Chemistry
Results of Assessment
2005-2006 (submitted 06/27/06)
The Chemistry Department at Weber State University
collected exit interviews from seven students last year as part of the assessment for the
academic year 2005/2006. In order to better prepare our students for industry,
graduate or pre-professional school and education, faculty members within the
Chemistry Department have identified and itemized a list of
cognitive and technical skills desired of all graduating chemistry majors.
These skills are defined as student learning outcomes. We have also identified
the individual courses within the curriculum which develop these skills or
outcomes.
Exit interviews were initiated Spring semester 2006 and
the data collected were compiled and presented (see below). All seven of our graduating seniors responded to the exit interview and survey. The
data indicate that the students are very pleased with their education at WSU.
All of the ratings were in the Excellent to Very Good range.
During the interview stage of the assessment, student’s comments were mostly
positive concerning the program. One of the major concerns for the current group
of students reflects those from former assessments. The students are concerned
that the aging equipment does not prepare them properly for the new technology
they will encounter in the industrial laboratory. The students continue to
express the need for better and up-to-date instruments. With a limited budget
which does not allow for improving out-of-date equipment and maintaining
existing equipment, we will not be able to adequately address improvements in
this area for sometime.
Summary
Strengths
- Students give overall program many Excellent ratings
and several Very Good ratings
- Problem solving, communication, analyzing and
graphing are all rated Excellent/Very good
Frustrations
- Old Instruments failing or broken
- Availability of competent tutors
Chemistry Department Interviewer: Dr. Barry Lloyd
Graduation Exit Interview Responses
Exit Interview Time: 60 minutes or less
2005/2006
Compilation of Comments
1. Problem Solving: Do you feel capable of solving a
variety of chemistry related problems?
- Yes. I feel that analytical chemistry has really helped
me gain vital problem solving skills that will help me in graduate school.
This major was challenging and prompted me to think and analyze things that
occur around me.
- Yes
- I can solve most general and organic problems. I am
admittedly shakey on thermodynamics and quantum mechanics concepts.
- Yes
- Yes. Stochiometry, quant, p-chem and molecular symmetry
to name a few are specific classes that are very valuable in solving chemistry
related problems.
- Yes. Highly specific training was not given in most
areas or techniques, but the range of techniques is broad enough that I feel
confident in applying my knowledge to any chemistry job.
2. Laboratory Skills: Has your laboratory experience
helped make you a competent experimentalist?
- Yes. The lower division labs often seemed monotonous,
but the upper division labs helped me formulate processes and solve problems
systematically.
- Yes. Putting in the countless hours and meticulous lab
notebook keeping has made me very competent and more importantly very
comfortable in a laboratory setting.
- Yes. Quant was probably the best class for that, but
organic and applied were also helpful. P-chem and instrumental also helped to
get familiar with some of the equipment.
- Titrations and recrystallizations are fine. I can do
most instrumentation techniques.
- Yes, I feel that I have had sufficient experience in
many different laboratory techniques.
- Yes. We were able to learn many lab techniques and use
a variety of instrumentation. The upper division level classes required a
little more thought in the procedure since it wasn't too specific on
instructions.
- I feel that the labs were all relevant to my future as
a chemist. All the professors were excellent at conveying the importance of
lab work. They were all willing to help. I found the labs very challenging.
They were all geared to help us, the students, prepare for a career as an
experimental chemist.
3. Presentation Skills: Do you feel proficient in
communicating scientific information, both written and verbal?
- Yes. I feel that the reports and presentations given in
P-chem and Spec & Sep helped me to develop my communication skills. Dr.
Lippert has helped me in this area the most. He really pushed us to write good
and meaningful reports. This is a very valuable skill.
- Yes, since we are required to do presentations in three
classes and papers in four. Those situations helped teach us to communicate
scientific info both written and verbally.
- Yes, I have had various opportunities to present data
in report and discussion form.
- Yes. (But a lot of those skills came through summer
research activities at the University of Utah.)
- Yes, but I don't think the chemistry classes did much
to improve those skills.
- Yes. Writing papers and presentations have given me
confidence in communicating scientific information, applicable courses are P-chem,
Spec & Sep and Special Topics.
- Yes, the best professor I've had in any discipline that
has helped develop my ability to convey scientific information in writing is
Dr. Lippert. I still feel nervous standing before an audience to give a
presentation, but I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had.
