Chemistry is an essential subject for most science-based undergraduate courses in universities; as such, it is a basic requirement for secondary school students aspiring to study science-related courses in universities. However, the subject has historically been linked to high failure rates and underperformance of students in secondary school…

Multitouch experiment instructions (MEIs), implemented as interactive eBooks, are learning tools for pupils that offer various digital support tools and enable pupils to individualize their learning. They may be applied to contexts such as inquiry-based experiments in school laboratories, which involve highly demanding cognitive processes and…

Pedagogical research over the past decade has shown that chemistry courses have high failure rates and low accessibility. The implementation of novel active-learning approaches has great potential to offset these trends. Fundamental concepts that serve as "pinch points" are ripe targets for designing innovative, gamified course materials…

This report offers technical guidance and encouragement for any instructor or department looking to produce valuable, high-quality Lightboard teaching videos under space and budget constraints. Lightboards were introduced in a chemical education setting around 2015 as a presentation setup that allowed the presenter to speak face-to-face to their…

Surface chemistry is a challenging realm for most students because of its abstract nature and numerous associated mathematical equations. Herein we report a set of dedicated sequential inquiry-based learning (IBL) activities enriched with virtual laboratory learning and hands-on instructions. The activities were intended to help students grasp…

This technology report presents the main features of a free digital educational tool which aims to introduce middle school level students to the comprehension of the particulate nature of matter in the three states (i.e., solid, liquid, and gas) and during phase transitions. This digital tool is available and is freely accessible online. Its…

Green chemistry and chemical safety complement each other in reducing adverse health and safety outcomes. However, it is imperative to train students of advanced synthetic chemistry, beyond reaction mechanisms, to proactively connect complex experiments with hazard analysis, risk minimization, and planetary sustainability. Virtual experiments…

To develop expertise, novice chemistry students require deliberate practice with immediate and thoughtful feedback. Whereas opportunities for practice are often abundant, opportunities for feedback tend to be much scarcer. To address this challenge, we collaborated with students to develop a flexible and scalable online platform called…

During the Spring 2020 semester, many institutions abruptly transitioned their courses from face-to-face instruction to remote learning in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. To address the unique challenges posed by the remote teaching and learning modality, our department used mobile technology to adapt empirically validated instructional…

As numerous varsity campuses remain closed during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, educators must look for suitable digital tools to conduct lessons and engage learners online. In this report, we discuss how to structure the online lessons using the Community of Inquiry framework (CoI). The CoI was applied to the university elective course…

Practical classes are an important and essential part of undergraduate programs in Chemical Engineering, as each experiment provides an opportunity to reinforce the theory of discrete unit operations that are taught elsewhere in the course. While an expensive pedagogical method, when practical sessions are delivered well, they can be one of the…

Video learning holds an important place in modern STEM classrooms, but more improvements to the learning experience are needed. In order to introduce active-learning components into assignments, questions are often deployed alongside videos. Unfortunately, many students tend to skip videos entirely and solely answer questions, bypassing valuable…

This paper presents gradual implementation of active learning approaches in an organic chemistry classroom based on student feedback and strategies for getting students on-board with this new approach. Active learning techniques discussed include videos, online quizzes, reading assignments, and classroom activities. Preliminary findings indicate a…

Reported here is a study of an interactive component to General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II where a new pedagogy for taking notes in class was developed. These notes, called key word created class notes, prompted students to locate information using the Internet guided by a key word. Reference Web sites were added to a next generation of…

Collaboration between the chemistry and computing services departments was undertaken to create an online booking system to be used as a learning and teaching aid in an undergraduate chemistry lab course. The system helped promote personalization of study and could be easily adapted to any department within the university. The system was…