Chemistry

courses we are working on

Status as of January 2011:
Course Learning goals New Assessments Improved Methods
CHEM 121: Structural Chemistry, with Application to Chemistry of the Elements (Lab component)
(Oct ‘08 start)

Faculty: S. Nussbaum
STLF: Jennifer Duis

 Course-level goals:  Outline from CHEM 123, focus on transferable skill acquisition

Experiment-level goals: process for development established

Course-level outline and experiment-level development process appropriate for the entire lab program		 Attitudes survey (C-LASS CHEM) given 3 Terms

Development and implementation of end-of-term technique assessments
  • Year 1: TA visual assessment of technique with provided guide
  • Year 2: Visual assessment guide refined and technique questions added to the end-of-term quiz.


 Alterations made to increase alignment with 1st-year lab goals

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  • Marks re-allocated to increase emphasis on maintaining a lab notebook.
  • Directions on maintaining a lab notebook expanded in lab manual.
  • Brief "taking observations" module developed and added during check-in.
  • Peer marking of observations using supplied templates added to each experiment
  • Technique modules will be expanded to include choosing glassware for analytical vs. non-analytical purposes.
  • A new experiment was piloted
  • "Pair-technique-ing" (ala comp.sci. pair-programming) was piloted with a small subset of students.
CHEM 123: Physical and Organic Chemistry (Lab component)
(July ‘08 start)

Faculty: S. Nussbaum, L. Schafer, J. stewart
STLF: Jennifer Duis

Poster: Instruments for assessing practical skill development in a first-year chemistry laboratory course 		Course-level goals: working version, inspired by Rice University’s interdisciplinary science lab learning objectives, approved by Chemistry Lab Committee

Experiment-level goals: (developed from existing course materials) 4 of 4 experiments complete and approved by Chemistry Lab Committee - Further refinement of LGs underway		 Chemistry background and demographics survey developed and given 2 Terms.

Attitudes survey (C-LASS CHEM) given 2 Terms.

Pre-/Post-Lab skills survey (written) developed & given 4 Terms. "LG use" questions added.

Refined hands-on lab skills assessment implemented 2 terms.

Assessment of experiment specific learning goal achievement (surveys, observations, interviews)
  • 3rd round of refinement based on expert & student validation nearing completion
 Learning Goals incorporated into lab manual (under refinement).

Alterations made to increase alignment with learning goals.
  • Marks re-allocated to increase emphasis on maintaining a lab notebook.
  • Directions on maintaining a lab notebook expanded in lab manual.
  • Expanded quizzes will be introduced to test technical skills.
  • Addition of manual dilutions to electrochemistry experiment to increase technical experience and conceptual understanding of the effect of dilution on voltage.
  • Lab final modified to test students' "solo" completion of an experimental design, recording of observations and data, and evaluation of skills using a pipet and weighing by differences.
CHEM 113, 121, 415, 425, 449: Attitudes survey (C-LASS CHEM) administered Spring ’09 (CHEM 113 & 121 also participated in the written Lab Skills Survey).

CHEM 425: Engaging students in cutting edge chemical education research, report writing, and presentations.