Designing an undergraduate laboratory course in general chemistry

Abstract

From an analysis of a learning model based on the theory of information processing four hypothesis were developed for improving the design of laboratory courses. Three of these hypotheses concerned specific procedures to minimise the load on students' working memories (or working spaces) and the fourth hypothesis was concerned with the value of mini-projects in enhancing meaningful learning of the knowledge and skills underpinning the set experiments. A three-year study of a first year undergraduate chemistry laboratory course at a Scottish university has been carried out to test these four hypotheses. This paper reports the results of the study relevant to the three hypotheses about the burden on students' working spaces. It was predicted from the learning model that the load on students working space should be reduced by appropriate changes to the written instructions and the laboratory organisation and by the introduction of prelab-work and prelab-training in laboratory techniques. It was concluded from research conducted over the three years period that all these hypothesised changes were effective both in reducing the load on students' working spaces and in improving their attitudes to the laboratory course

Sacarose no laboratório de química orgânica de graduação

“…Em seguida, o solvente é evaporado (pode ser sob pressão reduzida) até obtenção de um sólido branco, o qual é recristalizado em hexano, com filtração à quente em carvão ativo. O produto 3 foi obtido (3,8 …”

“…Porém, o custo dos reagentes químicos, aliado a uma dificuldade de importação, torna a química orgânica experimental onerosa para os cursos de graduação em química, farmácia e engenharia química. A busca por melhores métodos experimentais 3,4 , computacionais 5 ou experimentos ricos em subsídios para discussões teóricas utilizando reagentes de baixo custo e de fácil aquisição, tem sido um tema bastante investigado nas diversas áreas da química [6][7][8] . Não obstante, ainda dispõem-se de poucos experimentos em livros e artigos 9,10 com estas características em química orgânica.…”

The Automated Synthesis of Aspirin: An Undergraduate Practical Activity

“…This study performed experiments such as inorganic pyrotechnics, iodimetry, acid−base titrations, and the preparation and analysis of inorganic complexes. 7 Twenty-two years later, the same experiments and skills training are given to undergraduate students in South Africa and the United Kingdom. 8 A study performed in the UK in 2017 used introductory wetbench chemistry such as titrations, distillation, and the preparation of standard solutions as part of a skills training study.…”

“…Despite the interest in automated synthesis for chemistry, there has not been a corresponding change in the training of undergraduate chemists. For example, Johnstone and co-workers reported a study in 1999, where they designed an undergraduate laboratory course in general chemistry. This study performed experiments such as inorganic pyrotechnics, iodimetry, acid–base titrations, and the preparation and analysis of inorganic complexes .…”

“…For example, Johnstone and co-workers reported a study in 1999, where they designed an undergraduate laboratory course in general chemistry. This study performed experiments such as inorganic pyrotechnics, iodimetry, acid–base titrations, and the preparation and analysis of inorganic complexes . Twenty-two years later, the same experiments and skills training are given to undergraduate students in South Africa and the United Kingdom .…”