Stimulating Students’ Learning in Analytical Chemistry through an Environmental-Based CURE Project

Abstract

This article reports on the implementation of a CURE project in an upper-level analytical chemistry course to engage a larger number of students in research at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI). The lab course syllabus was modified to provide students with an opportunity to experience the process of conducting research through a project that was relevant to them personally and the community at large. Students carried out research using microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MPAES) to correlate lead levels in soil with home location, source, and age. Students' self-assessment and surveys suggest that implementing a research project that students can relate to leads to an increased level of mastering analytical skills and demonstration of a higher level of critical-thinking skills. Participation in the CURE project increased a desire and a commitment to engage in independent research and in communicating science through presentations.

Measuring integrated understanding of undergraduate chemistry research experiences: assessing oral and written research artifacts

“…Factors such as a positive science identity, self-efficacy development, access to mentoring, and engagement in research at the undergraduate level are important for persistence in STEM and are critical for supporting students from groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields (Carlone and Johnson, 2007;Chang et al, 2011;Mondisa and McComb, 2018;Ortiz et al, 2020). In chemistry, participation in research experiences contribute to retention, enthusiasm for chemistry-related careers, and appreciation for the process of engaging in research in this discipline (e.g., Kerr and Yan, 2016;Williams and Reddish, 2018;Muna, 2021).…”

“…Additionally, students who complete these courses believe that they have learned more chemistry content than they would have in traditional lecture and laboratory courses (Chase et al, 2017). These research-based courses support student interest in chemistry, as students find them to be more enjoyable than ''cookbook'' laboratories with predetermined project outcomes (Clark et al, 2016;Mutambuki et al, 2019;Muna, 2021). Several studies have explored the benefits of group-based approaches to supporting undergraduates as they learn about and conduct chemistry research (Danowitz et al, 2016;Hauwiller et al, 2019).…”

Implementing the Elements of Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs) in a First-Year Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratory with Bioremediation Relevance

“…Here, we discuss how an interdisciplinary topic, bioremediation, was used to anchor the second semester of the full year general chemistry laboratory curriculum for a 24 student Honors cohort. The development, implementation, and initial assessment of a semester-long CURE in the area of bioremediation 7 provided a truer research experience for students while addressing the five key elements. This effort follows on previous work at the University of Idaho, through a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) funded grant, focused on a cooperative effort between biology and chemistry to re-envision first-year laboratory curriculum.…”

“…Here, we discuss how an interdisciplinary topic, bioremediation, was used to anchor the second semester of the full year general chemistry laboratory curriculum for a 24 student Honors cohort. The development, implementation, and initial assessment of a semester-long CURE in the area of bioremediation provided a truer research experience for students while addressing the five key elements. This effort follows on previous work at the University of Idaho, through a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) funded grant, focused on a cooperative effort between biology and chemistry to re-envision first-year laboratory curriculum. , The learning objectives for this CURE aligned with core objectives of the general chemistry laboratory curriculum, which include (1) apply the scientific method to chemical problems; (2) explain the relationships between atomic/molecular structure to chemical and physical properties; and (3) identify the types of intermolecular bonding and explain relationships.…”

Identifying Cereals through Elemental Analysis with Microwave Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy: Experiment for Analytical Chemistry Lab

“…Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are an excellent way to ensure students gain research experience regardless of participation in research laboratories . To this end, we designed this experiment to teach students with or without prior research experience an example of standard operating procedures (SOPs) in a real-world context which can then be applied to independent research and CURE projects, such as those previously described, − scaffolding research-level techniques into the undergraduate curriculum with an introductory experiment and design.…”