A Three-Year Chemistry Seminar Program Focusing on Career

Aug 14, 2014 - information literacy (IL), and good laboratory practice (GLP). Thus, a seminar program was developed at The College of New. Jersey (TCN...
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A Three-Year Chemistry Seminar Program Focusing on Career Development Skills Valerie K. Tucci,*,† Abby R. O’Connor,‡ and Lynn M. Bradley‡ †

Library, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, New Jersey 08628, United States Department of Chemistry, The College of New Jersey, Ewing, New Jersey 08628, United States

‡

S Supporting Information *

ABSTRACT: An innovative, three-year seminar program was developed for undergraduates at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) that supplements the core chemistry curriculum by teaching the auxiliary skills necessary for life as a professional chemist. Advising, good laboratory practice, and information literacy are the strategic components of this program that function as building blocks to support sequential learning objectives and outcomes for students while enriching the chemistry program at TCNJ. Although the seminar program model is not unique to the TCNJ campus, this program has novel components, including a strong faculty-embedded-librarian partnership, a three-year approach that builds new skills onto the foundation of those previously acquired, a mentoring relationship between faculty and students that is reinforced by sustained faculty interaction, a peer mentor component that builds throughout the students’ time at TCNJ, and assessment of knowledge retention at the start of each course. Details pertaining to the components of the program, the impact of the program as evidenced by assessment outcomes, along with student views on how the program influenced their learning skills, and future directions are described. KEYWORDS: Upper-Division Undergraduate, Collaborative/Cooperative Learning, Testing/Assessment, Enrichment/Review Materials

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team member who contributes to the research mission of the institution and becomes a partner with faculty to develop relationships with students.9 Most seminar programs at other institutions are one or two years.2 Our program is conducted over three years and this assists in strengthening the student/ librarian relationship. One of the goals of the longer program is to have the students recognize that the librarian, like the faculty member, is there to support them throughout their years at TCNJ. The librarian no longer solely provides a service upon request, but becomes a partner with faculty to provide programming that best meets the needs of students. Both the faculty member and the librarian are involved in the development of lesson plans, assignments, and assessments resulting in feedback that is used for continual improvement of the IL process. Another novel approach is that the program is conducted over multiple years, beginning with the first year, which allows for broad coverage of supplemental skills and supports a vital peer mentor component that builds throughout the students’ time at TCNJ. Upper class students are given numerous opportunities to provide advice and feedback to lower level students within the seminar program framework. Especially significant to undergraduates are upper-class students’ experiences with employment and professional/graduate school

hile the undergraduate chemistry curriculum at colleges and universities is structured to provide students with a rigorous background in the chemical subdisciplines, many faculty members are challenged to allocate additional class time to teach the auxiliary skills necessary for life as a professional chemist. Undergraduates may not have been previously exposed to key areas including specialized career development, information literacy (IL), and good laboratory practice (GLP). Thus, a seminar program was developed at The College of New Jersey (TCNJ) to address these points and to prepare students for a smooth transition to a career or further study in the chemical field. Advising, good laboratory practice, and IL are strategic components of the three-year seminar program that function as building blocks to support sequential learning objectives and outcomes for students while enriching the chemistry program. The seminar program model is not unique to the TCNJ campus; other colleges and universities have developed their own courses with formats ranging from formal workshops, seminar series, and informal discussions, to self-taught mechanisms including tutorials.1−8 The TCNJ program shares some aspects of these reported works, but is unique in how it combines curricular enhancements supported by a facultyembedded-librarian partnership for the IL portion of the seminar program. The embedded librarian, a title now acknowledged and defined in the library literature, is one who has transitioned from the traditional subject liaison to a © 2014 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.

