Published: April 14, 2011
Copyrightr 2011 American Chemical Society and
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. 683 dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed200029p | J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 683–686
COMMENTARY
pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Smart Phones, a Powerful Tool in the Chemistry Classroom
Antony J. Williams*,† and Harry E. Pence‡
†ChemSpider, Royal Society of Chemistry, U.S. Office, Wake Forest, North Carolina 27587, United States
‡Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, SUNY College at Oneonta, Oneonta, New York 13820, United States
ABSTRACT: Cell phones, especially “smart phones”, seem to have become ubiquitous. Actually, it is misleading to call many of
these devices phones, as they are actually a portable and powerful computer that can be very valuable in the chemistry classroom.
Currently, there are three major ways in which smart phones can be used for education. Smart phones include aWeb browser, which
gives access to the wealth of material on the World Wide Web (WWW); inexpensive applications (commonly called apps) expand
this usefulness even further; and two-dimensional barcode labels can be used to create “smart objects”. Taken together, these
capabilities are creating a world of mobile computing that may have an impact on society, including chemical education, that may be
even greater than the changes brought about by the personal computer.
KEYWORDS: First-Year Undergraduate/General, Graduate Education/Research, Chemoinformatics, Laboratory Instruction,
Computer-Based Learning, Internet/Web-Based Learning
Cell phones are clearly ubiquitous in the hands of students,
1
and smart phones, such as the iPhone, Blackberry, or
Android, are becoming increasingly common. A recent survey
shows that 85% of high school students have an iPod or similar
MP3 player, some with Internet accessibility, 70% have a laptop
or netbook, and 30% have smart phones.2,3 Such numbers
continue to grow. For the younger generation, the cell phone
is much more than a phone. Many young people use the short
message services (SMS), commonly called texting, rather than
e-mail, and cell phone cameras are replacing conventional
cameras. Smart phones are not just radically changing the way
people communicate; they are powerful computers that are small
enough to always be carried in the pocket. The present genera-
tion of college students is adopting these devices and appears to
be using them almost constantly.4 Smart phones are already used
by a large number of students and are becoming increasingly
popular. These devices have many valuable capabilities that have
a tremendous potential for use in chemical education.
’ACCESS TO CHEMISTRY APPLICATIONS
In a recent review5 one of us (A.J.W.) outlined the new world
of “mobile chemistry” and “generation app”, a generation of users
who expect “an app for that” on their smart phone, whatever the
brand. For chemistry students, developers are being responsive
with the release of an increasing number of applications that can
be downloaded at no charge or purchased for a tiny fraction of
the cost of desktop software. Applications are already available
for chemists to practice their chemistry skills, to access tables of
chemistry-related data, to sketch small molecules and to rotate
large biomolecules. While the included Web browsers often
suffice to search online databases, increasingly lightweight appli-
cations are being delivered for the smart phones.
Chemistry publishers provide smart phone access to science
news stories and updated feeds of their latest publications, either
the abstracts or the full text, for immediate review or for saving
locally to read later. Presently, the American Chemical Society
iPhone app searches over 850,000þ scientific research articles
and book chapters by author, keyword, title, abstract, digital
object identifier, or bibliographic citation. Podcasts are also
available from scientific organizations, such as the Royal Society
of Chemistry and the Nature Publishing Group.6,7
Smart phone apps can deliver facts and study guides while
chemical calculator apps provide utilities to allow bench chemists to
calculate molarities or the dilutions of stock solutions.8 Many
chemical data tables associated with either the elements or chemical
compounds are available.9 It is now even possible to draw chemical
compounds on a smart phone.10 The visualization of biomolecules is
possible, and three-dimensional renderings of large molecules are
available from the RCSB Protein Data Bank.11 Access to millions of
compounds on Web-based databases is already feasible. Chem-
Mobi12 provides access to information about over 30 million
chemicals, searchable by chemical names or identifiers as well as
retrieving information including the chemical structures, calculated
properties, and commercial availability from over 860 suppliers.
ChemSpider,13 a very large online database that contains information
for almost 25 million chemical compounds, has recently added
browser-based access, optimized for mobile devices,14 and mobile
browser access to other public domain databases is likely to expand in
the near future.
