This project is designed to improve physical chemistry and instrumental analysis laboratory courses for undergraduate students by employing as teaching tools novel technologies in electronics and data integration using the industrial Internet. The project carried out by upper-division undergraduates is described. Students are exposed to a complete…

A multistep synthesis of thieno[2,3-"b"]pyridine derivatives is described that is suitable for the upper-level undergraduate organic laboratory. This experiment exposes students to various hands-on experimental techniques as well as methods of product characterization such as IR and [superscript 1]H NMR spectroscopy, and…

Understanding catalytic chemistry, collecting and interpreting kinetic data, and operating chemical reactors are critical skills for chemical engineers. This laboratory experiment provides students with a hands-on supplement to a course in chemical kinetics and reaction engineering. The oxidation of methane with a palladium catalyst supported on…

The synthesis of alkenes using the Wittig reaction is a traditional part of many undergraduate organic chemistry teaching laboratory curricula. The aqueous medium version of the Wittig reaction presented is a reliable adaptation of this alkene formation reaction as a very safe alternative in the introductory organic chemistry laboratory. The…

The reaction process of copper-aluminum displacement in agar gel was observed at the microscopic level with a stereomicroscope; pine-like branches of copper crystals growing from aluminum surface into gel at a constant rate were observed. Students were asked to make hypotheses on the pattern formation and design new research approaches to prove…

Visualization of chemical concepts can be challenging for many students. This is arguably a critical skill for beginning students of biochemistry to develop, since new information is often presented visually in the form of textbook figures. It is recommended that visual literacy be explicitly taught in the classroom rather than assuming that…

We present a novel guided inquiry second semester organic chemistry laboratory rearrangement experiment. Students performed the Favorskii Rearrangement to obtain methyl cyclopentanecarboxylate in good yields. The students learned about the individual steps of the Favorskii mechanism and were required to propose a complete reaction mechanism and…

A lab appropriate to introduce voltammetric techniques and basic electrochemical parameters is described in this work. It is suitable to study theoretical concepts of electrochemistry in an applied way for analytical undergraduate courses. Two electroactive species, hexaammineruthenium and dopamine, are used as simple redox systems. Screen-printed…

This study investigated the implementation of best teaching practices by science graduate teaching assistants [GTAs] (3 chemists and 2 biologists) in five inquiry-based, interdisciplinary chemistry-biology experiments during a six-week professional development (PD) program, Engage PD. Additionally, we examined GTAs' experiences in implementing…

Lab activities have been innovated and progressed to fulfill the purpose that students need to experience physics concepts through hands-on and minds-on interactions. However, student-centered and conceptual activities in physics labs are challenged with time and material constraints that degrades the merits of the learning environment. This study…

The generation of secondary colors in digital devices by means of the additive red, green, and blue color model (RGB) can be a valuable way to introduce students to the basics of spectroscopy. This work has been focused on the spectral separation of secondary colors of light emitted by a computer screen into red, green, and blue bands, and how the…

Experimental skills should be acquired by learners at school and university alike. To promote experimental skills, various approaches exist within a spectrum between implicit and explicit instruction. Regarding these instructional approaches, numerous findings are available which predominantly relate to pupils. It is an open question whether it is…

Multiple pedagogical approaches, such as experimental experiences or computer-based activities, have been shown to increase student learning and engagement. We have developed a laboratory module that includes both a traditional "live" experimental component and a student-designed "virtual" computer simulation component. This…

It is a human fundamental to desire to be valued, loved and respected--to be significant. Social exclusion induce significance loss which elicits a 'quest for significance'--the search for opportunities to re-gain significance. The present article establishes this relation in a laboratory experiment (N = 71, mean age = 28, SD = 10.42, 65% women,…

Many studies illustrate the positive influences of undergraduate research experiences on student learning, attitudes, and retention in the sciences. At our institution, over 90% of the biology majors surveyed reported a desire to participate in undergraduate research, but only 3% per year have the opportunity to work in a traditional…