Bridging the Gap between Instructional and Research Laboratories: Teaching Data Analysis Software Skills through the Manipulation of Original Research Data

The gap between graduate research and introductory undergraduate teaching laboratories is often wide, but the development of teaching activities rooted within the research environment offers an opportunity for undergraduate students to have first-hand experience with research currently being conducted and for graduate students to develop communication and pedagogical skills. We describe the development, evaluation, and redesign of a Microsoft Excel-based activity where data analysis from contemporary research was adapted into a data analysis training exercise, requiring undergraduate students to engage with the data by performing a series of analytical tasks guided by commentary from the researcher. In addition to learning common data analysis techniques, this exercise provided an opportunity for undergraduate students to practice problem solving and collaboratively work through trouble-shooting. Throughout the activity development, multiple iterations allowed the authors to explore the impact of different pedagogical approaches including, but not limited to, student-prepared questions for the graduate student author that were used as a starting point for an in-class discussion of the research findings, techniques, considerations, and future goals. This conversation between general chemistry students and the graduate student researcher was coupled with an in-person laboratory tour or video introduction by the researcher. These activities humanized the research enterprise for the undergraduate students and serve as a model for future collaborations between research and instructional laboratories.