Preparing Chemistry Majors for the 21st Century ... - ACS Publications

Article Cite This: J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX-XXX

pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc

Preparing Chemistry Majors for the 21st Century through a Comprehensive One-Semester Course Focused on Professional Preparation, Contemporary Issues, Scientific Communication, and Research Skills Anne E. Marteel-Parrish* and James M. Lipchock Department of Chemistry, Washington College, Chestertown, Maryland 21620, United States S Supporting Information *

ABSTRACT: Success in chemistry in the 21st century requires not only a mastery of important chemical concepts, but also the skills to apply this knowledge to important societal issues and the ability to effectively convey scientific information using a range of media. In response to this challenge we have developed an innovative four-credit seminar that comprehensively integrates the skills needed for chemistry majors to become successful professionals and experts in the chemistry field. It is expected that after taking this course chemistry majors will (i) develop scientific literature proficiency; (ii) gain valuable career preparation/marketing skills; (iii) enhance their scientific communication skills (oral, written, and visual); (iv) increase their awareness for research ethics codes and policies; and (v) gain an appreciation for the role of chemistry in contemporary moral/societal issues, particularly sustainable science literacy. Details pertaining to the design of the course such as learning objectives, assessment outcomes, impacts of the new course, along with student views on how this new course influenced their level of preparation for the work force, and future directions are presented. KEYWORDS: Upper-Division Undergraduate, Curriculum, Problem Solving/Decision Making, Collaborative/Cooperative Learning, Communication/Writing, Student-Centered Learning

■

or career development.14,15 Similarly, the Chemistry Department at Washington College has offered seminar courses to chemistry majors in different formats over time that have attempted to provide comprehensive coverage of these topics with varying levels of success. Ten years ago students majoring in chemistry were required to enroll in four, one-credit courses over the junior and senior years to fulfill the seminar requirement. Eight years ago, these credits were combined into two, two-credit courses, namely, junior and senior seminar offered every spring and fall, respectively. However, after the last iteration several deficiencies remained; specifically, students were not • Sufficiently prepared for broad scientific writing, grant writing in particular • Exercising visual communication skills beyond traditional PowerPoint presentations • Exposed to societal issues related to chemistry, including global sustainability science literacy, one of the “grand challenges” for chemistry in the 21st century16 • Routinely exposed to ethical considerations in scientific research

INTRODUCTION There has been a growing consensus among business leaders, policy makers, and educators in recent years with regard to the need for a more skills-based approach to education to better prepare students for careers in the 21st century.1−3 The importance of this approach was reaffirmed by the American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training (ACS-CPT) guidelines announced in 2015, which require all certified bachelor’s degree-granting programs in chemistry to “provide experiences that go beyond chemistry content knowledge to develop competence in other critical skills necessary for a professional chemist”, specifically problemsolving, use of the chemical literature, communication, team work, and ethics.4,5 While many of these skills have arguably been promoted since the enkuklios paideia or “education in a circle” in ancient Greece, the near-exponential growth of human knowledge,6 globalization of the work force, and increased emphasis on collaboration have made the cultivation of these skills more important than ever.7 While these skills are normally integrated throughout the chemistry curriculum, it is common for colleges and universities to emphasize one or more of these skills in an upper-level seminar course intended for chemistry majors. Several examples of these seminars have been presented in the literature and often highlight the development of a specific skill, such as chemical research literacy,8 scientific writing,9−11 oral communication,11,12 research ethics,8,13 © XXXX American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.

Received: June 21, 2017 Revised: October 6, 2017

A

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00439 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX

Journal of Chemical Education

Article

• Given comprehensive career preparation (job searching, résumé building, cover letter writing, and interview practice) • Presented with a spectrum of real-world career possibilities or networking opportunities In short, students were not fully equipped to become successful professionals and experts in the field of chemistry. To help address these deficiencies, we have designed and implemented a one-semester, four-credit seminar course which is focused on preparing chemistry majors at Washington College for their future professional careers. By the end of this course, we expect our students to • Develop scientific literature proficiency • Gain valuable career preparation/marketing skills • Enhance their scientific communication skills (oral, written, and visual) • Increase their awareness for research ethics codes and policies • Gain an appreciation for the role of chemistry in contemporary moral/societal issues, particularly sustainable science literacy Infusing sustainability science literacy through chemical education is a 21st century goal for students to apply their scientific knowledge to a global sustainability challenge while developing scientific literacy skills.16 The rationale for this new course is 5-fold, as discussed below.

