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| Volume 8C Number 1 | ||
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| In This Issue | ||
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| Inorganic Molecules: A Visual Data Base | ||
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Charles E. Ophardt
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| About This Issue | ||
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John W. Moore and Nancy S. Gettys University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706-1396 |
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Note: |
Order Item Number: 8C2 | |
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Inorganic Molecules: A Visual Data Base represents some exciting firsts for JCE: Software. It is the first regular Macintosh issue to be published on CD-ROM. Our previous CD-ROM publications were published as special issues, in addition to our normal Series B (DOS), C (Macintosh), and D (Windows) software. We are very pleased to be able to bring you this larger work on CD-ROM as a part of our normal publication schedule.
This program is also one of the first to be submitted and published under our new submission guidelines. Established almost two years ago, these guidelines open the door to submissions of all forms of electronic media and invite authors or prospective authors to submit ideas or works-in-progress to JCE: Software. Charles Ophardt submitted his idea for a data base of small inorganic molecules consisting of models generated by CAChe Scientific along with some HyperCard stacks that could access the images he had already created. Over the next year and a half, he worked closely with our technical editors to develop the data base. Communication took place via e-mail, telephone, FAX, and occasional visits to Madison. He supplied the initiative, effort, and enthusiasm not only to create but also to complete this impressive work. We provided technical expertise, programming and interface suggestions, and copy editing to smooth some of the rough spots along the way. We also helped to insure the quality of the program during development with the assistance of volunteer peer reviewers. This experience proved a point we had embraced from the beginning it is easier to make needed changes as you go than it is to try to re-work a finished program. The result is something far better than any single person could create. We look forward to the submission of more works-in-progress. You can look forward to more from Charles Ophardt in future JCE: Software issues as he develops interactive lessons that access his data base of molecules. How to Use This Program The visual data base is designed to enhance classroom presentations. The images can be displayed using a large monitor or other projection device. The molecules and labels in the data base are scaled appropriately for this purpose. At any time during a class when a particular molecule is mentioned for any reason, it is easy to bring the molecule to life as an animation or to display whichever of the molecule's properties are appropriate. The comparison feature is especially valuable in the classroom to illustrate similarities and differences in molecules. The data base can be used in class to generate discussion questions for students, such as asking them to generalize about trends in molecular properties after viewing a few examples, or to help them answer their own questions.
The data base can also be used interactively by students. They can explore and discover important concepts about molecules at their own pace. A set of discovery questions is included on the CD. Each question includes a list of several molecules in the data base. Viewing and comparing the properties of these molecules will allow the students to discover relationships between molecular structure and physical properties. The Visual Info Help is always available to provide any needed definitions or explanations of the terms used. Hardware and Software Requirements
Inorganic Molecules: A Visual Data Base requires:
Availability
Available: Now
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Last Updated: March 19, 2001 Created: December 10, 1996 |
Created by: J.L. Holmes Comments to: jceonline@chem.wisc.edu |
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| © 1997 Division of Chemical Education, Inc., American Chemical Society. All rights reserved. | |