Däullary, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences
- Prof. Dr. Mitra Purandare, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences
- Prof. Dr. Frieder Loch, Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences
- Prof. Dr. Johannes Huwer, Thurgau University of Teacher Education and University of Konstanz
Privacy policy
General information
We take the protection of your personal data very seriously. Your privacy is important to us and we treat your personal data confidentially and in accordance with the statutory data protection regulations of Switzerland and the European Union (EU) as well as this privacy policy.
Collection and storage of personal data
The OrChemSTAR app does not collect or store any personal data. It is possible to use the OrChemSTAR app without providing any personal data.
Use of cookies
The OrChemSTAR app does not use cookies.
Tracking and analysis
The OrChemSTAR app does not carry out any tracking or analysis activities. No data about your usage behavior is collected, stored or evaluated.
Internet connection
The OrChemSTAR app does not require a connection to the Internet. No data is sent to or received from servers or other third parties.
Rights of the data subjects
As the OrChemSTAR app does not collect any personal data, there are no rights to information, rectification, erasure or restriction of processing, data portability or a right to object in accordance with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
How to contact us
If you have any questions about data protection, please do not hesitate to contact us:
Prof. Dr. Lars-Jochen Thoms
Chair for Science Education
Thurgau University of Teacher Education
Unterer Schulweg 3
CH-8280 Kreuzlingen 1
lars.thoms@phtg.ch
+41 71 678 85 788
Changes to this privacy policy
We reserve the right to amend this privacy policy from time to time so that it always complies with the current legal requirements of Switzerland and the EU or to implement changes to the OrChemSTAR app. The new privacy policy will then apply to your renewed use.
Date of the last update: 23.07.2024
Imprint
Prof. Dr. Lars-Jochen Thoms
Chair for Science Education
Thurgau University of Teacher Education
Unterer Schulweg 3
CH-8280 Kreuzlingen 1
lars.thoms@phtg.ch
+41 71 678 85 788