skills; increased ability to work in a team; and proper concern for scientific ethics. Integrating Learning Objectives Not Previously Articulated in Our Departmental Mission

In the process of developing and implementing this seminar course, the department thought critically about our departmental mission and student learning objectives. As a result of this process, we added new learning goals and modified many of our previous learning objectives to ensure that we are adequately preparing our students to thrive as chemists in the 21st century. These new learning objectives include developing a more robust understanding of research ethics, gaining the ability to apply chemistry knowledge to contemporary moral/ societal issues with an emphasis on sustainability science, and enhanced career preparation. Newly added or modified student learning objectives that emerged from the development of this course are highlighted in our departmental learning objectives included in the Supporting Information. Promoting Curricular Innovation and Creativity

By being more skills-focused, rather than content-focused, this course allows our department to think creatively about how we achieve our learning objectives and affords the flexibility to adapt to emerging trends in chemical education. As such, this course has been a vehicle for promoting curricular innovation and can serve as a model for other departments interested in offering a similar skills-based course, either as an upper-level major specific course or an introductory first-year seminar. It is noteworthy that this process of self-evaluation of departmental curricula is also a requirement of the ACS-CPT guidelines.4

Reducing Redundancy and Ensuring Coverage of Essential Topics

■

One challenge with the two, two-credit course format utilized previously is that these courses were rotated through departmental faculty and frequently taught as overloads, due to the reduced credit amount. As a result, it was rare that the same faculty member taught both courses in the two-course sequence. This caused redundancies in certain topics and omission of others. A one-semester, four-credit course allows us to ensure that all of our expected learning outcomes are consistently covered and to increase student accountability. The plan is to rotate this course throughout interested chemistry departmental members using a common syllabus and course assignments to maintain long-term consistency.

COURSE DESIGN AND OBJECTIVES CHE392-Seminar course on Preparing Chemistry Majors for the 21st Century is a four-credit course offered in the spring semester and is required for all junior chemistry majors. This course is taught by a full-time faculty member in the Chemistry Department and meets for three, 50 minutes lecture periods each week over the duration of a 15-week semester. To facilitate coverage of course topics and maintain student interest, the course is divided into five main units: 1. Professional preparation 2. Contemporary moral/societal issues in chemistry 3. Research ethics 4. Science literacy proficiency 5. Integrative research project The topics covered and key assignments for each unit are listed in Table 1. (A detailed course syllabus with topics and assignment deadlines is provided in the Supporting Information.) As highlighted in Table 2, these units and assignments were designed to closely align with our desired course outcomes and departmental student learning objectives. While most of the course outcomes correspond to a specific unit, development of effective oral, written, and visual scientific communications skills was integrated throughout the course. As evidenced by the assignments/assessment methods listed in Tables 1 and 2, drafting and peer review were central to the course design to help promote mastery of each learning objective. In addition, comprehensive feedback was given on each assignment in the form of detailed rubrics and comments, as well as frequent individual meetings. Example course rubrics are provided in the Supporting Information. In providing this feedback, we found it beneficial to use an online

Fulfilling College Writing Requirements

Washington College has a four-course writing requirement that spans the educational experience (W1−W4).17 The third course in this sequence (W3) is a “Disciplinary Research and Writing” course that allows students to advance their writing “by developing the rhetorical knowledge and experience needed to write for audiences and purposes specific to disciplinary contexts”.18 This four-credit seminar fulfills this college requirement by focusing on the craft and style of scientific writing, specifically through the writing of a grant proposal, a seminar abstract, and several other writing assignments throughout the semester. To maximize growth in writing quality, an emphasis is placed on iteration, individual meetings with the instructor, and peer review. Fulfilling Departmental Learning Objectives

Given that this course is required of all chemistry majors, it is an ideal place to emphasize and assess departmental learning objectives. Many learning goals from our previously articulated departmental mission statement are fulfilled in this course, specifically, effective use of chemical and other scientific literature; cultivation of oral, written, and visual scientific communication B



Article

Table 1. List of Units, Topics Covered, and Key Assignments in the New Four-Credit Seminar Course Units 1

2

3

Professional preparation (collaboration with career development center)

Contemporary moral/societal issues in chemistry, with focus on sustainability science literacy

