Breadth and Depth in Elemental Analysis

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发射光谱仪（ICP-OES）正在被整合到三一大学化学系、地球科学系和生物系的本科实验室中。将分析工具整合到本科课程中有助于实现三个主要目标：通过参与跨学科的努力来改善科学和非科学专业的学习；提高学生对元素分析方法的理解深度；增加教师和学生之间的多学科互动，从长远来看，这将从根本上改变三一学院的STEM教育。项目教师正在为非科学专业和科学专业的学生开发新的、引人入胜的实验室，这些实验室包括动手使用这些复杂的、研究级的仪器。使用相关的（环境水样）、独特的（博物馆绘画和文物）、跨学科的样本和问题框架（金属在土壤、植物和生态系统中的分布）的策略，旨在比传统的学科内的孤立实验更好地吸引学生的兴趣。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。受影响的课程和项目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。一个外部的，经验丰富的顾问正在执行形成性评估，并将执行项目的总结性评估。传播计划包括针对多学科受众的会议报告、同行评审出版物和基于网络的材料（由三一大学和nsl共同主办的网站）。

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.