Annual
Assessment Report
Biological
and Chemical Sciences Major
Spring 2009
I.
Executive
Summary
In the past year the
II.
Summary of
Assessment meetings
Schnurr, Tom Vawter, Christina Wahl;
Meeting lasted 2 hours
At
this meeting to discuss the senior thesis grades for
Wahl; Meetings
lasted about an hour
At these
meetings we discussed the comprehensive examination. In the past we had been
using standardized exams – the ETS exam for Biology, and the
Wahl; Meeting lasted about an hour
At this meeting
we evaluated the results of the written test and reflective essay.
Unfortunately, no one was happy with the results of the test (the reflective
essay was deemed interesting for assessment purposes). We decided to not have
any written test for the Class of 2009, and instead evaluate our students based
solely on the senior thesis and the oral presentation, as well as completion of
the reflective essay. We also decided that for a student to receive Distinction
in the major they would have to complete a Research thesis (the other option
for the senior thesis research is a primary research project based on lab or
field research. We have had no problem with these theses since we teach our
students to write lab reports in all of our lab courses).
sabbatical leave;
Meeting lasted about an hour
At
this meeting we discussed the changes to our Assessment Plan as suggested by
the Assessment Committee, as well as our focus for the year. Since
Wahl
are on sabbatical leave, although Bailey participated some by email; Meetings
lasted about an hour
We
worked through the
sabbatical leave;
Meeting lasted about an hour
We
continued our discussion of how to insure that our students can propose and
defend a thesis statement. The current suggestion is to take our 1-credit
We
also discussed the comprehensive examination, and have come full circle – back
to the ETS and
sabbatical leave;
Meeting lasted 2 hours
At
this annual meeting to discuss the
· The ability to
develop a good thesis statement.
· The use of
proper citation format.
· The ability to
find useful peer-reviewed literature, which will probably require a field trip
to the Cornell library so that the students are sure to find literature to get
them started.
· The ability to
keep a journal, with proof, to demonstrate what they accomplished each week, as
well as what they hope to do the following week. This will insure that they are
spending the appropriate amount of time on their thesis.
The faculty will also make some changes:
students must declare a research advisor to aid with understanding difficult subject
matter, and we will develop a common rubric.
III. Plan for the 2009-2010 school year
·
Changes
to
·
Development
of a common rubric to evaluate both literature and research theses.
·
Using
the results of the ETS and
·
For
each of our classes, Faculty will continue to assess student learning based on
stated course objectives. Hopefully, once we ‘solve’ the senior experience
issues we can begin to focus our assessment on student learning in each of our
courses to strengthen the overall academic program.
IV.
Updated
Assessment Plan
Instead of resubmitting our current plan
and making this document even longer, we will outline the major changes we made
to our plan and only submit the updated version.
·
We
changed our
·
We
changed our goals so that they are more focused and not just a reiteration of
what we said in the
·
We
aligned our goals with the Wells Academic Program Goals.
·
We
changed our program objectives and outcomes to remove any idea that simply
taking a course fulfilled our learning outcomes. We also tried to focus on
student learning and not faculty teaching objectives.
·
We
clarified our ‘criteria for success’.
·
We
clarified the language between “program objectives” and “course objectives”,
and will work on including links to each course and its materials as they
become available.
Student Learning Assessment
Biological and
Chemical Sciences Major
Spring 2009
A Wells
education enables students to:
The Major in
Biological and Chemical Sciences
The
major in biological and chemical sciences provides students the opportunity and
the guidance to build for themselves a foundation in the fundamental areas of
biology, the study of life, and chemistry, the study of matter, with particular
emphasis on the areas integrating biology and chemistry. Students engage in
active learning as they apply the scientific method towards understanding the
natural world. Students think critically when evaluating data as well as issues
related to biology and chemistry in society, and they learn to write and speak
effectively about science and scientific issues. Students are prepared for a
variety of careers as well as advanced study in graduate school or any of the
health professions.