Published: August 14, 2014 2071

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The American Chemical Society (ACS) Guidelines and Evaluation procedures for Bachelor’s Degree Programs published by the ACS Committee on Professional Training10 give direction for this work. IL standards published by library associations such as The American Library Association/ Association of College and Research Libraries/Science and Technology Section also provide an impetus.11 More specific to chemistry are the IL guidelines published by the ACS Division of Chemical Information (CINF) joint with the Special Libraries Association (SLA) Chemistry Division (DCHE). This document entitled Information Competencies for Chemistry Undergraduates: The Elements of Information Literacy12 serves as a bridge between the ACS Guidelines and the American Library Association (ALA) general science and technology guidelines. The chemical information resources to be covered in an IL program are detailed and include the topics of scientific communication, ethical conduct, and safety information. All TCNJ first-year students are automatically registered for a no credit, online information literacy course (IDS 102) and are expected to complete it by the end of their first semester. For many of these students, IDS 102 is their only IL course. For chemistry majors, IDS 102 is a co-requisite for Orientation to Chemistry (CHE 099), which is the first course in the threeyear seminar program. The seminar program begins with CHE 099 that runs as a zero credit course for 7 weeks (1 h/week) only during the fall semester. Two sections of CHE 099 are offered and the chair evenly distributes the students among the sections during the first-year student orientation. The focus of this course is to help students smoothly transition into the major and TCNJ. The program is then continued for two additional 15-week courses as the Sophomore Chemistry Seminar (CHE 316) and the Junior Chemistry Seminar (CHE 317) with session durations of 1 h/week. These two seminars are worth a combined total of 0.5 units (2 credits). Faculty members are compensated 0.5 faculty weighted hours (FWH) for teaching CHE 099 and 1.0 FWH for teaching CHE 316 or CHE 317. Single sections of each CHE 316 and CHE 317 are offered in both the fall and spring semesters. Each section is capped at 18 students to provide a venue for a true seminar atmosphere involving active discussion and presentations by students, faculty, staff, and external affiliates. The flexibility of these offerings helps to eliminate scheduling conflicts and allows for external and internal transfer students and students studying abroad to be accommodated. The chemistry department seminar program (CHE 099 to CHE 317) is required for all chemistry majors and is only taught by full-time faculty. (Syllabi are given in the Supporting Information.)

interviews. Additionally, the three-year period of the program fosters a growth in the relationships between all classes. The program is a process that continually builds new skills onto the foundation of those previously acquired, reinforced by consistent and sustained faculty and peer interactions with students. Knowledge retention is assessed at the start of each course and reviews are incorporated as needed. The impact of this effort is assessed via individual components of each course, student evaluations, as well as overall satisfaction with the preparedness for the transition from undergraduate life to postgraduate work. This is the first article to detail the full scope of the mature program. The pyramid model shown in Figure 1 shows the areas covered in the program along with the

Figure 1. Pyramid model depicting intended skill growth for students in the chemistry seminar program.

goals for each seminar course. Details are given in the syllabi included in the Supporting Information. After completion of the seminar series, students are better prepared to be integrated into the chemical community at large.

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PROGRAM HISTORY AND OBJECTIVES In the early 1990s, the chemistry faculty recognized the need to address key subjects not covered in the core curriculum, including ethics, laboratory safety, resume writing, interview skills, the graduate/professional school application process, undergraduate research opportunities, IL, and careers in chemistry. A seminar program to better serve the students’ education and career aspirations was created, and when a physical sciences and engineering librarian was hired in 2008, she was invited to collaborate on the development of the IL segment of this program. The major objective was to produce an enriched learning experience that inspires greater engagement with standard classroom education and instills in students a desire for life-long learning. All student chemists gain an enhanced understanding of the scientific method, experimental design, and data analysis, along with supporting skills that prepare them for graduate/professional school or the industrial job market. The seminar program is especially beneficial to those students engaged in undergraduate research at TCNJ as they are prepared to embrace the active-learning challenges of research. A three-year program was developed based on peer mentoring, collaborating with available campus and off-campus resources, and employing appropriate assessments. The standards of many professional organizations provided structure and guidance for the development of this program.

