The Research-Friendly Curriculum – Integration of Undergraduate Research and

Teaching

by

Bert E. HolmesCarson Distinguished Chair of Science

The University of North Carolina-Asheville

Saturday, January 24, 2009

Overview

I. Models for Incorporating Undergraduate Research into the Curricula.

A. Many school adopt a sequence of stand-alone research courses that are required.

1. Distributed throughout the curriculum

OR

2. Senior/junior year courses

Regardless of which method is used the traditional courses need to prepare students to fully benefit from the intense experience.

B. Research integrated into traditional courses

C. Interdisciplinary undergraduate research experience; Future advances in cutting-edge research will be at the interface of different disciplines. How do we prepare students for this using our traditional (or non-traditional) courses?

1. Research teams from multiple departments

2. Integrated laboratory experiences

D. Other options

II. Typical Evolution of Undergraduate Research Courses at Many Colleges/universities.A. Research courses are electives for some students.

B. Research courses are required for Honor students (or only for BS but not for BA majors)

C. One of two research courses are required for the major(maybe reorganize the upper level laboratory requirements)

D.Multiple research courses or a significant requirement (one-half of the senior year) are required for the major.

E. At some point in this evolution it is realized that cook-book or verification laboratory experiments (the “traditional curriculum”) does not fully prepare student for a meaningful mentor-guided research experience. Consider my experiences: Starting teaching in 1975.

1. Starting teaching at Ohio Northern University in 1975 (undergraduate university with about 2,400 students) and began engaging students in research because I enjoyed it.

2. Became aware of CUR in 1980 and began reading the CUR Newsletters. Was tenured in 1981.

3. Moved to Lyon College (college with 450 total students) in Batesville, AR in 1983 as the Head of the Mathematics and Sciences Division with the expectation that I would build a strong science program. Made undergraduate research the keystone of our program.

4. By 1986 I realized that having required research courses was not sufficient because students were not being prepared by the traditional curriculum to engage in research.

5. Develop my first “mini-research” experience in first semester general chemistry laboratory for fall 1986.

6. The synthesis of Alum = KAl(SO4)2-12H2O

In reality the K+ can be replaced by Li+, Na+, Rb+, Cs+ or NH4+

cations and the Al3+ can be replaced by Cr3+ or Fe3+

We gave student teams the task of preparing another “alum”. The following year we added analysis of waters of hydration, potassium, sodium, iron and sulfate ions to the regular laboratory. We then added a requirement that they not only prepare an alum but that they also provide analysis to support the formula.

7. Next we converted an entire course to “project-based” experiences. Our second semester general chemistry laboratory became an analysis of the environmental impact of building a new baseball field on our campus.

8. Of course, preparing students to engage in research required that I remain active in undergraduate research.

III. The traditional laboratory or lecture courses must prepare students to fully benefit from the research experience.A. Early in the curriculum there should be 2-4 week long “mini-research” exercises. These must be well defined and limited in scope.

B. Sophomore and/or advanced courses could become semester-long mini-research experiences (maybe 3-5 separate projects).

C. Interdisciplinary experiences should be emphasized and the design could be one of the following:

1. Student take two integrated laboratories at the same time. (chemistry and biology) or (chemistry and environmental science) or (mathematics and physics) or (statistics and chemistry)

2. A single laboratory course focuses on an interdisciplinary experience.

A. Examples of a 2-3 week long project:

1. First Semester General Chemistry Laboratory:

a. Titrations and Comparisons of Common Antacids and Nutritional Data 

b. Comparison of Synthesized Soap and Commercially Available Soap

c. Determining the Relative Acidity of Soft Drinks

d. Analysis of the Effectiveness of Soap Synthesized from Different Oils

These are rather routine but here are some more unusual examples.

