Journal of Chemical Education最新文献

This interdisciplinary study reimagines undergraduate science instruction by integrating artificial intelligence, media arts, and graphic storytelling to teach complex biochemical concepts, specifically, protein structure. Led by a team comprising an art professor, a chemistry professor, and an undergraduate research assistant in graphic design, the project involved creating an original graphic story that visually narrates the formation and folding of proteins. Grounded in the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework and John Dewey’s experiential learning theory, the project emphasized inclusive engagement and accessibility. As part of a STEAM-based instructional intervention, the story was shared with students in a General, Organic, and Biological (GOB) chemistry course. Using an exploratory qualitative case study approach, data were collected through student surveys and classroom observations and were analyzed thematically. Rather than generating numerical tallies, we focused on recurring patterns in student reflections. Analysis of student responses and reflections revealed increased interest, a clearer understanding of abstract protein structures, and a positive reception of the arts-integrated instructional method. Findings support the integration of AI-enhanced media arts and storytelling as effective tools for teaching molecular biology concepts in chemistry courses. This project offers a replicable model for inspiring interdisciplinary curriculum design that bridges science and the arts to support inclusive and engaging learning environments.

This study tested students’ socio-cognitive outcomes in using the Open Virtual Experiment Simulator Education Tool (OVESET), a series of virtual experiment simulators designed for undergraduate polymer science education. The educational tool, covering core polymer science concepts (e.g., molecular weight distribution and polymerization kinetics), was implemented across two consecutive years in an upper-level undergraduate macromolecules course. Guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this pretest–post-test study measured changes in students’ self-regulation, self-efficacy, sense of belonging, and intention to pursue a career in polymer science after using the virtual modules. In the first year, two modules were used across 3 weeks with 16 participating students; in the second year, seven modules were used over 12 weeks with 20 students. Results showed that OVESET modules significantly enhanced students’ self-efficacy in polymer science, with medium effect sizes, while changes in self-regulation, belonging, and intention to pursue a career in polymer science were not significant. This study highlights the implementation and evaluation of virtual laboratory tools in polymer science education and underscores the importance of considering student perceptions and engagement.

In this paper, a laser irradiation method was applied to compare the dissolution rates of methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, and isopropanol in water with a focus on investigating how the molecular structure of alcohols affects their dissolution kinetics. Since the dissolution rate of liquids is affected by multiple factors, such as molecular polarity, viscosity, diffusivity, and intermolecular forces, in the process of experiment a controlled-variable method is used. By measuring the time taken for different alcohols to dissolve completely, how these factors impact dissolution kinetics is explored. It indicates that the dissolution rates of water-miscible alcohols follow the order: methanol > ethanol > n-propanol > isopropanol. The results can be verified by analyzing properties such as the molecular volume and the strength of intermolecular forces. This experiment enables students to gain a deeper appreciation of the core chemical principle that “structure determines properties”.

Because organic chemistry asks students to use visual and spatial thinking skills (e.g., three-dimensional structures of molecules) and comprehend various chemical reactions and mechanisms, it naturally needs pedagogical innovations involving technology to result in better academic performance. However, none of the previous studies has investigated the extent to which these pedagogical innovations are effective in improving students’ academic performance of organic chemistry education. This study aims to meta-analytically assess the effectiveness of the pedagogical innovations involving technology in organic chemistry education in developing students’ academic performance. The current meta-analysis handled 26 studies as the corpus of the data retrieved from the database and manual search. The authors initially coded the studies via a template form and inserted all statistical data from a Microsoft Excel sheet into Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA V2) statistics software to calculate Hedges’ g for the corpus data. The findings pointed to the large effect for the overall effect size (g = 0.973). Also, it was found that only subgroups for the use of technological tools within the moderator variable “type of pedagogical innovations involving technology” played a significant role at predicting the students’ academic performance as a result of the treatments. In light of the findings, it can be inferred that the pedagogical innovations involving technology in organic chemistry education are more effective and fruitful in developing the students’ academic performance than nontechnology-based control groups. Further, the current meta-analysis study concludes that high school (for educational level), flipped classroom (for the pedagogical models including technology), digital media (for the use of technological tools), and short-term treatment (for implementation duration) act as the most effective variables to learn organic chemistry via the pedagogical innovations. Future research should focus on other individual and moderator variables to offer more adaptive alternatives for the use of chemistry teachers and lecturers.

Liquid–vapor equilibrium is a highly relevant topic at every stage of chemical education. In this work we present a new experimental procedure addressing this subject, carried out by a final-year class of an Italian upper secondary school. In particular, the technique investigated is called stripping, which consists of the removal of a volatile component from a solution using a flow of gas. Its low operational costs and simple equipment requirements make this technique widely employed at the industrial level. The proposed procedure allows students to evaluate the effects of solute concentration and solvent type on the rate of the stripping process. The data collected by students were found to be in good agreement with the theoretical model. The activity is designed for students working in pairs and requires a total duration of 6 h. At the end of the experimental work, the results obtained by each group are shared with the entire class, thereby enabling the reconstruction of the expected overall trends.

