Interdisciplinary (99) A GC/MS instrument is being vertically integrated into the undergraduate biology and chemistry curriculum, from freshman courses through senior level classes. Project-based and inquiry laboratory experiments using GC/MS are being introduced in a total of nine courses thereby serving to modernize the biology and chemistry curriculum. Student understanding of and ability to utilize technology to address scientific questions is enhanced through early exposure to the GC/MS instrumentation. Additionally, the instrument provides new opportunities for joint undergraduate student-faculty research, including interdisciplinary collaborative research.
The laboratory improvements are being evaluated for their effectiveness in improving student attitudes and student learning. In each course, evaluations are determining the effectiveness of laboratories on overall learning of concepts, and examining the effectiveness of using GC/MS to elucidate a concept as compared with previous laboratory activities. These assessments are adding to the body of data on the effectiveness of project-based laboratories as teaching tools at all levels of undergraduate education.
