Remote Organic Chemistry Laboratories at University of Michigan—Dearborn

Marincean, Simona; Scribner, Steven L.

doi:10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00812

Cited by 20 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…On the other hand, organic chemistry students at the University of Michigan–Dearborn (Dearborn, MI) earned lab report grades comparable to prior cohorts after watching videos, interacting with simulations, analyzing sample data, writing lab reports, and analyzing a procedure and techniques. 50 However, the instructors noted the students evidenced significant difficulty with building on knowledge, connecting topics, using relevant data to generate conclusions, knowing how to execute physical techniques, and incorrectly assuming that a simulated experiment was done. Interestingly, a report comparing the performance on the final (remote) exam between general chemistry students in a traditional lab vs in a general chemistry CURE (students self-selected into either group during course registration—both groups followed the same lab manual during remote learning) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (Omaha, NE) showed no statistically significant difference between their grades, despite the difference in their laboratory work before ERL.…”

Section: Student Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

LAB Theory, HLAB Pedagogy, and Review of Laboratory Learning in Chemistry during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Kelley

2021

J. Chem. Educ.

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The role and efficacy of the laboratory in chemical education have recently been a subject of renewed discussion as researchers are called upon to address the question of whether laboratory education lives up to expectations. The COVID-19 pandemic, which forced most of the global student population to temporarily adopt remote learning, offers an unparalleled case study to investigate types of outcomes resulting from a variety of adjustments made to laboratory education. This scoping review article focuses on the reports of laboratory learning in chemistry and closely related disciplines during COVID-19 to analyze the types of adjustments made to laboratory curricula and the immediate effect of these adjustments on students. The aggregated findings suggest that a lack of hands-on laboratory experience was detrimental to certain types of learning and engagement but that other types of learning were successfully achieved remotely. For researchers, departments, and university administrators, the differentiation in these findings could help inform the ongoing discussion about the future of laboratory education. For instructors and student support staff, the findings indicate potential areas of deficiency and strength for the COVID-19 student cohort going forward. Finally, a laboratory learning theory and pedagogy are proposed to guide the use of the laboratory in chemical education and potentially in other laboratory-based sciences as well.

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Section: Student Outcomesmentioning

confidence: 99%

LAB Theory, HLAB Pedagogy, and Review of Laboratory Learning in Chemistry during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Kelley

2021

J. Chem. Educ.

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“…Online laboratory instruction in chemistry is not a novel approach and, in fact, is a reasonable alternative when the desired learning goals involve manipulation of variables impossible in a real laboratory or when the desired teaching resources are not available at a larger scale. − The development of remote laboratory teaching resources has the advantage that such resources need be prepared only once and then can be used for any number of students in later iterations of delivery. , Online laboratories often involve virtual simulations where a student can manipulate various settings in order to observe different outcomes. , Demonstrated learning gains from these approaches vary by experiment and are not universally successful, underscoring the need for careful forethought when determining which experiments, or even which disciplines, can be effectively delivered via online simulation. , In particular, the development of practical and technical laboratory skills remains a significant challenge for online laboratories. , …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Student Satisfaction with Synchronous Online Organic Chemistry Laboratories: Prerecorded Video vs Livestream

Petillion

McNeil

2021

J. Chem. Educ.

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The widespread transition to online teaching as a result of the global pandemic moved chemistry laboratory experiences online. At UBC's Okanagan campus, organic chemistry laboratory instruction was delivered synchronously to maximize student interactions with their teaching assistants. Two methods of online delivery were employed: (1) students gathered with a teaching assistant via Zoom to watch a prerecorded video of the laboratory procedure and (2) students gathered on Zoom to watch a livestream of the teaching assistant performing the experiment in the laboratory. A single TA implemented both methods, one in each of two laboratory sections. Student satisfaction with the two delivery methods was compared using a survey and semistructured interviews. Overall, the livestream section received significantly more positive feedback in all aspects, including student investment, perceived conceptual gains, understanding of glassware and techniques, ability to make proper experimental observations, engagement in critical thinking and problem-solving, and general satisfaction with their online lab experience. However, students expressed the belief that the primary role of a teaching laboratory is hands-on experience with chemistry equipment and techniques and that their experience was lacking in this aspect regardless of the lab delivery method. Students described two principal advantages of the livestream delivery. One was the inclusion of opportunities to witness mistakes or unexpected outcomes and then having to take part in the development of a resolution to address those errors; such opportunities were absent for students watching a prerecorded and edited video with a predetermined conclusion. A second aspect was that waiting periods inherent in the live performance of an experimental procedure allowed for unstructured interactions among students and the TA, both to discuss the experiment and to simply socialize. Overall, students believed that neither pedagogy compared favorably to a traditional in-person teaching laboratory experience, but the livestream method proved to be a highly superior approach for a synchronous online laboratory.

