Interest in virtual reality (VR) for teaching and learning in higher education is growing, given its many potential applications. VR offers a socially interactive environment with novel ways to engage students with materials, objects, and activities and provide students with experiences such as "field trips" that would be otherwise very…

An activity is described that uses simple materials and an easy-to-perform protocol to estimate the Curie temperature of nickel, which is the temperature at which nickel loses its ferromagnetism. To do so, an object made of nickel metal is heated with a lighter until it loses its ferromagnetism. The metal is allowed to drop into a beaker that…

An active-learning approach was employed in a project for our chemistry major students on the synthesis of biodiesel (BD) from an Amazon region oil. The project, involving activities in class and in the laboratory, was given during 8 weeks of the spring semester of 2022. The students were asked about their previous contact with the synthesis and…

We have developed a guided-inquiry laboratory exercise in which students perform viscosity measurements to infer the structure of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in aqueous solution. The activity combines both experiments and modeling. In the experimental portion of the exercise, students measure the viscosity of several solutions of PVA with differing…

Sanger sequencing, also known as dideoxy sequencing, is a widely used method for DNA sequencing, particularly for cloned plasmids and clinical samples. This technique requires a combination of essential biochemistry skills, such as a chain-termination reaction, gel electrophoresis, and fluorescence detection. Unfortunately, there is a lack of…

The chemistry of 4d and 4f metals was investigated at the undergraduate level in an effort to incorporate f-element chemistry in the curriculum. This was accomplished through microwave-assisted synthesis of 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) coordination compounds [Eu(phen)(subscript 3)](PF[subscript 6])[subscript 3] and [Ru(phen)(subscript…

The yellow-blue color pair has been used in creative artwork such as paintings and designs and in color engineering. Herein we present a method for using the yellow-blue combination in a chemistry lesson dealing with [pi]-conjugated molecules for first-year undergraduate students who are not science majors. The lesson begins with an introduction…

Assessments that are open-ended and student-centered may be used to encourage formation of networks between prerequisite material and new course content thereby promoting meaningful learning. Creative Exercises (CEs) are assessments that allow multiple correct answers and do not penalize for incorrect statements thereby inspiring creativity. CEs…

Electrochemistry is taught in most undergraduate chemistry programs. Although this topic is important for students due to its broad interest in industry (energy, diagnostics, car industry, etc.), they often find it difficult, because it is based on a combination of various physical concepts such as electric fields, interfacial processes or charge…

The construction and characterization of a glucose biosensor has been implemented in an instrumental chemical analysis course to provide students experience with chemical sensing, electroanalytical methods, and flow injection analysis (FIA). The glucose biosensor was assembled on a glassy carbon electrode by depositing a layer of Prussian blue…

An advanced research discovery laboratory course in inorganic chemistry has been developed to engage undergraduate students in authentic research experiences directly related to concepts and theory taught in the lecture portion of the course. The 12-week laboratory involves an initial 4 weeks of training experiments on inorganic/organometallic…

An approach to online laboratory exercises for analytical chemistry students with demonstrated practical exercises through the use of remote-controlled gas chromatography (GC) instrumentation is discussed. The approach allows for a practical-based learning activity to be carried out by students who are unable to attend in-person laboratory…

Plastic waste is a growing concern in recent years due to the massive increase in single-use plastic applications. Despite the ever-increasing amount of waste, recycling plastics is not a simple process due to difficulties in sorting, which results in significantly downgraded material properties. This hands-on lab experiment showcases the…

Chemistry and biochemistry instructors must help students to develop the ability to visualize and manipulate 3D biomolecular structures and critically analyze them and their relationship to their functions. To do this, representative systems must be strategically selected to stimulate students' motivation. Since the World Health Organization…

Performing HPLC-based experiments in the undergraduate practical classroom is difficult because of the time required to perform an analysis. This limits the type of practical to one that undertakes a simple quantitative analysis. However, with the use of sophisticated simulators, such as the one employed in this exercise, more complex experiments…