ERIC Number: EJ1221675
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2019-Jul
Pages: 6
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
Community Awareness and Service Learning in Analytical Chemistry Laboratories
Miller, Andrew; Gift, Alan
Journal of Chemical Education, v96 n7 p1395-1400 Jul 2019
A service-learning project was completed in both a senior and sophomore-level analytical chemistry course. Both projects took place at a local wetland managed by a nonprofit volunteer group. The two classes performed an in-depth water quality analysis and soil/sediment extractions examining the spatial variation of nutrients. The senior-level class had a deep connection with the nonprofit group. The students reported their results to the nonprofit in a poster presentation, an entry in the newsletter for the nonprofit, and in a final written report. They were also required to give a more technical poster presentation at a chemistry department seminar. For the sophomore-level class, the only connection with the nonprofit group was through a field sampling event. The impact of working at the site was evaluated by a paired pre/post-survey and through standard course evaluations. For the students who completed the pre/post-survey, there was a statistically significant increase in the students' knowledge of the community. Students also report an appreciation for "real-world" application of chemistry content.
Descriptors: Service Learning, Chemistry, Science Laboratories, College Science, Undergraduate Students, Nonprofit Organizations, Ecology, Environmental Education
Division of Chemical Education, Inc. and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A