Goals
Alignment of
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Required of all
BIOL
151L – The Biology of Cells
BIOL
152L – The Biology of Organisms
CHEM
107L – General Chemistry
CHEM
108L – Chemical Analysis
CHEM
213L – Organic Chemistry I
CHEM
214L – Organic Chemistry II
Comprehensive
Examination
We will
focus our program assessment on the courses and comprehensive examination that
are required of all our majors. We also have specific course objectives for
each of our courses (not included here), and these will be discussed when we
undergo assessment of each of our concentrations.
Alignment of
Goal 1:
Provide students the opportunity and the guidance to learn the fundamental
principles of biology and chemistry and how they integrate with each other.
Program
Objective 1: Knowledge. Students will acquire a
working knowledge of basic principles and critical information in the
biological and chemical sciences.
Learning Outcome: Students' working
knowledge of basic principles is assessed through exams, projects, case
studies, problem sets and laboratory reports.
Assessed
By:
COURSE |
COURSE OBJECTIVE |
Specific Assignments (see attached) |
|
1, 2, 6 |
Presentation, annotated bibliography |
|
|
|
BIOL 151L |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
Exam questions, lab reports, oral reports,
debates, problem sets |
BIOL 152L |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
Exam questions, labs, term paper |
CHEM 107L |
1, 2, 3, 4 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 108L |
1, 2 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 213L |
1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 |
Exam questions, case studies, labs |
CHEM 214L |
1,
2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 |
Exam questions, projects, labs |
Comps |
1 |
Written Exam |
Goal 2:
Engage students in practicing the process of science – planning, executing, and
evaluating.
Program
Objective 2: Critical Thinking. Students will
develop creative and critical thinking as they apply scientific reasoning
toward understanding the natural world.
Learning Outcome: Students participate
in inquiry-based lab activities, engage in case
studies, analyze problem sets, and conduct directed and independent research
projects, culminating in a senior thesis.
Assessed
By:
COURSE |
COURSE OBJECTIVE |
Specific Assignments (see attached) |
|
1, 2, 3, 6 |
Presentation, annotated bibliography, in
class exercises |
|
1, 3 |
Thesis |
BIOL 151L |
2, 3, 4 |
Labs, written and oral lab reports, debates,
problem sets |
BIOL 152L |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
Exam questions, labs, term paper |
CHEM 107L |
1, 2 ,3 ,4 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 108L |
1, 2 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 213L |
2, 3, 4, 6 |
Exam questions, case studies, labs |
CHEM 214L |
2, 3, 4 |
Exam questions, projects, labs |
Comps |
1 |
Written exam |
Goal 2:
Engage students in practicing the process of science – planning, executing, and
evaluating.
Goal 3:
Train students to communicate scientific work in a clear, coherent manner in
both written and oral form.
Program
Objective 3: Skills. Students will be active
participants in learning the skills necessary for work in the fields of biology
and chemistry.
Learning Outcomes: As
a) basic laboratory
and field techniques, including appropriate qualitative/quantitative analysis.
b) to work in collaboration with others
c) to
apply the scientific method to investigate the natural world
d) to use, evaluate, and appropriately cite the
scientific literature
e) to
communicate the results of scientific investigation (oral and/or written)
f) to recognize that many problems require
cross-disciplinary approaches
Assessed By:
a) basic laboratory
and field techniques, including appropriate qualitative/quantitative analysis.