In addition to specific applications for chemistry, many smart
phone apps are generally useful in the classroom. These allow a
teacher to use a smart phone to perform common tasks such as
linking pictures of their students with class rosters, logging
observed data, capturing notes from a whiteboard, scanning
documents, or doing concept mapping.15
’AUGMENTED REALITY APPLICATIONS IN THE
CHEMISTRY CLASSROOM
Chemists are just beginning to explore how the combination
of smart phones and augmented reality might be used in the
classroom, although libraries, museums, and some companies are

684 dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed200029p |J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 683–686
Journal of Chemical Education COMMENTARY
already using this capability.16 Augmented reality can be defined
as the combination of digital information with images from the
real world. There are two types of augmented reality commonly
used on smart phones: markerless and markered.17 Markerless
augmented reality adds digital information to the image on a cell
phone camera based on the global positioning system (GPS)
location; markered augmented reality uses a physical reference
point, such as a two-dimensional barcode to connect a cell phone
to information. Markered augmented reality is especially useful
for chemists, because it provides an easy way to connect
information directly to a physical object, like a scientific instru-
ment, or to place a Web link on a sheet of paper or a book.
A variety of different types of two-dimensional (2D) barcodes
are available (see Figure 1), and there are free programs to
convert a URL (uniform resource locator) into a barcode and
also to read the resulting barcode with a smart phone.18 This
enables one to place a label on an object, for example, an
instrument, a bottle of chemicals, or even a sheet of paper, which
allows the smart phone to access a Web site related to the object.
Barcodes have already been extended to support chemical
structure encoding.19 Currently, quick response (QR) codes
seem to be most popular, but this situation could change in the
future with the expansion of usage of other forms of barcodes.
Hyperlinking is probably one of the most powerful features of
Web pages because clicking a hyperlink on a Web page can
immediately connect the reader to a new Web page. A barcode
on a physical object makes the object clickable to a smart phone,
so that it is similarly linked to further information. This creates
what is called a “smart object”.
Barcode-labeled smart objects can be very useful in the chemistry
laboratory. For example, the barcodeon an instrument could connect
users to up-to-date operating instructions or even a video showing
the correct use. As the instructions would actually be a Web page,
they could be updated whenever necessary, instead of having multi-
ple versions of the instructions or, and more likely, not being able to
find the instructions when they were needed. A bottle of chemicals
with a barcode could redirect the user to an MSDS sheet or other
chemical and physical information. Even a simple page of laboratory
instructions could now connect to a video showing how a procedure
should be done.
This only begins to scratch the surface of the possible
applications. Several companies are marketing systems that
create barcodes for sample labeling that would hold a large
amount of information and significantly decrease processing time
(see, for example, ref 18). These companies argue that 2D
barcodes can contain much more information than the tradi-
tional 1D format, and so improve safety, accuracy, and efficiency.
Although these companies generally use proprietary formats and
dedicated scanners, it is easy to envision how this technique
could be inexpensively adapted to using a smart phone.
’HOW WILL THE SMART PHONE CHANGE THE
CHEMISTRY CLASSROOM?
Some professors would rather ban cell phones than use them
for education, fearing that students would spend their class time
texting or Web browsing. Howard Rheingold writes that too
often students are in a state of continuous partial attention, a term
he adopts from Linda Stone. Rheingold argues that students have
too little control over where their devices lead their thoughts and
suggests it is important to learn to manage attention.20 He is
using classroom exercises to help his students focus their atten-
tion. He reports that most of his students recognize that they
need this type of training and welcome it. In the long run, it might
be better to use some of Rheingold’s ideas, such as designating
some portions of class as “technology on” and other times as
“technology off”. This might teach the lesson that there are times
when technology is appropriate and some times when that is not
true, especially if the instructormakes sure that students are using
their phones constructively during the technology periods.
Warschauer has studied the results of using laptop computers
in the classroom21 and found that this produced
1. More just-in-time learning
2. More autonomous, individualized learning
3. Greater ease of conducting research
4. More empirical investigation
5. More in-depth learningThese seem to be desirable goals for
any class. Although Warschauer’s article was based on
laptop use in middle and high school classes, it seems likely
that a smart phone classroom would also display many of
these characteristics.
The main difference between the use of laptops and smart
phones would be that today’s students tend to carry their smart
phone with them everywhere, and so phones provide ubiquitous
access. At this time, the main limitation is that not all students
have smart phones; many have the less powerful feature phones.
For the time being, it may be necessary to design cooperative
exercises with small groups, with at least one member of each
group having a smart phone. As prices fall for phone connections
and more students have the more powerful smart phones, this
should be less of a concern.
