An undergraduate-level Computational Chemistry project was incorporated initially into a Physical Chemistry course and then into the laboratory curriculum in the subsequent application. Before the introduction of the project, the lectures covered quantum chemistry, spectroscopy, and kinetics while simultaneously including computational chemistry…

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…

The Boltzmann distribution lies at the heart of essentially all of statistical thermodynamics. In most textbooks, this distribution is introduced either "ad hoc" or it is mathematically derived by constrained entropy optimization using the method of Lagrange multipliers. Unfortunately, when students enroll in a statistical thermodynamics…

Our first-semester organic chemistry class focused on structured group work to enable active learning in class. When Smith College switched to online learning after spring break, the class was adapted to fit into an online learning model while retaining active learning. Using feedback from students, we implemented two tracks, one focused on…

This article describes a method of instruction using an active learning strategy for teaching stoichiometry through a process of gradual knowledge building. Students identify their misconceptions and progress through a sequence of questions based on the same chemical equation. An infrared device and software registered as the TurningPoint Audience…

Interactivity and inquiry-based learning science are effective ways of helping students overcome their perception of chemistry as an alien and abstract topic and instead approach the subject as a creative way of understanding ideas and applying mastered concepts to new contexts. Data acquisition systems are an extremely useful form of educational…

We present a guided-inquiry experiment using Spartan Student Version, ready to be adapted and implemented into a general chemistry laboratory course. The experiment provides students an experience with Spartan Molecular Modeling software while discovering the relationships between the structure and properties of molecules. Topics discussed within…