Molecular Modelling and Creative Design in the Chemistry Curriculum

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Recent studies of students' conceptual knowledge of chemistry indicate that, even when they are able to use chemical formula and balance equations, they often fail to fully comprehend the underlying molecular reality. To develop students' ability to think in molecular terms, this project introduces molecular modeling exercises in both the introductory and organic chemistry courses. Introduction of molecular modeling exercises has been chosen as the next step in the college's 5-year plan to update and improve its chemistry curriculum because they have proven an effective way to present chemical structure information in the undergraduate curriculum at institutions to which many of the college's students transfer; they are readily adaptable to highly visual, computer-based instructional techniques that have proven effective in previous science curriculum projects; they introduce students to techniques that are now standard in many commercial chemistry laboratories, such as in the pharmaceuticals industry; they take advantage of the college's existing investment in instructional technology; and properly constructed, they provide free reign to a student's imagination and encourage creativity. *