4. Computer Skills: Has your chemistry education
added to your computer usage skills?
- No. The computer apps class was good, but I found the
topics and assignments to be trivial. No other class expected more than a
simple chart in Excel. I would have liked to learn more about chemistry
programs (ISIS, ChemDraw, etc.)
- Yes, computer applications, quant and instrumental were
very useful classes in learning about computers. It would be nice to have more
instruments attached to computers to learn those programs since that is
normally how a lot of instrumentation is set up today in industry.
- I already knew how to use the computer pretty well. The
brief introduction to ChemSketch (in Dr. Walker's class) and MathCad (in Dr.
Berghout's class) was helpful.
- I didn't know what a spreadsheet was before Chem 3020
but use them almost daily. Also, word processing, windows and internet usage
is competent.
- Yes. The chemistry 3020 course and 3400 course have
taught me many useful ways to use a computer to compute and graph data.
- Yes, by a lot. Taking the computer apps class helped
teach Excel and then in P-chem labs and analytical lab write ups we had to use
Excel and in P-chem 2 we have been using chemistry software.
- Yes. I feel that chemistry has taught me how to
efficiently use a computer to aid me in my data analysis. I am proficient at
Excel and have also learned to use the internet and library to aid me in my
research. These skills helped me in my internship over the summer.
5. Closing Question: What single experience stands
out or has influenced you most in your chemistry education at Weber?
- There are so many experiences that stand out. So many
professors have put in so much time to reach out and help me. However, the
experience that stands out the most occurred two years ago while in O-chem. I
was having a rough day and really doubting myself as a chemist. I remember Dr.
Lippert saw me studying and started to talk to me. He told me that I had what
it takes to succeed in my schooling. This really touched me and gave me the
strength to continue my studies.
- I don't have single experience really but the
opportunity to T.A. a lab was great and to work in the stock room has helped
me in some lab techniques. I really enjoyed doing that and the research I did
with Dr. More was fun and a good learning experience. I also have enjoyed the
interaction with most of the professors.
- Presenting research at the national ACS meeting.
- I studied very hard for a test in Chem 2320, got into
the test and was worried that I did horribly, but ended up getting the class
high. That was a great confidence builder and I was very satisfied that my
hard work paid off.
- A single experience that has influenced me the most was
my P-chem I presentation which was helpful in preparing for research and
scrutiny, a taste of what presentations are like in the work place. The
professors, especially Dr. More, have been very hospitable with their help and
knowledge.
- Dr. Lippert's quantitative analysis course was
interesting and thought provoking. It also enabled me to start work as an
analytical chemist the Monday after his final.
- (One student gave no response to this question).
6. What has been the most "frustrating" problem in
your chemistry education?
- Understanding the first semester of physical chemistry.
- Most frustrating problem is the lack of instruments and
instrument technology available in the chemistry department when compared to
the instruments in the workplace.
- There is no help for chemistry students. There are no
SI's and most advanced students don't have the time left to work with the
younger students.
- A lot of the labs are worded funny and ended up wasting
a lot of time trying to discern trivial matters (either linguistical or in
searching for "nonexistent" literature values; trying to fix unit conversions,
etc.) These activities did not further my understanding and time could have
been better spent studying. Also, some classes did not have A grades given.
That is bad for the GPA and maybe concepts should be toned down.
- Nothing comes to mind. I have enjoyed my education here
very much. If I had to say something, I guess I would say lack of funding for
research. I know there are opportunities to receive funding, but there could
always be a little more.
- Having to take P-chem II, Inorganic and Spec & Sep
altogether. I should have taken physics earlier to avoid that problem.
- My lack of math skills. I feel that my math background
was really weak. I often found this frustrating, especially in P-chem.
QUESTION
1: Ability to apply chemistry knowledge in a professional situation
QUESTION
2: Ability to identify, formulate and solve chemical problems
QUESTION
3: Ability to design and conduct experiments
QUESTION
4: Ability to analyze and interpret data
QUESTION
5: Ability to effectively communicate in writing
QUESTION
6: Ability to effectively communicate orally
QUESTION
7: Ability to use common graphing, data analysis and presentation software
QUESTION
8: Overall, how do you feel about your educational experience at Weber State University?
QUESTION
9: For students continuing their education - ability to compete for graduate or
professional school (5 respondents)
Mission
Statement / Student
Learning Outcomes / Curriculum
Grid / Assessment
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