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Project-based learning promotes students’ understanding ofthe practice of science through planning, conducting, andpresenting a research project (1–3). Engaging undergraduatesin campus-based research has been the focus of an environ-mental resource assessment (ERA) at Santa Clara University.A cornerstone for the environmental research effort has beena non-science majors chemistry course Chemistry and the En-vironment. Typically, 40–50 students are enrolled in thisquarter-long course and they work in groups of four to sixon ERA research.

ERA and Research ProjectsA preliminary ERA at Santa Clara University was con-

ducted in Fall 1995 by Al Fritsch, SJ, of Appalachia–Science

in the Public Interest. As a visiting scholar for one quarter,Fritsch was able to complete an initial resource assessmentand produce a series of recommendations for future studyemphasizing ten areas of special concern including waste man-agement, energy conservation, water conservation, and food ser-vices. An external examiner is not needed to conduct an ERA,although having an unbiased perspective is valuable. Resourcesand recommendations are available from the National WildlifeFederation for conducting a self-assessment (http://www.nwf.org/campus/).

Campus-based environmental research related to the ERAhas been conducted in Chemistry and the Environment.Examples of specific projects and related chemistry connectionsover the past three years are listed in Table 1.

Campus Environmental Resource Assessment Projectsfor Non-Science MajorsAmy M. Shachter* and Janice S. EdgerlyDepartment of Chemistry, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053; *ashachter@mailer.scu.edu

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Project Procedures and Course Grading

ERA projects represent approximately 40% of the finalgrade in the course. A group project proposal, two progressreports, a final report, and a poster presentation or a developedWeb page are required for each project (Table 2). Groups areassigned on the first day of class. Within the first two weeksof the quarter, a project proposal is required. This consists ofa 1–2-page project description including individual and groupobjectives and an overview of the relationship of the proposedproject to previous campus assessment studies. Students are re-quired to investigate previous ERA research outcomes availableon the Internet (http://chem.scu.edu/envs) and in the campuslibrary to prepare the proposal. Reviewing previous work isessential for providing direction and preventing duplication,year after year, of the same studies. The instructor discussesthe proposals with groups as needed before final projectapproval is given. Guidance regarding specific sources forcampus data is imperative. Students are typically not familiarwith basic university operations and staff responsibilities,so simply providing a campus telephone directory is notsufficient. Also, a quick phone call or email between theinstructor and campus staff and administrators before theprojects begin may be needed to insure that positive interac-tions occur and data are available in a reasonable time frame.

As projects proceed, groups continue to review previouswork on campus, obtain information on similar issues at othercampuses, gather data through interviews and available docu-ments, and analyze and interpret results. The process of dataacquisition is variable from project to project and might includedetermination of metal ions in water using atomic absorptionspectroscopy, radon testing, air quality analysis with Dragersampling system, campus survey (types of vehicles in campusparking lots for emissions predictions, commuter survey,blinded taste test of bottled water, or survey of students’ wastedisposal habits in laboratories) or interviews (quantity of elec-

tricity used, number of parking permits issued per quarter,number of parking spaces available, practices of the hazardouswaste disposal company contracted by the campus, or localwater quality results).

At present, no formal lab is associated with the course;therefore, only students with a particular project focus areinvolved in laboratory experimentation under the guidance ofthe instructor. Interestingly, more students want to pursuelab-based projects than the instructor has capacity to manageeffectively. A chemistry major was hired recently to assistgroups with lab-based assessments. If a survey is needed, theinstructor approves a draft of the survey questions before itsdistribution and provides scantron sheets for quick processing.At the end of the fourth week, an individual preliminaryproject report is due; it presents preliminary findings and atimetable for the remainder of the quarter. Feedback on thequality of data and suggestions for assessing the validity ofdata is provided by the instructor. Tutorials on data analysisare also offered. A second individual progress report is dueduring the eighth week. If chemical testing or a survey is tobe completed as part of the project, empirical data must beobtained by the eighth week. Each report includes a finalsummary of an individual’s contribution to the overall groupproject, which allows for the assessment of time management.Individual progress reports are essential to gauge individualefforts and insure a reasonable level of fairness in grading.

