The idea for Proton NMR Basics was born from the frustration of teaching this complex topic at a two-year college. The tight time schedule, coupled with the lack of a spectrometer, made teaching NMR similar to teaching driver's education to a roomful of students who had never seen a car! It was believed that students who could actually see the instrument and procedures would have more interest and a basis for understanding, alleviating some of the frustration.

This program is a collaboration of professionals: a content team of instructors and researchers from two different institutions, and a multimedia development team.

Figure 1. The main menu of Proton NMR Basics introduces the program authors and the areas in which they work. Each author narrates a section reached by clicking on his or her photograph.

Proton NMR Basics is divided into four sections: Introduction, Instrument Room, Classroom, and Laboratory. The Introduction, by Carolyn S. Judd, who developed the application in conjunction with Houston Community College System (HCCS) and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), addresses the question, "What is the use of NMR?"

Figure 2. In the Introduction, Carolyn Judd demonstrates the usefulness of NMR spectroscopy by showing how it could be used to identify an unknown substance.

The Instrument Room presents Dr. Mohan V. Chari, BCM, loading a sample and demonstrating the NMR spectrometer. Graphics and animation are used to support his explanation, as well as to present the theory of proton NMR spectroscopy. A glossary is available from an on-screen button and through hypertext links in the theory section.

Figure 3. This screen shows the major components of the NMR spectrometer.

In the Classroom, Jeffrey L. Browning, BCM researcher and adjunct faculty for HCCS, explains the analyses of six simple spectra (1). The student is told and shown how to visually inspect the spectrum displayed on the screen for chemical shift, splitting patterns, and relative size of peaks. Voice-over audio is reinforced by summary text. Atoms responsible for each peak are highlighted in a 3-D molecular model simultaneously with the peak. Easy repetition of individual peak analysis is possible. The student can rotate the 3-D model, inspecting it for symmetry. Students are referred to commercially available software for further practice in the interpretation of NMR spectra (2).

The Laboratory introduces the student to research applications of NMR spectroscopy to analyze complex molecules. Dr. Joel D. Morrisett, BCM researcher, relates a classic proton NMR study of the active site of ribonuclease. The section closes with a brief discussion of current NMR research methods.

Figure 4. In the Classroom, NMR spectra of several molecules are analyzed. The peaks on the spectrum are matched with corresponding atoms on a 3-dimensional molecular model.