<p>Check out mathml<br>
It's available as a javascript load so no installation required. My be a moodle module already. It makes near type-set quality math in a web form. Should work for equation balancing as well. I think it had double-headed arrows and other glyphs you need.<br>
Yes! Make them show their steps!<br>
The brain work behind unit conversions is VITAL!!! Mr pre-meds at Emory struggled to grasp that until I explained they HAD to know it for drug dosing. Then they put in the effort to learn it.</p>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Jan 21, 2012 10:26 AM, "Tom Freeman" <<a href="mailto:tfreeman@intel.digichem.net">tfreeman@intel.digichem.net</a>> wrote:<br type="attribution"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<br>
<br>
On Fri, 20 Jan 2012, Wolf Halton wrote:<br>
<br>
><br>
> On Fri, Jan 20, 2012 at 10:20 AM, Tom Freeman<br>
> <<a href="mailto:tfreeman@intel.digichem.net">tfreeman@intel.digichem.net</a>> wrote:<br>
> I have accepted the job of teaching an on-line<br>
> chemistry course for majors<br>
> next fall, with the requirement that the course be<br>
> written this spring.<br>
> I for see an issue which I could use a whole heaping<br>
<<snip/chop>><br>
><br>
> What kind of thing are they doing?<br>
> OpenOfficeDraw can let them make sketches<br>
> Dia can let them make more organized diagrams (replaces visio)<br>
> What MafiaSoft product are you attempting to substitute?<br>
<br>
Wolf<br>
<br>
Basically, as I understand their suggestions (at this instant),<br>
the suggestion is to use Office 2010 exclusively. Apparently,<br>
the ability to take a document and use a stylus and touchpad<br>
for annotation exists in the package. I cant't swear to that, as<br>
I don't use it.<br>
<br>
As for what the students will be doing - this is freshman<br>
chemistry. There will be a limited number of cases where graphic<br>
structures (orbital orientation, crystal structure, 3-D molecules,<br>
fisher structures for example) are useful in this course. More<br>
important to me is the ability to structure a calculation<br>
argument for tasks such as conversions, stoichimetric calculations,<br>
dilutions, and the like. Of course, there is also the relatively<br>
simple task of getting a nicely laid out reaction equation.<br>
<br>
I should point out, that I'm getting old enough to still expect some<br>
old school skills. "Google that" for a conversion doesn't cut it.<br>
I want somebody to be able to recognize a conversion type problem,<br>
and how to set it up, document the set up, and get an informative<br>
result. One demo which I can only wish will survive transmission.<br>
<br>
Convert 75.2 inches to kilometers. (Work with me here please.<br>
I know it is an absurd problem, but we all know absurdity is all<br>
through the work place and life.)<br>
<br>
I try to enforce writing down the conversion facts you plan to use.<br>
Hence: 2.54 cm = 1 in (exact), 100 cm = 1 m (exact),<br>
1000m = 1Km (exact).<br>
<br>
There are _at_least_ three structurally different formating<br>
aproaches, and may be a few others. Algebraically creating a ratio<br>
then computing, computing three different conversions in sequence,<br>
something called units analysis which is set up and compute.<br>
Working with people who are having difficulties just wrapping their<br>
minds around conversions, let alone formating them for posterity...<br>
<br>
To continue with a sequence of conversions:<br>
_75.2 in_ = _?_ cm_<br>
convert in -> cm 1 in 2.54 cm ===> 191.008 cm<br>
<br>
_191.008_cm = _?_m_<br>
convert cm -> m 100 cm 1 m ===> 1.91008 m<br>
<br>
_1.91008_m_ = _?_Km_<br>
convert m -> Km 1000 m 1 Km ===> 0.00191008 Km<br>
<br>
sig fig ===> 0.00191 Km<br>
<br>
<br>
(sorry about having to use ASCI art style formatting, those<br>
entries are fast attempts to show ratios)<br>
<br>
Hopefully this shows a little bit of what I'm trying to<br>
accomplish. I'm trying to get students to create documentable<br>
solutions for their future work, not to rely on "Google". Their<br>
employers are not hiring "Google".<br>
<br>
FWIW - I'm using "Google" in the sense of "look it up via computer<br>
on-line" rather than the corporate entity we all know and many<br>
love.<br>
<br>
Hope this makes sense, and I apologise for the rather OT use<br>
of innocent bandwidth.<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
Ale mailing list<br>
<a href="mailto:Ale@ale.org">Ale@ale.org</a><br>
<a href="http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale" target="_blank">http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale</a><br>
See JOBS, ANNOUNCE and SCHOOLS lists at<br>
<a href="http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo" target="_blank">http://mail.ale.org/mailman/listinfo</a><br>
</blockquote></div>