Peer Review

Molecular Symmetry Online

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: May 10, 2011 by Chemistry

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: This site provides a means for determining and representing the symmetry elements of molecules in 3-D. The entry to the program requires a download but the end result is a utility of considerable advantage to inorganic students and advanced physical chemistry students. This site is an extremely high quality professional level site.
Type of Material:: Text and html structures along with flash animations
Recommended Uses:: This site should be used to refresh the student's knowledge of the definitions of the various symmetry elements while taking advantage of the Internet to present a three-dimensional and interactive display of molecules and their symmetry elements. THe symmetry calculator will also find use in research areas for beginning students.
Technical Requirements:: This site requires Internet Explorer 6 and Macromedia Flash Player 5 or later. Full access to the symmetry toolkit also required Microsoft Excel 2000 or later and Chime (a freeware browser plug-in used to display three-D molecular structures on web pages.
Identify Major Learning Goals:: There are three sections. The main purpose of the examples section is to refresh the student's knowledge of the definitions of the various symmetry elements while taking advantage of the Internet to present a three-dimensional and interactive display of molecules and their symmetry elements. The second section presents an Excel-based Symmetry Calculator than can be downloaded to a PC an dused to create symmetry elements for molecules selected by the user. Finally, a third section contains a list of useful links relating to the subject of chemical symmetry.
Target Student Population:: Students who are new to the determination of symmetry elements or who need a refresher in the material will find this site to be of use.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Students should have experience with Lewis structures and have a basic knowledge of the different kinds of symmetry elements and the notation for symmetry elements. The symmetry toolkit is a magnificent piece of visual basic coding behind an excel spreadsheet. There should be more instructions provided on its use, however.

Content Quality

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Strengths:: The examples are clear. The animations and the popup windows with Chime structures showing each of the symmetry elements are very easily understood and helpful to the students.
Concerns:: It would be helpful if the site was supplemented with the basic rules for determining the point group to which the molecule belonged. The symmetry tutorial describes the symmetry elements well. However, each should be supplemented with a visual illustration as well.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

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Strengths:: The ability to review each of the major point groups and the relevant symmetry elements is a real plus. The idea of being able to calculate the symmetry elements of a molecule is also very helpful.
Concerns:: The effectiveness of this site is incredibly limited by the implicit assumption that the student only needs a refresher. It would be a simple matter to add a few web pages outlining the general principles for determination of the symmetry of a molecule and some worked examples.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

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Strengths:: The site is written in 2 different languages which is a remarkable and rare accomplishment. Some care has been given to page layout and aesthetics or graphical design quality.
Concerns:: The navigation system is right side oriented (a language issue). Perhaps the authors could permit for English users for the navigation structure to be left oriented. Sound effects associated with blocked popups need to be removed. THe animations arrive in a pop up window which is often blocked on browsers. THere is no need for this and this feature should be removed. Once the pop up window arrives, the back link to the home page is removed. Therefore, overall site navigation on this page is problematic and should be repaired. That is, until the pop up animation window is cancelled, the user cThe idea that an excel spreadsheet needs to be installed on the users computer for the calculations is a real detraction. This could all be done within the context of the web page using javascripts etc. and should be. Most end users will shy away from downloading a specialized excel spreadsheet from a site that contains multiple languages. This is an unnecessary detraction from an otherwise effective and useful sit

Other Issues and Comments:: This site contains two languages. The user should see only one language, the chosen language, after the initial language choice. The visibility of two languages on every page may well be the norm in the country of the authors. However, English speakers will find this quite distracting. It is also unnecessary. Just double the number of pages and reroute at the entry page to whichever side is best related to the user's language.
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