Grant Information
Improving Student Learning and Attitudes in Chemistry Through Early Undergraduate, Interdisciplinary Research Using ICP-MS? is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Course Curriculum Laboratory Improvement (CCLI) grant awarded July 1, 2004.
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Number 0411164. Any opinions, findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Project Information
This project involves the design, use and evaluation of early undergraduate, interdisciplinary student research in chemistry with the following overall goals:
- To immerse introductory chemistry students in the subject: its daily relevance, application to other sciences, and career opportunities
- To provide science-phobic students who attempt to avoid chemistry with authentic science experiences that also are relevant to their daily lives
Efforts began with a pilot project in the summer of 2002, an ongoing collaboration between General Chemistry I and Environmental Geology involving analysis of the most common ions in drinking water. During this project, students do the same things that real scientists do. They discover the application of science to their lives, its interdisciplinary nature, and the nature of scientific careers. This project will:
- Improve the crucial first impressions that form about science at this level
- Increase the number of majors in chemistry and partner sciences
- Increase retention of students in introductory chemistry and partnering science courses
- Increase curricular relevance and concentration in science for pre-service teachers
Students in introductory science courses, chemistry included, frequently gain very little practical understanding of the application of science to their lives, the interdisciplinary nature of science and the nature of scientific careers. This is a problem for two reasons. First, these introductory courses are the only science courses that the vast majority of students take. Additionally, when choosing between introductory science courses, students gravitate toward reputedly less threatening courses - the majority of which do not have associated labs. Secondly, science-phobic students have negative attitudes toward science apparently shaped in grade school at least in part by the students' exposure to science-phobic teachers.
We need to confront these attitudes and poor understanding of science with more active, involving experiences in order to break this self-perpetuating cycle. These problems have a profound impact on students in both the College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences. Pre-service teachers will shape the attitudes of future students while Arts and Science students need a broad understanding of science, particularly chemistry, as a part of their liberal arts education.
We think introductory science students should work on true research questions in areas that are relevant and interesting to them. Many examples of improved scientific understanding and science attitudes resulting from collaborative learning and interdisciplinary undergraduate research exist. Environmental concerns provide research topics that are relevant, implicitly interdisciplinary and well suited to interdisciplinary collaboration.