During their tenure as graduate students, all students will present at least one departmental seminar. The faculty, through the peer-review evaluation rubric, will determine the presentation's acceptability.
Criterion
At Least One Seminar Presentation
All graduate students in chemistry are required to take CHEM 5100 at least once during their tenure as graduate students. To pass CHEM 5100, students are required to receive an acceptable peer-rating on a required research presentation. Within the course, each student evaluates all other student presentations. The rubric is the last page of the syllabus.
Finding
Acceptable Presentations And Improved Critiques
A new Faculty member was assigned the CHEM 5100 Seminar course starting Spring 2015. The addition of an early-semester discussion of the importance of critical suggestions to improvement of presentations and of the example comments in the syllabus rubric led to generally useful critiques as determined by the professor. All (100% of 16) presentations were deemed suitable by the student peer evaluators (as determined by a median score of at least 21 out of 30 points) and by the course professor (assigned score of at least 70 out of 100). The professor deemed the student comments to be almost entirely positive and helpful, but at times still overly brief. Students should put more time into the critiques.
Action
Improve Time Allotted For Writing Critiques
After each presentation, a set time period (5 or 10 minutes) should be allotted for writing up comments. Students will be required to spend this time thinking and writing up critiques. By doing this, the students will not benefit from finishing overly quickly by being extremely brief.
Goal
Deliver A Curriculum With Appropriate Discipline Specific Knowledge
The program will address the discipline specific knowledge dictated by professional societies and/or professionals in the workforce.
Objective
Demonstrate Advanced Biochemistry Knowledge And Skills
CHEM 5372 "Advanced Biochemistry I" addresses detailed biochemistry concepts from a chemical perspective. It covers all major macromolecules, but with a strong focus on enzymes using cytochrome P450s as the model enzyme to explore in detail. Students are expected to understand enzymes and how they are studied at a level that allows critical analysis of primary literature in this field.
Indicator
Ability To Understand And Critically Analyze Primary Literature In Enzyme Biochemistry
Each student will present an appropriate literature article (selected by the student and approved by the instructor). On the final exam, each student will be required to answer questions on five (5) different papers discussed during the semester (out of 24 total). Each question will require the student to first summarize the paper's major findings, then to explain how a technique used in the paper works, then critically evaluate what the authors did not include in the paper that they should have or could have. The students will not know the nature of the questions before the exam, just that there will be one question for each article.
Criterion
Mastery As Demonstrated On Final Exam Questions
80% of students will score at least 80% (12 of 15 points) on 80% of the exam questions (4 out of 5 questions each student answered on this section of the final exam). Scoring will be done by the instructor.
Finding
Observed Mastery Of Advanced Biochemistry Of Enzymes
During the Fall 2014 semester, 100% of students (24) met the criteria. This is consistent with the instructor's overall evaluation that this was an unusually successful set of students. He deems it unlikely that this would be the case in other semesters.
Action
Increase Level Of Material And Stringency Of Criteria
During the next course offering, additional detailed material about spectroscopic methods used to study enzymes will be added as the students are capable of handling more material (although the fall 2014 semester was not deemed deficient, there is more material that can be added). Further, the criteria for success in the assessment will be increased to 85% of students scoring at least 85% on 100% of the literature questions.
Objective
Demonstrate Understanding Of The Peer Review Process In Scientific Publications
The process of peer-review of manuscripts for the scientific literature is a fundamental part of science. Students in Analytical Spectroscopy (CHEM 5368, taught every 2 to 2.5 years) read and discuss published peer-reviewed literature articles throughout this course (there is no assigned textbook). One of the objectives of this course is for students to learn the nuts and bolts of the systematic process of scientific peer-review. Mastery of the requirements for modern high quality technical scientific publication is required to meet one of the primary objectives of this graduate course in chemistry.
Indicator
Examination Of Student Understanding Of Scientific Peer Review
All students in the class are required to understand and correctly order the sequence of events, identify the players in the process (authors, editors, and reviewers), detail the feedback nature of the review process, and be able to critique both technical writing, figures, schematics, or imagery required in chemical publications.
