Preparing Students for Research: Synthesis of Substituted Chalcones as a Comprehensive Guided-Inquiry Experience

Vyvyan, James R.; Pavia, Donald L.; Lampman, Gary M.; Kriz, George S.

doi:10.1021/ed079p1119

Cited by 13 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…Increased undergraduate productivity is beneficial to both the student and the host laboratory [1, 4, 10, 14, 29]. Because numerous students can be instructed at one time and student commitment to the project can be evaluated, this approach is particularly beneficial to faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions and early career faculty who depend heavily on the research productivity of undergraduates.…”

Section: Discussion and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, Boomer et al [9, 10] developed a laboratory course in which students use 16S rRNA sequencing to characterize novel bacteria isolated from hot springs at Yellowstone National Park. Other approaches have ranged from reserving several laboratory periods for student‐designed experiments [11–14] to challenging students to implement their own semester‐long research projects [15–17].…”

Section: Facilitating Undergraduate Research Productivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Outcomes of a research‐driven laboratory and literature course designed to enhance undergraduate contributions to original research

Rasche

2004

Biochem Molecular Bio Educ

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This work describes outcomes of a research-driven advanced microbiology laboratory and literature research course intended to enhance undergraduate preparation for and contributions to original research. The laboratory section was designed to teach fundamental biochemistry and molecular biology techniques in the context of an original research project. Site-directed mutants of a gene of interest were constructed, and the effects of mutations on the resulting enzymes were analyzed. Students were also introduced to the literature surrounding their project, electronic literature databases, and preparation of computer-generated slides for oral presentations. Student progress was evaluated through a laboratory report written as scientific manuscript, an oral presentation, a 10-page written review, and an essay examination. In the semester following the laboratory course, four of the 14 undergraduates joined the host laboratory to continue their projects as individual undergraduate researchers. Quantifiable outcomes of the course and subsequent undergraduate research included i) production of eight new site-directed mutants and preliminary characterization of the corresponding enzymes, ii) training of four individual undergraduate researchers prior to joining the laboratory, iii) publication of a manuscript with results from two undergraduate researchers, and iv) presentation of two posters with undergraduate co-authors at a national meeting. This research-driven approach may be applicable to enhance undergraduate contributions to other original research projects that have defined goals achievable within the timeframe of a single semester.Keywords: Microbiology, laboratory course, undergraduate research. FACILITATING UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH PRODUCTIVITYActive participation in undergraduate research plays a valuable role in enhancing the educational experience of undergraduate science majors. In addition to providing training in practical laboratory techniques, undergraduate research can facilitate the development of higher thinking skills, expose students to the excitement of scientific discovery, and contribute to preparation for careers in scientific research [1][2][3][4]. Indeed, increased participation in discovery-driven research and literature colloquia comprise two of the specific recommendations made by the National Research Council to improve undergraduate training for future biological research scientists [5]. In addition, undergraduate research is strongly recommended as part of the core curriculum for a biochemistry and molecular biology major [6].Faculty at primarily undergraduate institutions and early career faculty have been noted as individuals with strong potential to provide research opportunities for undergraduates [5]. However, in these laboratories, conscientious promotion of undergraduate research can require considerable commitments of time, energy, and dedication, particularly if graduate students and postdoctoral associates are unavailable to assist in the mentoring process [7,8]. Because acqu...

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Section: Discussion and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Facilitating Undergraduate Research Productivitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Outcomes of a research‐driven laboratory and literature course designed to enhance undergraduate contributions to original research

Rasche

2004

Biochem Molecular Bio Educ

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…The experiment was designed for a group to perform a three-step synthesis − as published and then propose and execute three optimization reactions. The five syntheses used in the 2016 class are summarized in Scheme .…”

Section: Experiments Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Finally, students were given a tutorial on how to download and use ChemDraw. The students obtained the primary article − that their project was based on as well as any background articles they deemed necessary. This was done in a similar way to a research search, where cited articles were obtained and read followed by a search based on structure, reaction, and keywords.…”

Section: Experiments Designmentioning

confidence: 99%

Independent Synthesis Projects in the Organic Chemistry Teaching Laboratories: Bridging the Gap Between Student and Researcher

Keller

Kendall

2017

J. Chem. Educ.

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Science educators strive to teach students how to be well-rounded scientists with the ability to problem solve, anticipate errors, and adapt to unexpected roadblocks. Traditional organic chemistry experiments seldom teach these skills, no matter how novel or contemporary the subject material. This paper reports on the success of a quarter-long organic chemistry laboratory experiment that takes the form of a research project designed to teach these real-life skills. Students took a three-step synthetic sequence from a literature source, and changed parameters to improve the yield. This involved library research and two levels of proposals, followed by a written report and a poster presentation. The goal was to simulate the different aspects of a research lab, from literature searches to problemsolving to presenting results. The students experienced unexpected difficulties and were graded on how they overcame these obstacles, rather than on how much they improved the yields.

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“…The synthesis of substituted chalcones as a comprehensive, guided-inquiry organic laboratory exercise has recently been described in this Journal by Vyvyan and co-workers (1).…”

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confidence: 99%

3,5-Diarylisoxazoles: Individualized Three-Step Synthesis and Isomer Determination Using 13C NMR or Mass Spectroscopy

Stephens

Ibrahim

2006

J. Chem. Educ.

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As a multistep synthetic project for the second-semester organic laboratory, the three-step synthesis and definitive characterization of a 3,5-diarylisoxazole via the chalcone and the chalcone dibromide is described. As each student prepares a differently substituted chalcone, and thus isoxazole, the project is individualized with regard to compound purification, characterization, and literature searches. To determine which isoxazole isomer was obtained from the synthesis, students compare their experimental 13C NMR data for C4 of the isoxazole to that predicted for each isomer. The predicted values are calculated using a formula that utilizes Hammett constants for estimating substituent NMR-shift effects on C4. Isomer determination can also be accomplished through interpretation of the fragmentation pattern observed in the mass spectrum.

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Preparing Students for Research: Synthesis of Substituted Chalcones as a Comprehensive Guided-Inquiry Experience

Cited by 13 publications

References 28 publications

Outcomes of a research‐driven laboratory and literature course designed to enhance undergraduate contributions to original research

Outcomes of a research‐driven laboratory and literature course designed to enhance undergraduate contributions to original research

Independent Synthesis Projects in the Organic Chemistry Teaching Laboratories: Bridging the Gap Between Student and Researcher

3,5-Diarylisoxazoles: Individualized Three-Step Synthesis and Isomer Determination Using 13C NMR or Mass Spectroscopy

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