We describe a remote pedagogical approach based on chemical thinking to study metal-carbonyl complexes by analyzing simulated IR spectra. The proposed approach, implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, can be employed in classrooms that have very limited laboratory equipment for evaluating toxic metal-carbonyl compounds, as well as for…

The recent popularity of benchtop (BT) NMR systems has prompted its applications in undergraduate laboratories around the world. Owing to their low maintenance cost, due to the lack of a superconducting magnetic core, and simple operation, these BT NMR systems can fulfill many of the learning objectives outlined in the undergraduate organic…

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many higher education institutions to offer their courses online, which is quite challenging when implementing laboratory sessions. Here we describe a web-based teaching resource consisting of a metallographic atlas with more than 200 micrographs corresponding to pure metals, binary alloys, steels, cast irons, and…

An instructional technology application of QR (quick response) codes for introducing commonly used chemistry laboratory apparatus for visually impaired students is presented. Audio commentaries describing commonly used apparatus were recorded. The commentaries consisted of concise introductions and applications of various apparatus used in high…

Herein, we describe an accessible and safe organic chemistry lab experiment that can be completed at home. Liquid-liquid extraction is a fundamental organic chemistry lab experiment that touches on topics such as chemical structure, density, solubility, and acid-base chemistry. Given the increased demand for safe organic chemistry experiments that…

Student feedback from an undergraduate biochemistry lab course suggested the use of visibly traceable proteins may assist learning. Based on this feedback, we used guided inquiry lab exercises where students developed and characterized a suite of fluorescent protein-dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) fusions as tools for a biochemistry teaching lab.…

An important objective of any analytical chemistry course is for students to generate and interpret data from the analysis of complex, real-world samples in order to assess the effectiveness of the analysis method, including the calibration. In this laboratory exercise, students directly compare calibration methods (external standards and standard…

We have revamped a classic analytical chemistry laboratory experiment, "Determination of an Unknown Acid", to provide students an opportunity to learn about new advances in the material sciences and their applications in analytical chemistry in an effort to reinforce the key concepts of chemical analysis. Specifically, students were…

Many students may not be aware that renewable biological materials can be converted into multiple bioproducts and biofuels using a biorefinery process, a more sustainable alternative to conventional crude oil refineries. By using waste from pineapple, a plant material that most students are familiar with, a biorefinery can be modeled to…

Curriculum-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) have been shown to increase student retention in STEM fields and are starting to become more widely adopted in chemistry curricula. Here we describe a 10-week CURE that is suitable for a second-semester organic chemistry laboratory course. Students synthesize small molecules and use…

The aim of this research is to examine the effect of social network environment supported use of inquiry-based activities developed for the general chemistry laboratory course. Throughout the research, Attitude Towards General Chemistry Laboratory Scale and Science Process Skills Perception Scale were used as quantitative data gathering means and…

Almost all finite groups encountered by undergraduates can be represented as multiplicative groups of concise block-diagonal binary matrices. Such representations provide simple examples for beginning a group theory course. More importantly, these representations provide concrete models for "abstract" concepts. We describe Maple lab…

This paper describes the design and implementation of a course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) sequence in chemistry that links a lower-division, organic chemistry course to an upper-division, analytical chemistry course. The focus of student research is on blood preservation using trehalose derivatives in order to mimic the…

This article sheds light on employee wellbeing. We reveal how an 'adapted' action learning intervention (a change laboratory) introduced prior to the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK, enabled learning and action to emerge within an educational programme. We utilise the theoretical lens of activity theory to illustrate the challenges and tensions of…

Water analysis is an excellent interdisciplinary topic for project-based learning. An undergraduate course was designed to engage the senior undergraduate chemistry students in a real-life experience. In this course, students developed methodologies based on published American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) methods for the measurement of…