Building, Making, Doing: Techniques in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory

As the director/instructor of the sophomore-level organic chemistry laboratory course (CHEM 2311), it was apparent to me that most students enrolled have very little experience handling the large quantity of glassware and equipment required to perform the experiments.  Though I discuss and often demonstrate techniques in my lab lecture and students could read about them in their textbook, students still felt nervous performing the techniques themselves, especially the first time.  Therefore, my goal was to create a series of videos which demonstrated each skill and laboratory protocol used in the course.  These visual learning tools would give students confidence and a clear theoretical understanding of the techniques used in their experiments, resulting in fewer mistakes, better safety, and more time for intellectual problem-solving and critical thinking skills.  With the help of two project TAs, and the OIT filming crew, I was able to create 24 technique videos and 6 tips videos, which were freely available throughout the semester to students and the teaching assistants for the course.  Initial surveys have been extremely positive and indicate that indeed the vast majority of the students watched each video and felt that they were helpful in their preparation for lab.  Experienced TAs reported a noticeable improvement in students’ confidence and their abilities to build apparatus and perform techniques.  New TAs also felt the videos were an invaluable resource and enabled them to instruct knowledgeably.  Overall, the project was a success and the addition of the videos to the organic chemistry laboratory course improved student performance at the bench, enriched the course curriculum, as well as engaged students through a medium they enjoyed.

Jane Wissinger

Written by

Associate Professor and Organic Chemistry Laboratory Director, Department of Chemistry, College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota

Jane E. Wissinger received her BA from Susquehanna University, MS from Georgia Institute of Technology, and Ph.D. from Northwestern University.  She then was employed for five years as a research scientist at Rohm & Haas Company in the Agricultural Exploratory Group where she coauthored several patents.  She began her academic career in the Chemistry Department at the University of Minnesota as an adjunct instructor in 1992 and was hired full time in 1998 as an instructor and the organic laboratory director.  Her many contributions to the teaching mission of the chemistry department have included the comprehensive revision of the organic laboratory course to include modern green chemistry principles and guided-inquiry pedagogy.  She has advised a variety of undergraduate and graduate students whose research on developing new green experiments for the undergraduate laboratory has been shared with the green education community through presentations and publication in the Journal of Chemical Education.  Wissinger, who was promoted to Associate Professor in 2011, is a member of the Center for Sustainable Polymers and active in their outreach and educational programs.