Information • Textbooks • Media • Resources
Journal of Chemical Education: Software
edited by
Jon L. Holmes Nancy S. Gettys University of Wisconsin–Madison Madison, WI 53706
Three Programs for DOS: Abstract of Volume 10B, Number 1 1. DNA Sequencing John F. Beck and David L. Bunbury Department of Chemistry, St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, N.S. B2G 1C0, Canada The installation program provides an implementation DNA Sequencing is a package of five programs that insequence to be followed before the instructional package can structs and tests students on the Maxam-Gilbert method of be run. It requests information to customize the package sequencing DNA. It can be used as a self-instruction unit, for the particular learning location. as an assignment, and as a testing vehicle. The package is The first two parts of the instructional package are inaimed at a university level chemistry, biochemistry, or tended to familiarize students with the Maxam-Gilbert sechemical-biology course, but advanced senior high school quencing method and to give them assisted practice at instudents will also find it useful. The central feature of the terpreting the autoradiograms. These parts can be used as package randomly generates a nucleic acid fragment and often as desired. When a student is simulates the subsequent Maxamconfident that he or she has learned Gilbert autoradiogram. Students are the technique, the third part prothen guided through the method of vides an autoradiogram simulation interpreting the autoradiogram. Stuthat can be used as an assignment dents require a prior, general knowlor a test to show mastery of the edge of the DNA base structures and method. The entire instructional of the principles of electrophoresis. package is menu driven with inKnowledge of the chemistry of the structions to end the program, get cleavage reactions used in the help, and return to the menu conmethod is helpful but not necessary stantly on the screen. to use these programs. A program is also provided to DNA Sequencing includes an inevaluate the answers received in stallation program, the instructional part three, presenting these on package consisting of three programs, screen and in an ASCII text file. It and a program that evaluates and This screen from the instructional program of is intended for use by the course inpresents the results of the test/asDNA Sequencing shows one of the “Help” messtructor. signment section. sages. Help is available throughout the program.
2. Periodic Table Games John S. Martin Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G2, Canada The Periodic Table Games are intended to expose students to the vocabulary of chemistry: formulas, combination rules, and descriptive chemistry. They may be played by an individual against the computer, or by several competing players. Each is a “guess-the-formula” game. They differ only in that in the Nomenclature Game the name of the compound is given; in the Formula Game it is not. The player initially sees a pattern of question marks representing the elements and numbers in the unknown formula. The object is to determine what they are, using one’s knowledge of oxidation numbers, common radicals and ions, periodic properties, and the conventions of inorganic formulas. Feedback is given after incorrect guesses. For an element the responses become increasingly specific and involve its properties. The games are entirely about chemistry. There are no distractions such as rockets to be shot down or aliens to be massacred. The games are played using an abbreviated 72-element periodic table. Elements must be selected from the table on
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the screen, providing psychomotor stimulus to embed a mental map of the periodic table.
Screens from the Nomenclature Game and the Formula Game (front) are shown.
Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 74 No. 3 March 1997
Information • Textbooks • Media • Resources Several options are available to players. There are tutorials and on-screen context-sensitive help. Players may choose from up to seven lists of formulas, at the option of the instructor. Three conventions for naming the groups in the periodic table are available: US, European, and IUPACACS. The chosen convention is used in all descriptions of the elements. A scoreboard shows histograms of all games played as well as the top scorers and their scores for each
list. There is an interactive periodic table, where selection of an element calls up a brief description of its chemistry. The properties described are those used in the feedback. The names and formulas come from a “list”: a database of 320 entries. A password-protected instructor utility allows editing of all of the formulas and/or names in up to seven lists. The instructor may also reset the scoreboard and statistical display, set the default list and periodic table name convention, and enable the formula lists to be used.
3. FactGAME Richard W. Ramette Department of Chemistry, Carleton College, Northfield, MN 55057 FactGAME is a game for two players to test their knowledge of chemical facts. The game begins when the program presents a question that it has selected from a bank of related questions (all on Chapter 1 of a particular text, for example). Player One is asked to answer the question aloud. The computer gives the correct answer and Player Two judges whether Player One’s response was adequate. If so, Player One receives credit for a correct answer. Player Two then receives a question, etc. Play continues until one player has answered correctly the number of questions agreed upon at the start of the game. By having the one player judge the answer of the other, FactGAME encourages discussion of the question posed. The software itself is not judgmental, serving only to choose questions at random from the chosen topics, to present acceptable answers, and to keep score. In this way it is analogous to the board in Trivial Pursuit and hopefully encourages the same social interaction using chemistry as the focal point.
Lively debates concerning the correctness of the player ’s answer compared to the computer’s answer make FactGAME an exciting learning experience.
FactGAME chooses its questions from a large database that is categorized into several topics. Questions are provided in the area of element trivia, compound trivia, history and biography, and related sciences. Also included are questions correlated with chapters 2 through 21 of The Chemical World (1). Questions can be added or edited with any text editor.
Using This JCE: Software Issue in the Classroom JCE: Software has been asked many times “What materials have you in biochemistry?” Until last year the answer was “nothing”. In early 1996 we were very pleased to publish our first videotape and our first biochemistry title, HIV-1 Protease: An Enzyme at Work (2). This issue adds our first biochemistry software program, DNA Sequencing, to our collection of materials. Later this year another program, Enzyme Lab (3) for Windows, is scheduled to be published. We hope that more submissions in this important area will further expand our biochemical collection. The other two programs, Periodic Table Games and FactGAME, are for introductory chemistry students. Both attempt to make learning fun. Competing with the computer and with each other adds excitement and motivation for many introductory students. How To Use These Programs DNA Sequencing can be used as an introduction, assignment, or assessment tool. It may be particularly effective as a prelaboratory exercise. The Periodic Table Games and FactGAME can be used as assignments or as extra practice for any introductory chemistry students. Periodic Table Games has two levels that should make the program appropriate for use throughout an introductory chemistry course. The Formula Game is especially challenging and requires careful strategy based on knowledge of the elements and their properties.
Hardware and Software Requirements Software in Series B requires an IBM PC–compatible computer with an 80286 or higher processor, 640 KB RAM, and VGA or better graphics. MS-DOS or IBM PC-DOS version 5.0 or higher is required. In addition to the above, Periodic Table Games requires a Microsoft-compatible mouse. All programs in this issue will run under Windows 3.1 or higher. Literature Cited 1. Kotz, J. C.; Joesten, M. D.; Wood, J. L.; Moore, J. W. The Chemical World: Concepts and Applications, 1st ed., Saunders: Philadelphia, 1994. 2. Jacobsen, E. B.; Jacobsen, J. J.; Wright, J. M. “HIV-1 Protease: An Enzyme at Work”, J. Chem. Educ.: Software, 1996, SP13. 3. Gorga, F. R. “Enzyme Lab” J. Chem Educ.: Software, in press.
Ordering and Information Journal of Chemical Education: Software (often called JCE: Software) is a publication of the Journal of Chemical Education. There is an order form inserted in this issue that provides prices and other ordering information. If this card is not available or if you need additional information, contact JCE: Software, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, WI 53706-1396; Phone: 608/ 262-5153 or 1-800-991-5534; FAX: 608/265-8094; Email:
[email protected]. Information about all of our publications (including abstracts, descriptions, updates, etc.) is available from our World Wide Web site: http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/.
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