Advanced inorganic chemistry laboratory curricula in Australian universities: investigating the major topics and approaches to learning

Alex C. Bissember; Timothy U. Connell; Rebecca O. Fuller; Reyne Pullen; Alexandra Yeung

doi:10.1071/CH21334

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Previous Next Contents Vol 75(9)

Advanced inorganic chemistry laboratory curricula in Australian universities: investigating the major topics and approaches to learning

Alex C. Bissember

^A ^* , Timothy U. Connell

^B ^* , Rebecca O. Fuller

^A ^* , Reyne Pullen

^C ^* and Alexandra Yeung ^D ^*

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A School of Natural Sciences – Chemistry, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tas., Australia.

^B School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Geelong, Vic., Australia.

^C School of Chemistry, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

^D School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia.

^* Correspondence to: alex.bissember@utas.edu.au;, rebecca.fuller@utas.edu.au

Handling Editor: George Koutsantonis

Australian Journal of Chemistry 75(9) 698-707 https://doi.org/10.1071/CH21334
Submitted: 15 December 2021 Accepted: 7 February 2022 Published: 17 May 2022

© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

The teaching laboratory remains an important environment for developing undergraduate chemists, but the inherent diversity of inorganic chemistry results in less standardised undergraduate curricula than other sub-disciplines. This study surveys the content of advanced (third-year) inorganic chemistry across Australia and reviews experimental materials from 15 universities that offer inorganic laboratory programmes at this level. All institutions offer at least one traditional inorganic experiment, the most common being the preparation and acetylation of ferrocene, spectroscopy and magnetochemistry of nickel coordination compounds and palladium-catalysed cross-couplings. These inorganic classics are complemented by a breadth of non-traditional offerings that often align with institutional research strengths. Academic unit coordinators were also surveyed and their responses interpreted using ASELL (Advancing Science and Engineering through Laboratory Learning) tools. Advanced inorganic laboratory programmes were found to develop students’ practical and transferrable skills. Students generally receive guidance from teaching staff in all aspects of experimental work, including planning, development, analysis and communicating conclusions. Academic unit coordinators identified potential improvements that included diversifying student activities in the lab and how they are being assessed.

Keywords: Australia, curriculum, inorganic chemistry, practical laboratory, third-year, undergraduate.

References

[1] Faraday M. Chemical Manipulation. New York, NY: Wiley; 1827.

[2] JB Morrell, Ambix 1972, 19, 1.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 11615551PubMed |

[3] HG Good, J Chem Educ 1936, 13, 557.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[4] JJ Lagowski, J Chem Educ 1990, 67, 185.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[5] DS Domin, J Chem Educ 1999, 76, 543.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[6] A Hofstein, VN Lunetta, Rev Educ Res 1982, 52, 201.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[7] Woolnough B, Allsop T. Practical Work in Science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 1985.

[8] SJ Hawkes, J Chem Educ 2004, 81, 1257.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[9] MK Seery, HY Agustian, X Zhang, Isr J Chem 2019, 59, 546.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[10] D Hodson, Sch Sci Rev 1990, 71, 33.

[11] Letton KM. A study of the factors influencing the efficiency of learning in an undergraduate chemistry laboratory. M.Phil. thesis, Jordanhill College of Education, Glasgow; 1987.

[12] Carnduff J, Reid N. Enhancing Undergraduate Chemistry Laboratories. Cambridge: The Royal Society of Chemistry; 2003.

[13] PA Kirschner, MAM Meester, High Educ 1988, 17, 81.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[14] MK Seery, J Chem Educ 2020, 97, 1511.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[15] SL Bretz, J Chem Educ 2019, 96, 193.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[16] N Reid, I Shah, Chem Educ Res Pract 2007, 8, 172.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[17] The Australian Council of Deans Teaching and Learning Centre. National Chemistry’s TLOs for undergraduate university-level chemistry in Australia; 2011. Available at http://www.chemnet.edu.au/sites/default/files/u39/ChemistryTLOs_withicons.pdf [Accessed 17 November 2021]

[18] M Schultz, D Southam, G O’Brien, Aust J Chem 2020, 73, 825.