Research ethics

Topics Covered

Select position of interest

Résumé building Tips for writing an effective cover letter Interview and networking tips Overview of graduate/professional school and application process Seminars with invited alumni chemistry professionals Sustainability science literacy

Résumé (draft and final) Cover letter (draft and final) Mock interview Mock interview reflective essay Individual summary meeting Poster presentation on sustainability science literacy topic

Exploration of current moral/societal issues relating to chemistry, including: pharmaceutical drug patents and pricing, hydraulic fracturing, and public water quality (Flint, MI, case study)

Group website and presentation on contemporary moral/societal issue research project Class debates and discussions In-class discussions and debates of case studies Written analysis of research ethics case study Assessment of peer-reviewed article and discussion

Research ethics and the scientific code of conduct Authorship and plagiarism case studies

4

5

Scientific literacy proficiency (Collaboration with information literacy librarian)

Integrative research project

Key Assignments

Searching for a job, graduate school, or internship

Components of peer-reviewed research articles Analysis of a peer-reviewed research article Principles of an effective chemical literature search (library resources, SciFinder, search refinement) Citations and reference management programs Introduction to grant writing Refining a grant proposal

Principles of an effective abstract Principles of an effective research seminar

course management program, for example, Canvas, which saves electronic editing that can be reviewed when grading subsequent drafts. This creates additional accountability that helps to ensure students are utilizing the feedback provided. In addition, while the individual meetings can be timeconsuming, these allow students to gain clarity on the suggested changes or recurring issues.

Literature searching worksheet Annotated bibliography Proposal citations and bibliography Analysis of NSF fellowship proposals Review of potential grant topics Refined topic and bibliography Specific aims with descriptions Grant proposal drafts (2) and final Peer-editing of grant proposal Draft and final seminar abstract Practice and final presentation

of their career materials and interview. In addition, to help generate greater awareness about the spectrum of possibilities open to chemistry majors, we consulted our alumni database, contacted alumni of the chemistry department who pursued a variety of careers, and invited a series of chemistry professionals (3−4 each semester) to give informal presentations and answer student questions. These seminars occurred during the normal class period, but were open to the public and were arranged throughout the semester depending on speaker availability.

Unit 1: Professional Preparation

The professional preparation unit focused on teaching the skills students need to effectively present and market themselves in order to advance their career goals. Students were introduced to various databases to facilitate job, graduate/professional school, and internship searching and were provided concrete advice for resume building, writing an effective cover letter, interviewing, and networking. Students were also given the opportunity to practice these skills by preparing sample career materials and completing a mock interview for a specific job/position they identified through a career search. This unit was implemented in close collaboration with the Career Development Center at Washington College, which presented materials during four lecture periods that were tailored to our chemistry majors in consultation with the Chemistry Department and led the individual student mock interviews. Students also met individually with the course professor to receive feedback on their career materials and were required to write a reflective essay following their mock interview. After submitting revised career documents, students again met individually with the course professor to receive comprehensive feedback on all

Unit 2: Contemporary Issues in Chemistry

The second major unit involved coverage of contemporary moral/societal issues related to chemistry, with an emphasis on sustainability science literacy. Environmental sustainability has become a major theme in chemistry and was recently identified as one of the “grand challenges” of the 21st century.16 This topic also provides an opportunity for students to apply their chemistry knowledge to a specific environmental issue. For this section, students were provided with a potential list of sustainability challenges to research and were required to develop a strategy to address the selected challenge. This project concluded in a poster presentation, which allowed the students to begin developing their visual communication skills. Over the next several class periods, additional contemporary issues were discussed, the focus of which varied depending on the interests of the instructor and student input. Examples of topics covered include the following: pharmaceutical drug patents and pricing, hydraulic fracturing, public water quality (Flint, MI, case study), and genomic editing. Prior to each class discussion, students C



Article

Table 2. Learning Outcomes, Methods of Assessment, and Student Performance in the New Seminar Course Student Learning Outcomesa

Assessment Methods

Student Performance, %, N = 18

Outcome 1: Scientific Literature Proficiency Gain ability to effectively search, retrieve, interpret, evaluate, and synthesize scientific literature (goals 1, 2, and 4)

Literature searching worksheet (developed in collaboration with the information literacy librarian)

81.0

Assessment of a research article

95.6

Annotated bibliography for integrative research project

83.8b

Outcome 2: Professional Preparation Learn to search career databases, prepare career materials, gain interview experience, and network with chemistry professionals; increase ability to tackle scientific problems as part of a research team. (goals 5−9)