e. Comparing Calorimeters by Determining the Enthalpy of a Reaction 

f. Synthesis of a Liquid Magnet

g. Synthesis and Determination of Density, Cloud Point, and Heat of Combustion of Biodiesel Fuel 

h. The Measurement of Conductivity for Sports Drinks

2. Examples in Organic Chemistry (semester long projects)

a. Separation and characterization of six compounds in a mixture (benzoin, 2-methyl-1-butanol, trans-cinnamic acid, 4-methylacetophenone, methyl phenylacetate, and trans-stilbene). Use of TLC & column chromatography for separation and IR and NMR for analysis.

b. Synthesis: Esterification (teams proposal and conduct the synthesis and characterization of different esters)

c. Synthesis of Organic Dyes. (ditto)

d. Synthesis of hexaphenylbenzene. (ditto)

B. Interdisciplinary examples in a single course

1. Analysis of Tannic Acid Concentration in Tree Leaves and Comparison to the Tree's Ability to Resist Predation (chem/bio)

2. Analysis of different metal ions in stream water (shallow vs. deep pools, slow vs. rapid stream flow, etc.). Influence of sample site on analyses results (chem/envr).

3. Measurement of E coli (Escherichia coli ) in various locations at waste water treatment plants [pig or cattle feed lots] (chem/bio).

4. Effectiveness of different anti-bacterial agents in destruction of Escherichia coli. (bio/allied health)

C.An entire course focused on interdisciplinary projects. Second semester general chemistry: The theme is Phytoremediation (plants that remove metals from soils)

In this interdisciplinary laboratory course, groups of beginning students complete semester-long projects studying soil chemistry, plant uptake of metals, and environmental analysis while applying their knowledge to the research area of phytoremediation.

Debra Van Engelen, Bert Holmes and co-workers “Undergraduate Introductory Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory Course: Interdisciplinary Group Projects in Phytoremediation” J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84(1), 128.

Examples of semester-long projects in the Second Semester General Chemistry (Phytoremediation) Laboratory

1. Investigation of the Effects of Varying Salinities on the Ability of Water Hyacinth to Hyperaccumulate Cadmium in its Shoots

2. Phytoremediation of Lead Nitrate by Coleus Blumei

3. Comparison of Cadmium Hyperaccumulation of Chives in Terrestrial versus Aquaculture Conditions

4. Analysis of the Hyperaccumulation Abilities for Geranium, Aloe and Spider Plants for Copper

5. Affect of Soil Acidity on Hyperaccumulation of Zinc by Marigolds

6. Analysis of Hyperaccumulation of Ag and Cu by Lactuca Sativa

7. Hyperaccumulation of Lead by Brassica genus

8. Study of Cadmium, Manganese, and Lead Accumulation in Scented Geraniums (Pelagonium sp. Fresham)

9. Investigation of Hyperaccumulation of Various Heavy Metals in Pteris Cretica

10.The Variation of Cadmium Hyperaccumulation with Plant Growth in Brassica Juncea

11.Hyperaccumulation of Arsenic in Water Hyacinth

12.Hyperaccumulation of Arsenic by Azolla Caroliniana

13.Hyperaccumulation of Copper by Brassica Juncea

14.Analysis of Various pH levels on Hyperaccumulation of Lead by Brassica Oleracea

15. Metal Analysis of Botanical Garden’s Creeks.

16. The Quantitative Study of Lead Accumulation of Mentha Piperita in Fertilized Soil and Varying Levels of Contamination.

17. Hyper Accumulation of Lead with India Mustard

18. The Ability of Polystichum setiferum to Hyperaccumulate Lead

NOTE: Students are limited to 10 different metals (some are too toxic to use and some we don’t have easy ways to measure concentration) and the plants must mature within 10 weeks.

Students learn to digest soils to extract the metals.

Plants growing during the semester.

D. Examples of interdisciplinary course designs.

1. Macalester College: Integrated courses in general chemistry and cell biology for first-year students. The double course was organized around six units:

a. Energetics: Harvesting (Bio)Chemical Energy;

b. The Regulation of Biological Processes: Chemical Kinetics and Equilibrium;

c. Membranes and Electrochemical Gradients;

d. Acids and Bases and the Regulation of pH;

e. Intracellular Compartments and Transport

f. Cellular Communication. Schwartz, A. Truman; Serie, Jan. J. Chem. Educ. 2001, 78, 1490.

