This work has produced (1) novel techniques to educate undergraduate chemistry students [1-3], (2) interesting ways to present research to the public [4], and (3) hand-held devices to facilitate learning undergraduate organic and general chemistry [5-11].

    We have developed four teaching devices, three for undergraduate organic chemistry and one for general chemistry.  One has been adopted by a publisher of organic chemistry texts [6].  The three teaching devices for undergraduate organic chemistry are:  (1) the Nucleophile / Electrophile (Nu/E) Reaction Guide for the reaction of electrophiles with nucleophiles [5-10], available commercially, [5,6] (2) the Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution (EAS) Tool for learning  products, reagent generation, substituent effects, and mechanisms in electrophilic aromatic substitution [7-11], and (3) Reaction Site Selection in Carbonyl Compounds device (Carbonyl Site Selector) with three techniques, and the rationales, for predicting the site of attack by a nucleophile or base.  We have studied the effect of each of these three devices on student test performance.  We found that the Nu/E Guide improved the pertinent test question performance of students using the device outside of class by 20.1% over those students who did not use the device at all, by 9.1% over those students who used the device only in class and by 8.1% over those students who used the device both inside and outside of class.  We surveyed students further and gathered information which led to the conclusion that students using the device inside class were distracted from explanations and discussion being presented, which reduced learning.  The EAS Tool produced analogous improvements of 17.3%, 4.4%, and 3.8% respectively.  Results for the Carbonyl Site Selector are being calculated.

    One research project, undertaken to increase the appeal of science to the public and in particular to elementary students, was recently selected as the subject of a permanent exhibit in the Air and Space Museum in Oklahoma City [13].  (There are only four privately funded such air and space museums in the US, one being in the Smithsonian, which also considered making our project part of its Life Sciences exhibit, but eliminated it in the final cut.)  We analyzed precipitates formed in a series of reactions carried out aboard the "Getaway Special" in a project designed specifically to inspire Oklahoma high school students' interest in science.  The project description, the experiment materials, and the equipment, such as the space capsule holding the remotely-controlled reaction chambers, constitute an exhibit under construction at the Air and Space Museum.  Appropriately, this space project which was conceived, sponsored, constructed, and analyzed all by Oklahomans will be displayed at the museum containing the contributions of many other Oklahomans.  The exhibit will be seen by thousands of Oklahoma students each year; we hope that exposure to an experiment conceived, constructed, funded, and analyzed by other Oklahomans was carried out on board the Space Shuttle, they will be inspired into science as well.  Dr. Nelson's part in this was (1) to conceive, design, and carry out sample analysis, (2) to prepare the text, samples, and analysis photos for the museum display, and (3) to have the research published in a refereed journal [4].  It was a challenge to provide an explanation of the project which a 10-year-old would find interesting, comprehensible, and inspirational.