Participation grade for career discussions and questions for invited professionals (through alumni network)

90.8

Résumé and cover letter (in collaboration with the career development center)

82.8b (Draft) 90.7 (Final)

Mock interview (collaboration with the career development center)

90.6b

Reflective essay on interview

94.9

Team website development and presentation on moral/societal issue related to chemistry

88.6 (Website) 89.6b (Presentation)

Outcome 3: Develop Scientific Communication Skills Learn to effectively communicate scientific material using oral, written, and visual modes; increase ability to tackle scientific problems as part of a research team (goals 5, 6, 8, and 9)

Participation grade for class discussions, debates, and questions for invited professionals (oral)

89.6

Résumé and cover letter (written)


Mock interview (oral)

90.6b

Reflective essay on interview (written)

94.9

Poster presentation on sustainable science literacy (written/visual)

89.0c

Team website development and presentation on moral/societal issue related to chemistry (oral/written/visual)


Ethics case study (written)

88.2c

Assessment of a research article (written)

95.6

Annotated bibliography for integrative research project (written)

83.8b

Draft and final grant proposal (written)

83.6b (Draft) 89.0b (Final)

Draft and final seminar abstract (written)


Practice and final presentation (oral/written/visual)

85.6 (Practice) 90.2 (Final)

Outcome 4: Increase Awareness for Research Ethics Codes and Policies Develop a greater understanding for ethical standards pertaining to scientific research, collaboration, and publicationg (goal 7)

Participation grade for ethics discussions and debates

85.3

Ethics case study

88.2c

Outcome 5: Enhance Awareness for Contemporary Moral/Societal Issues Related to Chemistry with an Emphasis on Sustainable Science Literacy Develop team skills while learning about societal issues related to chemistry; connect and apply knowledge to a global sustainability challenge of the 21st century (goals 4, 5, and 8)

Participation grade for class discussions

89.2

Poster presentation on sustainable science literacy

89.0c

Team website development and presentation on moral/societal issue related to chemistry


a Departmental learning goals are listed under the student learning outcomes and are detailed in the Supporting Information. bTopics only formally assessed in Spring 2017; N = 8. cTopics only formally assessed in Spring 2016; N = 11.

D



Article

list of specific aims with detailed descriptions. These aims were then revised and combined with an introduction to serve as the basis for the first draft of the proposal. Following peer and instructor feedback, students revised and lengthened the proposal (draft 2). This draft then underwent an additional round of revision before the final proposal was submitted. The final grant proposal also served as the basis for a 20 minutes oral presentation and seminar abstract, which allowed students to further develop their oral, written, and visual scientific communication skills. Prior to both assignments, principles of an effective seminar and abstract were covered in lecture. As with other course assignments, drafting was emphasized, and students were required to give individual practice talks with the professor before the final presentation and submit a draft abstract.

were given articles to read (at least one of which covered relevant chemical/scientific information and a second focused on moral/ethical considerations). For a culminating experience, students selected a contemporary issue of interest and worked in pairs to create a website informing the general public of the relevant, peer-reviewed science on the topic and providing a balanced discussion of the moral/societal implications. The students then presented their websites to their peers and were required to provide feedback through peer review. Unit 3: Research Ethics

The research ethics unit introduced students to the scientific norms and the research code of conduct. Materials were adapted from the NIH Ethics Training program19 and utilized case studies available on the NIH website. Topics covered include the following: record keeping, falsification of data, collaboration, authorship, and plagiarism. During these sessions, students were required to consider multiple perspectives and develop strategies for navigating ethically ambiguous or challenging situations. In addition to class discussions on these topics, students were assigned a specific case study to analyze in a written review, which also served as the basis for an in-class debate.

