The Chemistry department uses capstone projects in three primary courses: Chemistry 110L, 141 and 164. The department has several undergraduate degree programs and not all students take the same sequence of upper division courses; these three courses capture all majors. In addition, capstone-like projects are also introduced into Chemistry 125 and 133 to provide students opportunities to experience the requirements and demands of this assessment.

 A capstone experience may vary depending on the class. However, the essential features are the same: (1) Agreement between instructor and student on a small laboratory project; (2) a literature survey; (3) a student attempts to complete the experimental project; and (4) a student presents the results in public via a poster presentation involving the student standing with the poster and answering questions [a paper and oral report are often required].

 The faculty met on February 1, 2001, to review the results of capstone projects and particularly the poster presentations. The following form was used by faculty to develop their individual assessment of the overall results of poster project presentations. In the meeting of faculty a consensus was reached regarding each statement. That consensus is indicated in red type with each statement. Additional issues were discussed and these follow the questionnaire.

The purpose of the assessment is to obtain a "picture" of the skills and abilities of students as shown by their poster presentations. This form is used to provide an overall assessment of the poster projects with respect to the level of the classes involved in the presentations.

For the level of the classes and based on the presentation in the poster, please assess the following:

Overall the student presentations show that students

1.	demonstrate effective organization of their posters (shows effectively the problem and how problem was attacked and solved)				SD	D	N	A	SA
2.	demonstrate effective use of graphs and other visual aids				SD	D	N	A	SA
3.	use effective writing (good grammar, spelling, coherent writing, clear exposition)				SD	D	N	A	SA
4.	show an ability to use instrumentation useful in solving or doing problem				SD	D	N	A	SA
5.	collected reasonable data useful in solving or doing the problem				SD	D	N	A	SA
6.	use literature properly in presentation				SD	D	N	A	SA
7.	support their generalizations and conclusions with adequate and sound evidence				SD	D	N	A	SA
8.	use technical vocabulary correctly.				SD	D	N	A	SA
9.	demonstrate effective learning of several laboratory skills				SD	D	N	A	SA

Key

SD: Strongly Disagree

D: Disagree

N: No opinion

A: Agree

SA: Strongly Agree

General Comments:
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Issues that may need consideration for discussion by faculty:
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Issues and Conclusions developed at February 2, 2001 meeting:

1. It is the consensus of the faculty that the capstone projects and poster presentations are a very effective assessment tool for demonstrating that students can initiate a small chemistry-based project, research the literature, do the experimental procedures and then present the results in a poster format. Several faculty reported that they have had students tell them that the capstone project helped them become employed. In particular, students are able to effectively answer questions in interviews dealing with preparing reports in a scientific format and orally giving a presentation or defending results.
   
   
2. Most poster presentations are effectively organized, the project is carefully structured and the presentation shows how the problem was solved. In some cases students did not carefully support their conclusions or analyze their results.
   
   
3. The posters effectively used graphic designs and other visual aids. Many students developed sophisticated computer presentations that were placed on the poster or did very interesting art work. Molecular modeling results often showed interesting molecular structures.
   
   
4. In most cases writing was satisfactory or better. Students who do not have English as their primary language have more difficulty. They are not as comfortable expressing themselves in English and they are not sufficiently trained in scientific format. Faculty work with students during the semester but it is a challenge to change skills when English is weak for a student. Students may be referred to the English tutoring center when serious problems exist.
   
   
5. The department stresses the use of modern instrumentation when solving chemical problems. This means that students are trained to use a variety of instruments. This clearly shows in their poster presentations. Most students will use one or more instruments to develop data for their project.
   
   
6. Most students are able to collect a reasonable amount of data that is useful in solving their problem. There are some students who have difficulty developing good conclusions from experimental data, often resulting from the student initiating the project too late. Faculty are focusing on possible procedures to ensure students start projects earlier and stay on task.
   
   
7. There is a problem with differences in training of students in laboratory skills if they are transfer students. Some students arrive well-trained in modern chemical laboratory and instrumental techniques; at other community colleges the training is less satisfactory. This means some students initially struggle when they first enter an upper division laboratory class. Faculty may consider a one or two unit laboratory class that transfer students with weak laboratory skills could take to improve them. Issues re potential number of interested students and availability of faculty dollars to support such a course need to be addressed.
   
   
8. Capstone projects require a high degree of sophistication in laboratory skills at the undergraduate level. Further discussion is needed to assess whether the level of expectations for capstone projects is too high.
   
   
9. Students obtain hands-on experience with a wide variety of instrumentation, for example: nmr; gc-ms; uv-vis; hplc; fluorescence spectroscopy; electrophoresis; and voltammetry. This opportunity is one of the unique differences between our chemistry department and those at major research institutions.
   
   
10. Faculty are considering whether students should work in teams. In Chemistry 164 the instructor is now using this approach with good success in terms of students successfully completing capstone projects. A concern about the use of student teams is whether each student develops independent laboratory skills; faculty need to consider this possibility in future design of capstone projects.

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