Problem-solving pedagogies are becoming more common for the instruction of science courses, and students frequently use online resources to facilitate their instruction. Learner-sourcing is one such pedagogical strategy whereby students design assessment items related to course content. This provides alternative learning opportunities, improved self-directed learning, and the development of course specific test banks. However, although studies have demonstrated how learner-sourcing can support student outcomes, there remains some reluctance from instructors to implement such approaches, citing the frequency of student misconceptions, lack of control of content, and poor-quality items. This study evaluates the quality of student-created multiple-choice (MC) items from a general chemistry 1 course as evaluated using the Item Writing Flaws Evaluation Instrument (IWFEI). These evaluations were then compared against faculty-created items that had been previously implemented on exams. The results from our data set demonstrate that student-created items contain comparable, if not fewer, item writing flaws than those created by faculty. We suggest that courses looking to use learner-sourcing pedagogies should invest in training students to identify item writing flaws, which could mitigate some of the concerns faculty have about the quality of student-created assessment items and provide opportunities for student-created items to support faculty generated exams.

Electrochemistry is widely considered to be difficult to learn by students and difficult to instruct by teachers and professors. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of electrochemistry and redox can be improved even in in-service high school teachers despite their lack of education in pedagogical knowledge. Because of a dearth of studies about professors’ PCK, specifically at university level for electrochemistry and redox, this study was done to determine the PCK of professors who teach electrochemistry and redox. Interviews and subsequent qualitative analyses were conducted, resulting in the following results and conclusions. College professors have the opportunity to develop and expand their personal PCK (pPCK), which is beneficial for the students’ learning process. The orientation toward science teaching adopted by the professors is heavily influenced by their beliefs and ideas for the students. Experience at university-level instruction does not necessarily correlate with a more developed PCK, as novice professors seemingly have a PCK more robust than those of more experienced professors.

Natta projections can make it challenging to observe the syn-pentane interaction. Presenting two partial, predefined conformers of n-butane using the sawhorse formula for n-pentane can be confusing and may lead to errors in identifying specific n-pentane conformers. To address this challenge, undergraduate students were taught how to represent hypothetical conformers of n-pentane using the diamond crystal lattice (DCL) system. Students were provided with rules for representing a predetermined hypothetical conformer of n-pentane in DCL. Since DCL utilizes imaginary chair conformations of the carbon skeleton from cyclohexane, students can apply the stereochemical properties of the chair conformation of cyclohexane alongside symmetrical operations they have previously mastered when comparing two hypothetical conformers of n-pentane. During the theoretical exercises, the lecturer first demonstrated the rules for applying the diamond crystal lattice to represent conformers. After this demonstration, students individually presented their conformers of n-pentane using preprinted DCLs and compared them with molecular models. This was followed by a joint discussion that expanded on the application of DCL to cyclic systems. A short test was conducted comparing a group of students familiar with the DCL system to a control group. The results indicated that the DCL system enhances the likelihood of identifying the syn-pentane interaction and discovering stable conformations.

This laboratory experiment offers undergraduates a hands-on exploration of surface wettability, photocatalysis, and their application in initiating microchemical reactions. Students observed how selected UV irradiation induced a wettability transition from hydrophobic to hydrophilic and explored the photocatalytic degradation mechanism driving this phenomenon. This localized transition at the contact points between two liquid marbles triggers their coalescence, mixing the encapsulated reactants and initiating a microchemical reaction. This experiment advances beyond traditional static wettability measurements by demonstrating a dynamic application of the concept. It aims to deepen students’ understanding of surface chemistry and develop their skills in applying photocatalysis to control microreactions, thereby fostering an appreciation for interdisciplinary science. The experiment is suitable for second- or third-year undergraduate physical chemistry or materials chemistry laboratories.

Herein, an undergraduate experiment design is reported to probe chemical bond energy using an instructional mass spectrometer. The experimental procedure involved measuring the dissociation energy of chemical bonds by precisely modulating the electron energy during ionization. This energy was determined by correcting the threshold appearance energy of the resulting fragment ions. Acetonitrile, nitrogen, and oxygen were used as standard substances and target samples to calibrate the electron energy within the ion source and validate the proposed method. This practical laboratory exercise, conducted for chemistry undergraduates, enabled students to master the entire workflow of electron ionization–mass spectrometry (EI-MS), including fundamental principles, instrument tuning, spectral interpretation, and the determination of chemical bond energy. Teaching evaluations indicated that the experiment significantly enhanced student interest, practical skills, and their understanding of the relation between chemical bond stability and instrumental parameters. This study offers a replicable model for integrating modern analytical techniques with basic chemical knowledge into undergraduate laboratory curricula.