Teaching Analytical Chemistry in the Time of COVID-19.
InfoMetricsFiguresRef. Analytical ChemistryVol 92/Issue 15Article This publication is Open Access under the license indicated. Learn More CiteCitationCitation and abstractCitation and referencesMore citation options ShareShare onFacebookX (Twitter)WeChatLinkedInRedditEmailJump toExpandCollapse EditorialJuly 24, 2020Teaching Analytical Chemistry in the Time of COVID-19Click to copy article linkArticle link copied!Lane A. BakerLane A. BakerMore by Lane A. Bakerhttp://orcid.org/0000-0001-5127-507XAnna G. CavinatoAnna G. CavinatoMore by Anna G. CavinatoOpen PDFAnalytical ChemistryCite this: Anal. Chem. 2020, 92, 15, 10185–10186Click to copy citationCitation copied!https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c02981https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c02981Published July 24, 2020 Publication History Published online 24 July 2020Published in issue 4 August 2020editorialCopyright © 2020 American Chemical Society. This publication is licensed under these Terms of Use. Request reuse permissionsACS PublicationsCopyright © 2020 American Chemical SocietySubjectswhat are subjectsArticle subjects are automatically applied from the ACS Subject Taxonomy and describe the scientific concepts and themes of the article.Analytical chemistryCross-disciplinary conceptsMaterialsStudentsTeaching and learning methodsThe best-planned syllabus was not ready for the Spring 2020 semester, and now the Fall 2020 semester approaches with a palpable sense of unease. Should we prepare for in-person, online, or hybrid teaching? – the answer is "yes". Fortunately, we have the benefit of lessons from last semester, and an understanding that no matter how we prepare, agility is a necessity. Chemical educators are working hard to develop resources and prepare contingency plans. (1) With this in mind, the ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry reached out to faculty in the analytical community to discuss their views, plans for the Fall and to learn about resources, like the Analytical Sciences Digital Library (ASDL), (2) that can help.While in-person classes are preferable, remote teaching can be a manageable alternative. Synchronous delivery of lectures provides opportunities to engage students using current best-practices in teaching. Jill Robinson (Indiana University) and Tom Wenzel (Bates College) found clever routes to use active learning in their virtual classrooms. Modern video conferencing and course management systems allow for random or instructor-assigned groups in breakout rooms. Robinson used the polling tool in Zoom to assess her students' understanding of problems. When large numbers of students found a problem challenging, breakout rooms provided for lively group discussions. As assessing student understanding is key, in smaller classes, individual students report out on group discussions and compare their answers to other groups. In larger classes, a group reporter enters answers into Chat, allowing the instructor to identify student misconceptions and provide specific feedback during whole-class discussion. A rich active-learning community on the ASDL provides many exercises and questions suitable for small discussion groups. (3)For David Harvey (DePauw University), the rapid shift in March 2020 from working with students in person versus at distance was jarring. Although not easy, the transition for lecture classes was relatively straightforward. This was not the case for lab work. Harvey noted, "Making measurements takes time, but if we cannot at this moment be in the lab, then we can capture that time and use it in different ways. Using an instrument simulator, for example, we can have students approach a new topic virtually—exploring how an instrument's settings affect the data we collect—and then in class working to understand the relationship between those settings and the data." Chris Harrison of San Diego State University shared similar sentiments, stating "Come Fall, the big challenge will be finding a way to meaningfully train and reinforce the lab skills that we expect for students in analytical chemistry. With less than half the regular lab time, I am aiming to teach my students the most important skills for an analytical lab, supplementing typical labs that are missed with take-home kits and simulated lab data." Augustus Way Fountain of the University of South Carolina concurred, expressing, "I think we can safely say that lecture and recitation can be replaced with an online experience. However, the laboratory is where I have my greatest concern." This Spring, Fountain found that the best approach was to record himself performing the laboratories, providing students with the data