Interactive teaching with larger groups of students can be a challenge, but the use of mobile electronic devices by students (smartphones, tablets, laptops) can be used to improve classroom interaction. We have examined several types of tasks that can be electronically enacted in classes and practical courses using these devices: multiple choice (MC) questions; open-ended questions; and 3D visualization of (bio)molecules and complexes. We have introduced these tasks dynamically in several educational contexts in our teaching programs. Specifically, attention is paid to applying devices in introductory quizzes at the start of a course, throughout lectures, and in practical courses. Each application has been found by us to offer significant merits in terms of connecting theory and practice, full formative assessment (including an improvement in interactions of introverted students), monitoring progress, engaging students early on in research, stimulating "3D" molecular feeling, and maintaining student attention. From the student perspective, evaluations revealed overall positive feedback on several key aspects of our approaches. In all, we believe that this mutually beneficial way of teaching can be of broader application, also in nonchemistry-related curricula.

Emiliania huxleyi (Lohmann) Kamptner, belonging to a group of marine unicellular algae, the Coccolithophoridae, possesses a cell wall containing calcified structures called coccoliths. These coccoliths contain a water‐soluble acid polysaccharide. The polysaccharide contains ester sulphate and uronic acid groups and binds Ca2+ preferentially from a medium also containing Na+ and Mg2+. It is thought to perform a regulatory function in the calcification process. In the present paper we describe a series of studies in vivo intended to give a preliminary characterization of a number of metabolic steps leading to coccolith formation. In view of the putative role of the acid polysaccharide in coccolith synthesis, we have concentrated on the incorporation of polysaccharide precursors by calcifying cells. As a second approach we investigated the differences between calcifying cells and cells of the same species that have lost the capability to produce coccoliths (non‐calcifying cells). Calcifying cells were offered radioactive calcium, bicarbonate, galactose and sulphate in the light. Most of the calcium label and a small part of the label of galactose and bicarbonate was incorporated into extracellular coccoliths. The label of galactose was detected in at least seven of the constituent monosaccharides of the coccolith‐associated polysaccharide. Radioactive sulphate was also incorporated into the extracellular coccolith polysaccharide. In contrast to the label of bicarbonate and galactose that of calcium reached a steady‐state concentration intracellularly within 2 h. A technique was developed for the isolation of intracellular CaCO3, presumably coccoliths in statu nascendi. About 10% of the label of bicarbonate and galactose was incorporated into an intracellular acid polysaccharide, resembling the coccolith‐associated macromolecule. Non‐calcifying cells fail to take up Ca2+ and galactose. We demonstrated that non‐calcifying cells produce an acid polysaccharide, resembling the coccolith‐associated macromolecule. The former polysaccharide is shed into the surrounding medium and can be labelled by offering the non‐calcifying cells radioactive bicarbonate.

Thirty-six pre-university chemistry students and two chemistry teachers used flow chemistry as a technology for the synthesis of methyl orange. FutureChemistry and VU University Amsterdam cooperatively created FlowStart Remote, a device that enabled the students to remotely conduct this synthesis and in real time monitor and control the device via a LabVIEW Web application. The students were able to conduct experiments under different conditions and became acquainted with flow chemistry in a safe way. The remotely controlled device can be shared among several upper-level secondary schools, giving access to experimentation for many students all over the world.

Assessment for learning (AfL) and differentiated instruction (DI) both imply a focus on learning processes and affect student learning positively. However, both AfL and DI prove to be difficult to implement for teachers. Two chemistry and two physics teachers were studied when designing and implementing the formative assessment of conceptual understanding (AfL), as well as whole task-first differentiating instruction (WTDI). The teachers were offered design and enactment heuristics that showed them how they could redesign and enact their lessons to implement AfL and WTDI. The heuristic support was based on theories on decisionmaking in complex practices. Our assumption was that this support would be considered practical by the teachers and contribute to the implementation of the new practices. Teachers redesigned, enacted and evaluated the lessons using the heuristics. They were interviewed pre-and post, additionally, their lessons were videotaped and lesson designs were collected and analysed. Data-analysis shows that all teachers changed their practices permanently and implemented AfL and WTDI. Although, they considered some aspects as unpractical, the study reveals that the heuristic support was overall practical for the teachers involved and therefore contributes to insight in how to improve implementation of change proposals.