|
Problem Solving in Chemistry
An on-line conference June 9 - 24, 2002
| Schedule and Papers | Brief Instructions | Discussion Archive |
|
An on-line conference June 9 - 24, 2002
| Schedule and Papers | Brief Instructions | Discussion Archive |
| Conference Organizers: |
Doug Cameron Professor of Chemistry Montana Tech Butte, MT 59701 Email: DCameron@mtech.edu |
and |
Peter Lykos Professor of Chemistry Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL 60616-3793 Email: lykos@iit.edu |
Problem solving methods in chemistry may be classified according as they are encountered in one of the common sub-disciplines of chemistry; namely, analytical, inorganic, organic and physical. However, the interdisciplinary areas, biological, environmental, and materials chemistry (and increasingly the ubiquitous computational chemistry underlying all of them) may be operationally more descriptive and may involve problem solving methods that transcend those that have been used in the separate common sub-disciplines.
Chemistry is unique in that chemistry has its own language. This, the molecular science, is concerned with molecular structure, molecular synthesis, and the mechanisms of chemical transformations. (By "molecular" we refer of course to atoms, molecules, ions and radicals.) Problems that require the use of graphics and lines to represent molecular structures and bonds, reasoning by fuzzy logic for transferring the effects of functional groups, and considering relative electronegativities, for example, may well use different problem solving tools than those that use models based on the laws of physics and the language of mathematics.
This is an invitation to those who have delved deeply into the underlying problem solving processes whereby we approach classes of problems in chemistry to step forward and to share their insights.
Paper 1
Send short questions Sunday, June 9.
Discussion: Monday, June 10 through Wednesday, June 12.
Encouraging Meaningful Quantitative Problem Solving
Fred Garafalo(1), Rick Toomey(2)
(1)School of Arts & Sciences, Massachusetts College of
Pharmacy and Health Sciences
agarafalo@mcp.edu
(2)Department of Chemistry and Physics, Northwest Missouri
State University
Toomey@mail.nwmissouri.edu
Paper 2
Send short questions Wednesday, June 12.
Discussion: Thursday, June 13 through Saturday, June 15.
Problem Solving in Organic Chemistry, Impact Outside The Classroom?
Aline M. ("Lindy") Harrison
York College of Pennsylvania
aharriso@ycp.edu
Paper 3
Send short questions Sunday, June 16.
Discussion: Monday, June 17 through Wednesday, June 19.
Conceptual Molecular Level Problem Solving
Mary Nakhleh
Purdue University
mnakhleh@purdue.edu
Paper 4
Send short questions Wednesday, June 19.
Discussion: Thursday, June 20 through Saturday, June 22.
Teaching Problem Solving in Chemistry - An Example to Stimulate Discussion
Doug Cameron
Montana Tech
DCameron@mtech.edu
General discussion
Sunday, June 23 through Monday, June 24.
This on-line conference has ended. A record of the on-line discussion is available on the CONFCHEM Majordomo archive for June 2002.
The Committee on Computers in Chemical Education (CCCE) thanks Doug Cameron and Peter Lykos for organizing and chairing this CONFCHEM conference. We also thank the paper authors and everyone who participated in the discussion. The success of these conferences depends upon all of you.