Heat and enthalpy are challenging topics for general chemistry students because they are conceptually complex and require avariety of quantitative problem-solving approaches. Expert chemists draw on conditional knowledge, deciding when and under what conditions a certain problem-solving approach should be used. Decision-based learning (DBL)…

The difficulties encountered by students in learning chemistry range from human factors to the intrinsic nature of chemistry. To enhance students' understanding of chemistry, there is a wide consensus within the community of chemistry educators on the importance of and need to integrate different levels of representations in chemistry teaching and…

The study of gels and their properties is a compelling topic both technologically and scientifically, and should therefore be emphasized in chemistry and material science syllabuses. In the present laboratory experiment, we propose two experiences, aimed at introducing gelation and gel transport properties using silica gels made from sodium…

Understanding the nature of chemical thinking and action, as well as their application and impact on our world should be central goals of chemistry education at all educational levels. However, traditional school chemistry is still mostly focused on having students learn the body of declarative knowledge built over the years in the discipline.…

Previous work has shown a misalignment between the goals of faculty and students for laboratory coursework. Although faculty often list learning techniques and developing critical thinking skills as goals for laboratory, students tend to focus on affective goals, such as finishing lab early and obtaining good grades. The goals of faculty have been…

In response to the call for an increased emphasis from the American Chemical Society on including macromolecular studies in the undergraduate curriculum, a supramolecular-themed experiment was designed for undergraduate-level organic laboratory courses that provides a convenient platform to study physical behaviors of supramolecular assemblies.…

This work provides information about a free-of-charge, trilingual (Portuguese, Spanish, and English), game-based application. The game allows high-school and undergraduate students to review chemical nomenclature in an engaging and fun way on their own by answering random questions from a database with over 700 questions. Student testing revealed…

The polarized optical microscope (POM) is an invaluable tool for characterizing materials such as liquid crystals and other optically anisotropic materials. Despite its frequent use in research settings, students are rarely introduced to its fundamental operation and importance. Curricula are starting to appear for applications of the POM in…

This activity introduces droplet-based millifluidics and the usage of aqueous droplets as independent chemical microreactors for reaction-kinetics studies. Students build their own droplet generators from common macroscopic glassware and connecting parts to create trains of millimeter-sized droplets in which a redox reaction takes place. The…

A new version of SALS (Submersible Audible Light Sensor) consists of a wireless light-detecting probe Bluetooth® connected to the iOS SALS App. As in previous versions of SALS, changes in detected light are converted to changes in sound, the latter now rendered with iPhone or iPad audio. The SALS probe assists the student with visual impairment in…

It is an interesting to obtain an objective view of students' attitude toward a certain discipline and to construct effective pedagogical diagnostics based on the obtained data. Such data relates to both the academic performance of students and also their emotional attitude towards a subject and motivation to study it. This research study, using…

Pigments are light-absorbing substances that are abundant in nature, serving roles in coloration, camouflage, mate/pollinator attraction and photosynthesis among higher life forms. Among microbial organisms, pigments can also be found in a wide range of phyla. While some of these pigments function in photosynthesis, namely among algae and some…

One of the challenges that science teachers face is the lack of strategy/method to train students in data collection and developing analytical skills, which are pre-requisites to resolve socio-scientific problems and an important element in scientific literacy. In this activity, the SWOT analysis proposed by the Stanford Research Institute in the…

For years, hybridization in chemistry has been taught using static pictures and model kits. We decided to reimagine how students learn hybridization through the development of a mobile learning tool. The tool contains gamification features, such as achievements and progressive leveling that keep students engaged, while the mobile platform allows…

In this communication, we describe five at-home laboratory experiments and demonstrations that complement a semester-long analytical chemistry curriculum. The experiments were successfully carried out by remote undergraduate students enrolled in a hybrid analytical chemistry course during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students used their personal…