An undergraduate instrumental analysis course

Abstract

Describes an instrumental analysis course, including the instrumental techniques studied and the experiments conducted.

Writing Instrument Profiles for Mastery of Instrumental Analysis

“…A ccording to the educational literature, the objectives of instrumental analysis courses tend to vary in their emphasis, but typically center around several themes. These objectives may include establishment of a theoretical background for understanding the main types of instruments; 1−5 development of basic competencies in instrument operation, 2,6 maintenance, 7 applications, and data interpretation; 5,8,9 development of skills in scientific collaboration and communication; 9−11 and development of proficiency in learning new instruments as they become available. 12 These objectives may be achieved either through a survey-type of exposure to many instruments throughout a course, 2,4 through a problem-based approach involving in-depth applied projects with several types of instruments, 10,11,13−15 or through a hybrid approach.…”

“…According to the educational literature, the objectives of instrumental analysis courses tend to vary in their emphasis, but typically center around several themes. These objectives may include establishment of a theoretical background for understanding the main types of instruments; − development of basic competencies in instrument operation, , maintenance, applications, and data interpretation; ,, development of skills in scientific collaboration and communication; − and development of proficiency in learning new instruments as they become available . These objectives may be achieved either through a survey-type of exposure to many instruments throughout a course, , through a problem-based approach involving in-depth applied projects with several types of instruments, ,,− or through a hybrid approach. , Because instrument designs and operating procedures are highly varied and are expected to evolve significantly over the course of a student’s career, a mastery of the skill of learning new instruments efficiently and thoroughly is paramount.…”

“…Also, students of all learning styles and genders must have an opportunity to immerse themselves in learning the instruments thoroughly, rather than consistently experiencing a process favoring the quick learners, the natural leaders in a group, or those with a learning style similar to that of the person giving oral instructions. Previous articles in this Journal described how to familiarize students with new instruments using procedures as creative as having student groups write standard operating procedures, using recorded faculty instructions, games, student-developed wikis, role play, or multimedia projects . In this article, we discuss a systematic, writing-intensive method of learning major types of instruments, designed for the individual student to complete through a combination of group interaction and independent learning.…”