Teaching Chemistry in the New Century: General ... - ACS Publications

Chemical Education Today

Symposium Report

Teaching Chemistry in the New Century As part of the ACS initiative to have the technical divisions reflect on the status of chemistry at the start of the 21st century and predict what will be the important directions in the future, CHED offered seven symposia on the Teaching of Chemistry in the New Century covering general, organic, analytical, physical, environmental, inorganic, and biochemistry.

Authors of invited and contributed papers and students in panel discussions examined the content and pedagogy of offerings in the core of chemical education, and the future of textbooks. A report from each of the seven symposia appears below along with a listing of the papers and their authors in each symposium.

Analytical Chemistry by Scott Van Bramer

The underlying thread throughout the session on Teaching Analytical Chemistry in the New Century was how to provide more depth to the analytical chemistry curriculum. There was a strong consensus that students do not need to learn about every single analytical technique. Instead, they are better served by cutting back the curriculum to add more depth and to place analytical techniques in a relevant context. Joseph Gardella from the University at Buffalo accomplishes this using case studies based upon environmental analysis in the local community. Robert Milofsky from Fort Lewis College advocated the use of research in the instrumental laboratory to show students the practice of analytical chemistry. Susan Groves from Washington and Lee Uni-

versity, Christina Nelson from the University of Arizona, and Margaret Merritt from Wellesley College all used problembased learning to engage students with more in-depth laboratory projects than are typical. Lynn Melton from the University of Texas at Dallas discussed how process analytical chemistry can bring real-world problems into the classroom. William Pietro of York University discussed how advances in electroanalytical instrumentation have simplified data acquisition to allow students to perform more complex electrochemical experiments.

National Survey of the Undergraduate Quantitative Analysis Course from a Faculty Perspective. Patricia Ann Mabrouk, Northeastern University

Community Based Environmental Chemical Analysis: Public Service Learning and Case Studies for Instrumental Analysis. Joseph A. Gardella Jr., SUNY at Buffalo

Textbook and Curriculum in the Introductory Quant. Course. Daniel C. Harris, Naval Air Warfare Center, China Lake, CA

Can a Research-Based Laboratory Serve the Needs of Students in Instrumental Analysis? Robert Milofsky, Fort Lewis College

Ensuring (Regaining?) Our Place in the Undergraduate Curriculum. Christie G. Enke, University of New Mexico

How Salty Are Your Chips? Susan E. Groves and Frank A. Settle, Jr., Washington and Lee University

Use of the ACS Voluntary Industry Skill Standards to Design Analytical Laboratory Curricula. Kenneth D. Hughes, Kennesaw State University; Carol White, Athens Technical College; Robert Hofstader, Corporate Education & Development

Bringing Process Analytical Chemistry to the Classroom. Lynn A. Melton, University of Texas at Dallas; Walter W. Henslee, Process Analytical Chemistry, Dow Chemical; Jean Paul Chauvel, Global Process Analytical, Dow Chemical

Salt and Sugar: The Effect of Sample Size on Sampling Error in Heterogeneous Mixtures. David D. Weis, Skidmore College

Materials Characterization Project: A Student’s View of ProblemBased Learning. Christina L. Nelson, Janeth Castro-Sanchez, and Jeanne E. Pemberton, University of Arizona

Our Changing Students: Computers and Relevance in Analytical Chemistry. Gregory P. Foy, Department of Physical Sciences, York College of PA

Artful Chemistry: Teaching Analytical Chemistry through the Study of Art Objects. Margaret V. Merritt, Wellesley College Introducing Electroanalytical Methods into the Undergraduate Curriculum. William J. Pietro, York University, Canada

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Analytical Chemistry Papers

Introducing Multivariate Analysis Techniques in the Undergraduate Analytical Chemistry Curriculum. Anna G. Cavinato, Eastern Oregon University

Scott Van Bramer is in the Department of Chemistry, Widener University, Chester, PA 19013; svanbram@ science.widener.edu; http://science.widener.edu/~svanbram.


