Web-based Interactive Organic Chemistry Homework

化学（12）基于网络的程序有可能改变科学的教学方式，但是，对于教师投资所需的时间和资源来采用它们，这样的程序必须比传统方法有更大的教学价值。一个基于网络的互动有机化学程序，EPOCH，已开发的教师和学生在化学和计算机科学系在肯塔基州大学（英国）的团队。 该软件在几个方面都非常有用。 1. EPOCH要求学生画出一个化学结构来回答一个问题，例如，“画出这个反应的产物（或起始材料）”，“画出产生这些光谱的化合物”，“画出这个结构的共振结构”，“画出这个名字的化合物”，或“画出这个化合物的立体异构体”。“绝大多数其他基于网络的家庭作业程序需要文本，数字或多项选择输入。 2.如果学生的回答不正确，EPOCH会提供反馈，解释为什么回答不正确，并提出建议，引导学生找到正确的答案。一个问题的作者决定了学生的反应的什么特征（一个特定的功能组的存在，骨架的缺失，立体中心的配置，等等）。应该从EPOCH得到什么反馈。EPOCH从不告诉学生正确答案;他们必须反复解决问题，直到他们解决为止。大多数基于网络的家庭作业程序不提供针对特定错误的反馈。 3.教师可以向EPOCH数据库添加新问题或修改现有问题以满足自己的需要或纠正错误。在其他程序中，出版商通常固定其基于Web的程序的内容，并且不提供教师修改它的机制。EPOCH当前的一个限制是，它不接受表示电子流（反应机制）的弯曲箭头。 在这个项目中，正在开发一个新版本的EPOCH，允许学生解决问题，如“画一个机制，这种反应。“对这种问题类型的回答包括一系列化学结构和代表电子流的弯曲箭头。 在增加这一增强功能后，将对EPOCH的有效性进行评价。智力优点：该项目正在继续开发和评估一个基于网络的有机化学家庭作业程序，该程序的功能远远超过迄今为止开发的任何程序。更广泛的影响：该项目正在为一门困难的课程创造一个独特的有价值的教学工具，该课程由大量学生学习，涉及各种学科。与普伦蒂斯-霍尔的伙伴关系支持了EPOCH的初步发展，使EPOCH增强方案得以广泛传播。

Chemistry (12) Web-based programs have the potential to change the way science is taught, but, for instructors to invest the time and resources required to adopt them, such programs must have greater pedagogical value than traditional methods. A web-based interactive organic chemistry program, EPOCH, has been developed by team of faculty and students in the departments of Chemistry and Computer Science at the University of Kentucky (UK). The software is uniquely useful in several ways. 1. EPOCH requires a student to draw a chemical structure in response to a question such as, "Draw the product (or starting material) of this reaction," "Draw the compound that gives rise to these spectra," "Draw a resonance structure of this structure," "Draw the compound with this name," or "Draw a stereoisomer of this compound." The vast majority of other Web-based homework programs require text, numerical, or multiple-choice input. 2. If a student's response is incorrect, EPOCH provides feedback that explains why the response is incorrect and makes suggestions to guide the student to the correct answer. The author of a question decides what characteristics of a student's response (the presence of a particular functional group, the absence of a skeleton, the configuration of a stereocenter, etc.) should elicit what feedback from EPOCH. EPOCH never tells students the correct answer; they must attack the problem repeatedly until they solve it. Most Web-based homework programs do not offer feedback that is customized to particular errors. 3. Instructors can add new questions to the EPOCH database or modify existing questions to suit their own needs or to correct errors. In other programs, publishers usually fix the content of their Web-based programs and do not provide a mechanism for instructors to modify it. One current limitation of EPOCH is that it does not accept curved arrows representing electron flow (reaction mechanisms). In this project, a new version of EPOCH is being developed that allows students to address questions such as "Draw a mechanism for this reaction." Responses to this question type consist of a sequence of chemical structures and curved arrows representing electron flow. An evaluation of the effectiveness of EPOCH will be carried out after this enhancement has been added. Intellectual merit: The project is continuing to develop and evaluate a Web-based homework program designed for organic chemistry that has far greater capabilities than any program heretofore developed.Broader impact: The project is creating a uniquely valuable teaching and learning tool for a difficult course that is taken by large numbers of students across a wide variety of disciplines. A partnership with Prentice-Hall, which supported the initial development of EPOCH, is permitting wide dissemination of the enhanced EPOCH program.