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Misconceptions in the Chemistry Lab

Misconceptions in the Chemistry Lab. Harris Workshop May 24 th -25 th 2012. 1. Assumed knowledge. Prerequisite course skills are thought of as mutually exclusive Overlap between related disciplines is not recognized (eg. Inorganic labs vs organic labs)

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Misconceptions in the Chemistry Lab

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  1. Misconceptions in the Chemistry Lab Harris Workshop May 24th-25th 2012

  2. 1. Assumed knowledge • Prerequisite course skills are thought of as mutually exclusive • Overlap between related disciplines is not recognized (eg. Inorganic labs vs organic labs) • The practical or literal meaning of equations are lost • The importance of record keeping

  3. 2. Experiments • Close to100 % yield is always expected and students doubt their abilities if it is less • Hangs ups on failures and the value of the end product • The literature is The Truth • The lab manual is a cookbook • All chemistry has a cookbook

  4. 3. Applications • Transfer of concepts to problems and asking “why?” • Chemistry in the real world is not recognized • A simple answer is thought as wrong or not enough • Disconnects between lecture concepts done in the lab

  5. Battling lab misconceptions • Integrated/Interdisciplinary labs • UBC: 3rd year lab course (no lectures) • 1 year duration, 2 afternoons/week, 9 labs covering 4 chemistry disciplines • 2nd semester is optional for non-Chem majors • Students teach each other • Guided by a TA for safety concerns • Perspective/approach from student POV

  6. Battling lab misconceptions • Inform students on • Experiments do not always work or give 100 % yield • Proper note-taking • Real-world applications or analogies • Discernment of the Literature results and non-peer reviewed sources of information

  7. Group Members • Hayley (UofA) • Japhet (Grant MacEwan) • Jeremy (UofA) • Patrick (Concordia) • Sonja (UofA) • Vishanka (UBC)

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