[19] SR George-Williams, AL Ziebell, RRA Kitson, P Coppo, CD Thompson, TL Overton, Chem Educ Res Pract 2018, 19, 463.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[20] R Pullen, SC Thickett, AC Bissember, Chem Educ Res Pract 2018, 19, 629.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[21] (a) JR Raker, BA Reisner, SR Smith, JL Stewart, JL Crane, L Pesterfield, SG Sobel, J Chem Educ 2015, 92, 980.
         | Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
      (b) S Srinivasan, BA Reisner, SR Smith, JL Stewart, AR Johnson, S Lin, KA Marek, C Nataro, KL Murphy, JR Raker, J Chem Educ 2018, 95, 726.
         | Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
      (c) BA Reisner, SR Smith, JL Stewart, JR Raker, JL Crane, SG Sobel, LL Pesterfield, Inorg Chem 2015, 54, 8859.
         | Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[22] N Thomas, Chem Aust 2018, 20.

[23] Creswell JW. Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research, 6th edn. Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson; 2019.

[24] (a) Treagust DF, Won M, Duit R. In: Lederman NG, Abell SK, editors. Handbook of Research on Science Education, Vol. II. Routledge; 2014. pp. 17–31.
| Crossref |.
(b) V Kaushik, CA Walsh, Soc Sci 2019, 8, 255.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[25] SC Barrie, RB Bucat, MA Buntine, K Burke da Silva, GT Crisp, AV George, IM Jamie, SH Kable, KF Lim, SM Pyke, JR Read, MD Sharma, A Yeung, Int J Sci Educ 2015, 37, 1795.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[26] A Yeung, SM Pyke, MD Sharma, SC Barrie, MA Buntine, KBD Silva, SH Kable, KF Lim, Int J Innov Sci Math 2011, 19, 51.

[27] S Cornish, A Yeung, SH Kable, M Orgill, MD Sharma, Teaching Science 2019, 65, 4.

[28] Council NR. Inquiry and the National Science Education Standards: A Guide for Teaching and Learning. Washington DC: The National Academies Press; 2000.

[29] JG Verkade, J Chem Educ 1991, 68, 911.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[30] JE Huheey, EA Boudreaux, IS Butler, AH Cowley, MY Darensbourg, K Emerson, RE Frost, P Labine, DH McDaniel, DW Meek, RW Neithamer, C Stanitski, LJ Theriot, JG Verkade, J Chem Educ 1972, 49, 326.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[31] LL Pesterfield, CH Henrickson, J Chem Educ 2001, 78, 677.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[32] S Srinivasan, BA Reisner, SR Smith, JL Stewart, AR Johnson, S Lin, KA Marek, C Nataro, KL Murphy, JR Raker, J Chem Educ 2018, 95, 726.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[33] TL McGill, LC Williams, DR Mulford, SB Blakey, RJ Harris, JT Kindt, DG Lynn, PA Marsteller, FE McDonald, NL Powell, J Chem Educ 2019, 96, 35.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[34] S DeMeo, J Chem Educ 2001, 78, 373.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[35] C Nataro, AR Johnson, J Chem Educ 2020, 97, 3033.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[36] TT Tidwell, Angew Chem Int Ed 2001, 40, 331.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[37] M Rausch, M Vogel, H Rosenberg, J Chem Educ 1957, 34, 268.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[38] RE Bozak, J Chem Educ 1966, 43, 73.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[39] MS Galliher, BJ Roldan, CRJ Stephenson, Chem Soc Rev 2021, 50, 10044.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 34350919PubMed |

[40] CK Prier, DA Rankic, DWC MacMillan, Chem Rev 2013, 113, 5322.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 23509883PubMed |

[41] TG Appleton, J Chem Educ 1977, 54, 443.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[42] R Robson, Dalton Trans 2008, 5113.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 18813362PubMed |

[43] BF Abrahams, SR Batten, DM D’Alessandro, Aust J Chem 2019, 72, 729.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[44] JM Harrowfield, GA Lawrence, AM Sargeson, J Chem Educ 1985, 62, 804.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

[46] JR Raker, BA Reisner, SR Smith, JL Stewart, JL Crane, L Pesterfield, SG Sobel, J Chem Educ 2015, 92, 973.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |