Vol. 4  Iss. 1  The Chemical Educator  © 1999 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc.

ISSN 1430-4171 http://journals.springer-ny.com/chedr S 1430-4171(99)01281-6

Website Review  

The Macrogalleria

 Reviewed by
Leslie Hersh
Chemistry Department, Delta College, University Center, MI 48710
ljhersh@alpha.delta.edu
 

The Macrogalleria. http://www.psrc.usm.edu/macrog/ Developed by the Polymer Science Department, University of Southern Mississippi.

The Macrogalleria, (http://www.psrc.usm.edu/macrog/) a "cyberwonderland of polymer fun," lives up to its name. Developed by members of the Polymer Science department at the University of Southern Mississippi, the Macrogalleria provides an example of the WWW delivering instruction in a new way that is sure to enhance classroom instruction.

The Website's homepage outlines the concept of the polymer shopping mall in a clear and easy to read manner. The mall consists of five levels of virtual stores; each houses a particular topic. The first level consists of traditional mall type stores; "Tons o' Toys," "Dollar Dungeon," "Food Court," etc., and in each store students see a description of the available products and information about which polymers are utilized as components of the products. The second-level stores are named for specific polymers, such as polypropylene, starch, and silicone. When students enter these stores they learn about the polymer, its uses, and the basics of its synthesis. At the third level the stores detail concepts of polymer physical chemistry such as crosslinking, thermoplastics, and glass transitions. The fourth level contains details of polymer synthesis such as Ziegler-Natta polymerization, the preparation of epoxy resins, and others. The fifth level, under construction at the moment, presents techniques for polymer analysis such as size exclusion chromatography.

Humor is used extensively to keep the exploration enjoyable. Consider a reference to a hot tub:

"This hot tub, which is good for relaxing, or making several hundred gallons of split pea soup if the need arises, is also made of polymers. The surface is made of poly(methyl methacrylate). That's the same stuff as Plexiglas."

The beauty of the concept is that in addition to presenting valuable information, the Macrogalleria presentation uses extensive crosslinking to help students explore a topic in the breadth and depth they need or want. Students may go into the music store (level 1 ), discover that guitar pickguards are made from polystyrene, jump a link to the polystyrene page (level 2 ), become interested in vinyl polymers (level 3 ) and want to know more about their synthesis through free-radical vinyl polymerization (level 4 ). Some shoppers may never leave the first floor and yet still gain an appreciation of the presence of both natural and synthetic polymers in our daily lives. More advanced students may pursue information on polymers at whatever level of sophistication they choose.

Navigation between the stores is easy; each store site includes a link back to the directory for that particular floor of the mall, as well as a link to the mall entrance (home page).

In essence, the student never needs a mall map (although these are readily available, and helpful for students who prefer a more ordered approach). Students hop between floors of the mall without having to find the escalator.

The sophisticated graphics can be both a joy and a problem. To view the site in its entirety requires the installation of two plug-ins, Macromedia Shockwave Director and Chemscape Chime to view and rotate the molecular models. Links to both download areas are included in directions on the home page. Once installed, the plug-ins do their job and truly enhance the explanations within the Macrogalleria. One drawback of the extensive graphics is that the pages may take more time to load than some students are prepared to wait. Hopefully, once they see the page on their screen, they will think that the wait was justified. Presenting the information as departments within a store, requiring shorter pages, would help. The many photographs enliven the pages; because I consider this a world-class Website, I hope that as the photographs are updated, a more diverse population will be represented in the photos that include people.

The homepage includes a link to site notes that describe the concept of this Website in detail for students and teachers. The authors have also made the material available on a CD-ROM (currently $30 plus shipping) for individuals who would prefer to work offline.

The site is a joy to explore - both as a means to learn about polymers and to see how interactive delivery can truly enhance instruction.