Several chemistry faculty are beginning to experiment with
using smart phones to teach chemistry. Chemistry faculty at
Abilene Christian University have been particularly active in
using mobile devices because their school has issued iPhones or
iPod Touches to all students. Cynthia Powell did her doctoral
research partially on the use of podcasts designed for smart
phones for general chemistry laboratory instruction22 and is
currently working with Autumn Sutherlin (both presently from
Abilene Christian University) to expand this type of podcast to
courses in biochemistry and general science for preservice
teachers. Lucille Benedict (University of Southern Maine) is
having her students create short instructional videos for common
laboratory instruments, and then use 2D barcodes to label
instruments so that the video instructions can be accessed with
a smart phone.23 Laura McDonald has used cell phones as an
alternative to personal response systems (also known as
“clickers”) in her high school classroom.24 It seems clear that
these are just the first steps into a new way to deliver instructional
material.
The combination of the increasing popularity of e-books and the
willingness of people to read material on phones may make the
smart phonemore popular for delivery of instructionalmaterial. The
Figure 1. Some examples of two-dimensional barcode formats. Reading
from left to right, “Quick Response” or QR code, Microsoft tag, and
Scanlife code.13.

685 dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed200029p |J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 683–686
Journal of Chemical Education COMMENTARY
increasing number of readers using the Kindle25 or other similar
devices, such as the iPad, will probably cause more people to turn to
these devices to read their chemistry “texts”. E-books are, however,
not just texts but are already being released as rich, multimedia
experiences. One recent example is The Elements: A Visual
Exploration26 offering access to videos, 3D images, and stunning
photography. While initially only available for the iPad, it has
recently been made available for the iPhone.27 Even though the
investment to deliver such texts and instructional material is
significant, software tools will make their delivery easier with time
and viewing on mobile phones may become as commonplace as
dedicated e-readers.
’CONCLUSIONS
It is clear that students with smart phones can access a virtual
information commons that is equivalent to the holdings of a
major research library. This is already changing how students
learn, but what can be expected in the coming decade? The
development of smart phone technology in the near future seems
easy to predict. There is every indication that prices for both
devices and connectivity will decrease, more and more students
will have smart phones, and there will be an ever-increasing
number of applications that enhance the usefulness of the
devices. It is more problematic to imagine what will be the future
of smart phones in education. Perhaps the most important step is
to stop thinking of these devices as phones; they are really
powerful and portable computers. It is entirely possible that over
the coming decade these devices may affect education in ways
that match or exceed the personal computer revolution that has
impacted education over the past two decades.
No technology is a panacea, and many of the traditional
problems associated with educating students will remain, no
matter how sophisticated the devices may become. Teachers still
must be concerned with differences inmotivation and ability, and
the job of explaining difficult concepts will still represent a
challenge. Perhaps the biggest test is that teachers will continually
be challenged to be learners. This has always been the mark of a
good teacher, yet it is even more important when new technol-
ogies are constantly presenting new capabilities. The smart
phone certainly represents an example of this type of develop-
ment, and the further progress of mobile computing will con-
tinue to act as a stimulus and opportunity for innovative
approaches to education.
’AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail: williamsa@rsc.org.
’REFERENCES
(1) 6/12: Cell Phone Nation. Marist Poll: Welcome to Pebbles and
Pundits, http://maristpoll.marist.edu/612-cell-phone-nation/ (accessed
Apr 2011).
(2) Kolb, L. New Research on Students and Cell Phone Use. From
Toy to Tool: Cell Phones in Learning (2010). http://www.cellphone-
sinlearning.com/2010_03_01_archive.html (accessed Apr 2011).
(3) A smart phone is generally described as a mobile phone that has a
complete operating system available for application developers. Mobile
phones that have less computing capability than a smart phone are called
feature phones, although this distinction is not always agreed upon.
(4) Katz, J. E. Perpetual Contact: Mobile Communication, Private
Talk, Public Performance; Cambridge University Press: Cambridge,
U.K., 2002.
(5) Williams, A. J. Mobile Chemistry—Chemistry in Your Hands
and in Your Face. http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2010/
May/MobileChemistryChemistryHandsFace.asp (accessed Apr 2011).
(6) Royal Society of Chemistry Web Page for the Chemistry World
Podcast. http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/podcast/CWpodcast.asp
(accessed Apr 2011).