for them to analyze and report on. Fountain added, "Chemistry is as much hands-on laboratory skill as it is book knowledge. We can't replicate the full laboratory experience remotely. Addressing this gap is where we really need to place our emphasis for labs in the Fall."One promising way to address the need for authentic hands-on lab experiments is to use research technologies, such as microfluidics, to safely deliver the lab experiences at home. In the MICRO project, (4) funded by HHMI, a collaboration between Skidmore College, Notre Dame, Oregon State, and University of Iowa, Kimberley Frederick and colleagues are developing laboratories that make use of paper microfluidic devices to deliver experiments that teach titrations, colorimetry, electrochemistry, and separations. Because the technology is inexpensive, safe, and rapid, students can have more autonomy to learn experiment development skills than they would in a traditional lab format and thus the laboratories are designed to be more inquiry-based. As Frederick stated, "Because of their flexibility, we are hopeful that microfluidic-based labs will do an even better job than some of the traditional glassware-based experiments for teaching our students how real analytical method development is done and will be useful beyond the pandemic crisis we are currently in".Thomas Spudich (Maryville University) noted, "We all have different constraints placed on us by our institutions, and there won't be a one-size-fits-all solution. But, generally, we need to be able to adapt lab experiments for implementation at home." Tom described an effort at ASDL, which includes several contributors to this editorial, to share laboratories and simulations that can be completed remotely. Supporting documents and handouts will allow for easy adoption and adaptation. The ASDL remote laboratories community (5) will eventually provide materials for general chemistry and high school chemistry and moderated discussion forums for educators as well.Equity and engagement are critical aspects to consider when developing online laboratories. For Anna Cavinato (Eastern Oregon University) teaching General Chemistry lab was the most challenging. Cavinato was able to adapt a module she had previously published in the ASDL, (6) which provides experiments and data sets for nitrates, phosphates, and metals in water. As she reflects on her experience, Cavinato noted that a major challenge for her students was Internet access and encourages considering infrastructure limitations in rural areas so all students have an equal and inclusive remote educational experience. Engaging students under these circumstances can be difficult. Joel Destino (Creighton University) said, "While teaching last Spring, I wanted to see what kind of chemical analysis students could do at home. One student completed an optional assignment by developing an absorption-based external calibration method using a smartphone camera, kitchen utensils, food dye solutions, and image analysis software. Their results were encouraging, demonstrating the basics of method development can be taught with at-home experimentation."For the Fall 2020 semester, Joel and colleague Erin Gross are planning for a mix of at-home and traditional experiments for their Instrumental Laboratory course. Gross said, "We developed experiments that could be adapted for a portable, at-home kit experiment or project, centered on safe, real-life samples. One example is an amperometric glucose determination. (7) Electrochemical glucometers with a package of test strips can be purchased for under $20." Gross noted this material will be available at the new ASDL remote lab portal.In the coming semester, we have a chance to address some of the shortcomings encountered last Spring, but challenges remain. Striking a balance between the right content and constraints posed by remote learning is critical. Flexibility and awareness of how students learn best with resources they can access will be key to an engaging learning experience. Viable remote surrogates for the laboratory experience remain the most pressing need. The proverb–necessity is the mother of invention–feels especially apt for analytical laboratories. Fortunately, we do not need to invent alone. ASDL is a resource to keep in mind, and contributing to the remote laboratories project at ASDL, or engaging in discussion forums, is welcome. As we collectively prepare for Fall 2020, feel free to contact the sources in this editorial or the Division if we can help or answer questions.Author InformationClick to copy section linkSection link copied!Corresponding AuthorLane A. Baker, ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry, Past-Chair, http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5127-507XAuthorAnna G. Cavinato, ACS Division of Analytical Chemistry, SecretaryNotesViews expressed in this editorial are those of the authors and not necessarily the views of the ACS.ReferencesClick to copy section linkSection link copied! This article references 7 other publications. 