COURSE |
COURSE OBJECTIVE |
Specific Assignments (see attached) |
|
2, 6 |
Presentation, annotated bibliography |
|
1, 3 |
Thesis |
BIOL 151L |
2, 3, 4 |
Labs and lab reports, problem sets, debates |
BIOL 152L |
1, 4, 5 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 107L |
2, 3, 4 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 108L |
1, 2 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 213L |
3, 5, 6, 7 |
Exam questions, case studies, labs |
CHEM 214L |
3, 5, 6, 7, 9 |
Exam questions, projects, labs |
Comps |
|
|
b) to work in collaboration with others
COURSE |
COURSE OBJECTIVE |
Specific Assignments (see attached) |
|
5, 6 |
Presentation, annotated bibliography |
|
1, 3 |
Thesis |
BIOL 151L |
2, 3, 4 |
Labs, debates, and oral and written
reports |
BIOL 152L |
1, 5 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 107L |
1, 2, 3, 4 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 108L |
1, 2 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 213L |
1, 4, 5, 7 |
Exam questions, case studies, labs |
CHEM 214L |
1, 4, 5, 7, 9 |
Exam questions, projects, labs |
Comps |
|
|
c) to
apply the scientific method to investigate the natural world
COURSE |
COURSE OBJECTIVE |
Specific Assignments (see attached) |
|
1, 2, 6 |
Presentation, annotated bibliography |
|
1, 3 |
Thesis |
BIOL 151L |
2, 3, 4 |
Labs, debates, and oral and written reports |
BIOL 152L |
1 |
Exam questions, labs, term paper |
CHEM 107L |
1, 2, 3, 4 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 108L |
1, 2 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 213L |
1,2, 5, 6, 7 |
Exam questions, case studies, labs |
CHEM 214L |
1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9 |
Exam questions, projects, labs |
Comps |
|
|
d) to use, evaluate, and appropriately cite the
scientific literature
COURSE |
COURSE OBJECTIVE |
Specific Assignments (see attached) |
|
2, 3, 4, 6 |
Presentation, annotated bibliography |
|
1, 3 |
Thesis |
BIOL 151L |
2 |
Read literature that supports labs |
BIOL 152L |
1 |
Exam questions, labs, term paper |
CHEM 107L |
4 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 108L |
1 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 213L |
3, 6 |
Exam questions, case studies, labs |
CHEM 214L |
3, 6, 9 |
Exam questions, projects, labs |
Comps |
|
|
e) to
communicate the results of scientific investigation (oral and/or written)
COURSE |
COURSE OBJECTIVE |
Specific Assignments (see attached) |
|
6 |
Presentation, annotated bibliography |
|
1, 2, 3 |
Thesis |
BIOL 151L |
2, 4 |
Labs, debates, and oral and written
reports |
BIOL 152L |
1 |
Exam questions, labs, term paper |
CHEM 107L |
4 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 108L |
1 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 213L |
5 |
Exam questions, case studies, labs |
CHEM 214L |
5,
9 |
Exam questions, projects, labs |
Comps |
5, 6 |
Oral Presentation |
f) to recognize that many problems require
cross-disciplinary approaches
COURSE |
COURSE OBJECTIVE |
Specific Assignments (see attached) |
|
5, 6 |
Presentation, annotated bibliography |
|
1, 3 |
Thesis |
BIOL 151L |
3, 4 |
Debates, analysis of ethical case studies |
BIOL 152L |
1, 5 |
Exam questions, labs, term paper |
CHEM 107L |
1, 2, 3, 4 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 108L |
1, 2 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 213L |
2, 3 |
Exam questions, case studies, labs |
CHEM 214L |
2, 3, 9 |
Exam questions, projects, labs |
Comps |
|
|
Goal 4:
Help students to understand the importance of diversity in the practice of
science through collaborative learning where different perspectives are valued
and evaluated.
Program
Objective 4:
Interconnectedness
and Diversity. Students will learn to recognize and appreciate the
diversity of the natural world and the interconnectedness of disciplinary
approaches towards studying it.
Learning Outcome: Students work in
groups, allowing them to appreciate the importance of different perspectives
and ideas to solving scientific problems.
Assessed By:
COURSE |
COURSE OBJECTIVE |
Specific Assignments (see attached) |
|
5 |
Presentation, annotated bibliography |
|
|
|
BIOL 151L |
2, 4 |
Collaborative oral and written projects |
BIOL 152L |
2, 4 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 107L |
|
|
CHEM 108L |
|
|
CHEM 213L |
2 |
Exam questions, case studies, labs |
CHEM 214L |
2 |
Exam questions, labs |
Comps |
3 |
Written Examination |
Goal
5: Challenge
students to think critically in evaluating data and to apply that skill to
issues arising in the world around them, including ethical conflicts
surrounding particular scientific theories, technologies, or applications.
Program
Objective 5:
Social
relevance. Students will develop an understanding of issues related to
biology and chemistry in society.
Learning Outcome: Students consider the
applications of science in society through case studies and real world
scenarios that explore different social, political and ethical viewpoints.
