Theme-based modular approach for delivering the undergraduate analytical chemistry curriculum

Abstract

Since the later part of the twentieth century, educational focus has shifted from acquisition of literacy skills only (simple reading, writing, and calculating skills) to inclusion of critical reading and thinking, clear and persuasive communication, and problem-solving skills [1]. In 1996, the Advisory Committee to the National Science Foundation Directorate for Education and Human Resources released a report of the review of undergraduate education in science, mathematics, and engineering titled Shaping the future: new expectations for undergraduate education in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology [2]. The overarching recommendation of this report is that “All students have access to supportive, excellent undergraduate education in science, mathematics engineering and technology, and all students learn these subjects by direct experience with the methods and process of inquiry” [2]. As such, an area of undergraduate science education that has received much attention lately is the type of instructional approach employed. In most academic settings, the typical instructional approach (a.k.a. the traditional approach) comprises lectures where faculty presents facts to students. These lectures are generally accompanied by a number of pretested laboratory experiments with predetermined outcomes. Also, the laboratory experiments are selected to survey a particular set of topics in 3–4-h time periods. A more modern approach, commonly referred to as inquiry-based, includes many variants such as cooperative learning, problem-based learning, discovery-based learning, and others. The commonalities of these approaches lie in their philosophy of active student participation in the entire educational process of teaching and learning [3]. There has been much debate on the strengths and the flaws of these two pedagogical approaches. For example, a strength of the traditional approach is its focus on content coverage and grounding in the fundamentals. However, in the process it inadvertently overlooks the development of the thought process (critical thinking) and professional skills, which are both important for the student’s future endeavors in the chemical industry or academia [3, 4]. On the other hand, the inquiry-based model emphasizes critical thinking and professional skills development. It also offers the opportunity for depth of coverage. However, being faced with the limitations of time and resources, one sacrifice breadth of coverage [5–11]. Finding a balance between this traditional pedagogy and more modern teaching pedagogies is necessary to ensure the complete development of an analytical chemist who is equipped to face the challenges of a twenty-first century global economy [12–14]. At Butler University, we are exploring a pedagogical model that purports to exploit the strengths and serves as a bridge between the traditional and inquiry-based models. In this new approach, we utilize the strengths of the lecture to deliver content while still involving students in active participation in their learning through in-class collaborative group problem-solving. Critical thinking and professional skills development are then strongly addressed within the framework of theme-based modular laboratory courses. In this article we present (1) how quantitative analytical chemistry fits into the new approach, (2) detail of the central framework, (3) two examples of its pilot implementation to demonstrate its flexibility, and (4) our thoughts for future directions. Anal Bioanal Chem (2008) 392:1–8 DOI 10.1007/s00216-008-2240-4