1Holme, T. A. Journal of Chemical Education Call for Papers: Special Issue on Insights Gained While Teaching Chemistry in the Time of COVID-19. J. Chem. Educ. 2020, 97, 1226– 1227, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00378 Google Scholar1Journal of Chemical Education Call for Papers: Special Issue on Insights Gained While Teaching Chemistry in the Time of COVID-19Holme, Thomas A.Journal of Chemical Education (2020), 97 (5), 1226-1227CODEN: JCEDA8; ISSN:0021-9584. (American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.) The Journal of Chem. Education announces a call for papers for an upcoming special collection of Communications on Insights Gained While Teaching Chem. in the Time of COVID-19. >> More from SciFinder ®https://chemport.cas.org/services/resolver?origin=ACS&resolution=options&coi=1%3ACAS%3A528%3ADC%252BB3cXnvFCnu7c%253D&md5=1d540dec266974610c6df0f85af21cc72 Analytical Sciences Digital Library (ASDL) Home Portal. https://home.asdlib.org/ (accessed 2020-06-11).Google ScholarThere is no corresponding record for this reference.3 ASDL Active Learning Curricular Materials. http://community.asdlib.org/activelearningmaterials/ (accessed 2020-06-11).Google ScholarThere is no corresponding record for this reference.4 MICRO Engaged Lab Learning. http://sites.google.com/view/microproject/home (accessed 2020-06-11).Google ScholarThere is no corresponding record for this reference.5 Remote Labs and Simulations. http://remotelabs.asdlib.org.Google ScholarThere is no corresponding record for this reference.6Cavinato, A. G.; Antell, K. End Creek: Spotted Frogs and Aquatic Snails in Wetlands – A Water Quality Investigation. Analytical Sciences Digital Library , 2018, http://community.asdlib.org/activelearningmaterials/end-creek-spotted-frogs-and-aquatic-snails-in-wetlands-a-water-quality-investigation/.Google ScholarThere is no corresponding record for this reference.7Wang, J.; Macca, C. Use of blood-glucose test strips for introducing enzyme electrodes and modern biosensors. J. Chem. Educ. 1996, 73, 797– 800, DOI: 10.1021/ed073p797 Google Scholar7Use of blood-glucose test strips for introducing enzyme electrodes and modern biosensorsWang, Joseph; Macca, CarloJournal of Chemical Education (1996), 73 (8), 797-800CODEN: JCEDA8; ISSN:0021-9584. (Division of Chemical Education of the American Chemical Society) Students were introduced to modern biosensors technol., and in particular disposable screen-printed glucose strips. Glucose-contg. com. (mostly food and drink) samples were analyzed by the method. >> More from SciFinder ®https://chemport.cas.org/services/resolver?origin=ACS&resolution=options&coi=1%3ACAS%3A528%3ADyaK28XkslymsLk%253D&md5=ac2ef104ef1203e3042aecdfd48d5784Cited By Click to copy section linkSection link copied! This article is cited by 10 publications.Paulo R. M. Correia, Ian M. Kinchin, Thiago R. L. C. Paixão. Threshold Concepts as a Missing Piece Needed to Frame Teaching in Analytical Chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education 2023, 100 (4) , 1419-1425. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.2c00376Lukas Groos, Kai Maass, Nicole Graulich. Mimicking Students' Behavior during a Titration Experiment: Designing a Digital Student-Centered Experimental Environment. Journal of Chemical Education 2021, 98 (6) , 1919-1927. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00253Joseph A. Loo. For the Love of Analytical Instruments. Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry 2020, 31 (9) , 1773-1774. https://doi.org/10.1021/jasms.0c00304Amanda Nelms, Sally Barton-Arwood. Fostering a Sense of Belonging. 2024, 13-32. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-1269-8.ch002Radek Chalupa, Karel Nesměrák. Chemophobia and practical chemistry: the laboratory as a place of origin or, on the contrary, suppression of the fear of chemistry?. Monatshefte für Chemie - Chemical Monthly 2023, 154 (9) , 957-965. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00706-023-03098-9Eshani N. Lee, Schetema Nealy, Laura Cruz. Navigating the interlanguage space: Chinese international students' perceptions of a virtual chemistry laboratory course. Chemistry Education Research and Practice 2023, 24 (2) , 674-687. https://doi.org/10.1039/D2RP00145DYuxin Xue, . A Review of Higher Education Students' Online Engagement Under The COVID-19 Pandemic. SHS Web of Conferences 2023, 157 , 02003. https://doi.org/10.1051/shsconf/202315702003Xiaofang Zeng. Virtual Caring in Education. 