CHED 415 |
| Science in general, and research science in particular, is built upon the construction of principles from the interpretation of data. However, the lecture component of a typical sophomore organic chemistry class usually involves the teaching of principles stated as fact and, if any data is presented, it is after the principle has been established and is used only to verify the principle. This approach does not reflect the way scientists establish new principles and does not prepare students to think in a research-oriented context. Thus, students whose lecture exposure to content is predominantly in a principle-first, data-later style do not appreciate how principles are actually established and often struggle deriving principles from research data. Our work is designed to address this problem by providing faculty with lecture material to present to students that emphasizes the construction of principles from the interpretation of data and observations. Specifically, we have crafted inquiry-based lecture material that presents data from alkyl halide reactions that students, with the guidance of their instructor, are then expected to interpret so as to generate the specific mechanisms for SN2, SN1, E1, and E2. After the mechanism is derived, students are then provided more data and questions designed to enable the student to deduce the control factors that best facilitate each of the mechanisms (i.e. leaving group effects, solvent effects, etc.). After the four mechanisms are derived with the factors that best facilitate each independent mechanism, further data and observations are provided so as to establish the details regarding the internal competition between the mechanisms. Thus, every principle regarding SN2, SN1, E1, and E2 chemistry is deduced directly from the combined interpretation of data and observation. |
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Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Chemical Education
11:00 AM-1:00 PM, Monday, March 26, 2007 Hyatt Regency Chicago -- Riverside Center, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |