Should Advanced Instruments Be Used in Introductory Courses?

AC Educator: Analytical Chemistry for Nonchemistry Science Majors

“…Primarily because of pedagogical or financial concerns, faculty are often apprehensive when using modern instruments in the introductory sequence (18). However, we have found that the careful selection and presentation of specific instrumental techniques can make their use in the freshman sequence successful and rewarding.…”

The Role of Automated Instrumentation in Undergraduate Chemistry

“…As with any instrument system, there are limitations that must be acknowledged and addressed if the automated system is to be successfully integrated into the curriculum. One worry, particularly in the cash-strapped academic world, is that complex instrumentation creates high maintenance costs, particularly when used in introductory courses (8). On the basis of our experiences at EWU, this fear is overstated.…”

“…Several advantages are offered by automated systems, the most obvious being efficiency. A single instrument is often insufficient to serve a large class (8). Typical autosamplers have sample capacities of 100 or more, and unattended operation allows students, TA's, and instructors to spend valuable lab time in the lab rather than making manual injections.…”

Effective and Inexpensive HPLC Analogue for First-Year Students: Buret Chromatography of Food Dyes in Drinks

“…To students, modern HPLCs are essentially viewed as "black boxes" 3 that by some unseen process print out neatly analyzed results. Although such instruments are immensely useful in analytical laboratories, they are both expensive and essentially useless in demonstrating the techniques and principles involved in chromatography.…”