Teaching Chemistry in the 21st Century
The March 2013 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online [http://pubs.acs.org/toc/jceda8/90/3(link is external)]. This latest issue of JCE plus the content of all past issues, volumes 1 through 90, are available at http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc(link is external).
Cover
In Synthesis and Small Molecule Exchange Studies of a Magnesium Bisformate Metal–Organic Framework: An Experiment in Host–Guest Chemistry for the Undergraduate Laboratory(link is external), Jeffrey A. Rood and Kenneth W. Henderson describe experiments that introduce students to solid-state synthesis, host–guest chemistry, and size exclusion in porous metal–organic frameworks (MOFs). Students synthesize the porous MOF, α-Mg3(O2CH)6 (shown on the cover), and, using 1H NMR spectroscopy, examine its ability to take up a variety of small organic molecules into its pores.
Technology & Teaching Chemistry in the 21st Century
Editorial
Norbert Pienta, Editor-in-Chief of JCE, discusses online versions of lecture courses in chemistry in his editorial, Online Courses in Chemistry: Salvation or Downfall?(link is external).
Additional content on technology & teaching chemistry in the issue includes:
Commentary
How Will Classroom Response Systems “Cross the Chasm”?(link is external) by James MacArthur
Chemical Education Research
Use of RateMyProfessors.com Data as a Supplemental Tool for the Assessment of General Chemistry Instruction(link is external) by Adam Bergin, Kevan Sharp, Todd A. Gatlin, Adrian Villalta-Cerdas, Austin Gower, and Santiago Sandi-Urena
Articles
Web-Enhanced General Chemistry Increases Student Completion Rates, Success, and Satisfaction(link is external) by Katie E. Amaral, John D. Shank, Ivan A. Shibley, Jr., and Lisa R. Shibley
Development and Implementation of a First-Semester Hybrid Organic Chemistry Course: Yielding Advantages for Educators and Students(link is external) by Julie B. Ealy
Automatic Web-Based Grading System: Application in an Advanced Instrumental Analysis Chemistry Laboratory(link is external) by Arsenio Muñoz de la Peña, David González-Gómez, David Muñoz de la Peña, Fabio Gómez-Estern, and Manuel Sánchez Sequedo
Developing and Implementing a Combined Chemistry and Informatics Curriculum for Undergraduate and Graduate Students in the Czech Republic(link is external) by Jiří Jirát, Petr Čech, Jiří Znamenáček, Miroslav Šimek, Ctibor Škuta, Tomáš Vaněk, Eva Dibuszová, Miloslav Nič, and Daniel Svozil
Chemistry on the Go: Review of Chemistry Apps on Smartphones(link is external) by Diana Libman and Ling Huang
Technology Report
Lecture Rule No. 1: Cell Phones ON, Please! A Low-Cost Personal Response System for Learning and Teaching(link is external) by Albert W. M. Lee, Joseph K. Y. Ng, Eva Y. W. Wong, Alfred Tan, April K. Y. Lau, and Stephen F. Y. Lai
Chemical Education Research
What Faculty Interviews Reveal about Meaningful Learning in the Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory(link is external) by Stacey Lowery Bretz, Michael Fay, Laura B. Bruck, and Marcy H. Towns
Inquiry-Based Learning
Three articles in this issue highlight that inquiry-based learning applies to a variety of settings and grade level:
Oxidation of Ethidium Using TAML Activators: A Model for High School Research Performed in Partnership with University Scientists(link is external) by Natalie C. Pueyo, Andrew G. Raub, Sean Jackson, Madalyn M. Metz, Allegra C. Mount, Kyle L. Naughton, Ashley L. Eaton, Nicole M. Thomas, Peter Hastings, John Greaves, Bruce Blumberg, Terrence J. Collins, and Steven G. Sogo
Incorporating Professional Service as a Component of General Chemistry Laboratory by Demonstrating Chemistry to Elementary Students(link is external) by Rachel A. Morgan Theall and Marcus R. Bond
Implementing a Multidisciplinary Program for Developing Learning, Communication, and Team-Working Skills in Second-Year Undergraduate Chemistry Students(link is external) by Niamh B. Mc Goldrick, Bartosz Marzec, P. Noelle Scully, and Sylvia M. Draper
Chemistry & the Arts
Opera and Poison: A Secret and Enjoyable Approach To Teaching and Learning Chemistry(link is external) by João Paulo André
Scanning Probe Microscopy
Scanning probe microscopy resources in this issue include:
Activity
The Analog Atomic Force Microscope: Measuring, Modeling, and Graphing for Middle School(link is external) by Valerie Goss, Sharon Brandt, and Marya Lieberman
Demonstration
Two Simple Classroom Demonstrations for Scanning Probe Microscopy Based on a Macroscopic Analogy(link is external) by Zdenka Hajkova, Antonin Fejfar, and Petr Smejkal
Laboratory
Using AFM Force Curves To Explore Properties of Elastomers(link is external) by Megan A. Ferguson and Joseph J. Kozlowski
Touring the Tomato: A Suite of Chemistry Laboratory Experiments(link is external) by Sayantani Sarkar, Subhasish Chatterjee, Nancy Medina, and Ruth E. Stark
From the Archives: Dyes
JCE has published many articles and activities on dyes & dyeing over its 90 year history. Here’s a sample of articles to help you color your world with chemistry:
Colors to Dye for: Preparation of Natural Dyes(link is external) by JCE Staff
Cooking Up Colors from Plants, Fabric, and Metal(link is external) by Jennifer E. Mihalick and Kathleen M. Donnelly
Using Metals To Change the Colors of Natural Dyes(link is external) by Jennifer E. Mihalick and Kathleen M. Donnelly
A World of Color: Investigating the Chemistry of Vat Dyes(link is external) by Dianne N. Epp
Bridging the Gap: From Traditional Silk Dyeing Chemistry to a Secondary-School Chemistry Project(link is external) by Mariette M. Pereira, M. Fátima Paixão, and António F. Cachapuz
Chemistry in the Dyeing of Eggs(link is external) by Robert C. Mebane and Thomas R. Rybolt
A Global Perspective on the History, Use, and Identification of Synthetic Food Dyes(link is external) by Vinita Sharma, Harold T. McKone, and Peter G. Markow
But Wait…There’s More!
You will find all of the articles mentioned above, and many more, in the Journal of Chemical Education [http://pubs.acs.org/toc/jceda8/90/3(link is external)]. Articles that are edited and published online ahead of print (ASAP—As Soon As Publishable(link is external)) are also available.
The January 2013 issue(link is external) will be available as a sample issue for the entire year; if you like what you read, consider a subscription(link is external).
Looking ahead: the April 2013 issue will feature environmental, green, and sustainable chemistry.