1. The IDEA Experiments
Enabling Genuine Inquiry in the
Undergraduate Laboratory
Dr Chris Thompson, Monash University
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2. The IDEA Experiments
• Why feel the need to change anything?
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3. The IDEA Experiments
• Why change anything?
• National Secondary Curriculum.
• Old and Stale.
• Students themselves change.
• We have better tools.
• Graduate attributes.
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4. The IDEA Experiments
Inquiry
Design
Explore
Answer
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5. The IDEA Experiments
• Catalysing Change
• Assoc Prof Les Kirkup
ALTC Fellowship
Visited Monash
• Les‟ Sticky Tape Exp!
• Subsequently rolled out to
>50 demonstrators from
chem/bio/phys at Monash.
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6. The IDEA Experiments
• Replaces the traditional recipe
style experiment - no lab
manual!
• Invokes a more authentic
approach to science
Teamwork (3 – 4), collaborative
Ask questions, background
research
• 6 Step Approach to enable
genuine inquiry
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7. The IDEA Experiments
• Herron’s Hierachy of Inquiry
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8. The IDEA Experiments
• Organic Chem
• Structural
Elucidation
• Functional Group
Wet-tests
• Synthesis
• TLC
• Recrystallisation
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9. The IDEA Experiments
• Cymbals
• Crystal Field
Theory
• Spectrophotometry
• Quantitative &
Gravimetric
Analysis
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10. Student Perspectives
• “What did you think was the main lesson to be learnt from
this practical?”:
• "How to work as a scientist without any knowledge of (a)
substance and determine it through experimentation"
• "Experimenters face a great deal of challenges when they
are trying to find out something unknown. Even when they
take all necessary precautions, they still may be faced
with errors."
• "The issues and situations a chemist could experience in
the field."
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11. The IDEA Experiments
• Does it work?
We definitely think so!
• Is it easy to set up?
Design
Demonstrators
• Are my colleagues on
board?
Yes, and the IDEAS are
spreading.
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12. The IDEA Experiments
• Does it work?
We definitely think so!
• Is it easy to set up?
Design
Demonstrators
• Are my colleagues on
board?
Yes, and the IDEAS are
spreading.
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13. The IDEA Experiments
• Where to from
here?
• Transition to higher
levels
• In Level 2
chemistry we‟re
already using
fewer recipes, and
diversifying
assessment.
• Orals
• The „Moot Court‟.
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14. The IDEA Experiments
• Acknowledgements
• The IDEA Team
Gerry Rayner
Theo Hughes
Kate-Charlton-Robb
• The Chemistry Team
Mary-Rose Carroll
Dr Florence Laibe
Hayden Dickson
Ivan Martinez
• Faculty of Science – Education Grant
• SaMNet (esp. Cristina Varsavsky & Liz Johnson)
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