ERIC Number: EJ1170387
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2018-Feb
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
ULg Spectra: An Interactive Software Tool to Improve Undergraduate Students' Structural Analysis Skills
Agnello, Armelinda; Carre, Cyril; Billen, Roland; Leyh, Bernard; De Pauw, Edwin; Damblon, Christian
Journal of Chemical Education, v95 n2 p276-280 Feb 2018
The analysis of spectroscopic data to solve chemical structures requires practical skills and drills. In this context, we have developed ULg Spectra, a computer-based tool designed to improve the ability of learners to perform complex reasoning. The identification of organic chemical compounds involves gathering and interpreting complementary information from mass, infrared, Raman, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra. Here, special attention is paid to one-dimensional [superscript 1]H and [superscript 13]C NMR spectra and to two-dimensional NMR spectra because these techniques particularly require extensive interactive data manipulation. ULg Spectra offers tutorial-drill materials, including spectra that are "authentic" in the sense that they contain solvent and impurity traces rather than being "idealized" spectra often found in textbook examples. A public version is accessible online free of charge. The exam results for two groups of students, one having used ULg Spectra for extra home-based training and the other not, were compared. Statistical data demonstrated higher performance for the "trained" students compared with the control group.
Descriptors: Science Instruction, Spectroscopy, College Science, Undergraduate Study, Computer Assisted Instruction, Educational Technology, Computer Software, Chemistry, Foreign Countries, Surveys, Statistical Analysis
Division of Chemical Education, Inc and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Belgium
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A