Resumen de Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Students Use Printed and Electronic Handbooks to Identify Unknowns
Every Fall, approximately 400 students at Stanford University take a sophomore level organic chemistry class that covers the identification of organic compounds. Students use the Swain Chemistry and Chemical Engineering intensively to help them identify the unknowns they are working with in the laboratory. To help prepare students for the information age, ease crowding in the library, and reduce damage to reference titles from overuse, for the past three years we have mounted experimental efforts to teach students how to find their unknowns using electronic and printed books. Despite some glitches, a student survey indicates strong support for continued use of electronic handbooks. This paper summarizes our experimental efforts, resources used, and the infrastructure needed to support this class.
