Breadth and Depth in Elemental Analysis

化学(12)两种仪器，一台手持式X射线荧光光谱仪(XRF)和一台电感耦合等离子体光学发射光谱仪(ICP-OES)正在被整合到三一大学化学、地球科学和生物系的本科生实验室中。将分析工具整合到本科课程中有助于实现三个主要目标：通过参与跨学科努力，改善理科和非理科专业的学习；提高学生对元素分析方法的理解深度；增加师生之间的多学科互动，从长远来看，这将从根本上改变三一校区的STEM教育。项目教员正在为非理科和理科专业的学生开发新的、有吸引力的实验室，涉及到这些复杂的研究级仪器的实际使用。使用相关(环境水样)、独特(博物馆绘画和文物)以及跨学科样本和问题框架(土壤、植物和生态系统中金属的分布)的策略旨在比在一个学科内进行传统的孤立实验更好地激发学生的兴趣。元素分析方法正在广泛的学科范围内的各种技能水平上进行探索。受影响的课程和方案正在影响很大比例的女性和少数族裔学生。至少有三个部门和两个社区伙伴正在使用这种设备。一名外部经验丰富的顾问正在进行形成性评估，并将对该项目进行总结性评估。传播计划包括针对多学科受众的会议演讲、同行评议出版物和基于网络的材料(由三一大学和NSDL主办)。

Chemistry (12) Two instruments, a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) and an Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer (ICP-OES) are being integrated into undergraduate laboratories in the departments of Chemistry, Geosciences, and Biology at Trinity University. This integration of analytical tools into undergraduate curricula is helping address three primary goals: improving science and non-science major learning by engagement in interdisciplinary endeavors; improving student depth of understanding of elemental analysis methods; and increasing multidisciplinary interactions among faculty and students which in the long term will fundamentally transform STEM education on the Trinity campus. Project faculty are developing new, engaging laboratories for non-science and science majors that involve hands-on use of these sophisticated, research-grade instruments. The strategy of using relevant (environmental water samples), unique (museum paintings and artifacts), and interdisciplinary samples and problem frameworks (distribution of metals in soils and plants and ecosystems) is intended to better capture student interest than traditional isolated experimentation within a discipline. Elemental analysis methods are being explored at a variety of skill levels across a broad range of disciplines. The impacted courses and programs are affecting a large percentage of female and minority students. This equipment is being used by at least three departments and by two community partners. An outside, experienced consultant is performing formative and will be performing summative assessments of the project. The dissemination plan includes conference presentations, peer-reviewed publications, and web based materials (sites hosted by both Trinity University and the NSDL) that target multidisciplinary audiences.