A recent post in BITeS discussed the article in Inorganic Chemistry focused on the different flavors of inorganic chemistry courses taught to undergraduates. If you haven't read this paper, I strongly encourage you to do so. The editor, Bill Tolman, recognized that this paper was important to the inorganic community and therefore worthy of publication in Inorganic Chemistry. The paper was also recently promoted on the Facebook page of the journal. The editor of another ACS journal, Professor Paul Chirik of Organometallics, has chosen to include a new type of article called a Tutorial that is geared towards teaching. Paul actually tipped me off on this new type of article at the Organometallic Chemistry Gordon Research Conference this past summer. I eagerly awaited its publication and was thrilled to read the first tutorial on Oxidative Addition this past week by Professor Jay Labinger. If you haven't read this yet, do;  I can't think of anyone finer to write it than the person who  so deeply understands the historical context of its importance. 

I was very curious about why Paul decided to start the tutorials. Like many things, he blames it on Professor Pete Wolczanski. Paul said "Organometallic chemists tend to enjoy pedagogy and teaching. The idea for the new article type was inspired by a conversation I had long ago with Pete Wolczanski. Pete claimed we all have a great lecture on something - wouldn’t it be great if we could share that great lecture around the community and get other people’s in return. This along with the idea that paper textbooks may be going the way of the dinosaurs suggested that the journal could offer something unique and exciting." In the editorial in which Paul first mentions the idea of tutorials, he suggests it would be great if there were slides or other materials made that focused on the tutorials. This sounds like a challenge (dare I say, a community challenge). If anyone creates a LO using this or any other of the future tutorials, please let me know. I will start collections associated with the tutorials as needed. Did I say future tutorials? Yes, I did! I did my best to get some insider information from Paul with respect to future tutorials, but he didn't want to give away too much in the way of spoilers. He did suggest that upcoming topics include aspects of C-H activation and functionalization, main group chemistry, the various impacts organometallic chemistry has had on catalysis and the fact that Luke Skywalker does actually appear on the new Star Wars poster. Ok, maybe not that last one. I might be a little excited about the upcoming movie. But I am equally excited about these new tutorials. I hope you find them valuable. Conveniently enough, I will be covering oxidative addition in my Inorganic 2 class later this week, so I know I am going to use it in some way. If it is something you find valuable, please upload LOs based on it, comment on this blog, tell Paul, or all of the above. He would certainly like to know that the community appreciates this new kind of article.