We begin the year with an overview of our plans for 2001--both the programs we will publish and the new and useful ways we will make them available.

How We Will Publish in 2001

Software Collections, on CD-ROMs

Beginning in 2001, all new software publications will be on CD-ROM. JCE Software will continue to sell current inventory of software on floppy disks until stocks are depleted, but we will no longer publish on floppy disks.

Software Collections will be our focus. This started with the General Chemistry Collection and continued with the Advanced Chemistry Collection. Distributing software on CD-ROM allows us to compile topical collections of the previously published software that is still compatible with current operating systems and hardware and to include any new programs that fall under the topic of the collection. Collections will be updated annually or semiannually, with both new programs and updates to existing programs. You will always find abstracts for new programs in this column. Larger programs (such as Periodic Table Live! and Chemistry Comes Alive!) will continue to be published individually.

Connect with Your Students Outside Class

Many students have their own personal computer, which allows them much more flexibility than they would have using a campus computer lab. Many instructors utilize the World Wide Web, creating HTML pages for their students to use. JCE Software has options available to take advantage of both of these developments: course adoptions and Web-ready publications. These extend our network license model, which no longer fits everyone's needs.

Software Adoption for Your Course

You can provide access to JCE Software programs to students who own computers by adopting one or more of our CD-ROMs, just as you would adopt a textbook. These CDs have already been adopted by general chemistry courses at several institutions:

• The General Chemistry Collection

• ChemPages Laboratory

• Periodic Table Live!

• Chemistry Comes Alive!

We can arrange to bundle CDs with laboratory manuals or to sell them separately through a campus bookstore. When large numbers are ordered, the cost per CD can be quite low (as little as $3-5), making this a cost-effective method of allowing students access to the software they need--whenever and wherever they desire.

Web-Ready Publications

Using HTML to present material has many advantages. Viewed with the ubiquitous Internet Browser, HTML is compatible with both Mac OS and Windows (as well most other current operating systems). It provides a flexible hypermedia interface that is familiar to instructors and students, and publications can be used by individuals directly from the CD-ROM. With appropriate licensing, they are also ready for use on local intranets and can be readily incorporated into other HTML-based materials. Contact JCE Software to learn about licensing these Web-ready publications:

1. Chemistry Comes Alive!, Volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4:
   Special Issues 18, 21, 23, and 25

2. Flying over Atoms: Special Issue 19

3. Periodic Table Live! 2nd edition: Special Issue 17

4. Solid State Resources, 2nd edition: Special Issue 12

5. ChemPages Laboratory: Special Issue 24

6. Multimedia General Chemistry Problems; Special Issue 28

Previously published JCE Software programs, Window on the Solid State (1) and Inorganic Molecules: A Visual Database (2), are currently being converted to HTML format.

Screens from Web-ready publications demonstrate the use of video and still images from the Chemistry Comes Alive! series. Here they were used in ChemPages Laboratory and General Chemistry Multimedia Problems.

Publications for Release in 2001

Chemistry Comes Alive!

The Chemistry Comes Alive! (CCA!) series of CD-ROMs continues! Volume 5 is now in the compilation stage and will include video from the videodisc Demonstrations of Organic Chemistry (3) as well other video and images focusing on organic and biochemistry. Each CCA! volume contains video and animations of chemical reactions that can be easily incorporated into your own computer-based presentations. Each CD is for both Mac OS and Windows.

Look for a major update to the Chemistry Comes Alive! area at JCE Online, which will include all the video and images that have been published and a search facility to help you locate them.

A collection of images from the Chemistry Comes Alive! series is shown. Each image is a single frame from a QuickTime movie.

New Editions

The General Chemistry Collection will be revised in spring 2001 and the 5th edition will be shipped in time for fall adoptions. It will include new programs for general chemistry (accepted since July 2000) in addition to the software included with the 4th edition (4).

The Advanced Chemistry Collection will be updated in fall 2001 and the 2nd edition will be shipped in time for spring semester 2002. It will include any programs for advanced chemistry accepted since November 2000 in addition to the software included in the 1st edition (5).

Periodic Table Live! 3rd edition is expected to include information about recently discovered elements and will have interactive plotting and sorting of numerical data for the first time.

New Releases

Slated for release in 2001 are programs for the General Chemistry Collection and Advanced Chemistry Collection as well as larger packages that will be published individually on CD-ROM. We continue to work with authors and peer reviewers to ready their work for publication.

Technical Support

There will be more support resources for JCE Software in 2001. In collaboration with JCE Online we will include not only troubleshooting tips and technical support notes, but also supporting information users have sent us, including lessons, specific assignments, and activities using JCE Software publications. If you use JCE Software, contribute to this area. Let us know how you are using our materials so that we can share your ideas with others!

An Invitation to Share Your Work

Submit your technology-based instructional materials to JCE Software. Although the word software is in our name, many of our publications are not traditional software. We also publish video on videotape, videodisc, and CD-ROM; electronic documents such as Mathcad and Mathematica exercises, spreadsheet files, and macros; HTML documents; and PowerPoint presentations. Most chemistry instructors use a computer in their teaching and many have created such materials for their classes. If you have an original computer presentation, electronic document, animation, video, or other item that is not printed text, it is probably an appropriate submission for JCE Software.

We especially invite presentations, lessons, tutorials, etc. that incorporate video and images from the Chemistry Comes Alive! series. If you need video and images that are not included in the published CCA! volumes, contact JCE Software (6). We have additional video that can be made available to developers prior to its publication. If we do not have the video you need, we may be able to help you develop it.

Publish your work in a branch of the Journal of Chemical Education. You will share your efforts with chemistry instructors and students all over the world and get professional recognition for your achievements.

Changing Times

MS-DOS Software--Now Online

JCE Software no longer publishes MS-DOS software. Since many of the these older programs are still effective teaching tools, we have made many of them available free for download by Journal subscribers at JCE Online. JCE Software cannot guarantee that the programs will run properly on newer PCs with the latest versions of Windows. Technical support cannot be provided. Click here for details and to download software.

Farewell to Windows 3.1x

JCE Software can no longer provide Windows 3.1x installers for our software. Windows 95 or later is required for all new JCE Software publications for Windows.

Literature Cited

1. Robinson, W. R.; Tejchma, J. F. A Window on the Solid State; J. Chem. Educ. Software 1997, 5D2.
2. Ophardt, C. E. Inorganic Molecules: A Visual Database; J. Chem. Educ. Software 1996, 8C1.
3. Trammell, G. Demonstrations in Organic Chemistry; J. Chem. Educ. Software 1993, SP6.
4. J. Chem. Educ. Software 2000, SP16.
5. J. Chem. Educ. Software 2000, SP27.
6. Available at http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCESoft/CCA/.