Assessed By:
COURSE |
COURSE OBJECTIVE |
Specific Assignments (see attached) |
|
|
|
|
1 |
Thesis |
BIOL 151L |
4 |
Case studies and discussions |
BIOL 152L |
1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
Exam questions, labs, term paper |
CHEM 107L |
4 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 108L |
1 |
Exam questions, labs |
CHEM 213L |
2 |
Exam questions, case studies, labs |
CHEM 214L |
2 |
Exam questions, labs |
Comps |
4 |
Written Examination |
Means of
Assessment of Outcomes
Student
artifacts will be continually collected throughout the academic year by the
faculty member teaching the targeted courses. Each faculty member will evaluate
if the students learned what was expected, based on each assignment.
Percentages of how well the student answered/completed the activity will be
calculated, and students will be considered proficient if 70% of the students
demonstrated a passing grade on the assessed activity. This proficiency simply
allows the faculty to assess student learning based on the completed activity,
and is not tied to the final grade in the course, which may contain other
determinates such as attendance and participation in class.
How Assessment
Data will be utilized
The
Biological and Chemical Sciences major meet often – we have weekly
Specific Course
Objectives and Assessment Measures for Required Courses
The alignments with the overall
Comprehensive
Examination
Written Exam
Oral Presentation
1. To complete an in-depth review of
the current literature on a research question (the “capstone project”) developed
with the faculty advisor. (2, 3a-f, 5)
2. To assemble, rehearse, and
deliver a scholarly oral presentation of findings to a community of peers. (3e)
3. To gain the skills necessary to work independently and to think critically and in depth about a topic in the
discipline. (2, 3a-f)
Biology Courses
BIOL
151L: Principles of Biology I – The Biology of Cells
1.
For
each student to master enough of the basic information about the biology of the
cell to build a "big picture" about how cells work. (1)
See, for example, answer keys to Chem Quiz (Fall, 2005), Exam I (
2. For each student to experience the process of
science – to ask a question, to design and conduct experiments, to analyze the
data, to communicate the results both orally and in writing (2, 3a, 3c, 3e)
See, for example, the instructions and
grading keys for two major lab reports:
1) Oral and Written reports
on “Independent Investigations on the Enzyme
Tyrosinase” and
2) a)
Short oral and written reports on “The Alcohol Dehydrogenase
Gene in
Drosophila”
– see instructions on page 4 of the lab (“Lab 8”)
description
b) Written report – “Drosophila Lab Report”
– on the genetic analysis of a
mutant
3. For each student to develop
critical thinking and cooperative learning skills. (3b)
For “critical thinking,” see
for example Genetics Problem Set – problems
and answer key; also, see example of “clicker” thought
question during
class
time, and answer sheet from student responses
For “cooperative learning
skills” see instructions for Oral report on
“Independent Investigations
on the Enzyme Tyrosinase”; see instructions for
Oral report on “The Alcohol Dehydrogenase Gene in Drosophila” – page 4
4.
For each student to see the applications of the
biology of the cell to the world around us, and to consider the ethical implications
of related technology (3f, 5)
See, for example,
description of Lab #1, Resource Packet, and Hand-In Sheet
– “Embryonic Stem Cells,
Cloning, and the Law” –
an ethical analysis of a
bill
passed by the US Congress, but vetoed by President Bush, on research
on
human embryonic stem cells
See, for example, the
description of the student debates on two case studies –
- whether
or not “Intelligent Design” should be taught in the public schools
as
part of science classes, and whether or not transgenic plants should be
planted
on the outskirts of a small town
5.
For each student to sharpen the skills of learning how to learn, and to
continue the process of life-long learning in biology (1, 2, 3b)
See, for example,
description of Lab #1, Resource Packet, and Hand-In Sheet – “Embryonic Stem
Cells, Cloning, and the Law” – where
students are directed to talk about the issue in this lab, to make diagrams to
explain the techniques involved, to present the techniques to the class, and to
write down their decisions whether to vote yes or no on the bill – all
different ways of working on the information, with the hope that several of
these (but not necessarily the same ones) will be particularly effective for
every student)
BIOL
152L - Principles of Biology: The Biology of Organisms
·
In the Rapid Radish lab, students
design
and conduct an experiment to answer a simple question about plant growth.