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ADVISING OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES The goal of CHE 099 is to provide students with skills, encouragement, and support that will lead to retention in the major and a smooth transition to college. We begin with prescriptive advising13 that includes the traditional advisement that is conducted on college campuses and commences the summer prior to the first year. This is the initial interaction that students have with the chemistry department faculty members and where the strong bond between faculty and student starts. The purpose of the prescriptive advising in the chemistry department at TCNJ is to provide entering students with knowledge about the course registration process, course structure, college policies and procedures, learning manage2072

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The Sloan Career and ACS Web sites contain useful information related to this topic and students are also provided with a list of other Web sites to explore. The students give an oral presentation on a chemistry career of their choice and this is conducted over two to three class periods. To gain additional exposure to career paths in chemistry, students are required to attend at least two seminars sponsored by the School of Science. Students are encouraged to participate in lab shadowing experiences with different faculty in the department and the seminar course serves as a way to match students to research groups. One successful peer-mentoring experience that has been developed is the inclusion of a student panel. Upperclass chemistry majors are invited to share their research experiences with the students in CHE 316. Topics discussed by the panel include the college’s MUSE (Mentored Undergraduate Summer Experience) program, independent research during the academic year, REUs, and chemical internships in industry. The main topics of interest in the CHE 317 course are application to graduate/professional school and interview and networking skills that prepare students for careers after graduation, as well as engagement in the broader chemical community. As the students begin to think about life past TCNJ, they are exposed to developing cover letters and interview skills. The students prepare a cover letter that is peerreviewed and critiqued by the course instructor. The cover letter is then tailored to chemical jobs the students have identified through Chemical and Engineering News and other Internet sources. The resume developed in the seminar series, along with the polished cover letter, is provided in the application. Additionally, the above-mentioned local scientific staffing agency provides the students with proper interview etiquette. Faculty then conduct scheduled interviews over two class periods. Feedback is provided in order to improve interview skills. Periodically, alumni of TCNJ’s chemistry program give lectures about a career in chemical industry. The graduate and professional school application process is also discussed in CHE 317. A senior student panel shares individual experiences about the application process and answers questions with additional input provided from the instructor. These peer-to-peer interactions are critical to the unique nature of this program as peer-led discussion solicits questions with dialogues continuing after class. The overall developmental advising progression from CHE 099, to CHE 316, and to CHE 317 is a critical component of the TCNJ seminar program.

ment system, chemistry and liberal learning program planners, study skills, and academic tutoring resources. Advising within the chemistry department has evolved into a multifaceted approach. A faculty advisor within the chemistry department is assigned to each student during the summer before the fall semester and continues to be the primary advisor for the student throughout the undergraduate experience. In addition to this traditional model, group advising occurs in CHE 099. Each student benefits from additional advising that is conducted in CHE 099 as the students gain additional mentors from whom to seek advice. The students are encouraged to become engaged in the departmental community by attending seminars and events sponsored by the Student Chemists Association (SCA) and are also introduced to the professional society−the ACS. One successful event that is conducted by SCA is a monthly “happy hour” where upperclassmen discuss different topics related to the major in an informal setting with refreshments. Although prescriptive advising continues into CHE 316 and CHE 317 through discussions of adapting study skills, registration issues, and course offerings, attention turns toward developmental advising.14 The overall goals of developmental advising are to educate students about career opportunities and prepare them for work or further study. Developmental advising includes assembling career binders; writing resumes and cover letters; practicing interview skills; exploring options and benefits for study abroad; investigating industrial, academic, and government careers in chemistry; discussing summer internships and Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs); explaining the application process to graduate/ professional schools; and emphasizing the importance of networking. The developmental advising theme builds from CHE 099, to CHE 316, and to CHE 317. An important component started in CHE 099 is the development of a career binder that will eventually contain all career development materials prepared during the seminar program. In CHE 316, the resume process is introduced. Students initially create a resume that is reviewed at a workshop conducted by the campus career development center. During the workshop, the resumes are critiqued and the students are given tips on format and content from a general perspective. On the basis of this feedback, the students revise their resumes and the seminar instructor critiques them from a scientific perspective. A final draft is then prepared and stored in the career binder. Many students use this resume to apply for summer internships and REUs. In CHE 317, the resume writing process is targeted toward the chemical field. Typically, a local scientific staffing agency presents a class on scientific resume writing and then holds one-on-one meetings with the students to discuss individual resumes. This process is mutually beneficial to both students and the agency. At this point, the students have an application-ready resume that can be continuously updated. The students are receptive to this process, as they recognize these are critical skills for career building that are not taught elsewhere in the standard TCNJ undergraduate curriculum. Another focus of the CHE 316 course is exploration of different careers in chemistry to prepare students for industrial internships and summer research opportunities in academia or industry, as well as to further engage them in the chemistry department. Typically, the course instructor provides introductory material through PowerPoint presentations describing government, private industry, and universities as employers.

