First Year Chemistry Language Support at the University of Tasmania

A number of in-class and post-lecture learning strategies are described that have recently been incorporated into the first year chemistry program at the University of Tasmania, Hobart. These methodologies are centered on supporting the various language based challenges that students face in achieving a firm introduction to the discipline. A number of delivery strategies were trialed for in-class activities that overcame institutional specific limitations in access to technologies in an attempt to increase student involvement in lectures and tutorials. Activities included mobile phone-based technologies (and simple overhead transparency/show-of-hand alternatives) for in-class audience surveys, word matching exercises, and chemical songs. The post-lecture approaches also covered a range of delivery platforms, including (i) on-line based quizzes that focused on providing specific, tailored feedback to allow maximal self-reflection on the understanding of key terms and concepts prior to attempting weekly summative assignments where feedback is deliberately kept limited; (ii) developing a broader range of weekly assignment questions (beyond conventional multiple choice) to focus on language issues; (iii) chemical Sudoku puzzles, and (iv) crossword activities. Evaluations of these approaches are presented.

Vapour-Phase Polymerization of Pyrrole and 3,4-Ethylenedioxythiophene Using Iron(III) 2,4,6-Trimethylbenzenesulfonate

A new iron(iii) 2,4,6-trimethylbenzenesulfonate (MSA) with composition [Fe(OH2)5(MSA)3] has been prepared from the reaction of Fe(OH)3·xH2O and three molar equivalents of 2,4,6-trimethylbenzenesulfonic acid and used as oxidant in the preparation of highly conducting polypyrrole (PPy) and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) films for the first time. PPy and PEDOT films grown on non-conducting overhead transparency (polyethylene terephthalate films) using a vapour phase polymerization technique exhibited very high conductivities; 200 ± 20 S cm–1 for PPy and 1000 ± 80 S cm–1 for PEDOT.