Project-Based Integrated Lecture and Laboratory Quantitative Analysis Course

Students entering into a quantitative analysis course often struggle with connecting theoretical aspects of concepts from lecture to hands-on applications in the laboratory setting. A one-semester quantitative analysis course was redesigned to integrate active learning with a project-based curriculum that incorporated structured review of fundamental concepts as needed. This approach includes moving away from a traditional separate lecture/lab format, into an integrated lecture/lab course model incorporating problem-based learning. In an effort to help students draw relationships between the theoretical concepts and the physical world, the course was designed around laboratory activities first and exploration of underlying chemical concepts second. Each project is centered around a specific laboratory experiment and provided opportunities for review of fundamental concepts, continued use of methods and skills from previous experiments, and hands-on application of new concepts. In addition, the projects were designed to give increasing responsibility and freedom to the students to develop robust experimental design skills.