Mimicking the formal/informal spaces of chemical laboratories in an inter-university collaboration with undergraduate and graduate researchers

CHED 766

Albert C. Fahrenbach, fahrenbachus@gmail.com1, Kristy A. McNitt1, Kumar Parimal1, Amar Flood, aflood@indiana.edu1, Douglas A. Vander Griend, dav4@calvin.edu2, and David J Wild, djwild@indiana.edu3. (1) Department of Chemistry, Indiana University, 800 East Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405, (2) Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Calvin College, 1726 Knollcrest Circle SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, (3) School of Informatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47408
Cyberinfrastructure has laid down a suitable foundation to provide new opportunities for geographically separated graduate and undergraduate research groups to establish inter-university collaborations on a single chemical research project. We have created a collaborative website which was designed to mimic the informality of life in the laboratory up to the formal occasions of group meetings and publications. New syntheses for the preparation of [2]- and [3]pseudorotaxane systems were prepared by undergraduate and graduate students at Indiana University and the compounds sent to Calvin College (Michigan) for analysis by undergraduate research students. The regular generation of results were stored and documented onto a wiki platform available for intergroup comments between students. As interpretations were agreed upon, formality was increased with faculty involvement, leading up to an online presentation, i.e., the basis of publication.
 

Using Social Networking Tools to Teach Chemistry
1:30 PM-4:55 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Hilton New Orleans Riverside -- Oak Alley, Oral

Division of Chemical Education

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008