CL1 - Teaching Stories: Group Development and Peer Review, Project description handout



 
 
   
   
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
   


 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
Group Development and Peer Review
  of Research Proposals - by Joanne Stewart

Project description handout

ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY RESEARCH PROJECT

Three laboratory periods have been planned for the completion of an original research project. You and your partner will have one week to plan your project, one week to collect data, and one week to analyze your results and prepare a presentation for the class (including overheads). Finally...a chance to do something YOU want to do. Be creative!

COME TO CLASS NEXT MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, PREPARED TO DISCUSS YOUR IDEAS FOR A PROJECT. YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO TURN IN A TITLE OF YOUR PROJECT AT THE END OF CLASS.

  1. Planning your project

    The first week of the project (November 11 or 16), you and your partner will be expected to turn in a research proposal (word-processed) at the end of the lab period. The following considerations should be included in your proposal.

    1. What method is appropriate for the analyte of interest? You may consult with a professor on the method, but it is up to you to propose a method.
    2. Once you have a method in mind, what concentration range of analyte is required by the method? Describe how to prepare the sample so that the final concentration will be in that range.
    3. The amount of sample should be such that significant error is not introduced in the sample preparation.
    4. If your method requires a standard curve, describe how the standards will be prepared. You might consider standard additions.
    5. Describe what data might be collected and how you would treat the data to arrive at the final result.
    6. What is the level of uncertainty in your measurement? Will interferents be a concern?

  2. Collecting data
    1. Sample preparation and data collection are to be done on the second week of the project (November 18 or November 23). Make sure that all relevant equipment and supplies are available ahead of time. I will help you with this.
    2. Any special sampling (Lake Mac water, etc.) must be done outside of class.
    3. If there is high demand for one particular instrument, data collection may need to be done outside of the regularly scheduled lab period.

  3. Analyzing data and preparing presentation
    1. Data analysis should include calculations and error analysis. Were your results in the expected range? Did experimental error agree with calculated error? If your results are different than expected, why might that be?
    2. You and your partner will describe your project and present your data, analysis, and results to the class. Your presentation should be 10-12 minutes long, including time for questions. You are both expected to participate in the presentation.
    3. Your presentation will be graded on preparation, clarity, organization, enthusiasm, and staying within the time limit. You and your partner should practice it once before giving it to the class. (Try it out on a non-science roommate!)

  4. Evaluation
    1. You will evaluate your completed project by answering a series of evaluation questions. You will be expected to describe both the successes and difficulties of your work. You will describe how you and your partner shared and/or divided the workload, and you will be asked to make suggestions about how you could improve both the analysis and the teamwork.
    2. You will also evaluate your partner's performance on the project. You must clearly justify your evaluation. This will count for 10 points of their grade.

  5. Grade
    Points will be assigned according to how well you have completed the criteria described above. The points for your research project will be divided up as follows:
       Proposal40
       Data and analysis40
       Presentation40
       Evaluation of project20
       Evaluation of partner (with written justification)10
       150

Although it is preferred that you come up with your own idea, here are a few to get you thinking:

  1. Pb and Hg in tuna fish
  2. UV absorbers in sunscreens
  3. Boric acid in Swim-Ear
  4. NaOH and A1 in Drano
  5. Fe in multivitamins
  6. F in toothpaste, drinking water
  7. Zn in Desitin ointment
  8. Ca, Mg, Zn in urine
  9. Na in "low-sodium" foods

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