Project Objectives
To develop and tryout a series of innovative and multi-disciplinary experiments for teaching organic chemistry at intermediate to advanced undergraduate levels. The experiments illustrated the use of modern instruments and techniques to explore and learn about some important chemical principles. The developed experiments are being incorporated into the undergraduate classes.
Description of process and deliverables
The development process involved designing, trying out and optimizing ten experiments that are suitable for incorporating into the undergraduate laboratory courses. Lab documentations of the ten experiments were prepared and fine-tuned with reference to the experimental results acquired in the tryouts. The lab documentations are ready to be adopted into the undergraduate classes.
Evaluation of outcomes
Some of the developed experiments were incorporated into the undergraduate courses. Three class-wide questionnaire survey some focus group discussions were conducted with students who had done the experiments in the classes. Many of the students reflected that these new sets of experiments are more effective in helping them to recognize and understand the relevant scientific concepts. The experiments had also led them to appreciate more about the actual scientific connections between the different areas of chemistry.
Dissemination of results & deliverables
The works developed in the project were being applied to the undergraduate teaching. Four of the developed experiments were adopted into the undergraduate laboratory courses, and one was chosen as a final year project topic for some chemistry undergraduates. The others will be incorporated into the teaching courses one by one in the semesters ahead. The design and the details of one of the experiments were published in an international peer-reviewed chemical education journal – Journal of Chemical Education. A few more manuscripts are under preparation and will be submitted for publication in the near future.
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