Biologically-Relevant Chemistry in the Freshman Laboratory

在一种创新的方法来教授新生化学实验，学生将接触到各种化学原理在生物相关化学的背景下。很多大一学化学的学生（超过60%）都在追求生物科学和/或医学方面的职业。通过让这些学生参与真正的科学探究，向他们展示了化学与理解生物系统的相关性。该课程是基于模块的，每个模块都侧重于一个特定的问题，学生必须回答一个与生物学相关的问题。每个实验模块都被设计成一个持续三到四周的深入研究。课程教学采用“引导发现法”，注重团队合作和决策。计算机预实验是为了确保学生在进入实验室时对他们需要做的事情有信心，互动视频帮助他们掌握困难的概念。新的基于计算机的考试正在开发和测试。其中四个模块的主题包括：1)胃的化学成分；2)皮肤癌；3)铅中毒；还有血液化学。第五单元旨在让本科生接触当地中小学的科学教学。每个大学生都观察并参与K-12科学课堂，阅读科学教育期刊上的文章，与当地学校的科学老师一起工作，为K-12课堂设计并教授一个基于实验室的项目，并参与讨论和评估所教授的科学课程以及已经得出的关于科学教学和学习的结论。

In an innovative approach to teaching the freshman chemistry laboratory, students are being exposed to a variety of chemical principles in the context of biologically-relevant chemistry. Large numbers of students taking freshman chemistry (upwards of 60%) are pursuing careers in the biological sciences and/or medicine. These students are being shown the relevance of chemistry in understanding biological systems by engaging them in authentic scientific inquiry. The program is module-based, where each module focuses on a specific question that the students must answer about a biologically-relevant problem. Each laboratory module is designed as an in-depth study lasting three to four weeks. "A guided-discovery method" of teaching the course is employed, and teamwork and decision-making are emphasized. Computer pre-labs are used to ensure that the students are confident in what they need to do when they enter the laboratory, and interactive videos help them to grasp difficult concepts. Novel computer based examinations are being developed and tested. The topics of four of the modules include: 1) the chemistry of the stomach; 2) skin cancer; 3) lead poisoning; and 4) blood chemistry. The fifth module is designed to expose the undergraduate students to science teaching in the local primary and secondary schools. Each college student observes and participates in a K-12 science classroom, reads articles in science education journals, works with a science teacher in a local school, designs and teaches a laboratory-based project for the K-12 classroom, and participates in discussions and evaluations about the science lesson that has been taught and the conclusions that have been reached about the teaching and learning of science.