Fundamental scientific literacy is vital for a competitive economy. As a call to action, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Science Foundation, and the American Association of Colleges and Universities have collaborated to improve curriculum via implementing student-centered approaches that encourage student inquiry-based learning, collaboration, and increased relevancy of the subject. Answering that call and with generous CSUPERB funding, California State University, Fresno (CSUF) developed a long-term partnership with the Fresno Chaffee Zoo (FCZ) and established the Zoo-Inquiry Project (ZIP) laboratories. In the ZIP laboratories, students visit the zoo to collect water samples with the zoo’s chemist; then design and conduct experiments focused on topics such as salinity, thermochemistry, spectroscopy, and buffer capacity. Due to the ZIP laboratories being in their infancy, this study attempted to understand how student perceptions of the zoo affect enrollment and participation, along with investigating students’ conservation habits. The investigation was performed via multiple choice pre- and post-tests containing questions focused on general chemistry topics, student’s perceptions of the zoo, past attendance, and open-ended questions to further gain insight into previous answers. In-person interviews were also conducted to further understand pre-test data. Results found that a large majority of students were interested in learning how chemistry related to the zoo; although zoo practice was a concern, a majority of those students were still interested in the class. Visitation data determined that students were more inclined to visit with family and friends than with classmates. Lastly, a large majority of students were interested in learning about conservation, but did not believe their daily actions affected it. For the first time, an in-depth investigation of students’ perceptions was conducted, leading to valuable information that will help enhance ZIP laboratory experiences through future course redesigns. In addition, the study strengthened the collaboration between CSUF and the FCZ by providing a better understanding of the young adult population and their reasons for current attendance rates.<br/>

Investigation of the impact of a zoo-context chemistry laboratory on undergraduate learning and conservation perspectives

2019 Fall National Meeting

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