Crystal growth, a research-driven laboratory course

Abstract

The research-driven laboratory experiment described herein has at its core the individual development of students, combining core subject matter with the opportunity to explore, in a research environment, areas outside of traditional curricula; however, it maintains the pedagogical training for an undergraduate major degree in chemistry and sciences in general. The laboratory can feasibly be implemented in high schools to expose students to an engaging and intellectually fulfilling aspect of chemistry early in their career. This seven-week project is based on the growth and study of crystals and encourages students, from the outset, to conceive, propose, design, plan and carry out their own research on chemicals and conditions of their own choosing. The wide array of laboratory equipment, analytical instrumentation and techniques that the students are potentially exposed to, from micropipettes and optical microscopes to scanning electron microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction, puts these projects on a par with senior capstone research projects. The feedback from the students for the seven years this project has been in operation is almost unanimous in enthusiasm and praise.