Symposium Report Biochemistry

Biochemistry Papers

by Matthew Fisher

Biochemistry has become a major area of undergraduate chemistry education. Accompanying this are challenges such as how departments structure the requirements for a biochemistry major, what instructors ask their students to do in lab, and appropriate use of computers. Over the course of an afternoon and a morning, ten speakers shared their thoughts and experiences. The first two talks addressed the challenges of developing an undergraduate biochemistry curriculum. Jennifer Powers outlined how her department developed a biochemistry option within the chemistry major based on responses to a survey of students and faculty and guidelines from both the American Chemical Society and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Diane Stearns described the challenges her department faced as they worked to develop an ACS-approved biochemistry curriculum. These came from several sources—the institution itself (administration and departments), the prerequisites for desired biology courses, meeting ACS requirements for total laboratory hours, and institutional limits on the size of majors. The focus of the symposium then shifted to issues related to how biochemistry is taught. Robert Alberty pointed out that biochemists use a different type of equilibrium constant from chemists; pH is held constant and sums of species like ATP are used rather than single species. As a result, biochemistry is better served by using the transformed Gibbs energy G′. Tables of standard transformed Gibbs energies of formation are becoming available and can be conveniently used with a mathematical application like Mathematica. Mark Werth described a one-semester biochemistry class for chemistry majors that uses a nontraditional syllabus and treats molecular biology early in the course. Several themes are emphasized throughout the course—intermolecular forces, increasing structural complexity, biological mutations, and metabolic regulation. Exams with a significant open-book component are regularly used in the course.

Ellen Levy shared her “design an experiment” exercises. In these activities, students are given an experimental observation and several possible scenarios that could explain the observation. They are then asked to design an experiment (or several experiments) that would serve to identify the correct scenario. The symposium continued the next day with three speakers discussing the use of computers in teaching biochemistry. Charles Grisham described his belief that software has to do what books can’t. He reviewed some characteristics of the interactive Java applets found in his Interactive Biochemistry CD before describing a different approach to using software in teaching biochemistry. In this new model, software would allow instructors to write their own interactive applications without having to learn the details of how to program. The example used was an XML-based program being developed that allows instructors to write applications to animate interactively any enzyme mechanism desired. Duane Sears described the biochemistry computer curriculum he designed specifically to address several weaknesses he observes in students. The curriculum includes interactive 3D images, self-paced tutorials, self-grading quizzes, and exams. Longitudinal assessment data are being collected to identify strengths and weaknesses of the learning environment. Pat Draves talked about her approach to using computers outside of scheduled class time. It involves course shells such as WebCT or Blackboard, computer-based guided-discovery lessons, and integrating computational chemistry into the curriculum. Both the challenges of using computers outside of class and the benefits of these strategies were reviewed. The final topic was the undergraduate biochemistry lab and possible new ways that this course could be structured. Vicki Bevilacqua described a new model for a biochemistry lab curriculum that she and several colleagues have developed. It is oriented towards reinforcing lecture topics and providing an introduction to research for students. The lab course is driven not by techniques but by content and cross-

Developing a B.S. Degree in Biochemistry. Jennifer L. Powers, Vicky L. H. Bevilacqua, and Leon L. Combs, Kennesaw State University

Biochemistry. Edward K. O’Neil and Charles M. Grisham, Department of Computer Science, University of Virginia

Development of an ACS Certified Biochemistry Degree. Diane M. Stearns, Northern Arizona University

Longitudinal Assessment of the Active Learning Environment of an Inquiry-Based Biochemistry Computer Lab Curriculum. Duane W. Sears, Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara

Role of Thermodynamics in Introductory Biochemistry. Robert A. Alberty, MIT A Biochemistry Course Designed for Chemistry Majors (and Other Majors?). Mark Werth, Nebraska Wesleyan University “Design an Experiment” Exercises in Biochemistry Courses: An Inquiry-Based Learning and Teaching Tool. Ellen J. Levy, University of Colorado at Denver JAVA and XML: Powerful Partners for Interactive Learning in

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Using Computers to Teach Biochemistry Outside of the Classroom. Patricia H. Draves, University of Central Arkansas New Model for Biochemistry I Laboratory. Vicky L. H. Bevilacqua, Jennifer L. Powers, Dow P. Hurst, and Patricia H. Reggio, Kennesaw State University Research Projects to Prepare Undergraduate Biochemistry Majors for Graduate-Level Research. Barry W. Hicks, U. S. Air Force Academy

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functional skills that, introduced within the context of one experiment, could cross over into another experiment and function there. Three general components comprise the course: wet-lab experiments, computer-based graphics, and a multi-week team project. Barry Hicks outlined the challenges and benefits of his approach to using research projects as the focus of the biochemistry lab. In the first semester students use a series of experiments centered around green fluorescent protein to gain experience with basic laboratory techniques. In the second

semester, they develop and pursue individual research projects with the goal of producing sufficient results to submit to a journal. Matthew A. Fisher is in the Department of Chemistry, Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, PA 15650; phone: 724/539-9761 ext. 2356; fax: 724/537-4554; email: [email protected]; http:// facweb.stvincent.edu/chemistry/Fisher.html.