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GOOD LABORATORY PRACTICE OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES The chemistry department at TCNJ recognizes the importance of laboratory safety and ethical norms and this is aligned with recommendations from the ACS’s Guidelines and Evaluation Procedures for Bachelor’s Degree Programs,10 as well as expectations set forth by the National Science Foundation and National Institute of Health. Introductory safety topics are briefly presented in the laboratory portions of general and organic chemistry and are continued throughout the laboratory curriculum. The seminar program provides another venue to address these issues in more depth. Although the development of safe practices in the teaching environment is addressed in the introductory laboratories, it has also been our goal to develop safe practices in the research laboratory and workplace. The purpose of preparing chemists with this safety knowledge early in the career will lead to prevention of injury to self and others 2073

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students are given in-class and out-of-class assignments (Supporting Information). Thus, the students learn to apply the IL principles taught in CHE 099 and are introduced to the physical sciences and engineering librarian who will be available to provide support throughout their undergraduate years. A major focus of the IL program in CHE 316 is reference searching in the context of the nature and scope of the scientific literature. The lesson plan describes the areas of discussion and the librarian begins with a review of topics that caused difficulty in CHE 099. After this review, the librarian begins the 1 h class by outlining the research process since most undergraduates have little familiarity with what research entails.21 The flow of research from the genesis of an idea to a publication is described. Next, the role of the scientific literature in this research process is introduced along with the three classic types of chemical literature: primary, secondary, and tertiary. The primary literature and the value of peer-reviewed scholarly literature is described, followed by an introduction to secondary abstracting and indexing literature through the presentation of SciFinder and its components. The focus then shifts to the first module of SciFinder, Reference Searching. The students are required to complete the Chemical Abstracts’ tutorial on Introduction to Reference searching (221.110) and to register for a SciFinder ID and Password before coming to class. This enables all students to simultaneously use SciFinder during a practice session in the library computer lab because TCNJ has a multiuser license. A discussion on Reference Searching follows that builds on the knowledge gained from the tutorial and reviews the difficulty in retrieving all publications by an author due to variability in author name. Also highlighted are the differences between the terms journal articles and patents and citing vs being cited. Acronyms such as DOI, ISSN, CODEN, and ISBN, and the Refine, Analyze, and Categorize functions in the SciFinder program, are discussed. The session ends with an assignment of five reference questions (Supporting Information). Understanding Substructure Searching using SciFinder is the next step in the instruction process and this is typically conducted in one class period 2 weeks after the first session in CHE 316. A key feature of this activity requires students to be familiar with drawing chemical structures. Because our students have already been introduced to ChemDraw in earlier sessions of CHE 316, there is no need to complete the tutorial on the Introduction to SciFinder Drawing (232.180) but it is available if needed. After the students complete a homework assignment reviewing the Chemical Abstracts Services’ tutorial on an Introduction to Substructure Searching (231.110), they are engaged in a lecture given by the physical sciences and engineering librarian. Topics covered include what constitutes a review article, formatting citations for scientific literature, and software available for compiling bibliographies. Items pertaining to substructure searching are then discussed. One challenge that students encounter is how to distinguish between chemical compounds. Different approaches to searching for chemical compounds are discussed in CHE 316 and include the following: IUPAC nomenclature rules such as those employed by Chemical Abstracts Service, molecular formulas, and Registry Numbers. Searching for a specific compound or a chemical structure as part of a larger entity and for commercial sources of a known chemical compound is demonstrated. To reinforce the concepts presented, an assignment is given. (See the Supporting Information.)

