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To: Members of the Executive Committee
ACS Division of Chemical Education
From: Donald Rosenthal
Chair, CCCE
Department of Chemistry
Clarkson University
Potsdam NY 13699-5810
315-265-9242
rosen@clarkson.edu
Date: February 15, 1997
The CCCE seeks to publicize and promote the use of computers in
chemical education. Committee activities during 1996 and some future
plans are summarized below.
(An asterisk (*) after a name is used to identify members of the
CCCE.)
I. SYMPOSIA AND OTHER SESSIONS AT NATIONAL MEETINGS
For the 14th BCCE at Clemson University (August 4 to 8, 1996) Harry
Pence* (SUNY at Oneonta) organized a symposium on the use of computers
in introductory chemistry courses.
The Committee helped to organize a symposium for the Fall 1996
National ACS Meeting in Orlando, FL - Harry Pence* organized a symposium
on the use of simulations in teaching chemistry.
II. COMPUTERS IN CHEMICAL EDUCATION NEWSLETTER
This Newsletter is published in the Spring and Fall. The Spring
1996 issue was distributed to everyone attending the 14th Biennial
Conference on Chemical Education at Clemson University. Currently,
Brian J. Pankuch* (Union County College) is editor of the Newsletter.
III. ON-LINE COMPUTER CONFERENCES, DISCUSSIONS, MEETINGS AND COURSES
An organizing committee consisting of James Beard*, Chair (Catawba
College), Reed Howald (Montana State University), George Long* (Indiana
University of Pennsylvania), Maria Pacheco (SUNY College at Buffalo) and
Carl H. Snyder* (University of Miami) planned a course taken for credit
by upperclass chemistry students. The class was entitled "Environmental
and Industrial Chemistry". About one hundred students at twenty
colleges and universities took the course during the spring 1996
semester. Instructors at each of the participating schools met with
their students and were responsible for assigning course grades. An
on-line component of the course involves the distribution and discussion
of papers. Three industrial chemists - Michael L. Trehy (Monsanto
Company), Stanley S. Seelig (Seelig and Associates, Inc.) and John N.
Armor (Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.) submitted papers which WERE
read and discussed. The students taking the course prepared papers
either working alone or in groups. Two student papers were selected and
distributed and discussed on-line. A student Listserv (OLCC-STU) and a
faculty Listserv (OLCC-FAC) WAS managed by Donald Rosenthal* and George
Long* using facilities donated by Clarkson University. George Long*
established World Wide Web (WWW) resources using facilities donated by
Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
The faculty Listserv permitted course instructors to exchange
ideas, make suggestions and interact privately with the organizing
committee, authors and other course instructors.
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Donald Rosenthal* and Thomas C. O'Haver* organized a summer
symposium entitled "New Initiatives in Chemical Education". The on-line
meeting was held between June 3 and July 19, 1996. Papers were
presented by Jerry Bell and Andrew Ahlgren (AAAS), George M. Bodner
(Purdue University), Loretta Jones (University of Northern Colorado),
Paul Kelter and James D. Carr (University of Nebraska), John W. Moore
(University of Wisconsin - Madison), Henry Rzepa (Imperial College -
London, U.K.), Stanley Smith* (University of Illinois), Brian Tissue*
(VPI and State University) and Gary Wiggins (Indiana University).
Thomas C. O'Haver* will manage the Listserv and WWW using computing
resources donated by the University of Maryland.
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Donald Rosenthal* and Thomas C. O'Haver* will organize an on-line
conference consisting of general papers on chemistry and chemical
education. The conference will begin in June 1997 and there will be a
summer session and 1997-1998 school-year sessions.
IV. NATIONAL COMPUTER WORKSHOPS
The following CCCE National Computer Workshops were offered at
Clemson just before the 14th BCCE: The Uses of Computers and Computer
Software in General Chemistry (Jeffrey R. Appling and James D. Spain -
Clemson University), Using the Internet in Chemistry and Chemistry
Courses (Thomas C. O'Haver* - University of Maryland), Multimedia in the
Classroom (Charles B. Abrams* - McGill University), and A Short
Practical Introduction to Modern Electronic Structure Methods (Wayne
Huang - Wavefunction, Inc.). There were 65 registrants.
V. COMMITTEE MEETINGS
For a number of years the Committee has held an open-to-the-public
meeting and a closed meeting at the biennial BCCE meetings. Meetings
were held at the 14th BCCE at Clemson. The open meetings provide an
opportunity for the Committee to exchange ideas with other chemistry
educators, and to obtain new ideas and participants.
VI. CCCENET
Not everyone attends BCCE Committee Meetings. CCCENET was
established in September 1991 to provide better communication between
Committee members, all of whom have access to CCCENET. Messages sent to
the Network are distributed to all Committee members.
VII. DIVISION OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION WORLD WIDE WEB SITE
In response to a request from John Moore, Chair of the Division of
Chemical Education, a sub-committee consisting of Nancy S. Gettys*,
Carolyn Sweeney Judd*, Brian Tissue* (chair) and Theresa J. Zielinski
helped to establish a Division of Chemical Education World Wide Web Site
(http://divched.chem.wisc.edu/divched/). The sub-committee is continuing
to help organize and maintain this web site.
VIII. MEMBERS OF CCCE - 1996
Charles Abrams - McGill University, Montreal, Canada
James Beard - Catawba College, Salisbury NC
James W. Beatty - Ripon College, Ripon, WI
Joseph Casanova - California State University, Los Angeles, CA
Wilmon B. Chipman - Bridgewater State College, Bridgewater, MA
Nancy S. Gettys - University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
William Halpern - University of Western Florida, Pensacola, FL
Carolyn Sweeney Judd - Houston Community College, Houston, TX
Alfred Lata - University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
Yuzhuo Li - Clarkson University, Potsdam NY
Robert Megargle - Cleveland State University, Cleveland, OH
Marco Molinaro - University of California, Berkeley, CA
Thomas C. O'Haver - University of Maryland, College Park, MD
Brian Pankuch - Union County College, Cranford, NJ
Harry E. Pence - SUNY College, Oneonta, NY
Donald Rosenthal - Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY
Gwen Sibert - Roanoke Valley Governor's School, Roanoke, VA
Stanley Smith - University of Illinois, Urbana, IL
Carl H. Snyder - University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL
Brian Tissue - VPI and State University, Blacksburg, VA
David M. Whisnant - Wofford College, Spartanburg, SC
Theresa J. Zielinski - Niagara University, Niagara University, NY