While every effort has been made to make sure this electronic syllabus is error-free, it is not official.
The definitive source of course information remains the original (paper) syllabus distributed in class.

Lycoming College

CHEM 000:  Laboratory Teaching Methods

 Syllabus for Spring 2007

Instructor:  Holly D. Bendorf 

Office:  209 Heim

Phone:  321-4365, home phone 998-8647 (no calls after 11 pm, please)

E-Mail:  bendorf@lycoming.edu

Meeting Time:  Mondays 3:15 – 4:05 in room 215, plus 3 - 5 hours of practical experience per week.

Office Hours:  By appointment or drop-by.

Course Description:  This course provides students with practical experience in laboratory teaching.  Students in this course are paired with a faculty mentor and help supervise labs, deliver prelab lectures, assist in ordering chemicals and help prepare laboratory experiments.  Students will complete a project that integrates the chemical education literature, classroom instruction materials, laboratory safety and chemical procurement, storage and disposal. 

Text:  There is not a formal textbook for this course.  Rather, we will make use of the chemical education literature, most notably the Journal of Chemical Education.

Grading Criteria:

            Laboratory Instruction Project                            30%

            Prelab lecture*                                                  20%

            Lab Preparation Quiz                                         20%

            Evaluation of work as a teaching assistant*         20%

            Attendance*                                                     10%

                                                                                    100%

            * Grades assigned in consultation with the laboratory instructor.

Learning Goals:  At the conclusion of this course, the student should be able to:

            - Use the chemical education literature to find laboratory experiments for use in class

            - Adapt experiments from the literature for use in class

            - Prepare prelab lectures and other materials needed for laboratory instruction

            - Identify and order equipment and chemicals needed for experiments

            - Prepare solutions and reagents for use in class

            - Determine the appropriate methods of chemical storage and disposal

            - Demonstrate a thorough knowledge of laboratory safety.

Laboratory Instruction Project:  This project is intended to guide you through the planning and preparation that is done when introducing a new lab experiment to the curriculum.  Drafts of each section will be submitted during the semester.  A final draft of the entire project is due at the last class meeting.

Prelab Lecture:  Each student will deliver at least one prelab lecture during the semester.  The date of the lecture will be chosen in consultation with the lab instructor. 

Lab Preparation Quiz:  This quiz will cover solution preparation, mole calculations and other relevant quantitative skills.

Evaluation of work as a teaching assistant:  Each student will be evaluated in his/her performance as a teaching assistant.  A list of guidelines that will serve as a basis for evaluation will be provided.

Attendance:  Attendance at all lab periods is mandatory.  Arriving late or missing a lab meeting will result in a significant deduction from the attendance grade. 

Academic Dishonesty:  Be aware that in accordance with the College's policy on academic honesty, any work you submit must be your own.  Any instances of plagiarism will be severely penalized.   

 Course Schedule:

Date        Week      Topic                                                                                      Preparation for Class                                          

1/8           1              Course Overview, discussion of TA responsibilities                                                   

1/15         2              Prelab lectures                                                                      Meet with lab instructor to choose

                                                                                                                                prelab lecture

1/22         3              Prelab lecture practice                                                         Due:  prelab lecture outline and copy of lab

1/29         4              Searching the Chemical Education Literature                                                 

2/5           5              Lab preparation, preparation of solutions                       Review concentration units and calculations

                                                                                                                                Due:  Copy of article to be used for project

2/12         6              Ordering chemicals and equipment                                   Due: learning goals of experiment

2/19         7              Lab preparation quiz                                                                                                                                          

3/5           8              make-up class (if needed)

3/12         9              Preparing class materials                                                    Due: chemical and equipment order

3/19         10            Safety                                                                                     Due: draft of written course materials             

3/26         11            Chemical storage                                                                  Due: list of safety considerations for the lab

4/2           12            Chemical disposal                                                                Due:  statement addressing chemical storage issues related to the experiment                       

4/9           13            Course wrap-up                                                                    Due:  statement addressing chemical disposal issues related to the experiment                                                                                                                                                                                                       

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