·
The term paper
·
Labs for the field trips to the
Paleontological Research Institute’s Museum of the Earth, Rosalind Gifford Zoo,
and Cornell’s Botanical Conservatory
·
Natural Selection Lab
·
Exam questions (for example, 2007 Exam 1
questions 26, 27, 30, 31, 32)
·
Discussion of homology associated with
fetal pig dissection and plant and animal diversity displays
·
Labs on the use of Dichotomous keys, as well
as field trips.
·
Exam questions (for example, 2007 Exam 1 –
question 28; 2007 Exam 3 – question 28, 29)
·
Dissection of the fetal pig
·
Exam questions (for example, 2007 Exam 2 -
question 25; 2007 Exam 3 - question 28, 29; 2007 Exam 4 - questions 26-28; 2007
Final Exam - question 79)
·
Field trip to Paleontological Research
Institute’s Museum of the Earth
·
Term paper
·
Exam questions, specifically 2007
Final Exam - question 79
Chemistry Courses
CHEM 107L - General Chemistry
1. Think
about/understand nature at the atomic and molecular level. (1,2,3a,3b,3c,3f)
See, for example, answer key to Exam
#1 (
See, for example, answer key to
Final Exam (
&7
2.
Understand and use the mathematics of chemistry. (1,2,3a,3b,3c,3f)
See, for example, answer key to Exam
#1 (
& 5
See, for example, answer key to
Final Exam (
& 6
3.
Understand the role of energy (heat and electromagnetic radiation) in
determining the properties of atoms and molecules. (1,2,3a,3b,3c,3f)
See, for example, answer key to
Final Exam (
&7
4.
Effectively perform laboratory experiments and then clearly communicate the
goals and results of these experiments to an outside audience. (1,2,3a-f,5)
See, for example, "Writing
for General Chemistry Laboratories"; handout shows what is expected of
students.
See, for example, "Slake,
Smelt & Slake, Ltd."; example of letter from client, plus lab
instructions
See, for example, "GenChemCo Industries" letters; first letter shows a
well-written student letter with my comments; second letter is example of a
less-well-written student letter (no comments are given on this one as this
letter is used during peer-editing exercise).
CHEM
108L - Chemical Analysis
1.
Continue to work on the goals from Chem 107L (1,2, 3a-f,5)
2.
Understand the dynamic and predictive
properties of chemistry. (1,2,3a,3b,3c,3f)
See, for example, Chem 108L Exam #1 (
CHEM 213L - Organic Chemistry I
Chemistry
213L is the first semester of a two-semester lecture and laboratory class. The lecture portion of the class teaches
students the fundamental concepts in organic chemistry. In the laboratory
section students practice important techniques used in the organic chemistry
lab. A pre-requisite for the course is
general chemistry (Chem108L), and students in the class are typically in their
sophomore year. This is a core class in
the
1.
Recognize
how the structure of carbon based molecules can aid in predicting reactivity,
including acid/base and nucleophile/electrophile chemistry.(1,3b,3c)
- These
are assessed on the in-class exams and quizzes.
I have given a specific example from one of the exams. Questions 5 and 6 test the students’
knowledge of acids/bases as well as nucleophiles.
- Relevant
artifacts:
o Chem213L
final exam - Questions 5 and 6
o Chem213L
in-class exam #3 - Questions 8, 9, and 10
2.
Evaluate
how organic chemistry plays a role in our lives and how it is all around us.
(1,2,3c,3f,4,5)
- I
typically use case-studies and in-class exercises that the students work on in
groups. The exercises are not typically
collected, but the worksheets the students are given illustrate how this
objective is met.
- Relevant
artifacts:
o Rubbers
and Raincoats in-class exercise*
o A
Case-study: Thalidomide: The pros and cons*
3.
Become
familiar with the techniques used by an organic chemist in the lab and learn
how to keep a good lab notebook. (1,2,3a,3d,3f)
- Keeping
a good lab notebook is essential for scientists and the students’ ability to
write in one is assessed by grading them.
Each laboratory exercise teaches the students a new technique in organic
chemistry.