Criterion
85% Of Graduate Students Meet Expectations
Eighty-five percent of graduate students taking the final exam in the class will score within one standard deviation of the mean or higher on a written question on the final designed to evaluate their mastery of the Indicator.
Finding
CHEM 5368 Results
Using a scientific manuscript that had been recently peer-reviewed from work carried out in the instructor’s research group, the Spring 2015 CHEM 5368 course was modified to include a detailed description of the steps in the peer-review process, including the temporal variables involved in the process, the subject journal’s editor’s comments, comments from the anonymous reviewers, and examples of how the (ultimately accepted) manuscript was modified in response to the review process. And as the previous Action requires, a test question involving the peer-review process was included and the results showed an increase in student success from 85% scoring within 1 standard deviation (in Spring 2013) to 90% (in Spring 2015).
Action
Monitor Progress
Monitor the progress of the students and consider tightening the criterion. We raised it from 80% in 2012-2013 to 85% in the current year.
Objective
Demonstration Of Quantitative Proficiency In The Calibration And Validation Of Chemical Sensors
CHEM 5385 (Nanoscience and nanosensing) provides an introduction to calibrated measurements of concentration within the context of nanoscience and nanosensing. The course begins by setting up a framework for calibrated measurements of concentration and then examines how the fabrication, design, function, and applications of nanosensors fit into and influence that framework. Readings are assigned from both textbooks and the primary literature. A key objective of the course is that students be able to quantitatively analyze raw sensor data for the purpose of making calibrated measurements of concentration, and that they be able to validate these measurements.
Indicator
Mastery Of Sensor Calibration And Validation Concepts
All students in the course will demonstrate their level of mastery of the concepts of sensor calibration and validation by their performance on a midterm examination devoted to these topics.
Criterion
Performance On Relevant Midterm Examination In CHEM 5385
80% of the students will score within 20% of the number of points of the highest scoring student on the relevant midterm exam, provided that the highest score obtains at least 85% of the available points. If the highest score is less than 85% of the available points, then the criterion will be that 80% of the students will score greater than 68% of the points on the exam.
Finding
Assessment Results From Fall 2014
91% of the students met the criteria on the relevant midterm exam in the Fall 2014 iteration of the course. The high score on this exam was 100%.
Action
Development Of A Greater Range Of Explanatory Examples Based On The Primary Literature
In future offerings of this course, more student exercises exploring potential pitfalls of calibration and how these can be identified in the validation procedure will be developed, along with a greater range of supporting problems based on new reports from the primary literature on nanosensors and nanosensing. The rigor and breadth of the relevant midterm exam will be correspondingly expanded.
Objective
Demonstrate Advanced Organic Chemistry Knowledge And Skills
Organic reaction mechanisms is a broad area of organic chemistry that requires an understanding of the basic structural-electronic properties of organic molecules. CHEM 5362 is focused on the examination of alkylation, oxidation, reduction, substitution, elimination, rearrangement, and electrocyclic processes. As each topic is covered, in-class and out-of-class problems are assigned to give each graduate student ample practice and experience at applying the material. Since application is the central focus, all work involves open access to course materials.
Indicator
Mastery Of Advanced Organic Chemistry Knowledge
All students in this course will demonstrate their mastery of organic reaction mechanisms and their application to specific reactions through multiple applied problem sets and periodic topic focused examinations. Evaluation of the student's work is based on the appropriateness and acceptability of their answers based on current literature.
Criterion
Final Exam Performance In CHEM 5362
All (100%) of the students will score within 10% of the points of the mean percentage or higher and within 20% of the points of the high score on the final examination.
Finding
CHEM 5362 Results
During the Spring 2015 semester, 100% of the students scored within 10% of the points of the mean or higher and 93% were within 20% of the points of the high percentage for the class on the final.
Action
Inclusion Of Small Group Activities For Short In-class Presentations
In future offerings of the class, an increased number of small problem sets will be required in order to emphasize the necessity of applications to the understanding of the mechanism and use of organic reactions.