Incorporating Literature into an Organic Chemistry Laboratory Class: Translating Lab Activities Online and Encouraging the Development of Writing and Presentation Skills

After Wesleyan University moved all classes online because of the global outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, the organic chemistry laboratory course adjusted its curriculum to fit the circumstances. A symposium project with several components was introduced, allowing students to develop their scientific writing...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of chemical education 2020-09, Vol.97 (9), p.3223-3229
Main Authors: Saar, Anastasia, Mclaughlin, Mikayla, Barlow, Rachael, Goetz, Jeffrey, Adediran, Suara A, Gupta, Anisha
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
College Science
Colleges & universities
COVID-19
Curricula
Distance Education
Distillation
Educational activities
Electronic Learning
Essential oils
Garlic
Laboratories
Learning
Literary translation
Literature reviews
Online Courses
Online instruction
Organic Chemistry
Pandemics
School Closing
Science Curriculum
Science Instruction
Science Laboratories
Severe acute respiratory syndrome
Skills
Student Surveys
Students
Teaching Methods
Thinking Skills
Undergraduate Study
Videoconferencing
Writing Skills
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Summary:After Wesleyan University moved all classes online because of the global outbreak of SARS-CoV-2, the organic chemistry laboratory course adjusted its curriculum to fit the circumstances. A symposium project with several components was introduced, allowing students to develop their scientific writing, presentation, and critical thinking skills through the assigned quiz, reading questions, discussion forum, article summary, and oral presentation. A paper published in ACS Omega about compounds in garlic essential oil as a potential treatment for SARS-CoV-2 was chosen for literature review; many techniques used in the paper, such as distillation and GC–MS analysis, were familiar to students, and the content was relevant to both the course and current events. Presentations were given through Zoom, and all of the assignments were handed in electronically. This symposium-style project can be easily formatted for in-classroom or online learning and, on the basis of student survey data, was greatly beneficial to helping students improve key skills necessary for upper-level science courses at Wesleyan and beyond.
ISSN:0021-9584
1938-1328
DOI:10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00727