in the lab setting. The code of conduct goes beyond safety in the laboratory and is addressed by conveying knowledge of and respect for the ethical norms of the department, college, profession, and society. The goals for safe practices in the teaching laboratory are discussed in CHE 099 by reviewing departmental safety policies, discussing Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and watching the ACS Starting with Safety15 movie. In addition, the TCNJ academic policy and the ACS code of ethics are discussed. More recently, we have included case studies in ethics that involve undergraduate academic integrity situations. The goal of the safety lessons in CHE 316 and CHE 317 is to develop students that possess strong lab safety skills for the research and advanced teaching labs, as well as the workplace. Currently, this is done through lectures, discussions, and inclass movies. More in depth discussion about personal protective equipment, laboratory hoods, and waste disposal occurs in CHE 316. These habits are then practiced in the teaching laboratories. Lab safety evaluations are conducted in CHE 317, in which the students look for situations that do not comply with safety regulations. An in-class discussion on recent chemistry safety incidents taken from the literature also occurs. The goal for ethics training in CHE 316 and CHE 317 focuses on preparing students to recognize the ethical norms in the workplace and society. In CHE 316, a class period is devoted to unintentional plagiarism and paraphrasing, which are common problems that are not well understood by undergraduates. The students participate in an assignment to evaluate correct vs incorrect paraphrasing and learn how to cite resources according to the ACS guidelines. In CHE 317, the ethical norms in the broader chemical community are described. A class is devoted to discussing ethical challenges in chemistry including fabrication of results that might occur in graduate school or in the workplace.16−20 Issues of laboratory safety and ethics are always changing and will need to be continually updated in the seminar program.

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INFORMATION LITERACY OVERVIEW AND OBJECTIVES In conjunction with advising and GLP programs, the students are introduced to the importance of the chemical literature and professional searching tools. A collaborative working relationship between the chemistry department faculty and the physical sciences and engineering librarian has been key for success. The goal of this collaboration, to promote IL, is achieved through lectures, Chemical Abstracts Services’ (CAS) SciFinder tutorials, SciFinder assignments, and assessments conducted over three years. Each year the program is reviewed and revised by incorporating refinements suggested by results from previous years’ outcomes. This three-year approach provides students with literacy skills for life-long learning rather than a one-time first-year skill that is forgotten by the fourth year. The process begins when all entering TCNJ first-year students are introduced to IL through the required completion of an online tutorial and course (IDS 102). Chemistry majors are advised to complete this course early in the semester (first 5−6 weeks) so that they have a foundation for the chemistry IL class embedded in CHE 099. The goals of the IL portion of CHE 099 are to enforce the concepts discussed in IDS 102 and apply them to the chemistry resources. This 1 h class includes a tour of the library, review of access services policies, the Library of Congress classification scheme, the Library Web site and LibGuides, and how to request an inter-library loan. The 2074

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CHE 317 begins with an assessment of SciFinder skills retained from CHE 316 and areas of concern are reviewed in the first library session (Supporting Information). The next level for SciFinder instruction involves Reaction and Patent Searching and typically is conducted during two 1 h sessions in CHE 317. Prior to the first class, students complete the SciFinder Introduction to Reaction Searching Tutorial (241.110). Because of the increasing complexity of the assignments, less time is spent lecturing in CHE 317 and more time is dedicated to working on a Substructure and Reaction Searching assignment. This gives the faculty member and librarian more time to interact with the students and explain techniques and concepts. In the classroom discussion, substructure searching is reviewed and then conversation turns to the basics of Reaction Searching, including how to draw the desired reaction and how to synthesize a particular compound starting with a given reactant. The in-class assignment consists of a series of questions that require the Reaction Searching function in SciFinder (Supporting Information). The second session in CHE 317 is devoted to an introduction to the patent literature with an emphasis on using SciFinder to retrieve chemical patents. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) database is introduced along with Google Patents. The primary focus is a lecture showing the importance of patents, types of patents, and comparing the parts of a patent to the parts of a journal article. Also reviewed are the recent changes to the U.S. Patent Law covered in the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act of March 2013.22 To reinforce this information, a short assignment is given on searching the patent literature using SciFinder and USPTO, based on a given class of compounds and a particular author (Supporting Information). The session concludes with a SciFinder assessment on Substance, Reaction, and Patent Searching (Supporting Information). In collaboration with the physical sciences and engineering librarian, the faculty will continue to explore programs and resources in order to keep students familiar with the advances in the field.

