Making the Connections: An Integrated Approach to Physical and Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory

Minnesota State University, Mankato, Mankato MN

Investigators

Abstract

Chemistry (12) This project addresses the need to stimulate undergraduate students to build intellectual bridges between different areas of chemistry and to strengthen their critical thinking skills in a modernized integrated laboratory environment. The proposed merger of physical and inorganic chemistry laboratories provides chemistry majors at the institution with the opportunity to learn in an enhanced environment. The merger extends the approach traditionally used in the physical and inorganic lab courses through a series of projects that progressively evolves from the standard "structured" approach to a more open- ended approach in a teamwork-driven, self-motivated atmosphere. The approach stimulates the students to synthesize, integrate, and apply concepts from both areas of chemistry while tackling projects designed to replicate a research environment. The request centers on acquiring a laser system, and computer hardware and software to provide valuable experience for the students in a number of modern spectroscopic and computational methods used in concert with instrumentation and methods currently used in our upper division lab courses. The project directors are adapting and implementing experiments from the literature, and are developing several new projects to be used in the new course. Developing this course and the necessary lab course materials provides information that is useful to other educators. This project addresses the DUE themes of integration of technology in education and faculty development.