Environmental Chemistry by M. M. Cooper, A. W. Elzerman, and C. M. Lee

Environmental chemistry is increasingly becoming a part of chemistry courses and curricula. It lends itself well to problem solving (e.g., what caused the fish to die in this stream, why are statues in urban areas deteriorating, what catalyst will allow less use of an ozone-depleting solvent). It also works well with a team approach because of its multidisciplinary nature. Students find they can relate environmental chemistry to what they already know and they consider it useful and relevant to their lives, both of which facilitate learning. The symposium was designed to include a broad range of environmental chemistry from a wide range of institutions. Several papers shared the common theme of environmental chemistry laboratory. Scott Mabury described a stateof-the-art analytical environmental chemistry laboratory course at the University of Toronto, where modern instrumental techniques are used to investigate environmentally interesting projects such as air sampling of smoky bars and sediment coring. Roger Minear described a laboratory course for environmental engineers at the University of Illinois that integrates analytical chemistry with engineering problem solving. Several examples of field experiences, incorporating actual systems and real environmental problems that were addressed by undergraduate students, were presented. Richard Foust and his students outlined their work with Flagstaff ’s Environmental Manager to develop a plan to analyze and remediate a golf course with putting greens made of cotton seeds and motor oil. Nathan Viswanathan described a Service Learning project in which students worked on the analysis and cleanup of a local stream, and Caryl Fish described a unique wetlands environment at Saint Vincent College, which was used as an outdoor laboratory to evaluate ways to treat mine drainage. Two presentations made the case for incorporation of green chemistry into the curriculum. Michael Cann discussed the resources that have been developed in conjunction with the ACS, emphasizing ways that green chemistry can be infused into environmental chemistry courses, and Stanley Manahan described a new text that will use green and environmental chemistry as a vehicle to teach chemistry to non-science majors.

A number of presentations described the use of various computer and Web resources for environmental chemistry. Frank Dunnivant demonstrated Enviroland 3.00, a simulation tool for prelab exercises useful for many environmental chemistry courses. Alan Elzerman discussed the use of computer models to enhance students’ learning in a variety of courses and situations, and Richard Foust showed an entire Web-based environmental chemistry course that might serve as a national model for many others. A number of presenters gave their unique perspectives on teaching environmental chemistry in a variety of situations. Frank Kinard described his capstone course at the College of Charleston, where the interdisciplinary nature of the subject lends itself to such a culminating experience for undergraduates. Victoria Collins invited the audience to decide what should be left in (or out) of a one-semester course for environmental studies majors, with little consensus from the audience! Sue Clark gave examples of how to incorporate nuclear and radiochemistry into the curriculum, and Meredith Newman gave advice to those who are the sole environmental chemist at an institution. Most chemistry departments do not have an active research program in environmental chemistry, yet, as Cindy Lee pointed out, research can and should be an integral component of any environmental chemistry course. Case studies derived from research projects were presented and their use discussed. Eventually all the aspects presented in this symposium will be united under one Internet portal, in the form of an NSF supported project—EnviroChemLibrary. As described by Melanie Cooper, EnviroChemLibrary is an Internet portal where materials for teaching and learning in environmental chemistry will be stored and delivered at this address: http://www.chemed.ces.clemson.edu/ecl. Melanie M. Cooper is in the Department of Chemistry, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634; cmelani@ clemson.edu. A. W. Elzerman and C. M. Lee are in the Department of Environmental Engineering and Science, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634; [email protected] and [email protected].


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Environmental Chemistry Papers

Symposium Report EnviroChemLibrary: Resources for Teaching and Learning in Science. Melanie M. Cooper, Cindy M. Lee, and Alan W. Elzerman, Clemson University Fun and Technically Challenging Experiments for Analytical Environmental Chemistry. Scott A. Mabury, University of Toronto Relationships between Suspended Solids, Total Dissolved Solids, Conductivity, Turbidity, Ionic Strength, and Activity Illustrated in a Laboratory Exercise. Meredith E. Newman, Hartwick College Environmental Analytical Chemistry Laboratory: An Introduction to Environmental Site Characterization. Kenneth Neely and colleagues, Northern Arizona University Service Learning at Penn State-Fayette: Cleaning-Up of a Local Stream. Nathan Viswanathan and Philip Stemple, Pennsylvania State University, Fayette Campus; John Tremba, Connellsville Area Senior High School

