Upper-level Chemistry Course Research Articles

The Electronic Structure of the Atom: (Mis)Interpretations of Quantum Concepts by Brazilian University Chemistry Students

Students’ understanding of the electronic structure of the atom has been investigated by many authors. This study outlines students’ conceptual and representational understanding of quantum concepts explored in lower and upper level chemistry courses, in three different chemistry majors, identifying learning obstacles and monitoring student development. Structured questionnaires were applied at the beginning and end of the semester, aiming to assess student learning related to the interpretation of the electronic structure of the atom through quantum chemistry concepts. Students in upper-level courses achieved better averages than students in lower-level courses. Generally, students showed better understanding of the topics through a representational rather than a conceptual approach. The number of students able to conceive a mental model of the atom based on quantum concepts increased by the end of the semester. However, the number of students who imagined the atom according to the Bohr model, invoking both classical and quantum ideas, remained the same, suggesting no meaningful learning occurred.

Investigating the Impact of Course Content Usage on Student Learning in Upper-Level Chemistry Courses

Investigating the Impact of Course Content Usage on Student Learning in Upper-Level Chemistry Courses

Simulation-Based Guided Inquiry Activity for Deriving the Beer–Lambert Law

The Beer–Lambert law is a core spectroscopic relationship widely used across the undergraduate chemistry curriculum and beyond. The derivation of this model is a common topic for upper-level chemistry courses. But, due to its abstract nature, this derivation can often seem like a mathematical exercise detached from the molecular origins of absorption. Here, we present an activity centered around a simulation of absorption using spheres and cylinders. By interacting with variables in the simulation in a guided-inquiry format, students can connect the submicroscopic interactions between photons and molecules with the mathematical relationships that ultimately give rise to the Beer–Lambert Law. The activity presented here was implemented as a virtual lab for a cohort of analytical chemistry students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our evaluation of student responses shows the promise of this activity for encouraging students to engage in the scientific practice of modeling the submicroscopic nature of absorption to understand the development of Beer’s Law. In addition, we discuss how patterns observed in student responses have informed improvements to the activity for future implementations and identify some additional learning contexts to which the interactive simulation can be applied.

Transitioning an Upper-Level, Integrated Laboratory Course to Remote and Online Instruction During the COVID-19 Pandemic

While the suspension of face-to-face instruction disrupted laboratory components of most chemistry-based classes at the college level, it was notably disruptive to upper-level chemistry courses based solely on laboratory experiences. This communication describes the logistical and pedagogical efforts made in an integrated, upper-level, laboratory-based chemistry course at Georgia Gwinnett College to engage students and to develop a relevant and meaningful assignment during the COVID-19 suspension of face-to-face classes. Instructor descriptions and reflections, examples of assignments, student feedback, and revisions for future iterations of this course are presented within.

Development of a Highly Flexible, Interdisciplinary Program in Chemical Commerce and a Capstone Course in Commercial Chemistry

Higher education is faced with the challenging problem of preparing students for their careers while developing them to be well-rounded, life-long learners. Employers report they desire candidates who use a broader set of skills and have higher levels of learning and knowledge to meet the increasingly complex demands of today’s workplace. At Mercer University, the Department of Chemistry offers a traditional ACS-certified B.S. degree in Chemistry, but for some students, this course of study does not address their desire for the interdisciplinarity that is becoming more common in today’s work environment. The department has developed a program in Chemical Commerce that focuses on developing students’ foundational knowledge in several of the chemical disciplines while also providing them with a business curriculum. The program provides a high degree of flexibility for students, with B.A. and B.S. tracks and three areas of focus in business to choose from (Accounting, Business Management, and Economics). An upper-level chemistry course titled “Traditions in Commercial Chemistry” was developed for advanced Chemistry, Chemical Commerce, and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology majors and served as a capstone experience for these students. This course focused on the application of advanced chemistry and its associated principles in a variety of business sectors. With the broad skills students have acquired in the program, they have gained employment in industry and matriculated into medical, pharmacy, and business-administration programs. Though not intended to replace a full chemistry degree, this program is in high demand and is experiencing exceptional growth from students who seek components of a chemistry degree while gaining business acumen. Approaches used in developing these degrees and course are highly transferrable to other institutions and may provide more options for students interested in a wider variety of career paths.

