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ChemFORWARD Module Overview

ChemFORWARD Module Overview
Contributors
Mark R Mason
Professor of Chemistry | University of Toledo
cmwoodbridge
Professor of Chemistry | Georgia Gwinnett College
Heather McKenney
Chemforward
Gabrielle Rigutto
Chemforward
Monica Soma Hensley
Instruction and Research Manager, Higher Education | Beyond Benign, Inc.
Image with title "ChemFORWARD module : Use of ChemFORWARD for Chemical Hazard Evaluation and Assessment in Academic Settings" and Beyond Benign and ChmeFORWARD logos
Summary
The ChemFORWARD module aims to help instructors teach students how to use the ChemFORWARD platform to obtain hazard information for specific chemicals, and to identify safer chemicals to replace chemicals of concern in research and in product formulations.

The module is organized into two units. Each unit contains a unit overview, specific learning outcomes, course alignment, prerequisites, lecture slides, assessment/review questions, instructor notes, and a list of additional resources. Assessment/review questions can be used on quizzes, exams, or in lecture. The assessment/review slides can be used as clicker questions for in-class feedback. Assignments could be used as group activities or as homework assignments. CAS Registry Numbers for pertinent chemicals cited in the lecture slides, assignments, and review/assessment questions are listed at the end of this document.
The module also provides background materials on hazard, risk, and chemical alternatives assessment, as well as links to available resources on toxicology.

This module was reviewed by Julian Silverman (Ph.D.) and Sarah Prescott (Ph.D.).

The inspiration of this work began with a Forsythia Foundation grant to Habitable (formerly Healthy Building Network) to support Beyond Benign and ChemFORWARD to develop a green chemistry curriculum that leverages from Habitable’s Pharos chemical hazards database combined with ChemFORWARD’s safer alternatives.

For Green Chemistry Commitment (GCC) signers interested in short-term pilot access to the platform for educational purposes, please contact [email protected].
Keyword Tags
Chemical Hazard Assessment
Hazard
Risk
Safer Alternatives
Designing Safer Chemicals
Toxicity
Principles of Toxicology
Hazard Information
ChemFORWARD
Chemical Information Database
File (PDF, PPT, image, etc)
chemforward-module-overview_all-files.zip
chemforward-module_instructor-notes_read-me-first_0.docx
chemforward-module_introduction-and-slo_0.pptx
chemforward-module_chemical-abstract-cas-registry-numbers.docx
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.59877/BXRH1124
Learning Goals/Student Objectives
Upon completion of this module, students will be able to:
1) Explain the difference between hazard and risk.
2) Explain the criteria used to assess chemical hazards.
3) Recognize that everything is made of chemicals and that even naturally occurring
chemicals can be hazardous.

Upon completion of this module, students will also be able to use ChemFORWARD to:
4) Identify hazards associated with an ingredient in cosmetics and health care products.
5) Identify data gaps for an ingredient, and hence identify data that would be needed to
completely evaluate the hazards and safety of that ingredient.
6) Choose a safer replacement to a hazardous ingredient for a specific function and
application based on hazard and risk.
Object Type
Lecture or course slides/notes (e.g., PPT, Prezi, PDF)
Activities/Technology (e.g., in-class activities, online games, hands-on activities/manipulatives, outreach, virtual tools, etc.)
Lesson summaries
Exam questions and answers
Assessments
Audience
Introductory Undergraduate
Upper/Advanced Undergraduate
Graduate or Professional Training (e.g., Postdoctoral Fellows, Early-Career Professionals)
Common pedagogies covered
Computer-based learning
Context-based learning
Hands-on learning
Multimedia-based learning
Problem-based learning
Technology-enhanced learning
Green Chemistry Principles
Designing Safer Chemicals
Safer Solvents and Auxiliaries
Safety Precautions, Hazards, and Risk Assessment
Not applicable as this module could be used to replace a wet lab.
Teacher Recommendations or Piloting Data (if available)
Some notes from initial piloting of the module:
1. Students in an Environmental Toxicology (18) and an Inorganic Chemistry (18) course were given brief background information and then asked to work on one of the three assignments as homework. The assignments were divided between the student teams to balance, as much as possible, feedback on each assignment. Overall feedback was positive.

2. Students in a General Chemistry II (18) course were presented with selected slides and asked to complete the assignment on deodorants. This assignment was modified to include only 5 ingredients with hazard bands ranging from C to ?. Students worked in teams to complete the assignment during an open lab period. It took the teams about 20 minutes to complete the exercise.

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Monica Soma Hensley
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Moderation state
Published
Collection
ChemFORWARD Module
Time required (if applicable)
The time required to cover the background material will depend on the extent of coverage of hazard, risk, and toxicology using the provided slides and additional materials from the Toxicology for Chemists Curriculum. This resource can be accessed from th
Related Learning Objects
ChemFORWARD Module Unit 0: Background materials
ChemFORWARD Module Unit 1: Introduction to ChemFORWARD, and Use of ChemFORWARD to Find Safer Chemical Alternatives
ChemFORWARD Module Unit 2: Avoiding Regrettable Substitutions, Natural Is Not Always Safer
Other notes/information
Please refer to the instructor's notes before using the module.

Any opinions, findings, and/or interpretations of data contained herein are the responsibility of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions, interpretations, or policies of ChemFORWARD, Habitable, or Beyond Benign. All ChemFORWARD chemical hazard assessments (CHAs) are the property of the assessor group that authored the CHA and shall not be utilized, duplicated, or shared for any commercial purpose without prior written authorization.
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.