Blurring the Line Between the Teaching and Research Laboratory - Capillary Gas Chromatography and GC/MS Experiments in First and Second Year Chemistry Laboratories

Ohio Wesleyan University, Delaware OH

Investigators

Abstract

Chemistry (12) The goal of this project is to increase the percentage of students continuing from introductory chemistry to more advanced courses and to careers in science. We are accomplishing this by changing students' perceptions of chemistry laboratory through adding project-oriented experiments using advanced GC and GCMS instrumentation to solve topical and relevant problems. A secondary goal is to enhance the preparation of our students by providing laboratory experiences more similar to those they will experience in the workplace. The integration into the curriculum of a series of experiments using four Shimadzu GC-14B series capillary gas chromatographs with data stations and a QP-5000 GCMS system equipped with autosampler supports a broader departmental plan to introduce FTIR, UV/Vis, GC, and HPLC techniques into lower level laboratories. Students are gradually building their skills by repeated exposure to the GC and GCMS instruments in each of five laboratory sections accompanying general, organic, and analytical chemistry. Experiments have been carefully selected from the Journal of Chemical Education and are being adapted to fit our existing program. Success in meeting our goals is being assessed both numerically, by tracking the fate of each student entering our general chemistry program, and more qualitatively through our existing departmental assessment plan. Results will be shared with the educational community at national meetings of the American Chemical Society, the Council on Undergraduate Research, and Sigma Xi, in addition to informal discussions with associates at other Colleges. Publication in the Journal of Chemical Education of novel or substantially revised experiments developed to support our mission will complete our dissemination effort.