A green laboratory experiment has been developed in which students perform an aqueous oxidation/cycloaddition reaction to convert salicyl alcohol into a pentacyclic diepoxydione that is readily isolated by filtration. Drawing on their knowledge of periodate-mediated 1,2-diol cleavage, students propose a mechanism for the oxidation of salicyl…

An undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory experiment involving the breakage of amide C-N bonds is reported. Whereas amides are typically considered stable species due to well-established resonance effects, this experiment allows students to cleave the amide C-N bond in a nickel-catalyzed esterification process. Moreover, students perform the…

The reduction of alkenes usually involves a hydrogen source and a catalyst. This process is both expensive and not well-suited for a large teaching laboratory. This paper presents an alternative procedure using a mixture of cobalt chloride and sodium borohydride to achieve the reduction of methyl oleate to methyl stearate. This procedure is safe,…

We herein report an efficient aerobic oxidative cleavage of meso-hydrobenzoin to benzaldehyde using a heterogeneous earth-abundant metal oxide catalyst. The reaction can be carried out at 70 °C in ethanol and uses a balloon filled with O2 as oxidant. Reagents are simple and have long shelf lives, and the whole laboratory exercise can be done in…

The bioinspired polymer polydopamine is synthesized and deposited on semiconductive glass substrates under different synthesis conditions (pH and oxidant type). Electrochemical methods are used to verify polymer deposition on the substrate and to examine the charge transfer properties of the obtained coatings. The presence of aromatic rings from…

Photocatalytic hydrogen generation over semiconductor photocatalysts has attracted considerable attention over the past few decades. This experiment is designed for sophomore- and higher-level undergraduates who are in the majors of materials chemistry, analytical chemistry, catalysis, or chemical engineering. In this experiment, CdS nanoparticles…

Concepts can be examined in two groups as abstract and concrete ones. While concrete concepts are improved as a result of students' experiences, it is considerably challenging for students to perceive abstract concepts. Since chemistry includes abstract concepts largely, it is considered to be hard to comprehend as a class by students. In fact,…

After more than seven years as editor of "Chemistry Education Research and Practice" ("CERP"), the author is standing down from this role, and this will be the last editorial of his tenure. Indeed, by the time this editorial appears in the first issue of the 2019 volume, the author will have handed over to Michael Seery, who…

High quality feedback on assessments and deliverables is vital to student success. This pilot study sought to understand the impact of combining positive and performance-gap feedback in an immediate feedback scenario where students were provided multiple attempts to complete an assignment. 176 online undergraduate students were surveyed after…

This mixed methods study explores college biology students' perceptions of the utility of evolution knowledge. In Phase I, 14 college biology students from an upper-level Evolution course were interviewed about their evolution acceptance and perceptions of the utility of evolutionary knowledge. In Phase II, findings from Phase I were used to…

This study introduces a small-scale chemistry practicum technique with the concept of acid-base identification, determination of pH with indicators, and neutralization reactions with the concept of titration. The first experiences of teachers and students in small-scale chemistry practicums are revealed. Action research was carried out to…

Purpose: This study aims to present a high-end lesson study (HELS) model to develop students' subject competency. Data were collected from a Beijing suburban key senior high school in China. How the subject competency framework (SCF) supports HELS and develops students' subject competency in practice are discussed in this study.…

Integrated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education has gained popularity worldwide. With the twenty-first century's different economic, political, and societal needs, nations intend to train citizens as better problem solvers. The current integrated STEM movement has influenced science curriculum documents and science…

As part of COVID-19 preparedness, a student-developed, Android-based app was used as a pre-laboratory learning aid for a molecular modeling laboratory in a first-year general chemistry course. A worksheet activity with trigger codes and questions related to spatial features of transition metal complexes was designed. Using the Transition Metal…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is an acclaimed educational concept for laboratory teaching in chemistry, which significantly affects learner motivation. A central aim of PBL is to overcome educational problems with "cook-book" laboratories. For example, when students receive experimental instructions and apply the instructions similar to…