In-Depth Coursework in Undergraduate Inorganic Chemistry: Results from a National Survey of Inorganic Chemistry Faculty

Abstract

A national survey of inorganic chemists explored the self-reported topics covered in in-depth inorganic chemistry courses at the postsecondary level; an in-depth course is defined by the American Chemical Society's Committee on Professional Training as a course that integrates and covers topics that were introduced in introductory and foundation courses in a more thorough manner. Anecdotal evidence suggested that more than one type of in-depth course was offered in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. Cluster analysis confirmed this evidence and revealed three distinct types of in-depth inorganic chemistry courses with unique topical profiles. These results confirm diversity in the inorganic chemistry curriculum and the need for awareness that our students leave degree programs with varying understanding of inorganic chemistry based on the coursework offered at their respective institutions.

Frustrated Lewis Pair Pedagogy: Expanding Core Undergraduate Curriculum and Reinforcing Fundamental Thermodynamic Concepts

“…CHEM 151A: Chemistry of Metals and CHEM 151B: Chemistry of the Main-Group Elements. In accordance with the results obtained by surveys administered by a subset of the 2014 Inorganic Chemistry ACS Exam Committee [28,29], these two courses fall under the broad classifications of "Fundamentals and Selected Topics" and "Advanced Inorganic: Selected Topics." The material covered in CHEM 151B (Table 1) would clearly be compatible with a discussion of FLP chemistry and this topic could easily be included as an "advanced topic" or as an example of an application of main-group chemistry in current research.…”

A reaction-coordinate perspective of magnetic relaxation

“…Despite this conceptual overlap and the importance of dynamic magnetic properties in many cutting-edge fields, education in magnetic relaxation is typically absent from undergraduate chemical curricula. [17][18][19] As a consequence, concepts in magnetic relaxation can be intimidating for chemistry researchers to utilize in their research. Yet it is precisely these chemists that are needed to make the molecules that drive the observations of new processes, developments of new theories, Cassidy E. Jackson Cassidy E. Jackson received her BS in Chemistry from James Madison University where she worked under Dr Donna Amenta and Dr John Gilje on the synthesis and characterization of porous materials.…”

Covalent d-Block Organometallics: Teaching Lewis Structures and sd/sd2 Hybridization Gives Students Additional Explanations and Powerful Predictive Tools

“…The 2015 survey of in-depth courses has noted a consistent trend, across all three types of in-depth courses, to increase content in organometallic chemistry and to increase content related to covalent bonding and MO theory. 46 Providing a new way to understand covalent bonding in organometallic complexes is definitely consistent with the larger trend.…”

“…The foundational courses fall into one of four categories: Descriptive Chemistry; Fundamentals & Selected Topics; Foundation Survey: Fundamentals; Foundation Survey: Comprehensive. 45 The in-depth courses fall each into one of three categories: In-Depth Survey: Core, In-Depth Survey: Comprehensive, and Advanced Inorganic: Selected Topics. 46 Considering the topics taught by the author in 2nd and 3rd year (syllabus excerpts shown in the Supporting Information), his 2nd year course can be classified as Foundation Survey: Fundamentals, and his 3 rd year course as In-depth Survey: Comprehensive.…”

“…45 The in-depth courses fall each into one of three categories: In-Depth Survey: Core, In-Depth Survey: Comprehensive, and Advanced Inorganic: Selected Topics. 46 Considering the topics taught by the author in 2nd and 3rd year (syllabus excerpts shown in the Supporting Information), his 2nd year course can be classified as Foundation Survey: Fundamentals, and his 3 rd year course as In-depth Survey: Comprehensive. The author decided to teach in the foundational (2 nd year) course sufficient MO theory to allow understanding of three-center-four-electron (3c-4e) bonds in small molecules such as I3and ICl3.…”