Quarto Dashboard in R Environment as Interactive Online Tool in Chemistry Education

Arash Mirzahosseini^{1, 2,}

¹Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Semmelweis University, 1092 Budapest, Hungary

²Center for Pharmacology and Drug Research & Development, Semmelweis University, 1085 Budapest, Hungary

Cite this paper:
Arash Mirzahosseini. Quarto Dashboard in R Environment as Interactive Online Tool in Chemistry Education. World Journal of Chemical Education. 2026; 14(3):40-46. doi: 10.12691/wjce-14-3-1

Abstract

In modern chemistry education, interactive digital tools play a crucial role in enhancing student engagement and comprehension. This study presents pK explorer, an interactive online dashboard designed to facilitate the visualization and analysis of acid-base titration curves, as well as the pH-dependent behavior of key physicochemical parameters such as lipophilicity and solubility. Developed using R Shiny and Quarto, these dashboards provide a user-friendly interface where students can manipulate input variables and observe real-time graphical changes with ease, fostering a deeper understanding of complex chemical concepts. Traditional teaching methods often struggle to convey the dynamic nature of acid-base equilibria, particularly in relation to titration curve interpretation. By offering customizable inputs and interactive graphing, pK explorer allows students to explore the effects of dilution, ionic strength, and activity corrections on titration behavior. Furthermore, the dashboard extends beyond acid-base chemistry by integrating solubility and lipophilicity modeling, enabling students to examine how these properties vary with pH — a key concept in pharmaceutical and analytical chemistry. The combination of R Shiny’s computational power with Quarto’s flexible design framework results in an accessible and highly adaptable educational tool. This dashboard aligns with contemporary pedagogical approaches that emphasize interactive and student-driven learning experiences. By integrating technology into chemistry education, pK explorer serves as both a self-guided learning platform for students and a valuable teaching aid for instructors. The primary aim of this work is to promote the use of this open-access tool among educators and to encourage the development of more interactive, gamified educational resources that enhance learning experiences. The open-access nature of this tool ensures that it can be widely utilized and further developed by others to support diverse educational needs in chemistry, medicine, and related disciplines.

Keywords:
interactive learning open education Quarto chemical equilibria titration curves

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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