Rationale There are two major issues driving the curricular reform in Chemistry at St. Norbert College. The first is the common student perception that learning only takes place in the classroom. In a college setting, students learn wherever they go. Students study in their dorms, at the library and campus center, and under trees in the courtyard. They learn in lively exchanges with peers, faculty, and community members. The second issue is the need for students to make the connection between their lecture and laboratory experiences and to meet the growing need for students to be exposed to the process of scientific research early in the curriculum. Laboratory projects designed to introduce the research process develop students' critical-thinking and problem-solving skills and prepare them for lifelong learning. Wireless, mobile technology fosters active teaching and learning through a series of laboratory research projects and collaborative classroom activities.

Implementation Traditionally, in the introductory chemistry sequence, a sharp distinction exists between the lecture and the laboratory: lectures are for "learning" while the laboratory is for "doing." This apparent separation leaves students with the impression that science is performed in short, well defined segments and always produces the "correct" result. Even when laboratory activities are directly aligned with the lecture, feedback from students indicates that they viewed the labs as time for completing the assigned task rather than for experiencing the scientific process. Despite our best efforts, students often do not recognize the connection between lab exercises and lecture topics. In the redesigned laboratory, students work in groups on semester-long projects that are based on a recently presented material (for example see the link below). The student research groups work closely with student mentors using concepts of the Peer-Led-Team-Learning model. The research based laboratory experience is also being used to integrate the lecture and laboratory portions of the course. The wireless, mobile technology allows the students to access data collected in the laboratory during lecture and can be used to illustrate concepts being covered in the course. This technology also allows students to retrieve, analyze and discuss their data with others anywhere on campus. Titanium Dioxide Raspberry Solar Cell This module serves as the starting point for the General Chemistry projects for the Spring 2006 semester.

Use of Technology The HP tablets have replaced the laboratory manuals and notebooks traditionally used by the students. When students arrive in lab, they download an electronic template for the days exercise (as a Word document). The mobile technology allows the students to collect data in various locations throughout the building and to record their data directly in the tablet. Merging the appropriate data (from LoggerPro, Excel, etc.) and uploading the report to the campus network completes the lab report for the exercise. This initial version of the lab report is available to the instructor and/or student mentors for comment and can be accessed and modified by the student from anywhere on campus. This electronic format also allows the incorporation of visual information. Students will include digital photos of experimental set-up or visual results as part of their report. As the students progress through the second semester, they propose, design and implement a modification of the original experimental procedure. The use of the wireless, mobile technology allows students to find background information via the web and other electronic resources while conducting the experiment in lab. The technology also allows the stduents to get immediate feedback from the instructor, teaching assistants and others students. At the end of the semester each group give a Power Point presentation of the results of their semester long project.

Impact on Teaching Students completing the course should feel more comfortable working in groups to solve problems and should be better prepared to participate in subsequent research activities. We will monitor the students' ability to design and implement experiments in subsequent courses and their performance in summer research experiences. In the past, students would approach each week in lab as an isolated exercise with no connection to the topics covered in lecture or to previous laboratory work. The ultimate goal of this project is to have students recognize the connection between theory and application and to develop an appreciation for the process of science and scientific research. Ultimately, the research exposure provided by this course will serve as the foundation of our efforts to incorporate mobile technology and research experiences throughout the chemistry curriculum.

Impact on Learning Targeted student learning outcomes include: 1. Enhanced exposure to and application of the scientific method. 2. Exposure to the research process and use of basic research tools. 3. Increased quality of laboratory notebooks and reports. At the end of the first year of this project we will: 1. Compare pre/post surveys of attitudes toward science and understanding of the scientific method; 2. Compare mid-term and final exam results against classes taught in previous years and against course sections taught in traditional formats by other instructors; 3. Compare research projects/reports against those from previous years; 4. Examine the frequency and type of interaction with laboratory notebooks. A Sample Electronic Lab Report Web Site for General Chemistry - Spring 2006 Ongoing progress of the project during the Spring 2006 Semester

Quick Facts Dept: Chemistry Courses Impacted: General Chemistry # Students Impacted: Between 24 and 40 this year (depending on the semester); ~100 next year. # Faculty Involved: The Research-Based section of General Chemistry was conducted by the P.I. The wireless technology was also used by two other instructors for portions of the other sections of General Chemistry. A few applications were tested in Physical Chemsitry and Biochemistry during the second semester. This project is funded in part by an HP Technology for Teaching grant. Presentations by undergraduate students resulting from this effort include: Integrating Mobile Technology into the General Chemistry Curriculum. Jamie Wieting and Emily Johnson, Larry A. Scheich*, St. Norbert College, Department of Chemistry, De Pere, WI., 54115, [email protected] Inhibition of the Human Dopamine Transporter Expressed in HEK Cells by the Wake Promoting Drug Modafinil. Amber Schuh, Cynthia Earles Ochsner *, St. Norbert College, Department of Chemistry, De Pere, WI., 54115, [email protected] An Analysis of the Calcium-Dependence of Synaptotagmin I, II and IV. Kristi Keller, Kayla Baudhuin, Cynthia Earles Ochsner *, St. Norbert College, Department of Chemistry, De Pere, WI., 54115, [email protected] Presented at: SIXTEENTH (16th) ANNUAL ARGONNE SYMPOSIUM FOR UNDERGRADUATES IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS, November 4-5, 2005; THIRD ANNUAL INSPIRE CONFERENCE, UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI, FEBRUARY 10-12, 2006; and A DAY OF CELEBRATION OF STUDENT AND FACULTY/STAFF COLLABORATIONS (at St. Norbert College), APRIL 7, 2006 Also; Synthesis of Cobaltcyclopentadiene-Cyclobutadiene Compounds. Emily R. Johnson, Jamie C. Wieting, Larry A. Scheich*, St. Norbert College, Department of Chemistry, De Pere, WI., 54115, [email protected] was presented at: SIXTEENTH (16th) ANNUAL ARGONNE SYMPOSIUM FOR UNDERGRADUATES IN SCIENCE, ENGINEERING AND MATHEMATICS, November 4-5, 2005; and A DAY OF CELEBRATION OF STUDENT AND FACULTY/STAFF COLLABORATIONS (at St. Norbert College), MARCH 3, 2006 Additionally: Integrating Research into the General Chemistry Laboratory using Mobile Technology. Larry A. Scheich, St. Norbert College, Department of Chemistry, De Pere, WI., 54115, [email protected] will be presented by the P.I. at the FIRST INTERNATIONAL INSPIRE CONFERENCE, ISTANBUL, TURKEY, JUNE 12-20, 2006

Contact Us Dr. Larry A. Scheich [email protected] 920.403.3213 A special thanks to Emily Johnson and Jamie Wieting. Emily and Jamie recieved support for the summer (2005) from the HP Technology for Teaching grant to develop and pilot many of the laboratory exercises used in this course. St. Norbert College Chemistry Web Page Link to the Chemistry Home Page

References Information on Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL) and Process Orientated Guided Inquiry Learning may be found at the links below. For Information on Incorporating Research in the Undergraduate Curriculum see the Council of Undergraduate Research (CUR) Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) websites. Peer Led Team Learning (PLTL) Process Orientated Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) Council on Undergraduate Research Project Kaliedoscope

This project supported in part by an HP Technology for Teaching grant. Support also provided by the Virginia Zehren Endowed Chair in Chemistry at St. Norbert College.