Making Inorganic Chemistry Interesting
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Making Inorganic Chemistry Interesting∗ Analogy Based Pragmatic Approach to Learning N Rajesh
The undergraduate student perception of inorganic chemistry as routine and unimaginative was transformed by adopting few innovative approaches in the pedagogy. This is primarily a reflection of my experiences in classroom teaching that is presented in this commentary. Fun-oriented, analogy based and pragmatic approach was used to explain simple concepts in inorganic chemistry. Laboratory demonstrations and exposure to understand research articles made the course more interesting. Selective examples of defining classroom moments are presented in this reflective commentary. Framing questions in an animated, imaginative and unconventional style made students feel quite challenged and also experience the joy in learning. The introduction of group discussion as an evaluative component enhanced the soft skills of the students. The creative instinct in learning changed students’ perception of inorganic chemistry from an insipid to a highly engaging and captivating subject. Traditionally, chemistry is classified under the umbrella of three sacrosanct divisions— Inorganic, Organic, and Physical. Undergraduate students perceive inorganic chemistry as an insipid and run of the mill subject. I teach Inorganic Chemistry I(ChemF214) course at the second-year level for the five year integrated M.Sc (Hons) Chemistry program. This introductory level course essentially is structured for 42 lectures in the semester encompassing topics such as electronegativity, basic electrochemistry, the chemistry of main group elements, acid-base concepts and solid-state chemistry. After a brief mutual introduction in the first lecture class, I asked the students about their perspective of inorganic chemistry. The typical responses that I received were: (a) conven∗
Prof. N. Rajesh obtained his PhD from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, India. He has 25 years of teaching and research experience and is currently a Professor in the Department of Chemistry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, Hyderabad campus, India. His research interests include: development of novel biopolymer and carbonaceous materials for the effective detoxification of heavy metals, fluoride and pesticides from water and industrial effluents.
Keywords Inorganic chemistry, undergraduate, perception, innovations in pedagogy, transformation, defining classroom moments.
Vol.25, No.9, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12045-020-1042-7
RESONANCE | September 2020
1241
GENERAL ARTICLE
tional (b) remembering metallurgical terms (c) balancing ionic equations, and (d) boring. I had to shed these misconceptions, and it was really a challenge to make the students realize that inorganic chemistry is equally exciting, conceptual, and above all, engaging. Over the years, there has been a resurgence in inorganic chemistry extending from its diverse applications, curriculum development, and devising innovative pedagogical methods [1–7]. Nennig et al., [8] compared the impact of on
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