Incorporating real-world problems of social importance such as environmental sustainability into science curriculum closely engages the undergraduate students. This can be effectively carried out using investigative, project-oriented laboratory experiences. Dr. Zhang’s efforts in connecting environmental sustainability to chemistry education have focused on incorporating real-world, project-oriented environmental chemistry problems into undergraduate chemistry laboratory courses at both the freshman and the upper division levels. Dr. Zhang has incorporated for 17 years exploratory projects in Environmental Chemistry Laboratory (CHEM140), an upper division laboratory course for chemistry juniors and seniors. Dr. Zhang has also introduced investigative labs into Exploration in Chemistry (CHEM095), a freshman laboratory course. The effectiveness of the active teaching is reflected in successful learning outcomes of the classes, developments of the students' creative scientific thinking and problem solving abilities, and their better appreciation of the connection of chemistry to environmental sustainability.

Teaching environmental sustainability using real-world problems in project-oriented chemistry laboratories

2019 Spring National Meeting

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