■

COURSE ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATIONS To determine the effectiveness of this seminar at achieving the articulated student learning objectives, student performance on class assignments was compared to the previous two-credit iteration of the course. Student self-assessment data from anonymous student surveys and course evaluations were also analyzed. Student performances on each of the assignments in the seminar course are listed in Table 2. Given the emphasis on revision in this course, one can note that in all cases the average class scores increased through the drafting process. The most significant gains were measured for the student seminar abstracts (draft, 73.9%; final, 90.2%) and resume/cover letters (draft, 82.8%; final, 90.7%). In each case, the same grading rubrics were utilized for each assignment, although the grades were scaled to more heavily weight the final score. Even with this trend, it is worthwhile to note that earlier drafts were typically graded more generously with an emphasis on constructive feedback, suggesting that these data may minimize the degree of student improvement. In support of this analysis, it is noteworthy to highlight that while the averages for each assignment increased, individual scores for some students decreased through the drafting process, depending on individual growth trajectories. Additionally, the learning outcomes of the course parallel the learning goals of the department as highlighted in Table 2. The only departmental goal not covered in this course is goal 3, since this goal pertains to chemistry courses with a laboratory component. Given the current emphasis across academia on assessment, this course provides an effective, sustainable, and uniform framework for assessing departmental student learning objectives. Given that much of this content was new for this four-credit version and skills-based assessments have an inherent degree of subjectivity, direct comparisons to student data in previous iterations of the course were challenging. However, it is informative to compare student performance on several topics to historical departmental assessment data. Specifically, assessment data were reviewed for student performance in (Table 3) literature searching proficiency; ability to interpret and synthesize scientific literature; ability to effectively communicate scientific material using written and oral modes; and the development of a greater understanding of and appreciation for scientific ethics. Unfortunately, no statistically significant differences were apparent for any of the topics assessed. In fact, the averages were lower for two of the four areas assessed with the four-credit

Unit 4: Scientific Literature Competency

The scientific literature competency unit was split into two parts and served as an introduction to the contemporary moral/societal issues in chemistry unit and the integrative research project (unit 5). The goals of this unit were to provide students with the skills to search, retrieve, interpret, analyze, and synthesize chemical and scientific literature. Students were introduced to the parts of a research paper, the peer-review process, and strategies for reading scientific literature. A range of chemical abstract databases were covered, including SciFinder, PubMed, and Washington College’s integrated research database (ONESearch). To highlight challenges with the peer-review process and promote critical thinking, students were required to analyze and discuss a controversial research article published in a well-regarded journal.20−27 As an introduction to the integrative research project, students completed a chemical literature refinement worksheet that was developed in collaboration with the Information Literacy Librarian at Washington College. In addition, students were introduced to an electronic reference management system that can be used to facilitate in-text citations (Zotero). As part of the integrative research project, students were also required to prepare an annotated bibliography and incorporate properly formatted citations and a bibliography into their grant proposal. Unit 5: Integrative Research Project

As a culminating experience for the course, students were required to develop a grant proposal in the model of a National Science Foundation graduate fellowship research proposal. This format was selected because (i) the manageable length (two pages) allows for a focus on quality; (ii) clear guidelines and sample materials are readily available; and (iii) the department hoped to increase students’ interest in applying for graduate fellowships in their senior year. As an introduction to the project and to help reduce anxiety, students were given example proposals to analyze and discuss. The overall project was also broken into many smaller components with frequent opportunities for individualized feedback. Specifically, students began by identifying three potential topics, which they narrowed by searching the literature and preparing an annotated bibliography. This assignment prepared students to create a E



Article

Table 3. Assessment Data for Course Outcomes for the Four-Credit Seminar Relative to the Previous Two-Credit Seminar Average Class Scores, %, by Historical Departmental Assessment Topics Course Offering for Data Sources (N Values)

Literature Searching Proficiency

Interpret and Synthesize Scientific Literature

Effectively Communicate Scientific Material in Written and Oral Formats

Develop a Greater Understanding of and Appreciation for Scientific Ethics

Fall 2010 (2) Spring 2011 (13) Fall 2011 (11) Spring 2012 (8) Fall 2012 (8) Spring 2013 (11) Fall 2013 (11) Spring 2014 (14) Fall 2014 (14) Spring 2015 (8) Fall 2015 (8) 2-Credit Average (9.8) Spring 2016 (11) Spring 2017 (8) 4-Credit Average (18)

90 100 90 90 90 NA NA 89 97 94 NA 93 ± 4 91.8 81.8 87 ± 7

90 89 97 83 89 87 97 92 NA 92 NA 91 ± 5 92.7 90.3 92 ± 2

81 88 90 89 90 90 89 89 90 89 90.6 89 ± 3 93.7 87.6 91 ± 4

80 87 NA 96 91 93 87 NA 88 NA 88 89 ± 5 88.2 85.3 87 ± 2

Figure 1. End-of-semester, self-assessment student data. Seminar data are shown as solid black bars; N = 18. Departmental data are shown in gray bars; N = 258−263. College data are shown in white bars; N = 4660−4718. Errors bars are included for the 95% confidence limit for each data set. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) are highlighted with an asterisk.