2022, 40-58. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-8407-4.ch003Laura J. Schnell, Gavin L. Simpson, Danae M. Suchan, William Quere, Harold G. Weger, Maria C. Davis. An at‐home laboratory in plant biology designed to engage students in the process of science. Ecology and Evolution 2021, 11 (24) , 17572-17580. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8441Jake Stanley Bobowski. Hydraulic Analogues Illustrating the Charging of a Capacitor and Ohm's Law: Labs for Online Learning Environments. The Physics Teacher 2021, 59 (7) , 560-565. https://doi.org/10.1119/5.0038966Download PDFFiguresReferences Get e-AlertsGet e-AlertsAnalytical ChemistryCite this: Anal. Chem. 2020, 92, 15, 10185–10186Click to copy citationCitation copied!https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.0c02981Published July 24, 2020 Publication History Published online 24 July 2020Published in issue 4 August 2020Copyright © 2020 American Chemical Society. This publication is licensed under these Terms of Use. Request reuse permissionsArticle Views8078Altmetric-Citations10Learn about these metrics closeArticle Views are the COUNTER-compliant sum of full text article downloads since November 2008 (both PDF and HTML) across all institutions and individuals. These metrics are regularly updated to reflect usage leading up to the last few days.Citations are the number of other articles citing this article, calculated by Crossref and updated daily. Find more information about Crossref citation counts.The Altmetric Attention Score is a quantitative measure of the attention that a research article has received online. Clicking on the donut icon will load a page at altmetric.com with additional details about the score and the social media presence for the given article. Find more information on the Altmetric Attention Score and how the score is calculated.Recommended Articles FiguresReferencesThis publication has no figures.References This article references 7 other publications. 1Holme, T. A. Journal of Chemical Education Call for Papers: Special Issue on Insights Gained While Teaching Chemistry in the Time of COVID-19. J. Chem. Educ. 2020, 97, 1226– 1227, DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00378 1Journal of Chemical Education Call for Papers: Special Issue on Insights Gained While Teaching Chemistry in the Time of COVID-19Holme, Thomas A.Journal of Chemical Education (2020), 97 (5), 1226-1227CODEN: JCEDA8; ISSN:0021-9584. (American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.) The Journal of Chem. Education announces a call for papers for an upcoming special collection of Communications on Insights Gained While Teaching Chem. in the Time of COVID-19. >> More from SciFinder ®https://chemport.cas.org/services/resolver?origin=ACS&resolution=options&coi=1%3ACAS%3A528%3ADC%252BB3cXnvFCnu7c%253D&md5=1d540dec266974610c6df0f85af21cc72 Analytical Sciences Digital Library (ASDL) Home Portal. https://home.asdlib.org/ (accessed 2020-06-11).There is no corresponding record for this reference.3 ASDL Active Learning Curricular Materials. http://community.asdlib.org/activelearningmaterials/ (accessed 2020-06-11).There is no corresponding record for this reference.4 MICRO Engaged Lab Learning. http://sites.google.com/view/microproject/home (accessed 2020-06-11).There is no corresponding record for this reference.5 Remote Labs and Simulations. http://remotelabs.asdlib.org.There is no corresponding record for this reference.6Cavinato, A. G.; Antell, K. End Creek: Spotted Frogs and Aquatic Snails in Wetlands – A Water Quality Investigation. Analytical Sciences Digital Library , 2018, http://community.asdlib.org/activelearningmaterials/end-creek-spotted-frogs-and-aquatic-snails-in-wetlands-a-water-quality-investigation/.There is no corresponding record for this reference.7Wang, J.; Macca, C. Use of blood-glucose test strips for introducing enzyme electrodes and modern biosensors. J. Chem. Educ. 1996, 73, 797– 800, DOI: 10.1021/ed073p797 7Use of blood-glucose test strips for introducing enzyme electrodes and modern biosensorsWang, Joseph; Macca, CarloJournal of Chemical Education (1996), 73 (8), 797-800CODEN: JCEDA8; ISSN:0021-9584. (Division of Chemical Education of the American Chemical Society) Students were introduced to modern biosensors technol., and in particular disposable screen-printed glucose strips. Glucose-contg. com. (mostly food and drink) samples were analyzed by the method. >> More from SciFinder ®https://chemport.cas.org/services/resolver?origin=ACS&resolution=options&coi=1%3ACAS%3A528%3ADyaK28XkslymsLk%253D&md5=ac2ef104ef1203e3042aecdfd48d5784
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