The Virtual Molecular Model Kit (VMK) was designed as a classroom presentation tool that could provide greater versatility than a classic wooden or plastic model kit. During the development phase of the VMK, the authors of this paper have focused on the technical aspects of the kit, including a recent conversion from Java Jmol to HTML5/JavaScript Jmol (JSmol). In this current paper, the authors get back to VMK basics. The VMK is a communication tool for discussing molecules. This paper describes CheMarkup, a presentation container for the VMK that allows the VMK to become a more complete communication tool. CheMarkup makes use of HTML5 Local Storage to allow the creation of presentations that contain editable slides, VMK models, JME structures, images, and more. Entire presentations can be distributed to students in text format that comes to life when loaded into browser memory via the CheMarkup browser application. The editable presentations are retained in local browser memory until deleted by the browser user.

The Internet provides easy access to a wide variety of information sources relevant to answering chemical safety questions in the laboratory. However, this information is found in a wide variety of formats with varying audiences and intents. This often means that the quality of the information is difficult to evaluate, organize and use to support risk assessment of laboratory work with hazardous chemicals. The ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety and Division of Chemical Information are partnering to address this concern by developing a chemical safety ontology, or structured vocabulary of terms associated with chemical hazards and risk assessment and management. The goal of this ontology will be to enable the organization of chemical safety information in a sustainable, scalable, and transferable way. This paper will describe the conceptual basis of this work, including the key stakeholders involved, the information channels they use, and their roles in conducting and overseeing the chemical risk assessments in the laboratory.

Laboratory Notebooks are an important component and vital tool in the laboratory classroom, where observations, experiments and results are recorded.  For hundreds of years, lab students have employed paper notebooks to maintain their research data and information, but with improved technology and the evolution of data from analog to digital, there has been a migration to digital versions. Electronic Lab Notebooks (ELN) provide an overall digital management solution, while allowing the teachers and TAs to manage, engage, monitor and evaluate their students lab work, all at a lower cost than a traditional paper lab notebook and in real-time.

Electronic lab notebooks have proven to increase student interest, engagement and overall performance in the lab. Results show that students who use electronic lab notebooks are more likely to share with lab partners for better assignment completion; at the same time enhancing the instructor/TA to student communication process, progress monitoring and grading. Additionally, students come to lab more prepared so that more work can be done, and instructors have reported an improvement in lab reports. No more collecting, storing, and distributing paper notebooks.

With the movement from paper to digital, lab classrooms around the world have been experiencing the benefits of upgrading to digital technologies.  ELN’s can also be used as a digital publishing platform for course content.  Instructors have seen the benefits of migrating the publication of their courseware (i.e. lab manual) to within the ELN to create a hybrid lab manual and lab notebook, taking a fraction of the time, cost and effort required to produce traditional paper courseware, while allowing for updates or corrections to content at any time during the course.

To help demonstrate how quick and easy it is to use your existing course assets to create, publish, monitor and grade your lab courses with a simple change from paper to an ELN, we will cover the full life cycle of a course as viewed by both the instructor and their students.   

We have been using Elements™ in organic chemistry lab to increase engagement and interaction with undergraduate students. Elements™ is a modular and cloud-based scientific collaboration platform. It allows for facile template construction by lab instructors to disseminate laboratory procedures. The sharing of notebooks between students and instructors allows for information exchange, submission of work and grading all in one package. The web-based platform works across devices and allows for uploading of spectra, images, videos, spreadsheets, pdfs and integration of text editing and structure drawing. Student attitudes relating to integration of this new technology will be presented.