The response rate was 11 students in Spring 2016 and 7 students in Spring 2017. The highest responses were for “I enjoyed discussing contemporary issues in chemistry and learned something new” (4.9 ± 0.3) and “I enjoyed the scientific ethics discussions and was forced to consider different perspectives from my own” (4.9 ± 0.3). The lowest responses, while still well above 4 (or “agree”), were for “this course increased my ability to communicate scientific information through oral presentations” (4.3 ± 0.8) and “as a result of this course, I feel more prepared for my chemistry senior thesis” (4 ± 1). Responses on the college-based course evaluations were compared to the Chemistry Department and college averages for seminar-relevant questions. Given the strong focus of this course on contemporary societal issues and research ethics, we were pleased to see high scores for “the course raised challenging questions or issues” (seminar, 4.8 ± 0.4; department, 4.3 ± 0.1; college, 4.32 ± 0.03). This result was analyzed

seminar; however, slightly elevated averages were measured for effective oral and written communication and ability to interpret and synthesize the chemical literature. We expect part of this discrepancy stems from increased professor expectations associated with a four-credit course, additional work load during an already challenging semester, and amplified apprehension due to the novelty of the assignments. It is important to note, however, that these data highlight the nonuniform coverage of learning objectives for the two-credit course, as certain topics were occasionally omitted as the course rotated through departmental faculty. Students in the four-credit course were also given anonymous end-of-semester surveys and course evaluations to assess the effectiveness of the course at achieving the desired course objectives. These data are summarized in Figure 1 and demonstrate high student satisfaction for all areas with the mean ranging between 4.29 and 4.86. The data in Figure 1 is a composite of the Spring 2016 and Spring 2017 course. F



Article

using a p-test for unpaired samples and demonstrated a statistically significant difference for the seminar course relative to the departmental and college-wide values (p < 0.05) suggesting we were successful in achieving Outcomes 4 and 5, as described in Table 2. Course evaluation responses for “this course increased my interest in the field” (seminar, 4.5 ± 0.5; department, 4.0 ± 0.1; college, 4.32 ± 0.03) and “overall, I rate this course” (seminar, 4.6 ± 0.4; department, 4.29 ± 0.1; college, 4.28 ± 0.02) also showed elevated responses for the seminar course relative to the departmental and college averages, but these values were not statistically significant. Quantitative results from the course evaluations were supported by qualitative student comments, which were overwhelmingly positive. These comments further support the success of this four-credit seminar in achieving the outlined course objectives. Sample student responses about the increased level of career preparation include the following: “I loved the career development segments and the contemporary issues website and ethics discussions were great too... The research proposal covered lots of useful skills, but was pretty overwhelming, even if it was very useful.” “Mock interview and presentations helped prepare me. Use of various teaching aids really helped. Feedback on work was very helpful.” “This course covered a lot, more material than I would have expected, and almost every section felt directly relevant to either career, thesis, or graduate study preparation.” “It [the course] did very well in helping me feel prepared for my life post college” Sample students’ responses on the increased level of readiness for senior year include these: “I learned a lot and feel much more prepared for my upcoming [senior thesis project].” “This course was a great preparation for senior year and future work in the field” Sample students’ responses reflecting overall student assessment of the revised course include these: “Well organized and tailored towards the interests of each individual student.” “I think this course is incredible. So, so, so interesting. I strongly believe this course should be opened to chemistry minors (not just majors).” “Enjoyed the course.” “Really enjoyed the course. Learned a lot.” “The course was organized and the topics/assignments we did were super helpful.” “Great. It would be good if sophomores can choose to take it.”

