American Chemical Society

The Role of Undergraduate Research

in the Certified Chemistry Major

Thomas Wenzel

Department of Chemistry

Bates College

Lewiston, ME 04240

BCCE Symposium on The Evolution of the ACS Approval Process: Moving beyond the 2008 Guidelines

July 31, 2012

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• Five foundation courses

• Four in-depth courses

• 400 laboratory hours

• Undergraduate research can be used

– As one of the in-depth courses

– For up to 180 lab hours

2008 Guidelines – Requirementshttp://www.acs.org/cpt

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Council on Undergraduate Research Definition of Undergraduate Research

An inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or

creative contribution to the discipline.

•Original work•Contribution to discipline

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• Student must write a written comprehensive report if research is used for in-depth course or lab hours

– CPT Supplement on Written Research Reports

• Research

– Represents original work

– Develops new knowledge

– Undertaken with the intent to publish the work

ACS GuidelinesACS Supplement on Undergraduate

Research

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• CPT desires excellence and rigor

– Has supplemental documents on excellence and rigor

• Programs characterized by excellence and rigor develop in students a range of professional skills

Excellence and Rigor in Effective Educational Practices

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• Communication in oral and written forms

• Work in teams

• Ask questions

• Design experiments

• Interpret results

• Think in innovative ways

• Exhibit leadership

• Develop desire for lifelong learning

• Behave in ethical manner

DESIRED PROFESSIONAL SKILLSAre these Incorporated into Research?

Note absence of chemical content

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• Educational Pedagogy

– Should include integrative curricular experiences where students apply knowledge in new contexts and transfer knowledge from one context to another

• Faculty

– Willingness to interact with students in the learning process

EXCELLENCE Are these Incorporated into Research?

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• Experiences in which students apply fundamental principles toward an understanding of chemical systems

• Actively engage students

• Promote progressive development in students’ responsibility for learning

• Promote development of critical thought

• Development of multistep problem solving

RIGORAre these Incorporated into Research?

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• Analyze data and scientific arguments

• Synthesize and apply concepts from multiple sub-disciplines of chemistry

• Recognize applicability of foundational and advanced concepts to new situations

• Communicate effectively in oral and written forms

Students Should be Able to …

Are these incorporated into research?

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• Guidelines

– Undergraduate research allows students to integrate learning experiences and participate directly in the process of science

• Rigor document

– Undergraduate research has the potential to facilitate in students a mastery of independent thought and self-direction

Other CPT Statements

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• Undergraduate research can be the most educationally valuable experience for students

• Students participating in research have the potential to grow professionally and personally in a manner not possible through traditional classroom and instructional lab experiences.

CPT Supplement on Undergraduate Research

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• Undergraduate research one of the most powerful opportunities for students to learn problem-solving skills

• Undergraduate research provides a unique opportunity for students to develop oral and written communication skills

• Opportunity to reinforce and develop safety skills

CPT Supplement on Student Skills

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• Work in teams

• Chances to develop leadership skills

• Written and oral communication skills whose quality and scope increasingly advance as the curriculum develops

• Read and properly cite scientific literature

• Professional ethics

Develop Skills and Competencies Throughout the Curriculum

Progression of Skill Development

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• Develop testable hypotheses

• Design experiments

• Ask questions

• Interpret data

• Draw and argue for conclusions

Instructional Laboratories in Which Students …

In other words, experiences that are “research-like” in their approach

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• SALG – Student Assessment of Learning Gains

• SURE – Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences

• CURE – Classroom Undergraduate Research Experience

• Written research reports – important to CPT

– Thorough

– Well-referenced

– Evidence that student has devoted considerable time and thought to the project

Assessment

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• Importance of support staff (not mandated)

– Stockroom administration

– Equipment maintenance

• 15 contact hours maximum

– Should be significantly smaller, especially if supervise undergraduate research

• Physical plant/facilities

• Instrument holdings

• Professional development activities – attendance at conferences and sabbatical leaves

Other Facets of Guidelines that Support Undergraduate Research

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• Many students research reports are of unacceptable quality and given unreasonably high grades.

– No abstract

– No (or too few) references

– No/little primary literature in the references

– 2-5 pages long

– Very few experiments done

– Missing expected sections – Intro, Expt, R&D

– No conclusions

Observation by CPT

Since this is presumably a capstone experience, what does it say about the department?

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• Work is not original – or insufficient evidence to assess whether original

• Work is not aimed at eventual publication

More Problems

Perhaps not as serious as those on the preceding slide, but still important given ACS guidelines and CPT expectations

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• Should a research experience be required for certification?

• If so,

– Do departments have enough capacity to involve every undergraduate in research?

– Should there be an hourly requirement – is 3 hours a week for a 10-week quarter or 14-week semester enough?

– Should there by standards for quality of the final reports?

Future