Below is a list of international web sites dedicated to the teaching of polymers. Any group wishing to have their web site added to this list should contact, A/Prof. Christopher Fellows, secretary of the IUPAC Subcommittee on Polymer Education, at [email protected].
The IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, informally known as the Gold Book, is an invaluable resource for information about all the chemical sciences as well as polymers.
The Macrogalleria is a web site aimed at a younger, less technically trained audience. This very accessible web site provides information about polymers using the organizational concept of a large, multifloor store. Each level provides different types of information. Teachers may want to read this web site before going further.
ChemgaPedia is a very comprehensive German language curricular encyclopaedia for chemistry. It features more than 15,000 pages with 25,000 media elements, 900 exercises as well as 3500 glossary and biography entries for subjects ranging from pharmacy to physics. The polymer section has some very interesting aspects for both students and teachers.
Conducting polymers are becoming increasingly important in many fields of daily life and the Polymer Semiconductor Kit site has both background and practical exercises on these materials suitable for both secondary and tertiary students.
The Key Centre for Polymers and Colloids (KCPC) offers training for undergraduate and postgraduate students, postdoctoral researchers and professionals working in the field of polymers and/or colloids. The Key Centre trains research (graduate) students at Honours/Grad.Dip.Sci and Masters/Doctoral levels. The KCPC maintains the Discovery Web Site, aimed at introducing the concepts of polymers and colloids.
The Pure and Applied Macromolecular Chemistry Group (Macro Group UK) is a joint interest group of the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Society of Chemical Industry. Its membership is drawn from academia and industry, and spans the entire career range from research students to senior positions in industry and academia.
POLYED is a consortium of groups interested in science education in general and polymer education in particular. Membership is derived from the American Chemical Society Divisions of Polymer Chemistry (POLY) and Polymeric Materials: Science and Engineering (PMSE). Major support is provided from these divisions and approximately fifty industrial sponsors. The major purpose of POLYED is the nurturing of education at all levels, from kindergarten through post-graduate education.
The Intersociety Polymer Education Council (IPEC) is a non-profit organization of polymer-related professional societies. IPEC promotes science education by encouraging and facilitating the incorporation of polymer topics in K-12 classrooms.
The French Group for the Study and Application of Polymers maintains an Education Commission which is focused on the promotion of all aspects of teaching the science of polymers. One important part of its activity has been the creation of a Glossary of Terms based on IUPAC terminology:
Une part non négligeable de son activité est consacrée à la traduction critique de la terminologie et de la nomenclature “polymères” issues de l’IUPAC. C’est ainsi que vous trouverez sur ce site les dernières règles de nomenclature ainsi qu’un glossaire des termes de base en Science des Polymères, et des listes d’abréviations recommandées (mise à jour 2006).
The Polymer Science Learning Center at the University of Southern Mississippi is a web site dedicated to polymer education. The Polymer Science Learning Center is an ambitious effort involving the collective resources and collaboration of individuals at three regional sites.
The Italian Association of Science and Technology of Macromolecules. This educational site in Italian has many links to quality news and educational content.
The Spanish Polymer Group (GEP) site provides contains, along with much other information, details of the postgraduate courses in polymer science available at different Spanish universities and research centres.
The Polymer Division of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) encompasses a diverse and exiting range of chemical, physical, and engineering disciplines from both Australia and New Zealand and carries out a wide range of educational activities.