The final report, due the last day of the quarter, is a syn-thesis of all components including background information,SCU-related data and information, analysis of results, andrecommendations for campus action, with justification. Aposter session is held the last day of the course. To facilitatelearning during the poster session, students are given a guideprepared by the instructor, with topics and questions to assistthem in processing each poster. During the first 30 minutesof the session, half the members of each group circulate andreview the posters while the other half stay by the poster to

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answer questions. The students then switch so that all studentsare able both to view all the project posters and to answerquestions and explain results related to their project. Recently,groups were given the option of preparing a poster or a Webpage for presentation. Two of eight groups in 1998 used acomputer to present Web pages during the poster session.Group posters or Web pages and final reports are evaluatedon the basis of content and presentation according to thefollowing criteria:

Is the problem(s) clearly defined (including appropriatebackground information)?

Are methods explained (when appropriate)?

Are recommendations clearly presented and adequatelysubstantiated?

Are all portions of the project adequately represented?

Are references provided?

Are the title and group members listed (poster only)?

Is the content appropriate for a poster?

Is the paper/poster well organized and easy to follow?

Are text and illustrations linked clearly?

Is text size appropriate (poster only)?

How does the overall style and quality compare to pre-vious projects?

In addition to the ERA projects, problem sets related tothe lecture material are graded. One midterm and a finalexamination consisting of short- and long-answer questionswith calculations are also used to evaluate student performance.On the final examination, questions are focused on the chem-istry associated with the projects. Most recently, students wereasked to maintain a journal, primarily for feedback on Internetmaterials used in the course, but also as a log or notebookfor the ERA projects. A current course syllabus is availableat http://chem.scu.edu/chem/chem1/start.html.

Chemistry Connections

Essential background science related to the ERA projectsis provided during class, and students are expected to incor-porate appropriate chemical information into their final report.Lecture topics connected to specific projects appear in Table 1.For example, discussion of paper chemistry and how paperis recycled (in general, but also specifically “where does SCUpaper go?” and “how does the SCU contractor recycle thepaper?”) would be included in a report focusing on paperrecycling on campus. Research topics and supporting materials,which vary year to year, are incorporated into lecture. Whena more in-depth discussion is required to support a particularproject, the instructor arranges for group sessions on a specifictopic. Consequently, the course content is fluid and tailoredto student interest.

Students are highly motivated to explore campus-basedenvironmental issues. Because the students are very engaged,they seem to absorb the chemistry related to the projects moreefficiently than material not directly connected to the projectand perform better on sections of exams associated with theproject-related chemistry (see Assessment of Outcomes).

Learning Goals and Outcomes

Basic GoalsStudents are expected to (i) learn basic research methods,

(ii) gain an understanding of scientific/chemical informationrelated to all projects, and (iii) cultivate leadership and time-management skills. In addition, students develop relationshipswith university staff and administrators to obtain informationand gain an understanding of how the institution operates.In establishing those connections, they (iv) learn the com-plexities of university operations and develop sensitivity to theroles staff and administrators play in defining daily campusfunctions. Finally, students (v) gain a sense of ownership andconnectedness to the campus. Participating in campus-basedprojects forces them to realize that they are stakeholders, alongwith the faculty and staff, in improving the campus environ-ment (5, 6 ). Ultimately, we hope students (vi) recognize theyare environmental stakeholders in any place they choose to live.

Assessment of OutcomesThe extent to which students achieved the desired learning

goals was determined through course performance and theirresponse to an assessment survey. All grading was determinedby the absolute 100–90% A; 89–80% B; etc. scale. Questionsdirectly related to the chemistry associated with ERA projectscomprised 30% of the final exam. On the section of the finaldevoted to questions related to ERA projects, students averaged86% (B), compared to a 75% (C) average on the final exam asa whole. Furthermore, students typically performed better onERA projects then on course exams. Total overall projectgrades averaged in the B range, whereas examination averageswere in the C range. These results are consistent with thoseof other studies, which found that nontraditional assessmentmechanisms tend to be more successful in non-science majorscourses (3, 4 ).

