An Interactive Web-Based Materials Characterization Project for Undergraduate Education in Analytical Chemistry

University Of Arizona, Tucson AZ

Investigators

Abstract

Chemistry (12) Recent attention in chemical education has focused on the need for "problem-based" learning (PBL) strategies, particularly in the laboratory. One concern expressed by industry and government laboratory chemists about the training of chemistry undergraduates is that students emerge with only a technique-based perspective on chemical analysis instead of viewing it as an integrated process based on problem-solving. Education of students in the integrated concept of the "analytical process" has been lost. The remedy to this curricular deficiency requires the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills in our students. Although it is desirable to achieve this goal through laboratory PBL experiences, many institutions, particularly small colleges, lack the instrumentation necessary for effective solution of real-world problems in their analytical chemistry laboratories. The recent explosion in new electronic technology affords, as a supplement to the central hands-on component of the laboratory curriculum, the opportunity to enhance the problem-solving skills of students through interactive computer-based experiences. This project continues the development of MCPweb, an interactive Web-based Materials Characterization Project (MCP). This virtual activity is based on a laboratory version of the MCP currently offered in the analytical curriculum at the University of Arizona in which students undertake a comprehensive analysis of a commercial product, device, or formulation. The goal of this project is to complete the prototype MCPweb for the electronic calculator to demonstrate the feasibility of this concept. This activity is primarily targeted towards undergraduate chemistry majors nationwide. In addition, this activity is also well-matched to the need for enhanced use of technology in analytical chemistry education.