Integrating Environmental Chemistry into Undergraduate Environmental Engineering Education. Roger A. Minear, University of Illinois What Should a Senior Chemistry Major Know about the Environment? W. Frank Kinard, College of Charleston What Can You Do in One Semester? Victoria P. Collins, Warren Wilson College Growing Pains: Observations on Starting a New Environmental Chemistry Program at Undergraduate Institutions. Meredith E. Newman, Hartwick College Bringing Environmental Chemistry Research into the Classroom. Cindy M. Lee, Melanie M. Cooper, Alan W. Elzerman, Clemson University Utilization of Equilibrium Environmental Distribution and Equilibrium Speciation Models for Teaching Environmental Chemistry. A. W. Elzerman, Department of Environmental & Engineering Science, Clemson University

Field Experiences Using Abandoned Mine Drainage Remediation Wetlands. Caryl L. Fish, Saint Vincent College

Critical Assessment of Environmental Chemistry Textbooks. Frank M. Dunnivant, Whitman College

“Greening” Environmental Chemistry Courses in the New Century. Michael C. Cann, University of Scranton

Incorporating Nuclear and Radiochemistry Concepts into the Environmental Chemistry Curriculum. Sue B. Clark, Washington State University, and W. Frank Kinard, College of Charleston

Teaching Green/Environmental Chemistry at the Beginning Level for Nonscience Majors. Stanley E. Manahan, University of Missouri Enviroland 3.00: An Interactive Educational Tool for the Environmental Sciences. Frank M. Dunnivant, Whitman College

Teaching Environmental Chemistry by the Web and by Satellite. Richard D. Foust Jr., Northern Arizona University

General Chemistry by Jane V. Zeile and Loretta L. Jones

The arrival of the new millennium focused many thoughts on change. What will be different? What will remain the same? How pervasive and long-lasting will changes be? These were just a few of the questions discussed at the symposium Teaching General Chemistry in the New Century. It brought together a broad selection of teachers and students who exemplified the variety of changes in methodology being implemented in general chemistry. Those involved characterized the opportunity for change as both exciting and fearsome. The symposium had two sessions. The first, Methodology and Curriculum, focused on global changes that involved entire programs and were being implemented at private and public universities, both large and small, in the United States and in Germany. Franklin and Marshall College, Duke University, Boston University, City College of San Jose, and San Francisco State University, the five colleges of the FLASH consortium, and the University of Kiel in Germany provided a diverse presentation of topics from the development and implementation of guided-inquiry instruction to the total reorganization of the sequence of general chemistry courses. There clearly has been a shift away from the passive learning mode found in large lecture classes toward an active student-centered mode that engages students and fosters the development of their own critical thinking and reasoning skills. Examples were provided that involved large lectures, small classes, and combined laboratory/classrooms. 1170

The second session, Concepts and Topics, dealt with local changes within specific courses. Again, a variety of schools, universities, and colleges were represented. New methods of teaching topics such as bonding, stoichiometry, and coordination chemistry were presented. Several talks demonstrated the advantages of using information technology to clarify visual concepts in bonding and to systematize grading in the laboratory. Several others emphasized changes in the laboratory such as the introduction of Webbased prelab sessions and interactive laboratory reports. Less conventional were descriptions of the use of song, tactile aids, and animation to aid learning about general chemistry topics such as atomic and ionic interactions. Both sessions were very full and audience members found themselves actively engaged in the learning styles being presented. The presentations were imaginative and thought-provoking. Some speakers had insufficient time to respond to all questions, so at the end of each session discussion continued into the hotel hallways and lobbies and new collaborations were formalized. Clearly teachers of general chemistry are addressing advances of technology and the variety of ways in which current and future generations of students can be engaged in learning the science of chemistry. Jane V. Zeile teaches at San Francisco State University, 1600 Holloway Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94132-4163; [email protected]. Loretta D. Jones teaches at University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639; [email protected].



Advantages of Animations. Walt Volland, Bellevue Community College

Guided Inquiry at Duke University. Misti A. Anderson and Michael P. Montague-Smith, Duke University

Visualizing Molecular Orbitals, Hybridization, and Resonance, and Periodic Trends from the Caltech Chemistry Animation Project. Nathan S. Lewis and Nick Oldark, Caltech

Peer Led Team-Learning as a Method to Improve Student Attitudes and Perceptions in Science. Madeline Adamczeski and Hillary Fuller, Department of Mathematics & Science, San Jose City College Developing New Strategies to Enhance Student Learning in General Chemistry. Morton Z. Hoffman, Boston University

