Students' World Wide Web Access


Students have access to the Inernet for learning chemistry from various locations on campus, including the Chemistry Learning Center. The Netscape browser is available as an option from the main menu on the signon page. The Chemistry Learning Center World Wide Web server houses Home Pages for chemistry courses as well as other materials.

One difficulty with providing Internet access to all students using the Chemistry Learning Center is the use of machines for purposes other than learning chemistry. Previously, the only materials students could access were those we specifically provided and those which were intended to support chemistry courses. Now, students can visit any Web site for which they know the URL. We have observed many students using computers for activities which are most likely not related to any course they are taking.

It is possible to restrict students' access to sites off campus by blocking addresses which are outside the campus gateway. Restricting access to sites off campus does not preclude students off campus accessing chemistry software residing on our server. Unless this activitiy rises to such an extent that it is no longer possible for students using chemistry software to find a free computer, we will probably not restrict access. We would be interested in knowing whether other faculty have the same concern.

Students repeatedly ask for access to chemistry software from dormitory rooms and off- campus apartments and fraternity houses. The Internet makes this possible. However, much of the off-campus access is slow at present because modems are used. Many of the dormitories have a high-speed network line which gives students living there reasonable access.

Chemistry instructional material available over the Internet includes:

Lecture notes for many chemistry classes

General chemistry lecture demonstrations

Internet Quizzes

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