We developed a single crystal X-ray crystallography experiment based on the crystal structure of sucrose (table sugar), and a more challenging experiment using Epsom salt. Both crystals are readily available in X-ray quality crystalline form. In these experiments, students mounted a crystal on a MiTeGen loop and analyzed it using a Rigaku XtaLAB…

General chemistry courses serve as foundational curriculum within most STEM undergraduate curricula, and hence, it is essential to assess student knowledge and application of learning outcomes for courses such as Introduction to Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. Within the United States, paper-and-pencil examinations are typical for measuring…

An increased reliance on nanotechnology and recent developments in materials fabrication coincide with a greater prevalence of 3D printers in high schools. We developed this lesson to foster an exploration of interdisciplinary fields and to increase access to recent advances in materials chemistry through two different learning modules. The lab…

Language, and thus scientific language, is essential for chemistry teaching and learning. To be able to successfully teach the scientific language of chemistry, the Chemish, (prospective) chemistry teachers need to possess pedagogical scientific language knowledge (PSLK).Thus, teacher preparation needs to focus explicitly on Chemish and its…

The rise of global environmental issues has stressed the importance of sustainability and green chemistry teachings. Nevertheless, these topics remain largely untouched in most post-secondary organic chemistry lecture courses. This article investigates the barriers to integrating green and sustainable chemistry into organic chemistry classrooms…

In this study, an innovative scientific modeling course on concentration cells is designed: First, the demonstrations revealed examples of three different concentration cells. Then, scientific models visualizing the process and principle of cell reactions at the level of microparticulates were introduced to students. Finally, three new…

This study reported the application of an interactive Open Education Resource, namely, an open virtual experiment simulator education tool (OVESET), in teaching the kinetics of atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) in a polymer science classroom. The OVESET ATRP kinetic simulator aims at improving students' inductive reasoning skills.…

A six-laboratory session biofilm-focused biochemistry laboratory module is described. Through just six four-hour laboratory sessions over three weeks, students first master background knowledge and fundamental experimental techniques to explore questions involving bacterial biofilms at the interface of microbiology and biochemistry and then…

While there have been an increasing number of evidence-based instructional strategies propagated, less literature exists on how to propagate a curriculum. This paper is meant to present how the theory of "Design-Based Implementation Research" (DBIR) can be used as a framework to propagate such innovative curricula. DBIR is a research…

Research indicates that students frequently struggle to apply their knowledge of organic compounds' structural theory to understand the concepts related to resonance and learn to use curved arrows to write resonance structures. Educators have developed educational tools and methodologies to aid students in overcoming their learning difficulties.…

Green chemistry and sustainable development have become increasingly important topics for the education of future chemists, but the implementation of green chemistry into the chemistry curriculum requires significant efforts from teachers, especially in laboratory education. A student-driven development of a greener synthesis of Lidocaine was…

Given the big gap between rural areas and cities and developed areas of China in basic education, it is of great significance to train a large number of excellent teachers for basic education in the vast rural areas so as to boost basic education there and achieve educational equity. Hanshan Normal University is a regional normal university…

The "Atoms-First" approach has received considerable attention in the chemical education community over the past few years as an alternative to the standard reaction-based two-semester General Chemistry curriculum. The Atoms-First model emphasizes the electronic structure of the atom as a means to explain and rationalize chemical…