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Successful problem solving is a complex process that requires content knowledge, process skills, developed critical thinking, metacognitive awareness, and deep conceptual reasoning. Teaching approaches to support students developing problem-solving skills include worked examples, metacognitive and instructional scaffolding, and variations of these techniques. In this report, we describe a classroom activity, which involves a combination of metacognitive scaffolding, problem-solving practice, and critiquing of ChatGPT-generated solutions. It was demonstrated that students engaged with the idea of metacognition as part of the problem-solving toolbox and showed appreciation for the collaborative nature of problem solving. They were also able to identify mistakes and flaws in the provided erroneous solutions, albeit to varying degrees. The results also revealed that incoming university students likely require scaffolding to develop sophisticated critical-thinking skills.

The topics of molecular modeling and drug design are studied in a medicinal chemistry course. The recently reported structures of several G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) with bound ligands have been used to develop a simple computer-based experiment employing molecular-modeling software. Knowledge of the specific interactions between a ligand (e.g., a drug) and the receptor allows an analysis of these contacts and enables the design of new ligands. We report a procedure to perform a thorough analysis of the binding site of the [beta][subscript 2]-adrenoceptor and identify the key interactions with the bound drug, carazolol. Armed with this information and a general knowledge of chemical functional groups, undergraduate students are able to suggest simple modifications to incorporate additional groups in the drug to better interact with the receptor. This computer-based experiment would also be appropriate for an organic or biochemistry course. (Contains 3 figures.)

A computer-based practical task where students investigate conformational properties of drug molecules is discussed. Molecules are modeled by students, and a conformational analysis is carried out. One of the exercise's advantages is that it is carried out in a student-centered manner, utilizing flexible learning approaches.

The article presents a science experiment for medicinal chemistry students which explores the structure and function of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). It presents discussion on molecular modeling process, GPCRs, and the objectives of the experiment. It discusses the modeling procedures that students conducted in which students used Sybyl software package for the molecular modeling manipulations. It also presents the processes and results of the laboratory experiment.