A remote laboratory that measures the enthalpy of vaporization ([delta]"H"[subscript vap]°) and the entropy of vaporization ([delta]"S"[subscript vap]°) of "n"-octane was designed, constructed, and offered to second-year physical chemistry undergraduates at the University of New England (UNE) and Curtin University.…

Photo-oxidation is one of the main causes of oxidative deterioration in food. Understanding of the mechanisms of photo-oxidation is essential for food science students when pursuing careers in food safety and quality assurance. However, few food chemistry laboratories emphasize photo-oxidation. Thus, we develop a laboratory activity that trains…

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…

Although active learning strategies are being incorporated into many higher-education STEM courses, not all students benefit from these activities to the same extent. As these types of activities are designed to engage students in their learning, differences in student engagement may explain some of the differences in learning outcomes. However,…

Public engagement in medicine has become more important in promoting population health management and literacy. Medicine is a topic of great societal importance, and many public engagement activities have been developed to promote this area. However, they often narrowly focus on patient groups, diseases, a singular pharmaceutical drug or…

This study explores the design and delivery of two gamified, virtual laboratories, created to replace or compliment the compulsory third-semester university chemistry laboratories. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, laboratory experiments needed to be adapted to suit both on- and off-campus students. Here, we include detailed guidelines on how to…

A course centered around transition-metal catalysis in modern drug discovery was designed to illustrate the central role of organic chemistry in driving small-molecule drug development. The course highlighted both fundamental and applied concepts, first with a focus on the drug discovery process, followed by foundational principles in catalysis…

Assistive technologies remain important in supporting student learning in both in-person laboratories and the online laboratory environment. In this article, we describe an adaptation of a smartphone technology called the Color Blind Pal app to aid students in complementing online laboratory assignments in a general chemistry course. The app was…

Educational games have demonstrated that they represent valuable pedagogical instruments, which can contribute to teaching and learning in a gratifying environment. In particular in chemistry courses, an important effort has been made to facilitate complex interrelated concepts in an easy, enjoyable, and sometimes competitive way. "Compounds…

Natural sciences can be difficult to grasp because physical and chemical phenomena can take place across time and length scales that are beyond the reach of human perception. This problem is particularly true for students attempting to learn about microfluidics, a discipline that involves intricate engineering methods and fluid phenomena that are…

The application of the Study and Research Path (SRP) methodology for learning general chemistry, a fundamental course often found in the first-year curriculum of many technical degrees, is investigated. In recent years, SRPs have emerged as interesting inquiry and project-based teaching formats. In an SRP, the search for an answer to a generating…

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…

Teaching laboratories are a highly complex environment that require students to master the following: technical skills, application of theory, safe working conditions, and teamwork. Often, students have had very little prior experience to prepare them for this alien and pressured environment. Prelaboratory tasks are typically considered key to…

Student evaluations of teaching (SETs) are commonly used in performance evaluations of university faculty. However, evidence regarding the association of SETs to student learning has been inconsistent. One way to assess the connection between SETs and actual learning is to compare SETs in the first course in a sequence to student performance in…

The central component of a chemistry PhD program is the research group, where advisors have significant impact on students' professional development and career path. Current literature indicates that communication issues of advisor-advisee relationships in some graduate programs arise because of the perceived power imbalance in advisor-advisee…