Student qualitative feedback, although expressed more informally, revealed greater enjoyment for the first four units and higher levels of anxiety for the integrated research project. A particular area of concern was the requirement to develop novel research questions/specific aims for the grant proposal. This is highlighted in a student survey comment which stated “The research proposal covered lots of useful skills, but was pretty overwhelming, even if it was very useful.” To reduce anxiety, a concerted effort was made to break the project into manageable pieces, but students were always pushed to increase the sophistication of their analysis and writing, which inherently creates discomfort. It is recommended that instructors are mindful of this concern as they establish project deadlines and provide feedback. Additionally, for departments who are unable to add a fourcredit, single-semester, course to their established curriculum, the same course goals could be achieved by breaking down the five units into two, two-credit courses, and covering the first three units in the Fall semester of the junior year followed by the last two units in the Spring semester of the junior year. This way the students would be prepared for their senior year and would be trained to become professional chemists beyond graduation in a similar manner. Lastly, it is important to note that this course was taken by a small cohort of chemistry majors (up to 11 students) in the past two years, which allows for frequent individualized mentoring and student growth. While larger class sizes will pose challenges for course instructors, these challenges are surmountable with adequate planning and additional resources. One possibility is to create student peer-editing cohorts within a larger class for students with shared research interests. This could be arranged during class time or virtually, through an online course management program. To further lessen the workload of a single faculty member, different faculty within a department could be responsible for one or more cohorts based on research expertise. For institutions with Writing Centers, particularly those with science majors on staff, instructors could also imbed a writing tutor(s) into a course and require meetings as part of the editing process.

■

CONCLUSIONS We have presented our course design for an integrative skillsbased chemistry seminar intended for chemistry majors. Assessment data for this course as implemented at Washington College show a very positive student response to this format, with particular appreciation for the career development workshop (Unit 1) and discussions of contemporary moral/societal issues relating to chemistry (Unit 2) and research ethics (Unit 3). Comparisons of student performance data show comparable student performance on graded assignments relative to previous two-credit iterations of the course; however, these topics were not always uniformly covered and, even when covered, were done at a more superficial level with respect to the four-credit seminar. Additionally, the learning outcomes of the course aligned with previously articulated departmental learning goals, expect for one goal specific to laboratory-based courses, and prompted the creation of new student learning goals important for student success beyond graduation. To help facilitate implementation of this course, sample materials (syllabus, rubrics, alignments with departmental objectives) are provided in the Supporting Information. It is our hope these materials will help cultivate the next generation of well-rounded chemists for success in the 21st century.

■

POSSIBILITIES FOR MODIFICATION AND POTENTIAL CHALLENGES Given the large number of assignments and the emphasis on individualized feedback, one of the primary challenges with this course is the organization and time commitment required to mentor students. The Chemistry Department at Washington College averages approximately 10 majors each year and even this number poses challenges for the professor to execute the course successfully. In particular, success of the integrative research project requires students to be allowed to pick a research topic of interest and the breadth of topics as well as students’ range of abilities within a class can easily push a single professor beyond his/her comfort zone. While this is a fun aspect of the academic enterprise, it also requires a substantial time commitment and intellectual range. G



■

Article

(17) Washington College. The Culture of Writing at Washington College. https://www.washcoll.edu/academics/writing/ (accessed Oct 2017). (18) Washington College. W3. Writing in The Discipline. https:// www.washcoll.edu/academics/writing/writing-in-the-discipline/ (accessed Oct 2017). (19) National Institutes of Health. NIH Research Ethics Training. https://researchethics.od.nih.gov/ (accessed Oct 2017). (20) Wolfe-Simon, F.; Blum, J. S.; Kulp, T. R.; Gordon, G. W.; Hoeft, S. E.; Pett-Ridge, J.; Stolz, J. F.; Webb, S. M.; Weber, P. K.; Davies, P. C. W.; Anbar, A. D.; Oremland, R. S. A Bacterium That Can Grow by Using Arsenic Instead of Phosphorus. Science 2011, 332 (6034), 1163−1166. (21) Benner, S. A. Comment on “A bacterium that can grow by using arsenic instead of phosphorus. Science 2011, 332 (6034), 1149. (22) Csabai, I.; Szathmáry, E. Comment on “A bacterium that can grow by using arsenic instead of phosphorus. Science 2011, 332 (6034), 1149. (23) Oehler, S. Comment on “A bacterium that can grow by using arsenic instead of phosphorus. Science 2011, 332 (6034), 1149. (24) Cotner, J. B.; Hall, E. K. Comment on “A bacterium that can grow by using arsenic instead of phosphorus. Science 2011, 332 (6034), 1149. (25) Foster, P. L. Comment on “A bacterium that can grow by using arsenic instead of phosphorus. Science 2011, 332 (6034), 1149. (26) Redfield, R. J. Comment on “A bacterium that can grow by using arsenic instead of phosphorus. Science 2011, 332 (6034), 1149. (27) Wolfe-Simon, F.; Blum, J. S.; Kulp, T. R.; Gordon, G. W.; Hoeft, S. E.; Pett-Ridge, J.; Stolz, J. F.; Webb, S. M.; Weber, P. K.; Davies, P. C. W.; Anbar, A. D.; Oremland, R. S. Response to comments on “A bacterium that can grow by using arsenic instead of phosphorus. Science 2011, 332 (6034), 1149.

