Building upon a pilot project that produced successful outcomes, this project entails developing and implementing a collection of 12 topic-focused studio-laboratory modules for incorporation throughout the undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory curriculum. The modules combine a guided-inquiry model with a studio-laboratory methodology. These efforts comprise a collaboration between four-year and two-year institutions, in order to demonstrate the transportability and effective implementation of the modules and improvement of student learning in various academic settings.
The intellectual merit of the project lies in the development of a fully integrated studio-organic chemistry curriculum that demonstrates enhancement of student learning gains through improved critical thinking skills and confidence in the laboratory, along with more efficient transfer of course material between the lecture and laboratory. Furthermore, the development of these modules with inherent portability and flexibility of delivery makes for customized incorporation into any undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory curriculum.
Broader impacts of the project include the ease of adoption and implementation of the modules by a wide variety of types of institutions and departments. Evaluation activities include the use of teaching observational protocols (TDOP and RTOP), summative grade comparisons of students taught via the studio-lab approach versus historical student grade data, and student interviews and surveys, including the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey (CLASS) instrument. Results and outcomes are disseminated through a faculty development workshop for potential adopters of the curriculum, peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, and a textbook partnership.
