Using Second Life in the Chemistry Classroom

Jean-Claude BradleyE-Learning Coordinator

College of Arts and SciencesAssociate Professor of Chemistry

Drexel University

April 29, 2008

The 8th Annual Leadership Initiative in Science Education (LISE 8)

Chemical Heritage Foundation

What is the role of a chemistry teacher?

Produce chemists by any means necessary!

View vodcasts on iTunes or on a video iPod

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CHEM 24189 students

CHEM 24364 students

Natural migration from F2F to screencast/podcast channels

Teacher as a Learning Catalyst

Use class time for workshops and assign recorded lectures

Be present while students do problems, watch lectures, play games, use Second Life

Discuss extra credit assignment on Second Life

Address technical implementation on their laptops

Small groups or one-on-one

Student Blogging

Student assignments on a wiki

Student assignment on NMR using live research data and JSpecView

Games on a TabletPC: Wheel of Orgo

EduFrag Maze (without weapons)

EduFrag Unreal Tournament (with weapons)

Quiz Obelisks in Second Life (Eloise Pasteur)

Student Assignments in Second Life

Flying Around on a Molecule

SMILES, InChIs and InChIKeys: the new language of chemistry

Visualizing NMR spectra on Second Nature Island

Interacting with NMR spectra (JCAMP-DX)

Talk to the spectrum: zoom 2.1-2.3 (Andy Lang)

Docking Demonstration on Drexel Island

Enoyl Reductase by Peter Miller

Avidin: From PDB file to…..

Avidin 3D structure in Second Life (Andy Lang)

Imine Formation Mechanism: talk to the molecules!

Indexing Molecules on SecondLifeMolecules.wikispaces.com

3D Periodic Table (ACS and Andrew Lang)

Faculty “Offices” on Drexel Island

Bradley Lab on Drexel Island

Posters on Second Nature – with Bells

Conferences on Second Nature

ACS IslandKate Sellar (Finola Graves)

Andrew Lang (Hiro Sheridan)

ACS Headquarters

ACS Landmarks

Virtual Poster Area

Nanotubes and Felicene

Resident Chemist Program: Hinestroza Lab

Rosania Lab

Party in the ACS Geodesic Dome!13:30 EDT May 6, 2008

Summary

• Use wikis to organize content and to interact with students on assignments

• Use Second Life to stretch student and teacher imagination – and encourage networking

• Use multiple channels to deliver content and assess learning

• Most of these technologies are simple, free and hosted