ASSOCIATED CONTENT

S Supporting Information *

The Supporting Information is available on the ACS Publications website at DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00439. Chemistry Department student learning objectives, example syllabus, and rubric (PDF, DOCX)

■

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Corresponding Author

*E-mail: [email protected]. ORCID

Anne E. Marteel-Parrish: 0000-0003-3468-5186 Notes

The authors declare no competing financial interest.

■

REFERENCES

(1) Hart Research Associates. It Takes More Than a Major: Employer Priorities for College Learning and Student Success. Lib. Educ. 2013, 99 (2), 22−29. (2) Gewertz, C. States Press Ahead on ‘21st-Century Skills’. Educ. Week 2008, 28 (8), 21−23. (3) Association of American College and Universities. The LEAP Vision for Learning: Outcomes, Practices, Impact, and Employers’ Views. Peer Rev. 2011, 13 (2), 34−34. (4) American Chemical Society Committee on Professional Training. Undergraduate Professional Education in Chemistry: ACS Guidelines and Evaluation Procedures for Bachelor’s Degree Programs; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2015. (5) Wenzel, T. J.; McCoy, A. B.; Landis, C. R. An Overview of the Changes in the 2015 ACS Guidelines for Bachelor’s Degree Programs. J. Chem. Educ. 2015, 92 (6), 965−968. (6) Tague, J.; Beheshti, J.; Rees-Potter, L. The Law of Exponential Growth: Evidence, Implications and Forecasts. Libr. Trends 1981, 30 (1), 125−149. (7) Rotherham, A. J.; Willingham, D. T. 21st-Century” Skills: Not New, but a Worthy Challenge. Am. Educ. 2010, 34 (1), 17−20. (8) Scalfani, V. F.; Frantom, P. A.; Woski, S. A. Replacing the Traditional Graduate Chemistry Literature Seminar with a Chemical Research Literacy Course. J. Chem. Educ. 2016, 93 (3), 482−487. (9) Cole, K. E.; Inada, M.; Smith, A. M.; Haaf, M. P. Implementing a Grant Proposal Writing Exercise in Undergraduate Science Courses To Incorporate Real-World Applications and Critical Analysis of Current Literature. J. Chem. Educ. 2013, 90 (10), 1316−1319. (10) Evans, H. G.; Heyl, D. L.; Liggit, P. Team-Based Learning, Faculty Research, and Grant Writing Bring Significant Learning Experiences to an Undergraduate Biochemistry Laboratory Course. J. Chem. Educ. 2016, 93 (6), 1027−1033. (11) Meyer, G. M. Scientific Communication for Chemistry Majors: A New Course. J. Chem. Educ. 2003, 80 (10), 1174−1177. (12) Klein, G. C.; Carney, J. M. Comprehensive Approach to the Development of Communication and Critical Thinking: Bookend Courses for Third- and Fourth-Year Chemistry Majors. J. Chem. Educ. 2014, 91 (10), 1649−1654. (13) Caspers, M. L.; Roberts-Kirchhoff, E. S. Incorporation of Ethical and Societal Issues in Biochemistry into a Senior Seminar Course. Biochem. Mol. Biol. Educ. 2003, 31 (5), 298−302. (14) Tucci, V. K.; O’Connor, A. R.; Bradley, L. M. A Three-Year Chemistry Seminar Program Focusing on Career Development Skills. J. Chem. Educ. 2014, 91 (12), 2071−2077. (15) Solano, D. M.; Wood, F. E.; Kurth, M. J. Careers in Chemistry”: A Course Providing Students with Real-World Foundations. J. Chem. Educ. 2011, 88 (10), 1376−1379. (16) National Research Council. Sustainability in the Chemical Industry: Grand Challenges and Research Needs; National Academies Press: Washington, DC, 2006. H


Preparing Chemistry Majors for the 21st Century ... - ACS Publications

Recommend Documents