n inquiry-based practical curriculum for organic chemistry as preparation for industry and postgraduate research

Abstract

This paper describes the development of a new practical curriculum for third-year organic chemistry to replace the recipe-based approach typically used in undergraduate teaching laboratories. The new curriculum consists of an inquiry-based project set in a simulated industrial context preceded by two scaffolding experiments to prepare students for the task. The industrial project requires students to evaluate experimentally three multi-step synthetic routes to a given target based on cost, technical challenge and environmental impact in order to make a recommendation as to which route the 'company' should use to synthesize the compound. The project equips students with technical skills suitable for both postgraduate research and industry, and develops metacognition and understanding through the use of the jig-saw cooperative learning strategy and reflection. The students were found to engage with the practical work at a deep intellectual level, demonstrating that contextualized inquiry-based laboratory teaching afforded an improved quality of learning. In addition, the reported practical curriculum made a difficult subject accessible and even popular, to some measure grew the students' ability in all desired graduate attributes and resulted in the establishment of a professional identity for individual students. KEYWORDSInquiry-based, organic chemistry practical training, professional identity, industry-based, metacognition.

Manifestations of metacognitive activity during the collaborative planning of chemistry practical investigations

“…Each route consisted of three synthetic steps using different starting materials and chemical reactions, but leading to the same final product of which a fixed quantity (2g) had to be produced. The chemists were tasked with evaluating the three routes experimentally and advising management on which route was the most cost effective, environmentally friendly and least technically challenging (Pilcher, Riley, Mathabathe, & Potgieter, 2015). The next paragraphs focus on aspects of the industrial project that pertain to this paper.…”

Repurposing an Introductory Organic and Inorganic Laboratory Course from the Focus on Teaching Theory to the Focus on Teaching Practical Technique

“…Here, students have more responsibility for generating the procedure and for determining the outcomes of the experiment. Students engage in hypothesizing, experimental design, critical analysis, and problem-solving during an inquiry-based experiment and so can develop these skills better through this type of activity. , There are a number of examples of inquiry-based experiments that have been incorporated into laboratory courses or where the course itself has become fully inquiry-based. − Students find these experiments more challenging than expository experiments but also find them more interesting and develop more positive attitudes toward the nature of science . Immersing students directly into inquiry-based experiments can overwhelm students if too much demand is placed on learning new concepts .…”

Design and Delivery of Virtual Inquiry-Based Organic Chemistry Experiments

“…There are many examples reported in this Journal of inquiry-based organic experiments where students can apply core organic theory, including the aldol reaction, , nucleophilic addition to carbonyls, E2 elimination, electrophilic aromatic substitution, the Wittig reaction, and metathesis. , There are also examples where whole or partial organic laboratory courses have become inquiry-based with positive outcomes for the development of scientific skills. − …”