Chemistry: FSU

How do you make chemistry more appealing to Liberal Studies students? Introducing ‘Chemistry for Liberal Studies – A Forensic Academy.’

Overview.

Objective:

Increase enrollment following a drop in student numbers.

Client:

Dr. Stephanie Dillon, Director of Freshman Chemistry Laboratories, Florida State University.

Summary:

Students take on the role of a Junior Forensic Scientist to solve a murder. They familiarize themselves with analytical machines and safety equipment, practice core lab skills, and test their theoretical knowledge.

Outcome:

Between Fall 2016 and Fall 2017, enrollment increased from 86 to 299 students. Enrollment currently stands at 800 students per year.

The challenge faced by Dr. Stephanie Dillon, the Director of Freshman Chemistry Laboratories at Florida State University, was that her introductory course in Chemistry had experienced a steady drop in student numbers over several years.

Working with Dr. Dillon, UniVirtual designed a series of lectures, labs, and assignments (including reading and examination materials), presented as “Liberal Studies Chemistry - A Forensic Academy.” The course, which asks students to take on the role of a Junior Forensic Scientist in order to solve a murder case, increased enrollment by almost 250% in its first year. 

ChemCrimeScene_w-HUD_001.jpg
ChemForensicsLab_004.png

Process.

The course requires students to take on the role of a Junior Forensic Scientist in order to solve a murder. Much of the evidence students analyze in a series of modules is based on evidence collected during an actual murder investigation. The final module requires students to read transcripts of witness and suspect interviews. Because these statements often contradict the forensic evidence, students must use what they have learned to decide whether the evidence supports an arrest.

To increase immersion, all modules take place in a virtual town that includes a police station and garage, a cinema, a forensic laboratory with an autopsy room, evidence lockers and offices, and various shops and cafes. There is also a section of forest where the crime took place and evidence is collected. Students navigate the environment using a Heads-Up Display that provides instructions. They also interact with NPCs playing the roles of police officers, pathologists, suspects, witnesses, and forensic scientists.

“The metaverse is very cool to work in. (The students)… have a really great time, and we sneak a little bit of chemistry in with everything else. We’re still looking at the scientific method, and we hold them to a really high standard, but they have such fun doing it that they don’t even know that they’re being taught.”

— Dr Stephanie Dillon, Director of Freshman Chemistry Laboratories , Florida State University

Available Modules.

  • Introduction to the Facility and Lab Safety.

    Students are taken on a tour of the town in which the modules are set. They meet key NPCs and are introduced to the virtual laboratory where they receive instruction on the basic rules of lab safety, including the use of lab safety equipment.

  • Tools of the Trade.

    In the virtual lab, students are familiarized with techniques and equipment commonly used in chemistry laboratories to measure density, mass, volume, and concentration. They use and explore common lab glassware and techniques, such as an analytical balance, centrifuge, microscope, and UV-Vis spectrometer.

  • Crime Scene.

    Students visit a crime scene in a forest clearing. Here, they collect evidence using safe techniques and the proper storage containers. The speed at which they collect evidence is controlled in order to prevent them from rushing through the process. For example, if they attempt to pour a cast too quickly, the system resets and they must start again.

  • Lab Rat.

    Students sit in on an autopsy, then conduct experimental analysis on debris found at the crime scene to determine if an accelerant was used to start a fire. Students complete a charcoal extraction followed by GC Mass spectrometry to determine the presence and identity of the accelerant. The module teaches them how to prepare chemical solutions and explains the basic principles of gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

  • Invisible Prints.

    In a police station garage, students use Luminol to swab the victim’s car for blood and collect evidence which they analyze in the lab. The module introduces them to the proper use of Ninhydrin spray and Superglue fuming to develop prints on the materials collected. The students are asked to determine the owners of the prints, if possible.

  • Toxicology.

    Students screen the blood samples for toxic substances such as barbiturates or heavy metals using liquid-liquid extraction, followed by LC Mass spectrometry for analysis. Students are shown typical spectra and asked to identify the blood’s drug content by comparison; they use Reinsch screening to search for heavy metals in the blood.

  • Blood Types.

    Students prepare blood samples for later analysis. This delay in completing the process is deliberate, so students understand that not all processes can be completed in one sitting. The module continues with the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy analysis of fibers found on the victim’s clothing and car. The goal is to see if there are matching fibers that provide evidence to place the victim in the trunk of the car.

  • DNA.

    Students receive samples from a suspect and run DNA analysis to match blood and other samples from the victim at autopsy to the possible suspect, alongside a reference sample from their husband. They prepare both, run a Polymerase Chain Reaction, then initiate a Short Tandem Repeat analysis to match them. Again, the final processing and results are given in a later lab to demonstrate the time demands of real processing.

  • Conclusions.

    Students complete the analysis of the blood and DNA samples prepared in prior labs. They are shown slides of the prepared blood samples under a microscope and given instructions on how to determine blood type from coagulation results. The DNA samples previously prepared are now given as STR DNA fingerprints for comparison.

  • Case File.

    In the final exercise, students use all that they have learned from the laboratory experiments, combined with witness and suspect statements, to determine whether they think there is enough evidence to take the case to the District Attorney.

Results.

Outcome.

The move to the metavese has been a great success. In 2012, approximately 20 students per semester were enrolled in Dr. Dillon’s course. Today, there are 800 students taking the course annually, and it continues to grow. Student understanding and retention of the material have also increased.