The ability to use representations of molecular structure to predict the macroscopic properties of a substance is central to the development of a robust understanding of chemistry. Intermolecular forces (IMFs) play an important role in this process because they provide a mechanism for how and why molecules interact. In this study, we investigate student thinking about IMFs (that is, hydrogen bonding, dipole–dipole interactions, and London dispersion forces) by asking general chemistry college students to both describe their understanding in writing and to draw representations of IMFs. Analysis of student drawings shows that most students in our study did not have a stable, coherent understanding of IMFs as interactions between molecules. At least 55% of the students in our study unambiguously represented each IMF an interaction or bond within a single molecule , while only 10–30% of students represented each IMF as an interaction between molecules. Furthermore, the majority of students (59%) were not consistent in the way that they represented the different IMFs (as within or between). That is, their representations varied depending on the IMF. Student written descriptions of intermolecular forces were typically quite ambiguous, meaning that it was not possible to determine from the student description alone whether the student understood IMFs as bonds or interactions. It was only when the student’s representation was consulted that we could determine whether a particular student had an appropriate understanding of IMFs. We believe that in situations where spatial information is crucial, free-form drawn representations are more likely to provide meaningful insight into student thinking.

Intermolecular forces (IMFs), or more broadly, noncovalent interactions either within or between molecules, are central to an understanding of a wide range of chemical and biological phenomena. In this study, we present a multiyear, multi-institutional, longitudinal comparison of how students enrolled in traditional general chemistry courses and those in a transformed general chemistry course (Chemistry, Life, the Universe and Everything, or CLUE) represent intermolecular forces in the context of small molecules. For multiple cohorts of students at two different universities, we found that students who participate in the CLUE curriculum were significantly more likely than those in a traditional curriculum to indicate (correctly) that intermolecular forces occur between, rather than within small molecules. In a longitudinal study, we followed the students from one cohort through the subsequent year of organic chemistry and found that the differences between the CLUE and traditional students persisted over the course of two years of chemistry instruction. In general, students who are enrolled in the transformed general chemistry curriculum have a more scientifically correct and more coherent understanding of IMFs. The finding that a majority of students leave general chemistry without a coherent understanding of the difference between covalent and noncovalent interactions must certainly impact their subsequent understanding of chemical and biological phenomena.

Many chemistry laboratory exercises follow a given protocol with known results. Such traditional laboratories rarely give students an accurate representation of how research is conducted, the scientific practices involved in research, and the ownership that accompanies developing and carrying out an independent project. Several laboratory reforms have sought to overcome these limitations, including the creation of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). The CURE design is meant to emulate authentic research in the teaching laboratory by having students perform novel experiments with unknown results. In this article, we describe our implementation of a CURE for an upper-level physical chemistry laboratory course. Our students carried out novel research using molecular dynamics simulations, isothermal titration calorimetry, and stopped-flow kinetics to study ligand binding to the protein human serum albumin. We studied the effects of the CURE laboratory redesign via a mixed-methods approach. We use the CURE Survey by Lopatto and colleagues to record students’ perceived gains in course elements and benefits. We also conducted student interviews to gain an in-depth view of their experience with the CURE laboratory. Our findings suggest that implementing a CURE in an upper-level chemistry laboratory results in similar outcomes to other CURE experiences (which most often occur at the introductory level), can standardize undergraduate research training, and can increase student ownership of laboratory work. We conclude that developing CURE courses for upper-level chemistry courses is an effective way of enhancing undergraduate laboratory training and increasing student experience with research.

This article describes the process of designing a new four-year curriculum at Emory University. Acknowledging the limitations of traditional curricula and pedagogy, the major goals of this reform effort include an emphasis on core ideas and scientific practices rather than content and historical course boundaries in order to convey the excitement, relevance, and interdisciplinary nature of 21st century chemistry to undergraduate students.

Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) and data visualization techniques have untapped potential in anatomic pathology laboratories. Pre-built functionalities of LIS do not address all the needs of a modern histology laboratory. For instance, “Go live” is not the end of LIS customization, but just the beginning. After closely evaluating various histology lab workflows, we implemented several custom data analytics dashboards and additional LIS functionalities to monitor and address weaknesses. Herein, we present our experience in LIS and data-tracking solutions that improved trainee education, slide logistics, staffing/instrumentation lobbying, and task tracking. The latter was addressed through the creation of a novel “status board” akin to those seen in inpatient wards. These use-cases can benefit other histology laboratories.