Chemistry Education Research
In this lab our major focus is on student experience in the classroom and the role of the affective domain in the process of learning. Within this umbrella we have various projects
Perceived Costs in Organic Chemistry
This is an NSF funded project in collaboration with Dr. Suazette Mooring at GSU. We are using both qualitative and quantitative methodology to 1) Understand perceived costs in the context of organic chemistry, 2) use and/or develop a measurement tool to assess perceived costs in organic chemistry, and 3) implement Writing-to-learn activities to moderate the relationship between perceived costs and academic performance by aiding the process of internalization.
This project is innovative in the sense that it is bringing additional knowledge about an understudied construct, and it encompasses two different theoretical frameworks that have not been studied together much.
Assessment Practices in GOB
This new project will explore various ways to assess student understanding and value of the material taught in the General, Organic, and Biochem course. This course typically enrolls pre-nursing and other allied health majors, and therefore focuses on teaching concepts that these students will need for their future careers. Thus, assessing their understanding in a way that they will experience in their careers is crucial to their skill development but also to their motivation.
Attitude and Motivation in various chemistry courses
Various projects will investigate various sub-constructs of attitude and motivation in the context of chemistry classrooms. Primarily, these studies will be conducted through survey administration and subsequent statistical analyses. Although, there is room for qualitative methods as a means of data triangulation.