Chemie im Kontext: A New Approach to Teaching Chemistry. Ilka Parchmann and Peter M. Nentwig, Department of Chemistry Education, University of Kiel San Francisco State University’s New General Chemistry Curriculum. Clifford E. Berkman, Jane G. DeWitt, Ursula Simonis, Raymond J. Trautman, and Jane V. Zeile, San Francisco State University Bringing Systemic Change to Community College Chemistry: Challenges and Rewards. Marie Villarba, Albuquerque TVI; Carolyn Collins, Community College of Southern Nevada; Janice Chadwick, Fullerton College; John Magner, Montgomery College; Tim Su, City College of San Francisco Bridging to the Lab: Web-Deliverable Pre-Lab Thinking Modules for General Chemistry. Roy Tasker, University of Western Sydney; Loretta L. Jones, University of Northern Colorado; Ray Sleet, University of Technology, Sydney

Demystifying and Clarifying the Concept of Chemical Bonding. Yuri V. Gankin and Victor Y. Gankin, Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, Shrewsbury, MA Greasing the Skids: Projects Designed to Facilitate the Use and Assessment of Educational Technologies. Jimmy Reeves, Charles R. Ward, and David White, University of North Carolina at Wilmington Chemistry Is Easy with Multiple Intelligence Learning. Lynda Jeanne Jones, Sing-Smart Creative Musical Curriculum, Vista, CA Research Experience Exposure for First-Year University Students. Jeffrey D. Evanseck, Duquesne University, and Dania Malagon, University of Miami General Chemistry Kinetics Experiment Based on Conductance Measurements. Todd E. Woerner, Melanie A. Rehder, and Alvin L. Crumbliss, Duke University Interactive Laboratory Report and Grading with PCs. Myung-Hoon Kim, Dale Manos, and W. Larry Dickinson, Georgia Perimeter College; Suw-Young Ly, Seoul National University of Technology; TaeKee Hong, Hanseo University

Inorganic Chemistry by Peter K. Dorhout

Inorganic chemistry presents an unusual challenge in the new century. The periodic table, in its continuing expansion, constantly amazes the scientist as new, more complex combinations of its components reveal the hidden secrets of their physical manifestations. Challenges for the new century include integrating new technology and new chemistry into the laboratory and classroom—hands-on and virtual learning. At the San Diego ACS meeting, members of the academic community came together to share their visions for teaching inorganic chemistry. They discussed new laboratory experiences, virtual textbooks, integration of computers in the laboratory, undergraduate research experiences, and new ways of classifying reactions to enable students to recognize and categorize reaction types. It was clear from the presentations that, while the toolbox of the inorganic chemist is not now as sophisticated as the organic chemist’s, that toolbox must evolve (and is evolving) if we are to understand just a fraction of the unique chemistry that is inorganic. The sheer numbers of combinations of two, three, and four “inorganic” elements is staggering (1). Moreover, how we combine them or view them through buildingblock schemes depends on how we define bonding in inorganic compounds (2). Whether it be the solid state, solution phase, or gas, the view of inorganic chemistry is constantly changing. There are unique challenges to understanding and teaching inorganic structural chemistry—challenges that closely resemble

the hurdles facing organic chemists at the turn of the last century: understanding the tetrahedral geometry of carbon. The complex building blocks of inorganic chemistry must be translated for the students in a manner similar to the transformation of a three-dimensional cinder block to the two-dimensional architect’s drawing in an industrial arts class, so remarked North Carolina State University professor James Martin. Chemical reactivity and periodic trends in chemistry are also a unique challenge. Utilizing computer modeling together with laboratory work is an experiment being tried at Bloomsburg University by Wayne Anderson. “Game show” lecture formats and re-evaluating old paradigms will advance the understanding of the science by student and teacher alike, but in the end, there is no substitute for getting one’s hands dirty in the laboratory. Teaching students must involve introducing students to the frontiers of the chemistry. Art Ellis at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, in collaboration with the Institute for Chemical Education (ICE), has developed a number of unique teaching tools that bring such hot topics as superconductivity, memory metal, and X-ray diffraction of quasicrystals into the undergraduate classroom. John Arnold at Berkeley and Jim Burlitch at Cornell described examples of taking chemical processes from chemical industry into the lab. Programs at small colleges as well as large are moving to involve undergraduates in carefully orchestrated research experiences, actions that will also advance the science.


