Developing Undergraduate Students’ Critical Thinking Skills in a Chemical Communications Course and Beyond

O’Donnell, J; Karr, Jesse W.; Lipinski, Bryce M.; Frederickson, Danielle

doi:10.1021/bk-2019-1327.ch004

Cited by 4 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 51 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…A number of groups have used scientific writing as a tool to improve student critical thinking skills. 13 , 24 − 26 , 131 − 133 , 140 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The literature surrounding chemical communication pedagogy is diverse. However, efforts to improve written and oral communication skills have followed four general and broad approaches, which are sometimes presented in a hybrid form: (1) the incorporation of technical writing with chemical literacy, − in first-year courses, ,,,− stand-alone classes, ,,,,− and/or discipline specific courses; ,− (2) laboratory experiments; ,,,,,,− (3) critical thinking exercises; ,,,,− and (4) research experiences.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This has inspired a diverse set of strategies with a variety of outcomes over the past decade. A number of groups have used scientific writing as a tool to improve student critical thinking skills. ,− ,− , …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…At the end, students splice the knowledge generated from each phase into a single cohesive and meaningful scientific story, which is communicated both orally and in writing. In this report, we specify how we have leveraged the scientific method along with the community’s reports on technical writing for chemical literacy, ,,,− , laboratory experiments, ,,,,,− ,− critical thinking exercises, ,,,,− and research experiences − …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A number of groups have used scientific writing as a tool to improve student critical thinking skills. 13,[24][25][26][131][132][133]140 The application and explicit steps of the scientific method, 19,144,162−171 either to understand real world scenarios easily 144 or to digest more esoteric scientific topics, 134,145 have been reported as an excellent method for teaching the skill of problem solving. 172 Over the past 18 years, we have expanded on this work and developed a unique protocol to enhance the communication skills of undergraduates.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

The Scientific Method as a Scaffold to Enhance Communication Skills in Chemistry

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Scientific success in the field of chemistry depends upon the mastery of a wide range of soft skills, most notably scientific writing and speaking. However, training for scientific communication is typically limited at the undergraduate level, where students struggle to express themselves in a clear and logical manner. The underlying issue is deeper than basic technical skills; rather, it is a problem of students’ unawareness of a fundamental and strategic framework for writing and speaking with a purpose. The methodology has been implemented for individual mentorship and in our regional summer research program to deliver a blueprint of thought and reasoning that endows students with the confidence and skills to become more effective communicators. Our didactic process intertwines undergraduate research with the scientific method and is partitioned into six steps, referred to as “phases”, to allow for focused and deep thinking on the essential components of the scientific method. The phases are designed to challenge the student in their zone of proximal development so they learn to extract and ultimately comprehend the elements of the scientific method through focused written and oral assignments. Students then compile their newly acquired knowledge to create a compelling and logical story, using their persuasive written and oral presentations to complete a research proposal, final report, and formal 20 min presentation. We find that such an approach delivers the necessary guidance to promote the logical framework that improves writing and speaking skills. Over the past decade, we have witnessed both qualitative and quantitative gains in the students’ confidence in their abilities and skills (developed by this process), preparing them for future careers as young scientists.

show abstract

“…A number of groups have used scientific writing as a tool to improve student critical thinking skills. 13 , 24 − 26 , 131 − 133 , 140 …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

The Scientific Method as a Scaffold to Enhance Communication Skills in Chemistry

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Development of an Infographic Assignment for an Introductory Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum

Prasad

Freeman

2023

J. Chem. Educ.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In recent years, pedagogical advancements have allowed the adoption of more engaging forms of course assignments to help students better understand and communicate chemistry. In this context, informational graphics, known as infographics, emerge as an effective teaching aid in educational settings and in disseminating scientific content to the public. This article describes the design of an infographic assignment and its implementation in a first-year chemistry laboratory course at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus. The overarching goal of this assignment was to incorporate the thematic framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into the laboratory curriculum while encouraging systems thinking and promoting science communication initiatives. The students’ attitudes toward this assignment via submitted self-reflection survey results are also discussed. Our findings reveal an overall positive student experience suggesting the infographic assignments’ ability to foster student engagement and critical thinking skills.

show abstract

Lessons Learned: Guiding Students through their first ACS Conference in the time of COVID-19

Solanki

2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

COVID-19 has had a profound effect on the education of senior high school students and junior undergraduates. This disruption was severe to participation in scientific communication and activities that sought to foster human connections and the sharing of ideas. Conferences in particular had to adapt-- either transitioning to completely remote or remote with the possibility of an in-person component. In this work, we seek to capture the experience of senior high school summer interns as they attend their first national academic conference during the time of COVID-19. This work summarizes relevant discussions for first-time attendees such as how to decide upon which talks to attend and how to be an active listener to material outside of ones current knowledge base. Finally, this work discusses the benefits and challenges of the hybrid format and briefly offers suggestions for organizers and attendees moving forward

show abstract

Developing Undergraduate Students’ Critical Thinking Skills in a Chemical Communications Course and Beyond

Cited by 4 publications

References 51 publications

The Scientific Method as a Scaffold to Enhance Communication Skills in Chemistry

The Scientific Method as a Scaffold to Enhance Communication Skills in Chemistry

Development of an Infographic Assignment for an Introductory Chemistry Laboratory Curriculum

Lessons Learned: Guiding Students through their first ACS Conference in the time of COVID-19

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About