Employing Spreadsheets for Applying Calculus in Upper-Level Chemistry Courses

This article describes the use of a spreadsheet to reinforce basic calculus that is expected of all university-level chemistry majors. The example provided shows a calculation using Excel to estimate, using a Riemann summation, the radiant exitance of a hot object using Planck’s Law of Blackbody Radiation. The approach reinforces the elementary calculus topic of integrating an area under a curve in an applied chemistry setting and, additionally, requires students to understand how units propagate through integrals in order to calculate correct numerical values. This manual calculation in Excel is pedagogically more satisfying than using black-box type software to calculate areas under curves, and is widely available to almost all students through the use of Excel (or similar spreadsheets software packages).

ConfChem Conference on Mathematics in Undergraduate Chemistry Instruction: Introduction to the Fall 2017 ConfChem

Student success in both general chemistry and upper-level chemistry courses requires the application of previously learned skills for carrying out calculations in exercises and problem solving. Students with weaknesses in mathematics often struggle in their chemistry courses. The Fall 2017 ConfChem conference, Mathematics in Undergraduate Chemistry Instruction, was held from October 26 through November 27, 2017, and contained eight papers that discussed a variety of approaches developed by instructors to facilitate student success with using mathematics in their chemistry courses. This report provides an introduction to the ConfChem 2017 conference and invites readers to participate in future discussions about how chemistry faculty members can empower student success with the mathematical skills needed for their chemistry courses.

Pushing for particulate level models of adiabatic and isothermal processes in upper-level chemistry courses: a qualitative study

In the past three decades, researchers have noted the limitations of a problem-solving approach that overemphasizes algorithms and quantitation and neglects student misconceptions and an otherwise qualitative, conceptual understanding of chemical phenomena. Since then, studies and lessons designed to improve student understanding of chemistry has overwhelmingly targeted introductory level, high school and first-year college students. In this article, we present a model-based learning cycle approach with upper-level undergraduate and beginning graduate students that investigated their ability to model the adiabatic and isothermal compression/expansion of a gas in a syringe. We were interested to observe, given the extent of their previous chemistry coursework, how students struggled to connect macroscopic observations with particulate representations. Analysis of laboratory reports, reflective journal entries, and classroom discourse transcripts indicate the learning experience was efficacious in uncovering and addressing student conceptual challenges with using models appropriately to describe gas behaviour under the experimental conditions for this investigation.

Teaching Chemistry with Symbolic Mathematics Documents

Given the number of topics to be addressed in upper-level chemistry courses, how can one ask teachers to add symbolic mathematics (SM) homework and projects to the mix, and how can one expect students to struggle with an SM program while trying to learn complex concepts in chemistry?

The Influence of Modern Instrumentation on the Analytical and General Chemistry Curriculum at Bates College

The availability of state-of-the-art instruments such as high performance liquid chromatograph, gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer, inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometer, capillary electrophoresis system, and ion chromatograph obtained through four Instructional Laboratory Improvement and one Course, Curriculum, and Laboratory Improvement grants from the National Science Foundation has led to a profound change in the structure of the analytical and general chemistry courses at Bates College. Students in both sets of courses now undertake ambitious, semester-long, small-group projects. The general chemistry course, which fulfills the prerequisite requirement for all upper-level chemistry courses, focuses on the connection between chemistry and the study of the environment. The projects provide students with an opportunity to conduct a real scientific investigation. The projects emphasize problem solving, team work, and communication, while still fostering the development of important laboratory skills. Cooperative learning is also used extensively in the classroom portion of these courses.

Active Learning in Upper-Level Chemistry Courses: A Biochemistry Example

This paper describes a senior biochemistry course that consists of a structured, guided format for reading and discussing current literature articles. Three class periods are allowed for the discussion of each article: (i) an overview session, (ii) background session, and (iii) a discussion session. Students are responsible for all phases of the class and are guided by worksheets and student-led class sessions devoted to background concepts.

Using a macintosh-based molecular graphics package in freshman and upper-level chemistry courses

Using a macintosh-based molecular graphics package in freshman and upper-level chemistry courses