Interlaboratory Collaborations in the Undergraduate Setting

• Published in: Journal of chemical education Vol. 82; no. 9; pp. 1345 - 1348
• Main Authors: Megehee, Elise G, Hyslop, Alison, Rosso, Richard J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Easton Division of Chemical Education 01.09.2005; Division of Chemical Education of the American Chemical Society; American Chemical Society
• Subjects: Chemistry; Colleges & universities; Communication Skills; Higher Education; Interdisciplinary Approach; Interlaboratory; Learning; Learning Strategies; Science education; Science Instruction; Science Laboratories; Teaching Methods; Teamwork; Collaborative / Cooperative Learning; Interdisciplinary / Multidisciplinary; Upper-Division Undergraduate; Industrial Chemistry
• ISSN: 0021-9584; 1938-1328
• DOI: 10.1021/ed082p1345

We have developed a novel approach for undergraduate laboratory education termed "interlaboratory collaboration" in which students in distinct laboratory courses are responsible for different aspects of a single project that spans these courses. This approach attempts to model the industrial workplace where separate groups are responsible for different aspects of a project. By having students synthesize or study a set of different compounds the students within a class can compare their data and investigate trends in chemical reactivity or physical properties. Students enrolled in both an inorganic synthesis and a physical chemistry laboratory course concurrently are assigned compounds to analyze that they did not synthesize. At the end of this process students share their findings with their peers. The approach has been well received by students and faculty, alike.