Students were also asked to complete a survey relatedto the learning outcomes. The results (Table 3) indicate avery positive student response to the course projects and sug-gest successful completion of most learning goals. The only

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responses not directly supportive of the learning outcomesrelated to development of time-management skills. In thetime-management area, a positive response was obtained fromfreshman and sophomores, while a “no” was typical reply ofjuniors and seniors. Students responded very positively to theposter session as a learning experience. The role of postersessions in facilitating learning has recently been documentedby Sisak (5).

Narrative student responses to the question What did youfind most valuable about the projects? included:

Learned some patience with other people.

Learning who to talk to about the campus.

Research into paper has made me more aware of howmuch I use.

Learning to work with and within the structure (the bu-reaucracy) of the university.

To get involved on campus.

Stuff I didn’t really think about previously, I began tohave a vested interested in.

Poster presentations.

Learning the behind the scenes of SCU.

It helped me realize how many environmental issues SCUalone has to deal with.

I learned a great deal about chemistry and how it relatesto everything.

Very much—cool to have the opportunity to see whatother students are doing.

After participating in the ERA projects, students have agreater understanding of how the university operates and de-velop a greater connection to the university. As indicated inthe assessment responses, students seem to view themselvesas environmental stakeholders (Table 3)(6, 7 ). Furthermore,leadership skills develop as the student researchers act as rolemodels for others in public presentations of research find-ings (the poster presentations, Web development) or in thecontinuation of ERA research after the course is completed(see Action below).

Implementing Change on Campus

Reporting ResultsDisseminating results and recommendations of ERA

projects is an important outcome of the course. Implementinga set of recommendations for greening the campus has provento be one of the more challenging and most rewarding aspectsof conducting ERA projects. The first step toward implemen-tation is presenting the results to the university community.The Chemistry and the Environment poster session is oneavenue for communicating results. Campus administrators andother faculty are typically invited to view the posters and results

on the Web. A campus-wide State of the SCU Environmentposter session with administrators awarding prizes for out-standing work has also been a successful communicationmechanism. For example, recycled paper is now used in mostcopiers on campus as a result of administrators viewing aChemistry and the Environment poster at a campus-wideposter session event.

ActionDirect contact with university administrators through the

poster session can lead to policy changes. More often, a greatereffort—beyond the time limits imposed by the quarter orsemester system—needs to be made to implement campuschange. One avenue for change is to use the support assembledthrough public presentations of research results to institu-tionalize environmental projects. Recently, a formal admin-istrative mechanism (University Environmental CoordinatingCommittee) was established to shepherd ERA recommendationsthrough appropriate university channels. Faculty, staff, andstudents are working together to implement the recommen-dations of ERA projects. Student committee members serveas leaders and role models for the campus and all have beenalumni of Chemistry and the Environment.

Summary

Research projects centered on a campus-based environ-mental resource assessment are an integral part of a non-science majors course in chemistry. Undergraduates learnbasic research methods and also gain leadership skills, learnprofessional presentation techniques, and promote informedenvironmental action on campus.

Acknowledgments

The SCU staff in campus facilities, mailing and copyservices, purchasing, and food services have been extremelyhelpful over the years with ERA projects. Martha Smith hasbeen instrumental in ERA coordination. The WWW site andother materials related to the ERA at Santa Clara Universitywere sponsored by the Leaders for a Just World grant fromthe James Irvine Foundation.

Literature Cited

1. Juhl, L.; Yearsley, K.; Silva, A. J. Chem. Educ. 1997, 74, 1431–1433.

2. Weidenhamer, J. D. J. Chem. Educ. 1997, 74, 1437–1440.3. Juhl, L. J. Chem. Educ. 1996, 73, 72–77.4. Tobias, S. They’re Not Dumb. They’re Different; Research Corpo-

ration: Tucson, AZ, 1990.5. Sisak, M. E. J. Chem. Educ. 1997, 74, 1065–1067.6. Jenks-Jay, N. Am. Assoc. Higher Educ. Bull. 1997, 7.7. Orr, D. W. Ecological Literacy; State University of New York Press:

Albany, NY, 1992.