Development of Undergraduate Course in Solid State Chemistry

化学（12）为化学和化学物理高级专业开设了一门新的固体化学本科课程。这门课程的基本原理是基于一种观点，即固态化学和计算方法在本科课程中已经被边缘化，而倾向于定性的方法来理解材料，但是有些形式的直觉只能通过在课程中加入定量思维来发展。该项目的目标包括：1)为学生领导的小型研究小组开发一套固态化学项目，包括合成、结构、实验表征和理论建模；2)为课程建立一个安全的网站，以便学生访问教学材料、计算和可视化软件以及敏感的课程材料；3)编制包含理论背景材料和教学笔记的课程文档；4)创建适合课程的评估工具；5)实施课程并评估其成功程度，然后将反馈意见纳入课程的第二次提供；6)包括整个课程的内部和外部同行评审，有助于课程的评估和传播。该项目包括围绕固态化学中的重要问题开发实验室项目，需要使用差示扫描量热计和热重分析仪，以及计算机建模程序。1)化学储存材料项目，探索在固体中储存氢的实际方法；2)封存和分离技术材料项目，探索包裹体化合物如何用于此目的；3)纳米技术材料项目，探索功能化纳米管是否可以组装成有序的导电结构，以及纳米管或其他形式的碳的多孔阵列是否可以储存或分离气体。4)微孔材料分离与催化项目，探索沸石中控制分离效果和催化活性的因素。评估包括内部和外部因素。内部评估涉及汉密尔顿学院内外的化学和物理教师，他们审查教学材料和课程评估，并提供“关键朋友”的反馈方法。外部评估与课程材料一起检查前、中、后评估，重点关注核心保真度、项目改进、有前途和可复制的实践以及可持续性。该项目的结果通过学生和教师在美国化学学会和其他会议上的报告以及在同行评审期刊上的计算和实验室实验出版物进行传播。

Chemistry (12)A new undergraduate course in solid state chemistry for senior-level chemistry and chemical physics majors is being developed. The rationale for the course is based on an argument that solid state chemistry and computational methods have been sidelined in the undergraduate curriculum in favor of qualitative approaches to understanding materials, but that there are forms of intuition that can only be developed through including quantitative thinking in the curriculum. The goals of the project include: 1) to develop a suite of solid state chemistry projects for small student-led research groups involving synthesis, structure, experimental characterization, and theoretical modeling; 2) to create a secure website for the course to provide access to instructional materials, computational and visualization software, and sensitive course materials for students; 3) to develop course documentation with theoretical background materials and instructional notes; 4) to create assessment instruments tailored to the course; 5) to implement the course and evaluate its success, and then incorporate feedback into a second offering of the course; and 6) to include internal and external peer reviews of the overall course, to contribute to the course's evaluation as well as dissemination. The project includes developing lab-based projects built around important questions in solid state chemistry and requiring the use of a differential scanning calorimeter and a thermogravimetric analyzer, as well as computer modeling programs: 1) a chemical storage materials project exploring practical ways to store hydrogen in a solid, 2) a project on materials for sequestration and separation technologies exploring how inclusion compounds can be used for this purpose, 3) a nanotechnology materials project exploring whether functionalized nanotubes can assemble into ordered, electrically conductive structures and whether porous arrays of nanotubes or other forms of carbon can store or separate gases, and 4) a project on microporous materials for separation and catalysis exploring what controls the efficacy of separation and catalytic activity in a zeolite. Evaluation consists of internal and external elements. The internal evaluation involves chemistry and physics faculty both internal and external to Hamilton College who are reviewing instructional materials and course evaluations and providing a "critical friends" approach to feedback. External evaluation is examining pre-, mid-, and post-assessments along with course materials, and is focusing on core fidelity, program improvement, promising and replicable practices, and sustainability. Results of the project are being disseminated via student and faculty presentations at American Chemical Society and other conferences and publication of the computational and laboratory experiments in peer-reviewed journals.