(7) Nature Web Page for Nature Podcast. http://www.nature.com/
podcast/index.html (accessed Apr 2011).
(8) Peruzzi, S. Dilution App at the iTunes Web site. http://itunes.
apple.com/us/app/dilution/id348770086?mt=8 (accessed Apr 2011).
(9) Fennell, C. The Chemical Touch App at the iTunes Web site.
http://itunes.apple.com/app/the-chemical-touch/id288060442?mt=8
(accessed Apr 2011).
(10) IBDS. ChemJuice App at the iTunes Web site. http://itunes.
apple.com/us/app/chemjuice/id342895394?mt=8 (accessed Apr 2011).
(11) Sunset Lake Software. Molecules App at the iTunes Web site.
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoft-
ware?id=284943090&mt=8 (accessed Apr 2011).
(12) Symyx Technologies, Inc. ChemMobi App at the iTunes Web
site. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/chemmobi/id320681328?mt=8
(accessed Apr 2011).
(13) ChemSpider Blog Entry by Antony Williams (6 April 2010):
ChemSpider Mobile Goes Live. http://www.chemspider.com/blog/
chemspider-mobile-goes-live.html (accessed Apr 2011).
(14) Pence, H. E.; Williams, A. ChemSpider: An Online Chemical
Information Resource. J. Chem. Educ. 2010, No. 87, 1123–1124.
(15) Young, J. 6 Top Smartphone Apps to Improve Teaching,
Research, and Your Life. Chronicle Higher Educ. 2010, Jan. 7, A11.
(16) PH2.1 Occasional Brief Observations Blog Entry by SNI (21
April 2009): BB & 2D Barcodes. http://www.ph2dot1.com/2009/04/
bb-2d-barcodes.html (accessed Apr 2011).
(17) Pence, H. E. Smartphones, Smart Objects, and Augmented
Reality. The Reference Librarian 2010, 52 (1), 136–145.
(18) Colakovic, A.; Hewson, B.; Murthy, T. Successful Sample
Identification. Bioscience Technology, April 1, 2010. http://www.
biosciencetechnology.com/Application-Notes/2010/03/High-
throughput-Instrumentation-Successful-Sample-Identification-Ther-
mo-Fisher/ (accessed Apr 2011).
(19) Williams, A. J. Chemistry Databases in the Palm of Your Hand.
http://www.scientificcomputing.com/chemistry-databases-in-the-
palm.aspx (accessed Apr 2011).
(20) SFGate Blog Entry by Howard Rheingold, Online Instigator
(20 April 2009): Attention Literacy. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/
blogs/rheingold/detail?entry_id=38828 (accessed Apr 2011).
(21) Warschauer, M. Information Literacy in the Laptop Classroom.
Teach. Coll. Rec. 2007, 109 (11), 2511–2540.
(22) Powell, C. Podcast Effectiveness As Scaffolding Support
for Students Enrolled in First-Semester General Chemistry Labora-
tories. Doctoral Dissertation, University of North Texas, Denton, TX,
2010.
(23) Benedict, L. Tutorial on Using a Spec 20 #1, uploaded to
YouTube by lbenedict207 on 8 October 2010. http://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=GNPfssmPbWA (accessed Apr 2011).
(24) McDonald, L. M. Anecdotal Uses of Facebook, Google Calen-
dar, and Cell Phones in a High School Classroom. CCCE Newsletter,
Fall 2010. http://science.widener.edu/svb/cccenews/fall2010/paper4.
html (accessed Apr 2011).
(25) Product Description from Amazon.com for the Kindle Wire-
less Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6” Display with New E Ink
Pearl Technology. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002Y27P3M/?
tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=7616543259&ref=pd_sl_by8lf4t35_e
(accessed Apr 2011).
(26) Elements Collection, Inc. The Elements: A Visual Exploration
App at the iTunes Web site. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-ele-
ments-a-visual-exploration/id364147847?mt=8 (accessed Apr 2011).

686 dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed200029p |J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88, 683–686
Journal of Chemical Education COMMENTARY
(27) Moran, D. iPhone App Review: The Elements, by Theodore
Gray, Adapted for the iPhone 4 by TouchPress, Posted at Gear Diary on
25 July 2010. http://www.geardiary.com/2010/07/25/iphone-app-re-
view-the-elements-by-theodore-gray-adapted-for-the-iphone-4-by-touch-
press/ (accessed Apr 2011).