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232nd ACS National Meeting, San Francisco, CA, September 10-14, 2006

CHED 524

Quantitative chemistry experiments in a home lab kit

Lawton Shaw, Centre for Science, Athabasca University, 1 University Drive, Athabasca, AB T9S 3A3, Canada
Athabasca University (AU) is an open and distance education unversity. AU's Chemical Principles I course uses a home lab kit for the laboratory component. The experiments in the kit are mostly quantitative in nature, which presents teaching and design challenges. Material challenges include cost, size, and safety. The design and content of the lab manual and support materials are also critical to student success, because the typical lab manual is not enough for a distance education student. Some of the experiments will be described. Future challenges and opportunities will be discussed.