We describe a series of three experiments in which students develop a model system for measuring the LC50 of household substances, using grass seed as the model organism. Students use statistical methods to compare two samples (using chi-square and Student's "t"-tests), conduct a two-level multifactor experiment to look at multiple…

Zinc oxide is a common additive in food, cosmetics, and medicines. Here, we describe the validation of methods to analyze two pharmaceutical samples containing ZnO--talc powder and dermal ointment--by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) titration. The methods developed were implemented as a practical class to students of a Quantitative Analysis…

Quantitative reasoning (QR) is a key skill for undergraduate biology education. Despite this, many students struggle with QR. Here, we use the theoretical framework of student noticing to investigate why some students struggle with QR in introductory biology labs. Under this framework, what students notice when given new information and data…

The monitoring of metals in commercial products is essential for protecting public health against the hazards of metal toxicity. This article presents a guided inquiry (GI) experimental lab approach in a quantitative analysis lab class that enabled students' to determine the levels of aluminum in deodorant brands. The utility of a GI experimental…

Although experimental design is important in many fields and industries, most undergraduate students do not get exposure to this in a standard lab curriculum. This work describes a student-designed, multiple-week, flexible chemistry experiment with environmental applications that include factorial experimental design and analysis of variance…

The enrichment of plant foods with gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is currently an interesting issue in the field of nutraceuticals and can be used as an experiment for upper-division undergraduate students. Here, an interdisciplinary hands-on experiment to produce GABA-enriched mung bean sprouts using common household reagents is described. Based…

Data collected in many biology laboratory classes are on ratio or interval scales where the size interval between adjacent units on the scale is constant, which is a critical requirement for analysis with parametric statistics such as t-tests or analysis of variance. In other cases, such as ratings of disease or behavior, data are collected on…

Effectively teaching scientific reasoning requires an understanding of the challenges students face when learning these skills. We designed an assessment that measures undergraduate student abilities to form hypotheses, design experiments, and interpret data from experiments in cellular and molecular biology. The assessment uses…

Here, we describe the implementation a hybrid general chemistry teaching laboratory curriculum that replaces a portion of a course's traditional "wet lab" experiences with online virtual lab modules. These modules intentionally utilize representations on all three levels of the chemistry triplet-macroscopic, submicroscopic, and symbolic.…

Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in our understanding of the social behaviour of microbes. Here, we take advantage of these developments to present an undergraduate laboratory exercise that uses the cooperative flocculating behaviour of yeast ("Saccharomyces sp.") to introduce the concept of inclusive fitness and teach the…

NMR spectroscopy is currently a premier technique for structural elucidation of organic molecules. Quantitative NMR (qNMR) methodology has developed more slowly but is now widely accepted, especially in the areas of natural product and medicinal chemistry. However, many undergraduate students are not routinely exposed to this important concept.…

This work is focused on the experimental verification of the balance between the atmospheric pressure acting on the sheet of paper, which encloses the cylinder completely or partially filled with water from below, where the hydrostatic pressure of the water column acts against the atmospheric pressure. First of all this paper solves a theoretical…

Improving the interest of high-school students towards chemistry (and science in general) is one of the goals of the Italian Ministry of Education. To this aim, we designed a context-based activity that actively involved students in six different laboratory experiences interconnected by a case study of the murder of Miss Scarlet, from the famous…

Statistical process control (SPC) is used in the chemical industry to monitor manufacturing and laboratory processes to ensure quality and compliance with regulatory requirements. Control charts are a key tool used in this monitoring. Industrial job postings desire experience with SPC. Most undergraduates entering the workforce have no exposure,…

Academic programs generally work to make their laboratory curriculum both as instrumentation rich and up to date as possible. However, little is known about the relationship between the use of instrumentation in the curriculum and student learning. As part of our department's ongoing assessment efforts, a project was designed to probe this…