Information • Textbooks • Media • Resources edited by
JCE Online
Jon L. Holmes University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, WI 53706
Medium Frustration As Giles Henderson states in his abstract below, “Authors and educators have frequently been frustrated by the inability... to properly convey the temporal qualities of dynamic systems.” Much of this frustration stems from the limits of the print medium traditionally used to convey information. Any attempt to convey dynamic qualities in print will lead to frustration; it cannot be done adequately. By using computer-generated animation and the distribution medium of the WWW we can go a long way in relieving this frustration (or at least redirect it). Publishing such works via JCE Internet can also alleviate the frustration of developing such animation without the recognition of a peer-reviewed publication. A Quantum Leap for Dynamic Media Chemistry is visual and dynamic, properties that are most engaging to those beginning to study the subject. It is when the nonvisual, static features of chemistry are introduced that many of these beginning students begin to disengage. The need to incorporate dynamic media into our presentations is evident from the large emphasis that is being put upon molecular modeling. Although it is getting easier, developing engaging dynamic media such as animation and video that can demonstrate the visual and dynamic properties of chemistry is not an easy task. Despite the difficulty in producing dynamic media, I know that many of you are doing so. We invite you to join Henderson and submit such materials to JCE Internet for possible publication. Perhaps the credit for having your work published by a peer-reviewed journal will help alleviate some of that redirected frustration. Online Buyers Guides to the Rescue In the course of gathering information we are often frustrated when we are referred another source of information. That other source needs to located, we must determine if the information in that source is adequate, and, if not, locate yet another. For example, if I want to purchase an item of laboratory equipment or a textbook, I know that the JCE Equipment and Book Buyers Guides are excellent starting points. Although all the titles and suppliers can easily be found, there is not enough information to make a purchasing decision without doing additional leg work. This is where the hyperlinked medium of the WWW comes to the rescue. You should know that the two JCE Buyers Guides are available online (see http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCEWWW/Features/ Guides.html). Using the online version of the guides turns the additional leg work that using the print versions requires into mere mouse clicks. With a click that takes me directly to the suppliers’ WWW sites, I can find prices, technical specifications, and any other information I need to make my purchase decision. At some of these sites, I can even make my purchase right then and there! http://JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu/ 134
JCE Online 2000 In the year 2000, you can expect to see some additional features at JCE Online. Among these are the introduction of the new JCE Internet feature Molecular Modeling Exercises and Experiments edited by Ronald Starkey and a forum on General Chemistry Curriculum Reform edited by Jim Spencer. We have several additional JCE Internet articles nearly ready for publication. Assistant editor Agnes Lee has compiled several resources for high school teachers that will be appearing as a new JCE Internet section. A complete overhaul of the JCE Software section will be completed, including online searching for software titles. Perhaps the most exciting new feature will be the introduction of full text searching of all JCE Online resources, including the text and abstracts from the Journal. And remember, all subscribers now get access to all of JCE Online. Now that you have it, it is time to start using it! Moving Particles and Wave Packet Propagation: A Computer Animated Supplement
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Giles Henderson Department of Chemistry, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, IL 61920
Authors and educators have frequently been frustrated by the inability of equations and graphs to properly convey the temporal qualities of dynamic systems. Digital animations have been developed to help overcome this frustration. These animations compare classical and quantum trajectories of a pulsed particle beam, a harmonic oscillator in the absence of external perturbations and a harmonic oscillator irradiated with a resonance electromagnetic field. These digital movies supplement and enhance several previous journal articles (1-6). This JCE Internet article can be accessed from http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCEWWW/Articles/
Frames from three of the animations presented.
Literature Cited 1. Henderson, G. L. J. Chem. Educ. 1993, 70, 972–976. 2. Tanner, J. J. J. Chem. Educ. 1990, 67, 917–921. 3. Hansen, J. C.; Kouri, D. J.; Hoffman, D. K. J. Chem. Educ. 1997, 74, 335–342. 4. Henderson, G. J. Chem. Educ. 1979, 56, 631–635. 5. Henderson, G. Am. J. Phys. 1980, 48, 604–611. 6. Henderson, G. J. Chem. Educ. 1990, 67, 392–398.
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 77 No. 1 January 2000 • JChemEd.chem.wisc.edu