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General Chemistry Papers

Using Group Learning and Guided Inquiry in General Chemistry. Richard S. Moog and James N. Spencer, Franklin & Marshall College


Inorganic Chemistry Papers

Symposium Report NSF-REU programs have been designed to target rapidly developing areas and involve undergraduate participation, specifically the national program in solid-state chemistry funded through the Division of Materials Research now hosted at Clemson University and the University of South Carolina. So, where is the future of inorganic chemistry? To paraphrase an old cartoon character, Pogo, “we have seen [the future of teaching inorganic chemistry] and we is it.” Integration of laboratory and lecture experiences, computers and wet chemistry, geometry and wood shop, research and interdisciplinary science will continue to spark the fires of inorganic chemistry. There are no magic bullets to teaching the subject matter; we only need to keep students ex-

cited and engaged by our own enthusiasm for this remarkable and colorful area of chemistry.

Teaching Solid State Chemistry Using Virtual Reality. Peter K. Dorhout, Colorado State University

Inorganic Experiments through the Back Door. James M. Burlitch, Cornell University

Integration of Computational Chemistry into the Advanced Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory. Wayne P. Anderson, Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and James B. Foresman, Department of Physical Science, York College of PA

Illustrations of the Process and Communication of Scientific Research using Examples from Materials Science. Arthur B. Ellis and Cynthia G. Widstrand, University of Wisconsin–Madison and Karen J. Nordell, Lawrence University

Inorganic Synthesis for Advanced Undergraduates. John Arnold, University of California, Berkeley

Predicting the Products of Inorganic Reactions: A Study of Student Performance. Jane C. Schott and George M. Bodner, Purdue University

From the Wood-Shop to Crystal Engineering: Teaching 3-D Chemistry. James D. Martin, North Carolina State University National Science Foundation Summer Program in Solid State Chemistry. Richard B. Kaner, UCLA, Michael J. Sailor, University of California, San Diego, and Mark E. Thompson, University of Southern California

Literature Cited 1. DiSalvo, F. J. Science 1990, 247, 649. 2. von Schnering, H. G. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. Engl. 1981, 20, 33–51.

Peter K. Dorhut is a member of the Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523; phone: 970/491-0624; fax: 970/491-1801; email: [email protected].

Inorganic “Jeopardy”: Descriptive Chemistry in a Game Show Format. J. Van Houten, Saint Michael’s College, VT Inorganic Materials Education: Modifications for Life Long Learning. Wayne E. Jones, Chuan-Jian Zhong, M. Stanley Whittingham, and Eric J. Cotts, SUNY Binghamton

Bringing the Frontiers of Chemical Research into the Inorganic Classroom. Margret J. Geselbracht, Reed College

Organic Chemistry by Charles Kingsbury and Susan Schelble

The meeting began with a statement that the “chemical arithmetic” approach to education in the freshman year served neither the interests nor the needs of beginning students. The response was a combined “organic–biochem” course for freshmen at Juniata College. Web methods for delivery of course content elicited considerable interest, including streaming video and audio at Illinois. An interesting approach at Missouri combined Web access with a strong current-events emphasis. A representative of a major textbook publisher described the challenges in migrating from paper texts to Webbased or CD-ROM media. The meeting included (separate) panel discussions by groups of undergraduate students, textbook authors, and lab text authors. It was heartening to find that the students regarded their experience in organic chemistry positively. However, their claim regarding how much they used the text for the course is not the experience of some teachers in the audience, namely myself. The text authors discussed molecular 1172

modeling, bioorganic topics, sophisticated reaction mechanisms, and the eternal problem of how to maintain the interest of top students without wiping out the not-so-good students. Laboratory, as always, drew considerable interest. Notable were contributions on combinatorial chemistry experiments, and experiments that related organic to materials science (organic conductors) and to biology (antibiotic tests). Green chemistry is a growing field of endeavor, as well. The symposium extended over four sessions and was well attended. Charles Kingsbury is in the Department of Chemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588; ckingsbu@ unlserve.unl.edu. Susan Schelble is in the Department of Chemistry, University of Colorado at Denver, Denver, CO 80217-3364; [email protected].



Digital Organic lab Simulator: Reactions and Reagents. Merritt B. Andrus and Brian F. Woodfield, Brigham Young University

Investigation of the Relationship between Selected Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Variables and Achievement in Sophomore Organic Chemistry. Harriet A. Lindsay, Department of Educational Leadership, University of Arkansas

Use of Molecular Modeling in Teaching Organic and Organometallic Chemistry. Gary O. Spessard, St. Olaf College

Teaching Organic Chemistry On-Line. Stanley G. Smith, University of Illinois

Semiconducting Polymers for Multidisciplinary Education. Kevin Kingsbury, David Braun, and Linda Vanasupa, Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo

