SLiThEr #41: Peer Review in the Classroom
Description
Dr. Rebecca Jones from Geoge Mason University presented and led a discussion on peer review in chemistry. The Youtube Video is shown below and linked as well.
Publications Describing Educational Games in the Chemistry Classroom
Description
A sampling of the peer-reviewed literature describing the use of educational games in the undergraduate chemistry classroom. Given that well over 200 publications exist on this topic, this is intended to whet one's appetite for chemistry games rather than be an exhaustive list.
Inorganic Chemistry I
Description
Descriptive chemistry of the main group elements with some emphasis on the non-metals. Transition metal compounds: aspects of bonding, spectra, and reactivity; complexes of n-acceptor ligands; organometallic compounds and their role in catalysis; metals in biological systems; preparative, analytical, and instrumental techniques.
Relating Ligand Field Theory to Nickel Complex Color
Description
This In-Class Activity is meant to follow up discussions of ligand field theory toward the end of MO theory including the effects of sigma donors, pi donors, and pi acceptors, and how it relates to absorption spectra and observed color of some transition metal complexes. Students have learned crystal field theory and the effects of geometry/symmetry on ∆, then we extend to LFT and how the chemistries of different ligands affect ∆.
Lattice Structures Visualizer
Description
This Lattice Structures Visualizer is useful to see simple cubic, body-centered cubic, face-centered cubic, NaCl, CaF2, and hcp lattice structures. You can add atoms/ions layer by layer, break them apart into individual unit cells, and perform other modifications to better observe the structures without physical models. I use this routinely in my general and inorganic chemistry classes.
VIPEr Fellows 2022 Workshop Favorites
The second cohort of VIPEr fellows pulled together learning objects that they've used and liked or want to try the next time they teach their inorganic courses.
SALC: An Orbital Arrangement Game
Description
We have developed a tabletop game to help students get comfortable with symmetry adapted linear combinations of orbitals (SALCs), a conceptual model used to understand bonding in molecular orbital theory. We have found that students often get anxious about SALCs and miss not only the visual connections to symmetry, but also the fun! This LO includes information about the game, files you can use to print your own copy as well as a link in case you want to purchase a copy, and an example of how it might be incorporated into the classroom.
VIPEr nanoCHAt : NeWBiEs Spring 2022 Learning Objects
This collection accompanies the IONiC VIPEr nanoCHAt video series NeWBiEs, recorded in Spring 2022. This series is comprised of weekly conversations with two IONiC members, Wes Farrell and Shirley Lin from the US Naval Academy, as they taught a foundation-level inorganic chemistry course for the first time. The LOs discussed in the videos are included in this collection.
Essential Inorganic Chemistry
Description
Course Description: This foundational course for 2nd-year students covers the properties and trends of molecules derived from across the periodic table. In addition to main-group elements, a deeper understanding of transition metal ions will be developed. Topics covered include periodicity, bonding, symmetry, and reactivity.
Inorganic Chemistry
Description
The course is currently designed for a student population impacted by COVID and College policies that the department offer this course every third semester. This semester I have a diverse student population in terms of developmental levels including cohort year (freshman, junior, senior), prior foundational course work (biochemistry, analytical, physical), and research experience. I have altered the assessment part of the course substantively from prior iterations and reduced topic coverage to provide flexibility.