I describe a number of recent projects aimed at deepening undergraduate student understanding of difficult and important concepts in chemistry and across STEM disciplines.  The longest-running of these projects uses interactive simulations to teach students core concepts related to the behavior of collections of atoms and molecules.  These concepts include the energy landscape, entropy, free energy, and how molecular-scale behaviors result in emergent, macroscopically observable properties.  Separate investigations are examining the use of an intelligent computer agent to facilitate student discussions about intermolecular forces in a collaborative online chat environment.  Additional current studies use a pedagogy based on specially constructed contrasting cases to help students develop a deep understanding of reaction progress and what chemical reaction �equations� mean.  Curricular materials and student assessment results will be presented for each project.

Advancing chemistry and interdisciplinary STEM education through interactive simulations, computer-facilitated collaborative chat, and novel instructional strategies

244th National Meeting (2012)

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