Research on mechanistic thinking in organic chemistry has shown that students attribute little meaning to the electron-pushing (i.e., curved arrow) formalism. At the University of Ottawa, a new curriculum has been developed in which students are taught the electron-pushing formalism prior to instruction on specific reactions--this formalism is…

Learning the symbolic language of chemistry is a difficult task that can be frustrating for students. This article introduces a game, ChemOkey, that can help students learn the names and symbols of common ions and their compounds in a fun environment. ChemOkey, a game similar to Rummikub, is played with a set of 106 plastic or wooden tiles. The…

The purpose of this article is twofold. The first objective is to update the traditional craft of education by revising the folk theory of mind that underpins such traditions. This is necessary if we are to develop a new learning science as the cornerstone for the renewal of the education enterprise. The second objective is to highlight the need…

Described is a method that can be used to obtain molecular or atomic term symbols. Several examples accompany an explanation of the method. (CW)