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“…Designing laboratory experiments on polymers can connect students with real-world applications, spark and promote students’ interests in science, and help students visualize some fundamental concepts in chemistry. , Several in-person lab experiments on synthesis, characterization, analysis, and applications of polymers were previously covered in the Journal of Chemical Education − and recently (2017) published in the Journal of Chemical Education Special Issue on Polymer Concepts across the Curriculum . − Specifically, polymer syntheses using different polymerization techniques such as radical polymerization (e.g., free-radical, controlled/living: ATRP − and RAFT , ), ring-opening polymerization (ROP) ,− and ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP), , and photopolymerization , were modified to design experiments for undergraduate (UG) laboratories; however, they were all designed for in-person experiments. Contrarily, many lab activities were envisioned, designed, and implemented for remote education even before pandemic time, − and several new studies have also been published in 2020, particularly in the Special Issue: Insights Gained While Teaching Chemistry in the Time of COVID-19 . − Despite the breadth of the literature on distance learning, new virtual laboratory experiments incorporating polymers are missing and can be beneficial.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Zooming in on Polymer Chemistry and Designing Synthesis of High Sulfur-Content Polymers for Virtual Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment

et al. 2021

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Polymer chemistry is essential within chemical education because of its applications in academic and industrial research, materials science, and across engineering disciplines. Teaching polymer chemistry principles early on in the undergraduate curriculum allows students to find connections between chemistry and real-world applications and can promote interest in science and scientific research. Performing laboratory experiments on polymers is of equal importance when integrating polymer concepts into undergraduate-level lectures. There are several widely utilized lab demonstrations on polymer synthesis, characterization, and applications, yet more, easy-to-handle experiments are needed that connect polymers to organic reactions, spectroscopy, and sustainability, especially in a virtual setting. This virtual experiment was designed to incorporate the synthesis of high sulfur-content polymers into the general chemistry laboratory during the pandemic. Teaching assistants (TAs) performed the experiments and collected the necessary data and observations for students. Video recordings of the polymerization reactions, reaction times, and collages of digital images depicting reaction progress (viscosity and color changes) are provided to students. During a single 2−3-h virtual lab meeting, students watch the lab videos, read the student handout and a research paper, and discuss the results and observations with their peers and lab TAs. The lab experiment demonstrates the interdependence of general chemistry learning objectives including chemical bonding, radicals, reaction kinetics, thermodynamics, stoichiometric calculations, and spectroscopy. In addition, this virtual experiment introduces undergraduate students to polymer chemistry, encourages them to look beyond the textbooks and lecture resources by using literature articles, and connects general chemistry concepts with upper-level chemistry classes. Postlab survey results show that students find the video recordings and group discussions on the polymerization reactions very helpful in understanding a new concept within a virtual distant-learning environment.

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Remote Organic Chemistry Laboratories at University of Michigan—Dearborn

Cited by 20 publications

References 24 publications

LAB Theory, HLAB Pedagogy, and Review of Laboratory Learning in Chemistry during the COVID-19 Pandemic

LAB Theory, HLAB Pedagogy, and Review of Laboratory Learning in Chemistry during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Student Satisfaction with Synchronous Online Organic Chemistry Laboratories: Prerecorded Video vs Livestream

Zooming in on Polymer Chemistry and Designing Synthesis of High Sulfur-Content Polymers for Virtual Undergraduate Laboratory Experiment

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