Central Missouri State University, Department of Chemistry and Physics, Warrensburg, MO 64093
e-mail: mckay@cmsu1.cmsu.edu
At Central Missouri State University, we recognized the changing student demographics and increasing non-traditional composition in our courses. It was necessary to accommodate that population within the standards and limitations of the department's resources. In the chemistry department, we have focused on developing an electronic chemistry community to better serve our students. Using WebCT® or Blackboard® as the platform, we have enhanced our general chemistry laboratory experience. Video segments pertaining to techniques, calculations, and procedures from standard general chemistry laboratories, such as a Beer's Law and acid base titrations, were filmed, converted to movie files, edited, and placed on the department web server. On-line pre-laboratory quizzes in the electronic medium were used to gauge the students' basic understanding of the laboratory procedure and safety issues. Admittance to the laboratory was restricted to students that demonstrated appropriate lab preparation by passing a pre-laboratory quiz. The video and on-line quizzes were available on the Internet so that these materials could be accessed from the students' homes and at their convenience.
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CEJ Vol. 8, No. 1, Contents