Using Simulations to Transform the Nature of Chemistry Homework

Introduction Because introductory chemistry is abstract and often seems distant from students’ experiences, instructors find it difficult to bridge the gap between theory and real chemical processes in a way that promotes interest in the subject, and thus an intuitive understanding and long-term retention of the material. Our starting point is that paperand-pencil homework is simply not well suited to this goal and, while hands-on laboratory activities are important, they are typically limited in number and flexibility due to time, cost and safety constraints. Furthermore, introductory chemistry courses are typically large courses that are often viewed as essential to the department and university’s mission, and therefore not to be experimented with lightly. In this paper, we outline our strategy for designing simulations and integrating them smoothly into currently existing introductory courses, in order to gradually improve student learning.