Figure 2. SciFinder reference searching assessment results.

Reference Searching taught in CHE 316 no matter the class composition. The following graph (Figure 3) illustrates the students’ ability to answer questions regarding the use of SciFinder to

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Figure 3. SciFinder substance, reaction, and patent assessment results.

PROGRAM ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATIONS Given that each segment of the seminar program builds sequentially on the previous years acquired skills, IL assessments are an essential component of the program and provide documentation that all chemistry undergraduates have demonstrated the majority of the Information Competencies recommended by ACS/SLA (2011).12 Assessments start with a Qualtrics survey at the beginning of CHE 316 to determine the amount of skill retention from CHE 099. The development of the Qualtrics assessment, details of the results by category and question, along with an overview of the seminar program in its early stages was previously reported by Tucci.23 Two separate SciFinder assessments, developed jointly with Chemical Abstracts Service (the producer of SciFinder), are administered in the CHE 317 course (Supporting Information). The results of the first assessment shown in Figure 2 illustrate the percentage of students answering the questions correctly from two different cohorts of students as they enter CHE 317. The questions cover the topics that are discussed in CHE 316 on SciFinder Reference Searching. The graph illustrates that both cohorts from 2011 and 2012 were proficient in most areas of the assessment (greater than 60% correct responses) with the exception of three questions. This particular SciFinder assessment is now always completed with SciFinder access. Overall, we are satisfied with student retention of knowledge on

conduct Substance, Reaction, and Patent searching. This assessment measures ability to apply IL knowledge learned during CHE 317. This assessment was administered to the same cohort of students used to generate Figure 2. One question that posed difficulties for the students was question 6 (60% correct) which focused on analyzing a substructure search; revision of the question may address this issue. In addition to identifying areas that need more coverage, reviewing student responses also enables the instructors to clarify and improve the assignments. There can be an information gap between the librarian/faculty knowledge base and that of the student. These seminar courses are evaluated through a college-wide evaluation process that occurs at the end of each course. Additionally, a department-wide survey is administered to graduating students to evaluate the chemistry major as a whole. Questions related to courses, instructors, and social functions are included in the survey. Results from the departmental graduating student survey indicate that 92% of the class of 2012 felt the seminar sequence was somewhat valuable or very valuable. This value was 100% for the class of 2013. The college-wide evaluation is composed of two sections: (1) a numerical rating from 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest score of the course and instructor, and (2) an opportunity for student 2075

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chemical hazards, skilled in minimizing and preventing exposure to hazards, assess risk, and is prepared to handle emergencies. Assessment will be conducted in the future. A key component of any laboratory safety program is readily available toxicology reference books and MSDS. To provide this access, TCNJ is purchasing safety and toxicology books in e-format, making this information readily available in all laboratories. MSDS are currently available online in all laboratories and with the department’s stockroom manager. As the trend to convert from printed material to electronic format continues, TCNJ is introducing students to the concept of Electronic Laboratory Notebooks (ELN) via video based case studies from academia and industry.28 Future plans include the possibility of experimenting with open access laboratory notebook software using iPads.

comments. Table 1 shows a small collection of questions from the evaluation that is most relevant to the seminar program. Table 1. Results of Student Evaluation of the Seminar Program Response Score Range for Selected Statements, by Coursea,b Statements for Response Assignments added to understanding of the course. Where relevant, collaborative work with classmates added to my understanding. I acquired valuable skills and knowledge in this course. I increased my ability to analyze and critically evaluate ideas, arguments, and points of view.