2. Statistics and General Chemistry laboratory at Lyon College. Partially integrated courses in general chemistry and statistics for first-year students, in early 1990s.

a. Chemical measurements laboratory exercise in which the results from the chem. lab. served as the data that the statistics course used as an introduction to statistical analysis.

b. Linear plots of mass vs. volume in a density laboratory in general chemistry served as the data for linear regression analysis (std. of slope and intercept) for the statistics course.

c. Enthalpy change for acid-base reactions in a calorimetry laboratory served as the basis for some advanced statistical analysis.

3. Harvey Mudd College-an Interdisciplinary Laboratory in chemistry, physics and biology.

a. Thermal properties of an Ectothermic animal (Students first measure the cooling rates of Aluminum cylinders and analyze the effect of mass, surface area and volume. Then students measure cooling rates for lizards of various sizes.)

b. Carbonate content of biological hard tissue (shells of oysters, hen’s eggs, skeletons of reef-building corals)

c. Structure-activity investigation of photosynthetic electron transport. (Students measure the rate of electron transport in photosynthesis in spinach chloroplasts. Then students then add substituted quinones that serve as models of herbicides that inhibit photosynthesis)

d. A genetic map of a Bacterial Plasmid.

IV.Critical Elements in multi-week long mini-research projects

A. The projects should mimic the process of inquiry of the discipline. (generate an idea, research the literature, propose the investigation, design the experiment, conduct the experiment, analyze results, communicate results orally (via PowerPoint), in writing, and/or on a poster to your peers)

B. Use research teams.

C. Need a narrowly defined project with a specific theme.

D. During the semester techniques needed to be successful in the research can be taught.

E. Select a theme with multiple permutations.

Final thoughts:

1. Harder to teach

2. More time intensive for the faculty

3. Need computer-base literature search software

4. More costly than cook-book experiments

5. Students may need open access to the laboratory

6. Some students really like this approach.

7. Difficult for graduate teaching assistants to teach using this approach.

Incorporating Research Into Our Curricula: Curricular Models,

Strategic Planning and Case Study

The ultimate goal is to engage students in research because you become a scientist by doing science.

You learn best when no one knows the answers.

It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.

I. Evolution of curricula requirements (typical for many institutions)

A. Research courses available as an option (satisfy an elective in the major)

B. Research courses are required for Honor students (or only for BS but not for BA majors)

C. One or two research courses are required for the major (maybe reorganize the upper level laboratory requirements)

D. Multiple research courses or a significant requirement (one-half of the senior year) are required for the major.

E. Research is required by the college for all graduates.

II. Evolution of the “Research Curriculum in Chemistry at UNCA.

A. 1969-1995 Research courses were electives (averaged 5.7 graduates in the 1990s)

B. 1995-1999 One research course required of BA majors and two for BS majors

C. 2000-2004 Three experimental/theoretical-based research courses required of all graduates. (averaging 12.1 graduates with a high of 17)

D. 2005-present. Three courses required for BA and may be literature based research. For BS graduates there are five experimental/theoretical-based research courses required.

III.Description of the 5 research courses in chemistry at UNCA.

A. CHEM 280: Introduction to Chemical Research Methods.

1. Review use of SciFinder Scholar

2. 30 minute presentations by research faculty

3. Students interview at least 3 faculty

4. Students rank three potential faculty mentors--a faculty mentor is selected.

5. Student do a background literature search, write a 10 page introduction to the research and an abstract of the proposed work.