Impact of Media Technology on the Future of Publishing for Organic Chemistry. Kent Peterson, McGraw-Hill Higher Education

Structure: Intermolecular Forces and Solubility. Pamela J. Seaton, University of North Carolina, Wilmington and Abhijit Mitra, Manhattan College/College of Mount St. Vincent

Cooperative Learning Activities in Organic Chemistry Courses. Doris R. Kimbrough, University of Colorado at Denver

A Method for Estimating Tetrahedral Bond Angles. Maureen Blandino and Edward McNelis, New York University

Philosophy, Pedagogy, and Taxonomy of News Media Based Authentic Learning Activities. Rainer E. Glaser, University of MissouriColumbia

Looking for Students’ Knowledge Structures in Learning Organic Chemistry Using The Knowledge Space Theory. Mare Taagepera, University of California-Irvine

“Where Do They Get Those Questions?”: Writing the ACS Organic Exam. James G. Macmillan, University of Northern Iowa

Using Modern Tools to Update the Organic Chemistry Laboratory. Laurie S. Starkey, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

Integrated Organic Chemistry: An Olympian Task? John C. Williams Jr., Department of Physical Science, Rhode Island College

Combinatorial Synthesis and Discovery of an Antibiotic Compound, a Novel Laboratory Experiment. Scott E. Wolkenberg and Andrew I. Su, The Scripps Research Institute

What Happens When Students Try to Bring Their Knowledge of Organic Chemistry into the Inorganic Course? George M. Bodner, Purdue University Importance of Electrostatic Effects in Alkanes and Other Organic Compounds. Jack B. Levy, University of North Carolina at Wilmington Promoting Representational Competence in Organic Chemistry. Brian P. Coppola, University of Michigan Peer-Led Team Learning in Organic Chemistry. Jack A. Kampmeier, University of Rochester; Donald K. Wedegaertner, University of the Pacific; Pratibha Varma-Nelson, St. Xavier University (Chicago) Digital Organic Lab Simulator: Use and Overview. Brian F. Woodfield and Merritt B. Andrus, Brigham Young University

Environmentally-Benign (Green) Organic Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum at the University of Oregon. James E. Hutchison, Kenneth M. Doxsee, Scott M. Reed, Marvin G. Warner, Robert D. Gilbertson, W. Brad Wan, and Gary Succaw, University of Oregon Combinatorial Chemistry: Combining Research and Teaching in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory. Thomas A. Newton and Henry J. Tracy, University of Southern Maine Environmentally Friendly Aromatic Nitration Using a Supported Catalyst. Victoria J. Giesler, Rachel M. Fuller, Rafal P. Witek, Hannah E. Smith, and Susan A. Hughes, State University of West Georgia Microscale Organic Experiments: Past, Present and Future and Its Influence on Laboratory Design. Kenneth L. Williamson, Mount Holyoke College

Physical Chemistry by Theresa Julia Zielinski and Richard W. Schwenz

Designing teaching/learning materials that support continuous career growth and that illustrate the relevance of physical chemistry to students taking a year or more of it was the focus of the symposium Teaching Physical Chemistry in the New Century. In the 21st century physical chemistry will remain a tour de force for both students and teachers. Integrating physics, mathematics, and chemistry will continue to be a challenge for students. Maintaining currency with modern practice by including modern applications and recently developed instrumental and computational tools will require continuing efforts of faculty. For both instructors and students, collaboration for career growth and lifelong learning will increase in importance. Several key themes were emphasized throughout the symposium. First, the pedagogical strategies used in the physical chemistry classroom are changing. There is a move toward more teamwork with constructive interdependence among students and faculty. This provides students with life-

long learning skills useful in any career. Teamwork encourages students to reflect on their learning and develop communication skills valued by industry. Techniques reported to support teamwork include guided-inquiry worksheets, collaborations shared online, problems requiring teamwork for solution, symbolic mathematics applications, and context-rich scenarios focusing on a physical chemistry application. Further support comes from proper application of assessment strategies in the classroom, including an awareness of the distinction between goals and objectives and between assessment and evaluation. The nature of the physical chemistry curriculum was the second theme of the symposium. Several presentations focused on increasing the emphasis on certain topics, especially chemical kinetics. Instruction in chemical kinetics, we were told, should not be restricted to the analytical solution of rate laws given in most textbooks. Students should move quickly through these and proceed to the simulation of com-


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Organic Chemistry Papers

Bioorganic First: A New Model for the College Chemistry Curriculum. I. David Reingold, Juniata College