CHE 099 (N = 60)

CHE 316 (N = 72)

CHE 317 (N = 61)

4.00−4.73

4.57−4.89

4.75−4.91

4.42−4.58

4.69−4.95

4.46−5.00

4.50−4.64

4.62−4.89

4.75−5.00

3.83−4.43

4.15−4.56

4.36−4.64

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CONCLUSION The TCNJ seminar program supplements the core chemistry courses by building the auxiliary skills necessary to progress through the undergraduate curriculum and to assist in the transition to becoming a professional chemist. The individual components of each course and overall goals of the program continue to be assessed and updated to reflect current trends in the field. To date, the TCNJ seminar program has already garnered support from the chemical community as evidenced by discussion with Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) members in 2012 and was highly praised by the chemistry department’s 2013 external reviewers. Assessment results validate that key skills are learned and students are favorably impressed with the program.

a

Scores could range from 1, Strongly Disagree, to 5, Strongly Agree. Scores were obtained from college-wide student feedback forms from Spring 2011−Fall 2012.

b

Because multiple faculty members teach in the seminar program, the performance of the instructor has not been included. As shown in Table 1, student appreciation of the seminar program increases as they progress from CHE 099, to CHE 316, and to CHE 317 as the students begin to realize the usefulness of the material. This is seen through a general increase in the numerical score for each question moving from CHE 099 to CHE 317. Student comments tend to reiterate the increasing value of the seminar courses as illustrated by the following comments received over the past two years: “Learned some really valuable techniques/concepts about the real world!” “Very helpful and informative” “Very relevant, valuable and helpful information conveyed in this class.” “Course was enjoyable and informative!” “Challenged me and other students to go outside of our comfort zones while doing presentations.” “I liked the classroom discussions and the topics we went over. The resume topic was the most helpful. Really liked the class!!” “Clearly explained what was valuable to know for the chemistry department and gave a great overview.” “Helpful and introduced wide range of chemistry applications.”

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ASSOCIATED CONTENT

S Supporting Information *

Course syllabi, lesson plans, assignments, assessments, and exercises. This material is available via the Internet at http:// pubs.acs.org.

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AUTHOR INFORMATION

Corresponding Author

*E-mail: [email protected]. Notes

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors acknowledge the support of the entire chemistry department and especially Benny Chan and Stephanie Sen, along with Richard Thayer of the Mathematics and Statistics Department of TCNJ. The support and review by the IRB is also acknowledged (IRB 1114-08, 1114-23, 1118-01, 1124-28, 1126-12).

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FUTURE PLANS The 2012 ACS report entitled “Creating Safety Cultures in the Academic Institutions”24 provides guidelines for safety topics to be reviewed with undergraduates and TCNJ is using this outline to enhance its safety program. Some chemistry programs have already developed excellent examples of safety quizzes that will serve as good references.25,26 Additionally, more videos will be used to support safe practices in the teaching lab curriculum and in the strong undergraduate research program at TCNJ. Caltech has organized a number of available safety resources that will be reviewed.27 With this emphasis on undergraduate laboratory research, it is imperative to develop a foundation in Good Laboratory and Research Practices where the student is taught the importance and principles of laboratory safety, trained to investigate possible

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REFERENCES

(1) Somerville, A. N.; Cardinal, S. K. An Integrated Chemical information Program. J. Chem. Educ. 2003, 80, 574−579. (2) Garritano, J. R.; Culp, F. B.; Twiss-Brooks, A. Chemical Information Instruction in Academe: Who Is Leading the Charge? J. Chem. Educ. 2010, 87, 340−344. (3) Eklund, A. G.; McGowan, G. J. An Effective Four-Semester, Junior−Senior Approach to a Chemistry Seminar Curriculum. J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84, 1299−1300.

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dx.doi.org/10.1021/ed400667q | J. Chem. Educ. 2014, 91, 2071−2077