- Relevant
artifacts:
o Chem213L
Lab Notebook sheet and grading rubric
o Week
1 – Introduction to Techniques in the Organic Chemistry Lab (technique: melting
point) and example lab notebook
o Week
2 – Fractional Distillation (technique: distillation) and example lab notebook*
o Week
3 – Extraction and Crystallization of Benzoic Acid and Triphenylmethane
(techniques: extraction, crystallization) and example lab notebook*
o Week
4 and 5 – Extraction of Caffeine from Tea (techniques: extraction, sublimation,
thin layer chromatography) and example lab notebook*
4.
Identify
trends in mechanisms and reactivity to reduce the amount of memorization needed
(1,2,3b).
- There
are a number of reactions that must be learned in organic chemistry. To aid the students in recognizing trends,
they must complete a reaction notebook.
This exercise highlights important trends in reactivity as well as
reaction mechanisms.
- Relevant
artifacts:
o List
of topics/information needed in your notebook
o Chem213L
Student Reaction Notebook
5.
Work
together to solve a problem that has not been previously encountered and
present the information to the class. (3a,3b,3c,3e)
- In
their final lab project, students are given a new reaction that they have not
previously seen in lab. They are to use
the skills developed previously in lab as well as the knowledge gained in class
to work through the problem. The
information must be presented to the class.
- Relevant
artifacts included:
o Chem213L
Final Lab Project handout
o Chem213L
student grading rubric and presentation
o Chem213L
Acid catalyzed hydration of 1-hexene and student presentation
o Chem213L
Oxymercuration/reduction of 1-hexene and student lab
notebook
o Chem213L
Free Radical Polymerization Reactions and student lab notebook
6.
Work
through a series of organic transformations in the lab and in class (a
multi-step reaction sequence). (1,2,3a,3c,3d)
- These
are assessed both in the lab and in-class on the exams, quizzes and in-class
exercises.
- Relevant
artifacts:
o Chem213L
– in-class exercises*
o Chem213L
– Synthesis of Aspirin from Oil of Wintergreen*
7.
Apply
knowledge of reactions learned in class to laboratory exercises. (1, 3a-c)
- This
is actually done in a number of the labs, but I will give a specific example.
- Relevant
artifacts:
o Chem213L
– Acid catalyzed hydration of 1-hexene and student lab notebook
CHEM 214L - Organic Chemistry II
Chemistry
214L is the second semester of a two-semester lecture and laboratory
class. The lecture portion of the class
teaches students the fundamental concepts in organic chemistry. In the
laboratory section students practice important techniques used in the organic
chemistry lab and learn how to search the primary scientific literature. A pre-requisite for the course is the first
semester of organic chemistry (Chem213L), and students in the class are
typically in their sophomore year. This
is a core class in the
1.
Recognize
how the structure of carbon based molecules can aid in predicting reactivity,
including acid/base and nucleophile/electrophile chemistry.(1,3b,3c)
- These
are assessed on the in-class exams and quizzes.
I have given a specific example from one of the exams.
- Relevant
artifacts:
o Chem214L
Final exam – question 1
2.
Evaluate
how organic chemistry plays a role in our lives and how it is all around us.
(1,2,3c,3f,4,5)
- Here
I show how handouts are used to relate information to students as well as how
exams and labs are used to test the ability of the students’ ability to work
through problems relevant to their lives.
- Relevant
artifacts:
o Chem214L
Final exam - Question 6
o Chem214L
– Multi-step synthesis of N-methyl prozac and student
lab notebook*
o Chem214L
– Useful chemistry… making soap and student lab notebook*
3.
Become
familiar with the techniques used by an organic chemist in the lab and learn
how to keep a good lab notebook. (1,2,3a,3d,3f)
- In
order to illustrate some of the important spectrophotometric
techniques used in organic chemistry, I have the supplement my lecture with
in-class exercises that are completed as the lecture progresses.
- Relevant
artifacts:
o Chem214L
– 1H-NMR worksheets*
4.
Identify
trends in mechanisms and reactivity to reduce the amount of memorization needed
(1,2,3b).
- There
are a number of reactions that must be learned in organic chemistry. To aid the students in recognizing trends,
they must complete a reaction notebook.
This exercise highlights important trends in reactivity as well as
reaction mechanisms.
- Relevant
artifacts:
o Chem214L
Student Reaction Notebook
5.
