An inquiry-based practical curriculum for organic chemistry as preparation for industry and postgraduate research
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Date
Authors
Pilcher, Lynne A.
Riley, Darren Lyall
Mathabathe, Kgadi Clarrie
Potgieter, Marietjie
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
South African Chemical Institute
Abstract
This paper describes the development of a new practical curriculum for third-year organic chemistry to replace the recipe-based
approach typically used in undergraduate teaching laboratories. The new curriculum consists of an inquiry-based project set in a
simulated industrial context preceded by two scaffolding experiments to prepare students for the task. The industrial project
requires students to evaluate experimentally three multi-step synthetic routes to a given target based on cost, technical challenge
and environmental impact in order to make a recommendation as to which route the ‘company’ should use to synthesize the
compound. The project equips students with technical skills suitable for both postgraduate research and industry, and develops
metacognition and understanding through the use of the jig-saw cooperative learning strategy and reflection. The students were
found to engage with the practical work at a deep intellectual level, demonstrating that contextualized inquiry-based laboratory
teaching afforded an improved quality of learning. In addition, the reported practical curriculum made a difficult subject
accessible and even popular, to some measure grew the students’ ability in all desired graduate attributes and resulted in the
establishment of a professional identity for individual students.
Description
Keywords
Inquiry-based, Organic chemistry practical training, Professional identity, Industry-based, Metacognition
Sustainable Development Goals
Citation
Pilcher, LA, Riley, DL, Mathabathe, KC & Potgieter, M 2015, 'An inquiry-based practical curriculum for organic chemistry as preparation for industry and postgraduate research', South African Journal of Chemistry, vol. 68, pp. 236-244.