Event Title
Research Experience to Enhance Learning: REEL Chemistry Laboratory
Location
Student Center, CSU
Start Date
12-3-2015 12:00 AM
End Date
13-3-2015 12:00 AM
Description
Abstract: In contrast to traditional chemistry lab courses where students perform lab exercises and submit lab reports with a known outcome, the approach of the REEL method of lab teaching is to have students, work independently and collaboratively, develop, pursue and implement their own research projects. Since most of these students lack any sort of research background, guidance and instruction that include literature searches, instrument instruction, data acquisition, data analysis, and presentation of research results are provided for each of the projects. By the end of the semester, each group of students present a poster of their research at a conference that exhibits both graduate and undergraduate research or at a regional American Chemical Society (ACS) meeting. The original research of students regarding such topics as arsenic and chromium content in wooden playground structures, tricolasan and phathalates in cosmetics, shampoos and other personal products, bioremediation of PAHs by plants and mushrooms, heavy metal concentrations in community gardens and brown field sites around the Cleveland area, lead concentrations in the vicinity of roadways, and the occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in cooked foods, sealed coated parking lots, and motor oils as well as the toxicity of PAHs and heavy metals on plants and bacteria are presented. Instructing a REEL lab takes full commitment from both instructors and teaching assistants. Instead of a single traditional lab exercise each week, the activities of the REEL labs keep the instructor and two teaching assistants very busy. In the REEL labs, students quickly learn the importance of teamwork and collaboration. They develop critical and creative thinking that builds confidence as well as knowledge--all valuable skills in today’s areas of research. Since these are original research ideas the students take ownership of their projects. In a traditional lab course the “experiments” are usually exercises with known outcomes. In REEL lab, since students are working on actual research projects, the outcomes are unknown. This provides the students with a sense of engagement, discovery and knowledge.
Research Experience to Enhance Learning: REEL Chemistry Laboratory
Student Center, CSU
Abstract: In contrast to traditional chemistry lab courses where students perform lab exercises and submit lab reports with a known outcome, the approach of the REEL method of lab teaching is to have students, work independently and collaboratively, develop, pursue and implement their own research projects. Since most of these students lack any sort of research background, guidance and instruction that include literature searches, instrument instruction, data acquisition, data analysis, and presentation of research results are provided for each of the projects. By the end of the semester, each group of students present a poster of their research at a conference that exhibits both graduate and undergraduate research or at a regional American Chemical Society (ACS) meeting. The original research of students regarding such topics as arsenic and chromium content in wooden playground structures, tricolasan and phathalates in cosmetics, shampoos and other personal products, bioremediation of PAHs by plants and mushrooms, heavy metal concentrations in community gardens and brown field sites around the Cleveland area, lead concentrations in the vicinity of roadways, and the occurrence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in cooked foods, sealed coated parking lots, and motor oils as well as the toxicity of PAHs and heavy metals on plants and bacteria are presented. Instructing a REEL lab takes full commitment from both instructors and teaching assistants. Instead of a single traditional lab exercise each week, the activities of the REEL labs keep the instructor and two teaching assistants very busy. In the REEL labs, students quickly learn the importance of teamwork and collaboration. They develop critical and creative thinking that builds confidence as well as knowledge--all valuable skills in today’s areas of research. Since these are original research ideas the students take ownership of their projects. In a traditional lab course the “experiments” are usually exercises with known outcomes. In REEL lab, since students are working on actual research projects, the outcomes are unknown. This provides the students with a sense of engagement, discovery and knowledge.