Kinetics Explorer: an interactive web-based resource for teaching kinetics at the first-year college level

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Kinetics Explorer an interactive web-based
resourcefor teaching kinetics at the first-year
college level

• Bob Hanson
• St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
• http//www.stolaf.edu/people/hansonr
• BCCE 18, July 20, 2004

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Goals of this Presentation

• Briefly describe the context of first-year
  chemistry at St. Olaf.

• Explain the textbook-problem motivation for this
  project.

• Describe the goals of the project.

• Demonstrate the project.

• Share some student feedback.

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First-Year Chemistry At St. Olaf
Stoichiometry gas laws pKa/pKb/Ksp
Molecular Structure and Bonding
Chemistry 121
Thermodynamics Electrochemistry Kinetics
Chemistry 123
Stoichiometry gas laws pKa/pKb/Ksp Molecular
Structure Bonding
Chemistry 126
Chemistry 125
FALL
INTERIM SPRING
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for about 8 weeks we study thermo
Thermodynamics Electrochemistry Kinetics
Chemistry 126
More about this later this morning and at S574
(Wed. 250)
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for about 2 weeks we study electrochemistry
Thermodynamics Electrochemistry Kinetics
Chemistry 126
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for the final 3 weeks we study kinetics.
?
Thermodynamics Electrochemistry Kinetics
Chemistry 126
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The Problem

• Only about 2/3 of the students (130) had a
  textbook from the previous class.

• Should we make the other 70 students buy a 120
  textbook for a 3-week segment?

• Should we write one ourselves?

• Maybe this could be more fun

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How about a Web Site?
www.stolaf.edu/depts/chemistry/kinetex
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The Idea

• Kinetics is dynamic.

• Kinetics is experimentally based.

• Kinetics lends itself to discovery-mode learning.

• Kinetics involves mechanistic hypotheses.

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Maybe this could be really fun

• Could using web-based dynamic media provide
  greater opportunities to dig deeper into
  kinetics?

• To discover relationships in a more
  straightforward manner?

• To explore more fully concepts that otherwise are
  just givens?

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The strategy Reuse successful components made
with JavaScript
JavaScript Kinetics Simulator
JavaScript DivGraph Module
IMT Concept Index
OK, maybe not THAT easy, but
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The result It was worth the work!
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We divide kinetics into two basic sections
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We start with thinking about time as a variable
in chemical reactions
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We discuss the ideas of reaction rate, rate law
and reaction order.
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We talk about the effect of temperature in terms
of energy levels and probability.
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We discuss the ideas of reaction mechanism and
elementary stepsfast and slow.
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And we have some fun with some more complex
examplessome break the rules.
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Along with all this, we have explorations.
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Within each topic, students can explore the
concepts in depth and decide for themselves.
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Lots of graphing and graphical analysis is
involved in kinetics.
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Students explore the effect of different aspects
of mechanism on reaction rate.
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We often connect these explorations with actual
lab experiments or demonstrations.
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So whats an Exploration?
An exploration is an interactive simulation of
a chemical reaction that runs in real time, at
the students pace, and offers an opportunity to
learn while playing. The student is encouraged to
experiment and to think about a few questions
that relate to the experiment.

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For example

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Everything from the simple
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for the standard analysis
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to the more complex
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to the more complex
If we double the initial NO2, then the initial
rate should
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to the more complex
quadruple!
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and beyond!
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with dynamic graphing of data
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and dynamic rate law definition.
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presentation continues with a demonstrationusing
the actual site (if time and the internet gods
permit)atwww.stolaf.edu/depts/chemistry/kinetex
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2003 Feedback from students

• The unity of the topical sequence throughout the
  semester was especially well thought out.
  Additionally, this class made the best use of
  computer programs and web resources for true
  learning that I've ever encountered.

• Try not to lean so heavily on the web pages as
  teaching materials. I had a hard time navigating
  them. Also, I had to download Netscape (which I
  don't really mind) however, for some students,
  full-time computer access is hard.

• Please make the Kinetex website a text book, it
  was very hard to really study the material when
  it was on line. When I study I make notes in the
  margins so it was difficult to do so online!
  (this accounts for the low score on the online
  reading question) Otherwise the other web
  material was wonderful!!!!

• I think the Kinetics Explorer online is horrible
  for text book use. I really like the quizzes and
  supplemental programs, but would much prefer a
  paper book for this chapter.

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2004 Feedback from students

• It was very helpful. It was all that I used when
  learning Kinetics.
• To be honest, i really liked it.
• it really supplemented the textbook and laid out
  what was important.
• It was very helpful- I consulted it instead of
  the book when I had questions.
• it wasn't as interesting as thermodynamics or
  electrochem. it was harder too. the rate law
  stuff and k were not easy concepts
• The online kinetics material was helpful in
  understanding the big concepts, otherwise it was
  not helpful for homework or test preparation. I
  felt that the lecture was based on the online
  material and it was not very helpful to go back
  and do the explorations again.

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2004 Feedback from students

• They were very beneficial.
• I used it a lot more once I decided I needed to
  get more serious about the course. I think it
  paid off.
• loved it...understood how to use it and it was
  better than the supplement.
• I thought the online material for the kinetics
  was very beneficial. I used it often and thought
  that it was very well done.
• I thought the online material was quite good. One
  thing that might be helpful would be more
  examples to help us understand homework and
  plugging in numbers to these equations.
  .

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Conclusions

• The dynamic nature of JavaScript-driven web
  applications nicely matches the dynamic nature of
  kinetics.

• Kinetics simulations allow a deeper understanding
  of kinetic phenomena.

• Students at St. Olaf appreciate web-based
  materials as supplements, not as primary reading.

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Thank you!feedback appreciated

• Bob Hanson
• St. Olaf College, Northfield, MN
• http//www.stolaf.edu/people/hansonr
• BCCE 18, July 20, 2004