Advanced laboratory work requires proficiency in multiple skills and competencies beyond content mastery, proper use of analytical instrumentation, time management, and decision making. Lab experiments are concrete, whole-task experiences that are completed in a specific time in collaboration with other learners. Capstone projects in particular cannot be carried out with an effective team. Unfortunately, there is relatively little education research focused on advanced laboratory learning. This presentation will focus on a specific aspect of advanced laboratory learning: collaborative learning of advanced analytical instrumentation for answering chemical questions. This talk will describe the design, development, and implementation steps as well as preliminary project outcomes and instructional design best practices for how to use instrumentation software to support laboratory learning as a means of reducing students’ cognitive load/overload, improving affective outcomes especially developing confidence in the lab and how this in turn lead to greater learning gains. We will describe two distinct research studies one from “Instrumental Analysis” and one from “Biochemistry” laboratory course, both offered to juniors and seniors at Boston University and discuss our observational findings. In both cases, limited access to instrumentation and instrumentation software can hinder learning in the laboratory by increasing cognitive load as well as apprehension and fear. In this presentation we will describe ways we have used technology to reduce cognitive load/overload and to enable collaborative learning. We find that as information from collaborators often becomes available exactly when it is needed, the result is a decreased load and increased learning. We show how this type of learning can occur from one course to another with different applications or within the same course as students navigate from one instrument to another. Preliminary observations are increased student motivation for independent learning and willingness to undertake more challenges projects in the laboratory.

Research on fidelity of transferable laboratory skills and collaborative learning through cloud enabled advanced laboratory resources

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.