We have developed a laboratory curriculum is focused on three principles: 1. Teaching fundamental concepts in Chemistry. 2. Relating macroscopic observations to a molecular-level understanding. 3. Relating chemical principles to healthcare. These labs have been implemented in a survey organic and biochemistry course, though many labs are appropriate for other courses. First, we will share our revision to the MORE (Model-Observe-Reflect-Explain) pedagogy, which we used to scaffold the labs. We will discuss the process of developing and revising the labs through the discussion of several labs in various stages of development. Further, we will share results from several labs to illustrate our approach. For example, we have developed a lab to teach diffusion (dialysis), reversible binding, and competitive binding. In this lab, students observe the rate of dialysis of dye in the presence or absence of albumin. Further, students observe the rate of dialysis of dye in the presence of albumin and a competitive inhibitor. This experiment is a model for how drugs travel in the blood bound to albumin and the result of taking two drugs that competitively bind albumin. We have developed a different lab to teach the foundational principles of TLC. In this lab, students use a method that has been modified based on the TLC methods used to measure lung surfactant ratios in amniotic fluid. This measure is a predictor of NRDS, the leading cause of death in pre-term infants. Based on laboratory observations and student artifacts, we have demonstrated that students learn foundational chemical principles and relate chemistry to healthcare. Further, we can demonstrate that through this lab curriculum students learn key critical thinking skills, like reasoning with evidence and making, and refining models.

Relating chemistry to healthcare and MORE (NSF DUE 1431926)

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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