Stereogenics is a website where instructors and students can find tools to assist in the development of effective teaching and learning strategies of chemistry. Students planning to pursue professional degrees in Medicine, Dentistry, Veterinary Sciences, Pharmacy, and other STEM disciplines are required to take chemistry courses, including general chemistry and organic chemistry. These courses are often described as very difficult and consequently, most students develop a phobia for chemistry courses. Organic chemistry is even sometimes described as a “weed-out” course for students planning to pursue such advanced degrees.
Chemistry courses are ideally suited to be used as a tool to transform students to become better scientists. As a result, innovative teaching strategies must be developed in order to effectively meet this goal. In addition, teaching styles must involve not only the communication of chemistry content, but it should be designed to develop and improve the student’s ability to think critically and analytically about the content material presented. Throughout a chemistry course, students should be expected to apply that approach to solve problems scientifically and to become better scientists. Chemistry courses should also be designed to assist students develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills as they continue to prepare for the workforce.
The information and materials available at this website are designed to assist both instructors and students achieve the maximum from different chemistry courses, but especially organic chemistry. Organic chemistry is sometimes described as a foreign language since most of the concepts covered are new and they are communicated mostly in unusual formats, such as the use of Greek symbols, letters of the alphabet, numbers, lines, dots, graphs, figures, illustrations and not by the conventional written statements as most of the other courses that students take prior to taking organic chemistry. As a result, the proper set of learning tools, such as a model set, must be used in order to effectively understand and communicate the various concepts in chemistry.