TEACHING CHEMICAL SPECIATION TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTS AND GEOCHEMISTS USING ENVIROLAND

A new software package, EnviroLand©, is available for teaching chemical speciation of acids and bases in environmental chemistry and geochemistry. The program is appropriate for undergraduate and graduate instruction. EnviroLand has been used in a variety of ways including as an inquiry-based exercise, as a lecture aid, a system for checking spreadsheet logic and calculations, and a key to homework assignments. Computer-assisted instruction is rapidly becoming a common tool in the classroom, but software packages should be designed to be interactive so that student learning will be enhanced.