This project is designed to improve the college's general and organic chemistry instruction through the revision of the chemistry laboratories. The goal of a laboratory is to enable students to learn about science by doing science. The college is improving the student learning experience by enhancing the student laboratory experience in three ways. First, student confidence in data acquisition is being heightened in the laboratory through the use of calculator-based laboratory systems. These portable systems streamline the data collection process, increasing student confidence in the laboratory. Second, the same system improves student learning and comprehension through efficient, meaningful data analysis. Third, discovery-based laboratory experiments in organic chemistry are being designed to develop critical thinking skills to encourage students to predict reactions and to interpret the results of the experiments, rather than simply to confirm predicted outcomes.