Physical Chemistry Papers

Symposium Report plex chemical reaction systems as used in industry. Chemical kinetics will be as important as spectroscopy or computational chemistry in the careers of future chemists. Supporting this position were presentations on the applications of ab initio calculations, symbolic mathematics software, molecular dynamics, and spectroscopy in the undergraduate curriculum. Atomic force microscopy and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy were two cutting-edge techniques suggested for inclusion in the curriculum. The third theme of the symposium was the importance of context-rich teaching materials. The importance of physical chemistry to fields such as materials science, biochemistry, atmospheric chemistry, and photolithography were mentioned. Materials for these applications are available from the authors who presented papers in the symposium. An interesting example of context-rich teaching strategies was the introduction to statistical thermodynamics through poker and determining the height of the tallest person in the world. The context-rich approach to teaching physical chemistry can also be found driving graduate training in chemical and materials physics. In conclusion, undergraduate physical chemistry should

not remain a textbook- and derivation-driven course. Faculty should provide interesting and informative context-rich materials to help students learn. Some of the mathematical burden should be removed by the appropriate use of software to enable students to focus on learning the significance of physical chemistry. One cannot turn a student into an expert on thermodynamics, kinetics, quantum mechanics, and spectroscopy in two or three semesters. One can, however, have students develop the essential skills for further study by sending them to Mars to calculate equilibrium constants, giving them environmental contexts for the study of symmetry and spectroscopy, or anchoring their learning in biochemistry topics. There are many visions for physical chemistry in this new millennium, all focusing on making the course interesting, modern, and useful for students with a wide variety of career goals.

Teaching Physical Chemistry Through Materials Science. Mary Anne White, Dalhousie University

Linking Faculty and Students Through Physical Chemistry On-Line. Alexander Grushow, Rider University

Physical Chemistry of Photolithography: Kinetics Measurements and Simulations at the Nanoscale. F. A. Houle and W. D. Hinsberg, IBM Almaden Research Center

Group Learning and Guided Inquiry in Physical Chemistry. James N. Spencer and Richard S. Moog, Franklin & Marshall College

Theresa Julia Zielinski teaches chemistry at Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ 07764-1898; [email protected]. Richard W. Schwenz is at the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO 80639; [email protected].

Interdisciplinary Approaches to Teaching Physical Chemistry: A Course on the Physical Basis of Chemistry and Biology. Julio de Paula, Haverford College

Integrating Computational Chemistry into the Physical Chemistry Laboratory: A “Wet” Lab/”Dry” Lab Experience. Stephanie A. Schaertel, Mary E. Karpen, and Julie Henderleiter, Grand Valley State University

Using Current Research to Teach Physical Chemistry. Gabriela C. Weaver, University of Colorado at Denver

Using Molecular Dynamics-Based Free Energy Simulations to Teach Thermodynamics. Mary E. Karpen, Grand Valley State University

Innovation and the Need for Evaluation. Renée S. Cole, Central Missouri State University and Marcy Towns, Ball State University

Applied Physical Chemistry Problems. Jodye I. Selco and Teresa L. Longin, University of Redlands

Changing ACS DivCHED Physical Chemistry Exam. Richard W. Schwenz, University of Northern Colorado

Tallest Person in the World. Hal Harris, University of Missouri– St. Louis

Electronic Structure Theory in the Physical Chemistry Laboratory: Modeling of Energies and Spectra. James B. Foresman, Department of Physical Sciences, York College of PA

Pollution Police. Jodye I. Selco and Janet L. Beery, University of Redlands

Using Symbolic Mathematics in Physical Chemistry: The Mathcad Document Collection. Theresa Julia Zielinski, Monmouth University

Nobel Prize-Winning Chemistry: An Experimental Module in Conducting Polymers. Kristen M. Kulinowski, J. Ryan Loscutova, and John E. Kacher, Rice University

Increasing Use of Personal Computers in Physical Chemistry Courses. Robert A. Alberty, MIT

Non-Linear Raman Spectroscopy in Undergraduate Curriculum. Ravi Kalyanaraman and Chad Thompson, Bemidji State University

Preparing Chemists for the Computationally Intensive 21st Century: An Example Using Mathcad. W. Tandy Grubbs, Stetson University

Core of the New Paradigm in Graduate Training in the Physical Sciences at UC Irvine: A Graduate Laboratory Course in Chemical and Materials Physics (CHAMP). Bradley D. Fahlman, V. Ara Apkarian, and Peter Taborek, UC Irvine

Engaging Students in Learning Physical Chemistry. David M. Hanson, State University of New York, Stony Brook

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Teaching Chemistry in the New Century: General ... - ACS Publications

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