Mentoring Graduate Students in Research and Teaching by Utilizing Research as a Template

Abstract

We have designed a unique guided-inquiry-inspired course for entry-level graduate students using chemical research as a mechanism to teach research-oriented problem-solving skills. The course has been designed for flexibility around a shared research experience. The curriculum can be modified each year by incorporating a new research project into the framework of the course. Advanced graduate students and postdoctoral scholars serve as course instructors, providing significant teaching and mentoring opportunities for them. The benefits of the inquiry-driven approach have been reinforced through careful selection of instructors and students. We have been able to create a positive learning environment and a highly beneficial award system for students and instructors by offering an opportunity to publish class results in a scholarly journal. The course serves as a template for the implementation of similar graduate coursework at comparable research institutions.

The Coffee Project Revisited: Teaching Research Skills to Forensic Chemists

“…Quizzes based upon the assigned literature were used in a previous study to encourage students to stay up-to-date with required class reading. 4 The writing tests in sessions 3 and 12 were designed to specifically target a subset of skills needed by students before they write their first journal article, and reflect the fact that students can struggle with academic writing if their previous experience is limited to lab reports. 13,19 The journal paper assessment using a template from a real publication has been used successfully in previous studies.…”

“…3 Traditionally, students developed their research skills during a placement or project in an academic research group via a kind of peer-guided osmosis. 4 However, students can often find this experience daunting, 5 particularly when it does not provide sufficient time or instruction for them to gain the necessary skills to carry out and report an original research project. 6 In response to this, there has been a move in recent years toward introducing research skills beforehand in a formalized classroom setting.…”

“…13 The use of a simple topic with minimal instrumentation meant that the students were not intimidated by the material, 28 nor were they subject to the cognitive overload associated with having to learn new, complex experimental techniques while exploring. 4 This allowed them to focus on understanding the concepts, processes and 265 attributes that underpin the practice of research. In addition, the taste of coffee is a real-life, relevant topic that many of the students were familiar with and interested in.…”

“…Quizzes based upon the assigned literature were used in a previous study to encourage students to stay upto-date with required class reading. 4 …”

Developing a procedure for learning and assessing peer review in a forensic science programme

“…In addition, some lecturers have resisted the introduction of student peer review on the grounds that it disrupts power relations in the classroom (Liu and Carless 2006). The related problem has also been reported, where some students resent being required to review and comment on other students' work, because they hold the belief that assessment is the lecturer's responsibility (Pearce, Mulder, and Baik 2009;Knutson et al 2014).…”