JCE VIPEr: An Inorganic Teaching and Learning Community

To facilitate the effective sharing of teaching tools among faculty and the development of deep subject knowledge in support of teaching, a group of faculty from predominantly undergraduate institutions has established a virtual community of inorganic chemists, IONiC (Interactive Online Network of Inorganic Chemists). Our mission is to enhance the inorganic chemistry classroom and laboratory experience for students and faculty members through the development of a vibrant, collaborative, and open community. VIPEr, the Virtual Inorganic Pedagogical Electronic Resource, is a Web site that forms the online home for our community. VIPEr is an interactive Web resource that combines a repository of learning objects (small instructional units such as an in-class activity, an exam problem, or a lab) with social networking tools (such as forums and comment threads) to form a rich virtual community of practice among inorganic chemistry faculty worldwide. Registration and access to all materials are freely available.