References
 1.  A Safe Convenient Method of Generating Bromine for Qualitative Analysis. Do, Thuy H.; Smiley, Kimberly Y.; Nelson, Donna J.      J. Chem. Ed.  1987,  64, 368.
 2.  A Rule Based Expert System for Gas Chromatograph Troubleshooting.  Nelson, Donna J.   Proceedings of the First Oklahoma Symposium on Artificial Intelligence  1988, 103-110.
 3.  Creativity and Science.  Nelson, Donna J.      Creativity in Action.  1992, 215, 5.
 4.  Formation of Inorganic Precipitates in Microgravity on the STS-40.  Frates, Rodman A.; Nelson, Donna J.; Friedrich, Craig; Rubowitz, Mark; Collins, Clay.      Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Science.  1996, 76, 75-82.
 5.  Nucleophile / Electrophile Reaction Guide for Organic Chemistry.  Nelson, Donna J.;  Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.:  Sudbury, MA, 1997.
 6.  Study Guide and Solutions Manual to Accompany Organic Chemistry, Second Edition.  M. A. Fox, J. K. Whitesell, and D. J. Nelson; Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Inc.:  Sudbury, MA, 1997.
 7.  Stills, S. "Slide rule" helps in teaching electrophilic aromatic substitution.  From the ACS meeting.      Chemical & Engineering News 1998, April 13, p. 47.
 8.  Gillham, O. Nelson: Professor develops, markets teaching aid.      The Norman Transcript, May 5, 1998, p. 1A.
 9.  Teaching Devices to Make Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Easier.  Nelson, Donna J.      Proceedings of the 26th National Triennial Convention of Iota Sigma Pi; Iota Sigma Pi Promethium Chapter:  Portland, OR, 1999.
 10.  Teaching Devices to Make Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Easier.  Nelson, Donna J.    Proceedings of the Oklahoma Academy of Sciences.  2000. In Press.
 11.  The Effect of the Nucleophile/Electrophile Reaction Guide on the Performance of Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Students.  Nelson, Donna J.      Chemical Education Journal  2001, 4,17.
 12.  An Organization Device for Visualizing Mechanisms and Regiochemistry Rationales in Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution.  Nelson, Donna J.  Chemical Educator.  2000.  Submitted.
 13.  Formation of Inorganic Precipitates in Microgravity on the Getaway Special STS-40.  Frates, Rodman A.; Nelson, Donna J.; Friedrich, Craig; Rubowitz, Mark; Collins, Clay.      Oklahoma Air and Space Museum  2000, permanent exhibit under construction.

Presentations at Meetings
 1.  A Rule Based Expert System of Gas Chromatograph Troubleshooting.  Nelson, Donna J.     First Oklahoma Symposium on Artificial Intelligence, Norman, OK.  Nov. 2, 1987.
 2.  Analysis of Inorganic Chemical Precipitates Formed Aboard the Columbia on the STS-40.  Nelson, D. J.; Vitense, K. R.; Bench, T.  205th ACS National Meeting, Denver, CO.  CHED 156,  Mar. 29, 1993.
 3.  Analysis of Inorganic Chemical Precipitates Formed Aboard the Columbia on the STS-40.  Frates, R. A.; Nelson, Donna J.; Friedrich, C.; Rubowitz, M.; Collins, C.  40th ACS Oklahoma Pentasectional Meeting, Norman, OK.  No. 39, Apr. 29, 1995.
 4.  A Device for Demonstrating the Basic Patterns of Reactivity of Nucleophiles and Electrophiles in Organic Chemistry.  Nelson, Donna J.; Ashley, Derrick; Patel, Rina.  40th ACS Oklahoma Pentasectional Meeting, Norman, OK.  No. 40, Apr. 29, 1995.
 5.  A Device for Visualizing the Mechanism and Regiochemistry Rationales in Electrophilic Aromatic Substitution.  Nelson, Donna J.  215th ACS National Meeting, Dallas, TX.  ORGN 126, Mar. 29, 1998.
 6.  Device to Clarify Reaction Site Selection by Nucleophiles and Bases in Carbonyl Compounds.  Nelson, Donna J.  216th ACS National Meeting, Boston, MA.  ORGN 212, Aug. 23, 1998.
 7.  Teaching Devices to Make Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Easy.  Nelson, Donna J.  26th National Triennial Convention of Iota Sigma Pi, Portland, OR. Scientific Paper No.  14,  June 24, 1999.
 8.  Developing, Testing, and Marketing Devices which Facilitate Learning Organic Chemistry.  Nelson, Donna J.  State Regents Economic Development Day, Norman, OK.  Paper No.  28,  Nov. 12, 1999.
 9.  A Device to Make Balancing Simple Equations Easier.  Nelson, Donna J.; Brammer, Christopher N.  45th Annual ACS Oklahoma Pentasectional Meeting, Stillwater, OK. Poster 11, Apr. 15, 2000.
 10.  A Device to Make Balancing Simple Equations Easier.  Nelson, Donna J.; Brammer, Christopher N.  220th ACS National Meeting, Washington, DC. CHED 31, Aug. 20, 2000.