JUN 5, 2025

Educator’s Month: Molecular visualization and teaching with Schrodinger for sophomore organic chemistry courses

Organic chemistry I and II are viewed as a gatekeeper course for students in biology, psychology, and engineering. The goal of our grant “Technology Enhanced Education and Practices for Success (TEEPS)” funded by National Science Foundation (NSF) is to enhance the quality of the sophomore organic chemistry I and II courses. Many students have challenges in understanding organic chemistry. Physical models for organic chemistry and visualization of molecules in 3D using computers and software (cyberinfrastructure) with hands-on experience are very helpful for students in learning organic chemistry. For hands-on experience, students at Clark Atlanta University (CAU) used simple drawing and visualization software of Avogadro, which is an advanced molecule editor and visualizer designed for cross-platform use in computational chemistry, molecular modeling, bioinformatics, materials science, and related areas. In addition, we also used Teaching with Schrödinger for both organic chemistry I and II courses for the last two years. Specific assignments that were already created by Schrödinger were directly used for the courses. Students’ feedback was collected and made necessary adjustments accordingly in the following semesters. (Acknowledgment: NSF Grant 2106938)