In this Course Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE), upper division chemistry and environmental science students in a South Texas public university engaged in a student-driven experiment that allowed them to explore the calorific values (Hg) of different food-derived fuels (e.g., crab shells, fruit peels, wood shavings, artificial sweeteners, herbal teas, and snacks). All student learning objectives (SLOs) were successfully accomplished by enhancing (1) the understanding of the thermodynamics of fuel combustion, (2) the basic and in-depth instrumentation skills in oxygen bomb calorimetry, and (3) the understanding of the scientific method facilitating new research discoveries and training of a qualified workforce in STEM. This one-semester-long pilot study complemented the traditional 2-week-long learning experience in Physical Chemistry foundational courses and brought additional personal gains (attitude, identity, and persistence in STEM) and professional growth (advanced instrumentation, problem solving, and critical thinking). These outcomes were evaluated through student interviews, entry and exit surveys, class discussions, assignments, literature data, and instructor observations. Overall, this CURE was very well received by the students, who addressed meaningful research questions and new hypotheses focusing on food awareness and food waste repurpose for ecofriendly, sustainable agriculture (e.g., wood shavings and fruit peels as “brown” and “green” compost materials for healthy, enriched soils). This laboratory module has high relevance within the context of the current global food crisis and could be easily adaptable to other science curricula such as Food Science, Marine Biology, and Environmental Chemistry.
Principles of Chemical Engineering, as a core professional course in chemical engineering education, faces several challenges, including insufficient student motivation for deep learning, limited capability for engineering application, and inadequate awareness of engineering ethics. Guided by the OBE (Outcome-Based Education) concept, a university–enterprise dual-mentor team systematically integrated the ARCS (Attention, Relevance, Confidence, Satisfaction) motivation model, the CDIO (Conceive, Design, Implement, Operate) engineering education framework, and constructivist learning theory to implement comprehensive teaching reforms. These reforms involved reorganizing course content around chemical production processes, developing diverse teaching resources, establishing a three-stage teaching model, implementing a progressive and immersive engineering ethics education pathway, and constructing a multidimensional evaluation mechanism. Based on these initiatives, a new teaching paradigm characterized by “Industry-Driven Dual Mentorship for Progressive Competency Development” was established. The observed reform outcomes were associated with improvements in students’ learning motivation, engineering application capability, and engineering ethics awareness, indicating a potentially transferable approach for cultivating professionals in green chemical engineering.
Abstract We describe a set of teaching activities designed for first-year students in a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Sciences and Technologies, aimed at fostering active and engaging preparation for the final thermodynamics exam. The teaching plan is centered on the creation of individual assessment portfolios developed over 5 weeks (32 h) of lectures, supporting students in following the course content with increasing proficiency. The use of AI tools is explicitly encouraged, and students have the chance to experience their advantages and limitations. A qualitative interpretation of the results obtained from a case study involving 65 students indicates strong engagement and overall satisfaction, as well as encouraging improvements in examination performance, supporting the importance of formative assessment in university courses.
Abstract This study proposes an integrated framework that connects chemical kinetics inquiry with the front end of data science, comprising primary data collection, data preprocessing, and exploratory data analysis (EDA). While many data science educational programs rely on repository-based, ready-to-use data, this study emphasizes the educational value of acquisition-required data generated through students’ own experiments. Eighty-seven high school students participated in a four-week inquiry on the reaction between sodium bicarbonate and citric acid. The activity consisted of three inquiry stages: collecting primary mass-change data under varied NaHCO3 mass fraction and temperature conditions, preprocessing the data by cleaning records and transforming mass loss into a reaction-rate indicator (ΔwCO2/Δt), and conducting EDA using Orange 3. Students conducted three exploratory analyses: visualizing ΔwCO2/Δt over time, examining initial reaction rate versus NaHCO3 mass fraction under controlled temperature conditions, and examining initial reaction rate versus temperature at a fixed NaHCO3 mass fraction. This process helped students connect data patterns in the reaction-rate experiment with kinetic ideas such as reactant depletion, concentration dependence, and temperature dependence expressed through Arrhenius-type behavior. Quantitative analysis using paired-sample t tests showed significant pre-to-post increases in students’ overall interest in science (p = 0.010) and overall attitudes toward science (p = 0.003), with small effect sizes (dz = 0.28 and 0.33). Subdomain-level changes, including a decrease in science-learning anxiety, were treated as exploratory. These findings suggest that foregrounding data generation, preprocessing, and EDA within authentic chemical inquiry can provide a meaningful foundation for students’ data literacy in science and can later be extended toward predictive modeling and machine-learning activities.
Abstract Introductory chemistry courses are gateway college courses with large enrollment and high failure rates. Poor performance in these courses prevents students from progressing onward in their majors, contributing to persistence and retention problems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in the United States. One way to increase retention in STEM majors is by targeting students’ social-psychological beliefs about their academic success through implementation of social-psychological interventions. In this study, we designed two chemistry-specific modules, Growth Mindset (GM) and Effective Learning Strategies (ELS), and conducted pilot studies at two institutions. Results from pilot studies identified key strengths and areas for improvement in the modules. After the pilot studies, the modules were implemented in introductory chemistry using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) study design. Students were randomly assigned to one of the four study conditions (control, GM, ELS, GM + ELS). Significant and positive correlations were observed between students’ academic performance and study condition. Additionally, participants in the combined GM and ELS group had the highest average final exam scores and overall course GPA among all study groups. The average score shifts for growth mindset beliefs and effective learning strategies were also the greatest for students in the combined GM and ELS group. Triangulation with the quantitative results shows evidence of synergistic effects in the combined GM and ELS group. The impacts of the modules on changes in students’ mindset beliefs, study skills, and academic performance and their implications for practice and future research are discussed.
