Journal of Chemical Education最新文献

Evaporation, condensation, and boiling are fundamental concepts taught in science and chemistry classes, closely linked to daily life. These concepts are vital for students to grasp the transformation and conservation of matter, the particulate nature of matter, and related principles. This study evaluated fifth-grade students’ comprehension of condensation across various contexts. The research involved 80 male and 59 female students from a public school in a qualitative phenomenological study. Data analysis utilized the content analysis method. As a result of the study, it was revealed that the students who participated in the research did not understand the concept of condensation sufficiently and could not explain this concept at the desired level in different contexts. Based on the findings, incorporating real-life contexts when teaching the concept of condensation can enhance the understanding of the topic. Moreover, it highlights the significance of an investigative approach to learning new concepts.

This climate change-related experiential learning initiative targeted nonscience majors enrolled in an introductory chemistry course at a two-year college to enhance their understanding of climate change. The activity aimed to connect abstract chemistry concepts to real-world significance over several sessions involving activities like library research, social media interviews, collaboration with environmental advocates, and practical lab activities and simulations. Implemented in a class size of 16–20 students, the initiative was seamlessly integrated without compromising the course curriculum. Students′ reflections highlighted the impactful outcomes of the activity. They exhibited heightened awareness regarding environmental issues, specifically ethical concerns in factory farming and the adverse effects of CO₂ emissions on ocean acidity. This led to a newfound sense of responsibility among students, driving them to advocate for change and engage in proactive measures. Ultimately, this climate change-related experiential learning approach effectively linked chemistry education with practical, relatable contexts. It empowered students to comprehend, reflect upon, and advocate for environmental stewardship, fostering a deeper connection to climate change issues in their communities and beyond.

Learning about electrochemical protein science and technology is useful due to its importance in society, for example, in widely used glucose biosensors. The aim of the experiment presented here is to provide third-year undergraduate chemistry students with an introduction to the electrochemistry of cytochrome c as a first step in bioelectrochemistry. The experiment was designed with the learning outcomes of the Curtin University unit Bioanalytical and Biophysical Chemistry in mind. The effectiveness of this experiment was measured via a modified version of the Advancing Science by Enhancing Learning in the Laboratory (ASELL) Students Laboratory Experience (ASLE) survey. Comparisons of the students’ experimental data to model data were employed, as well as an analysis of the ability of students to use and learn with a portable potentiostat and its relevant software. In the survey results, 69% of students agreed/strongly agreed with the statement “I found this to be an interesting experiment”, and the remaining students (31%) responded “neutral”, indicating an overall positive student experience. The student responses to the main goals of this experiment (i.e., development of laboratory skills, increasing understanding of electrochemistry, and development of data interpretation skills) were very favorable (positive responses were garnered from 92%, 84%, and 85% of students for each respective goal). The results show that this experiment on the electrochemistry of cytochrome c provides a basis for introducing new experimental methods and skills to undergraduate chemistry students.

Electrospinning has been widely used as a versatile technique to generate nanofibers of various materials. It is also helpful in teaching topics ranging from macromolecular chemistry to physics, safety, and sustainability at various levels of difficulty and student involvement. Simple and safe hands-on experiments/manual assays can be realized for less than 30 euros to demonstrate polymer viscosity and nanofiber alignment and solubility. Students can further study (super)hydrophobicity and even upcycle packaging waste into useful filter materials but also improve the electrospinning setup from a manual assay to an inexpensive Arduino-based 3D printed research platform. Alternatively, the latter can be used for teacher demonstrations of more challenging experiments that can also be easily done using a commercial syringe-pump.

Addressing the complex and politicized issue of climate change requires innovative educational approaches that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries. This article describes the development of a collaborative interdisciplinary General Education (GE) course, “Climate Science Chemistry, Education, and Citizenship,″ to merge STEM with non-STEM subjects and address learning objectives that involve personal growth, critical thinking, self-reflection, and informed action. Within a semester-long storyline, the strands of content learning, process, and action are combined and addressed by using content area reading and disciplinary literacy resources. In this Perspective, design considerations of the course are discussed along with educational strategies aiming to cultivate informed, critical, and active citizens ready to tackle the challenges posed by climate change.

The rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed chatbots into generative pre-trained transformers (GPTs) capable of performing various tasks. The use of GPTs is expanding to learning, including natural sciences like chemistry. GPTs can assist students in understanding and solving chemistry problems. However, there are potential negative impacts of using GPTs. This study aims to explore Indonesian university students’ perspectives on using GPTs for chemistry learning. The research used a case study method and collected data through questionnaires, interviews, and GPT usage logs, which were then analyzed thematically. The study revealed that students use GPTs in learning due to perceived usefulness, ease of use, emotional aspects, benefits, and social influence. Students appreciate GPT answers for being easy to understand, detailed, reliable, fairly accurate, fast, and helpful. However, students also recognize that GPT answers can be unreliable, difficult to understand, not always accurate, and potentially unethical. Students evaluate GPT responses by stimulating thoughts, confirming answers, integrating with other sources, directly copying responses, and paraphrasing before use. They are also aware of ethical considerations, drawbacks, and limitations associated with using GPTs. Findings pertaining to motives, constraints, and the evaluation of answer quality and its utilization can serve as indicators for the proper application of GPT in educational contexts. In many countries, including Indonesia, where there is a lack of usage regulations, concrete policies are necessary to ensure the proper integration of GPT into education.

The experiment presented relates the concept of enthalpy of crystallization to the real-world application of temperature-regulated coffee mugs. Students first measure the enthalpy of crystallization of a phase change material (PCM). Observing a temperature increase for a “freezing” process emphasizes that the formation of bonds is an exothermic process. In the case of a phase change, these bonds are intermolecular. In addition, knowing the value of the enthalpy of crystallization allows students to calculate the amount of heat that can be absorbed or released per gram of PCM during the phase change. Then, students insert PCM into vacuum mugs to make constant-temperature coffee mugs that mimic those that are commercially available. Students place hot water (coffee) into their user made PCM mugs and measure the temperature versus time. The PCM absorbs heat quickly and lowers the temperature of coffee to the melting point of the PCM, which is near the desired drinking temperature of the coffee. As the PCM resolidifies, heat is released and the temperature of their coffee is held near the melting point of the PCM. Students compare the performance of their PCM coffee mugs with commercially available mugs. If desired, the procedure can be modified to be a guided inquiry-based experiment. The experiment is designed to be used in either a first-semester freshman chemistry course at a university or a high school chemistry course. The experiment is inexpensive to implement since PCM can be reused. No chemical waste is generated, and student engagement has been positive. The content of the lab corresponds to the thermochemistry content of most textbooks.

The 21st century presents global challenges that require interdisciplinary approaches. The emerging area of Systems Thinking in Chemistry Education (STICE) encourages reform in chemistry education and practice using different cognitive frameworks, tools, and strategies to visualize the interconnectivity of how chemistry knowledge relates not only among branches within the discipline but also connections to the domains within and beyond the natural sciences. Changes in the pedagogical approach of a biochemistry course are suggested herein to address some of these challenges. Based on some of these changes, the reductionist approach is replaced by a systems thinking approach that stimulates the students to think beyond the basic concepts introduced in order to see the connections and applications to areas other than the specific discipline. In this manuscript, examples of metabolism and metabolites are used to exemplify the application of systems thinking in presenting different areas of knowledge related to topics in a biochemistry course. The specific topic of “ketone bodies” is used as the core subsystem. The connections among different subsystems including biochemistry/metabolism, physiology/medicine, nutrition/diet, and environment/society are discussed in detail.

The recrystallization experiment is a significant component of chemistry laboratory instruction in both middle schools and universities. The method for identifying the crystallization end point is absent from the textbooks. In this paper, the characteristic of light propagation in nonuniform media was employed to identify the crystallization end point. Filter the crude benzoic acid solution while it is hot, allowing the laser beam to pass through the center of the filtrate. Observe the alteration in the light spot projected onto the white screen through the beam. As the concentration gradient of the solution changes, the gradual recovery of the light spot from the reticulated stripes of light and dark indicates completion of the crystallization process, signaling readiness for the subsequent filtration experiment. This method offers a simple means to determine the end point of crystallization, and the phenomenon is intuitive, making it suitable for chemistry teaching experiments.

Charge transfer (CT) is a fundamental process in various chemical systems, and its kinetics, depicted by Marcus theory, is one of the central parts of chemistry education. While the practical demonstration of charge transfer mechanisms and kinetics in laboratories can be challenging, the microscopic origins of such processes are even more complex to observe. We introduce an ab initio quantum chemistry computation practice to unravel the intricacies of CT at the molecular scale. Using the “Koopmans’ theorem–energy splitting in dimer” (KT-ESD) method and the 4-point method, the electronic coupling and reorganization energy (ROE) have been obtained in series of model molecules. Through the analysis of the electronic coupling and ROE, we discern the pivotal factors of molecular structure impacting charge transfer rates. Particularly, the results from this practice align with cutting edge experimental measurements from single-molecule conducting and photoelectron spectroscopy. This computational lab module provides a valuable instrument for comprehending charge transfer rates, thereby fostering enhanced learning experiences across major chemistry courses such as kinetics, physical chemistry, quantum chemistry, and organic chemistry.