6. Students write a research proposal for the UGR Office

B. CHEM 415: Introduction to chemical seminars.

1. Students work to develop their oral communication skills.

2. Students develop and present a poster of their research.

3. Students meet with their faculty committee (three faculty) and write the first draft of their experimental section.

4. Students conduct 10 hrs/week of research.

C. CHEM 416: Chemical Research I

1. Students conduct 10+ hrs/week of research

2. Students give their first oral presentation of their research on a Saturday(s)

3. Students present the first draft of their experimental results section.

D. CHEM 417 Chemical Research III

1. Students conduct 10+ hrs/week of research

2. Students give their second oral presentation of their research on a Saturday(s)

3. Here we judge competency to be a chemistry major.

4. Students present the first draft of their Senior Thesis.

E. CHEM 418 Chemical Research IV

1. Students finish all research work.

2. Finish writing and then submit their final thesis.

3. One final presentation and a celebration.

IV. Administrative Issues:

A. Faculty workload

B. Cost of supplies

C. Instrumentation must be rugged for student use but also research quality.

D. Open access by students to research laboratories.

V. Strategic PlanA. Select a team to guide the plan.

B. Make the plan fit the mission/strategic plan of the university or the department.

C. Brain storm among stakeholders to come up with the essentials of the plan.

D. Develop a timeline for your plan.

E. Identify individuals who are responsible for each component (step) of the plan.

F. Implement.

VI. Advice

A. Take bite-size pieces-let it evolve

B. Conduct inventory of “research-like” experiences on your campus.

C. Considering faculty workload in your plan is essential. (differential workloads)

D. The curriculum should be designed to prepare students to fully benefit from the research experience.

E. Use a team approach-everyone has talents and you want to take advantage of each person’s talents to make the team succeed.

F. Make student/faculty collaborative scholarship asignificant experience. Don’t dabble.

G. Understand the mission of student/faculty researchat your institution.

My mission statement: The student and teacher/scholar

(mentor) working together to address significant unresolved problems.

Student/faculty research develops the student into acolleague, a scholar, an artist, or even a critic.

H. Undergraduate research is teaching: Mentor guidedresearch develops in the student a “way of knowing - amethod of reasoning - a process for creating.” This isthe denouement of education (the highest form ofteaching and learning).

I. Plan carefully, boldly and wisely from the bottom upand from the top down.

VII. Case Study: Lyon College in 1983/84Department of Biology and Chemistry: 450 - 500 Students

1. I was the second chemist and the first to start aphysical chemistry laboratory. A second biologistwas also hired that year.

2. There was no history of undergraduate research.3. The only major instrumentation was an AA and a

GC and both were 8 years old.4. No research laboratories or space for research existed.5. Few students majored in science; the freshman

chemistry enrollment was 23 students and there were nograduates in chemistry and only three graduates in biology in 1983.

6. Mean ACT was 17.9 in fall 1983.

Case Study: Lyon CollegeDepartment of Biology and Chemistry

1993 - 98: 470 - 525 Total Students

1. Four chemistry faculty, all with Ph.D.s, and threebiology faculty conducting research and publishing results.

2. Freshman chemistry enrollment ranged from 58 to 93students (45-58% of the entering freshman class).

3. Summer stipends for 15-27 chemistry students and 8-11students in biology.

4. Faculty external grants averaged $175,000 from 1993-98.

5. The total number of chemistry graduates increased from4 from 1982-87 to 28 from 1993-98. Typically, 25-40%of each graduating class majored in biology or chemistry.For the 1993-98 period, 22-31 total graduates in biologyand chemistry annually.

6. Six NSF curriculum/instrumentation grants (CoSIP, CCLI and ILIP) in chemistry and eight significant matching grants totaling $550,000.

7. The mean ACT was 26-27.5 during 1993-1997.

8. CUR asked that I help author “How to Get Started in Research” in 1996 with a second edition in 1999.

9. Undergraduate Research Presentation Day during the spring Board of Trustees Meeting.

Important Lessons:

1. Strategic plans at the department level will work.

2. Have all disciplines involved in undergraduate research. Don’t let a set of “haves” and “have nots” exist.

3. Department leadership is key.

4. Decisions about hiring and retaining faculty are paramount.

5. Improving the sciences rapidly raises the entrance test scores (SAT or ACT).

6. It requires about 5-10 years to fully develop a program with only a grass-roots effort.

Thank you for your time and attention.