One of the things that I like about my department is that we seem to be able to balance working very independently with just enough togetherness (but not too much) when it counts. For example, while each lab course we teach has different writing requirements, the writing expectations are coordinated and build intentionally from gen chem to organic to more advanced courses.

We have also applied this developmental approach to computational chemistry. General chemistry students predict structures with VSEPR and then explore the shapes and physical properties of these molecules computationally. Organic students examine stereochemistry through a combination of computational studies and physical model building. At the more senior level, students use symmetry and group theory to explore vibrational spectroscopy and molecular orbital theory, then use computational chemistry to deepen their understanding. Using the WebMO interface throughout these studies helps students appreciate that their computational skills are growing. See Lori Watson’s earlier BITeS post for more on WebMO.

VIPEr has many great computational learning objects (I just searched “computational” and got 162 hits, 64 of which are LOs!). But I want to bring to your attention a different set of resources that I have found incredibly helpful. There are seven WebMO exercises on the Computational Chemistry for Chemistry Educators site that I love. They work beautifully with two minor exceptions. There is a cyclohexane example and a Walden inversion problem that I can’t get to work when following their instructions.

So if you’re looking for a way to introduce your students to some of the cool things that computational chemistry can do, I think this is a great place to start. And if you have ideas about additional ways to build developmental approaches into the curriculum, I would love to hear about it!