In this presentation we report on the first year of an integrated laboratory course designed to incorporate the essential learning outcomes from multiple upper division laboratory courses while simultaneously providing open-ended research experiences to senior undergraduates. The integrated laboratory replaces the traditional laboratory sections associated with the following courses: Physical Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry, Advanced Organic Chemistry and Instrumental Methods. This newly created integrated laboratory course is a result of restructuring within our department and is credit neutral for our chemistry majors. In addition to integrating the content from the sub-disciplines of chemistry, the integrated laboratory infuses research into our undergraduate curriculum. The course provides an institutionally supported research incubator for faculty and student research interests, thus alleviating some of the time constraints often associated with research at undergraduate institutions. The integrated laboratory is co-taught and meets twice a week for three and a half hours per session. Students in the integrated laboratory course are assigned a research module to be completed over the course of 4 weeks, the modules rotate amongst students and evolve thought the year. Students are evaluated on their research notebook, their communication of experimental data in the form of high quality figures, and instructor observations of their laboratory practices.

Integrated lab: The first year of a laboratory course integrating the sub-disciplines of chemistry and open-ended research experiences

249th National Meeting (2015)

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