Work
together to solve a problem that has not been previously encountered and
present the information to the class. (3a,3b,3c,3e)
- In
their final lab project, students are given a new reaction that they have not
previously seen in lab. They are to use
the skills developed previously in lab as well as the knowledge gained in class
to work through the problem. The
information must be presented to the class.
They must also identify a viable alternative synthesis to the one they
will be carrying out using the primary scientific literature.
- Relevant
artifacts included:
o Chem214L
Final Project - Presentation handout and grading rubric
o Chem214L
Student rubric and presentation (3-Step Preparation of Polystyrene from Ethylbenzene)
6.
Work
through a series of organic transformations in the lab and in class (a
multi-step reaction sequence). (1,2,3a,3c,3d)
- These
are assessed both in the lab and in-class on the exams, quizzes and in-class
exercises.
- Relevant
artifacts:
o Chem214L
Final exam - Question 4
o 2-Step
Semi-microscale Preparation of a Cinnamate
Ester Analog instruction sheet and student lab notebook
7.
Apply
knowledge of reactions learned in class to laboratory exercises. (1, 3a-c)
- This
is actually done in a number of the labs, but I will give a specific example of
how the NMR lectures and worksheets are integrated into the labs.
- Relevant
artifacts:
o Addition
of I2 to 4-pentenoic acid – with a twist! and student lab notebook*
8.
Identify
synthetic routes to complex molecules using reactions encountered in class.
(1,2)
- Assessing
the students’ ability to do this is done using exams, quizzes and in-class
exercises. A few examples are given
below:
o Exam
Question 10
o Chapter
15 in-class exercise – Diels-Alder Reactions
o Chapter
10 in-class exercise – Retrosynthesis
o Electrophilic Aromatic
Substitution in-class exercise
9.
Choose
a problem to study in the lab and design methods using the primary scientific
literature to solve the problem utilizing the scientific method. (1,2,3a-f)
- The
students are first given a worksheet describing how to examine the scientific
literature. Their ability to search and
use the primary literature is done through the writing of a proposal, where
they must use and properly cite references.
- Relevant
artifacts:
o Chem214L
library worksheet
o Chem214L
final project overview
o Chem214L
final project synthetic proposal
o Chem214L
– example of a final project (grading rubric and proposal) – Preparation of
Polystyrene from Ethylbenzene
V.
Data
Data used by the
·
Instructions for the Term Paper
The term paper in BIOL 152L will consist of a literature review or
library research paper on a biological issue selected from a list of topics
provided to the class early in the semester.
Each student must choose a topic by 3
March.
The paper must be between 6 and 8
pages in length, double spaced, in 12-point type with appropriate
margins. It should begin with a title
page, including the title, your name, the name of the course, the instructors’
names and the date. Documentation or
citations of the literature should follow the
A complete draft of your paper will be due at the beginning of class on 14 April. With the draft of your paper, you must submit photocopies of the pages that served as sources of information cited in your paper with the appropriate sections highlighted and the publication information (journal name, volume, pages) clearly indicated. (Many journals have this information printed on each page.) The draft will be edited and returned to you. The final, corrected version of your paper will be due at the beginning of class on 5 May.
·
Comps
grades from Class of 2008. Related to
BIOLOGICAL
2008
COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATION
Instructions
Comprehensive evaluation in Biological and Chemical Science
for 2008 will be comprised of two major components: a written exam and an oral
presentation based on the Senior Research Paper. The written exam will consist of two parts: a
take-home component for which each student will be asked to write a short essay
reflecting on how the major in Biological and Chemical Sciences might be
integrated into the student’s life; and an objective exam composed of
multiple-choice questions. The objective
exam will be taken on Friday 4 April, beginning at
The question on which the reflective essay is to be written
is given below. You are to write an
essay of at least 2 but no more than 3
pages and submit it to the
PART I
Reflective Essay
Science is "a way of knowing,"
a very powerful tool for understanding the world we live in and for managing
the world for our benefit. One of the objectives of the Major in
Biological and Chemical Sciences is for students to understand and experience
firsthand the process of science. Write a 2-3 page essay (at least 2
pages, no more than 3) in which you explain in some depth your understanding
of the process of science and give examples (more than one) of your
experiences in the