Document Type

Syllabus

Publication Date

Spring 2024

Course Description

Over the course of your DePauw education you have been introduced to methods and areas of inquiry, you’ve developed analytic abilities, improved skills in writing and in speech, broadened your perspectives on humanity and culture, developed an understanding of the contemporary world and the human prospect for the next decades, and grown towards mastery of at least one subject area. You will soon graduate from DePauw as Chemists and Biochemists; as scientists educated in the liberal arts. The senior year at DePauw University represents the culmination of your curricular experience. Seniors draw together and synthesize various threads of study and experience through a variety of intellectual activities: senior seminars, comprehensive exams, theses, projects, performances and/or exhibitions. For majors in the fields of Chemistry and Biochemistry, the capstone experience involves a course focused on the communication of new research and ideas in our disciplines. Through this capstone course you will develop an interest in a specific area of research. You will become more effective at searching primary literature and more adept at interpreting scientific papers. You will be more able to synthesize main ideas in a field of research that you find interesting. And you will become a more effective communicator of scientific information and ideas. Although this course is structured as if all of you were planning to conduct research of your own design, we understand that many of you do not plan to become practicing chemists and biochemists. Which is perfectly fine. The point of either major is not simply to prepare students for a career at the bench, but rather (along with the rest of your DePauw education) to prepare you to make meaningful contributions to society.

To this end, learning goals of the major considered in the design of this course include:

1. To grow your understanding of how science is done
2. To improve your ability to evaluate scientific evidence 3. To improve your ability to quantitatively tackle ill-defined problems, and
4. To become a more effective communicator.

Student Outcomes

IN THIS COURSE, STUDENTS WILL:

  • Hone ability to research a topic of interest, including the use of primary literature and chemo/bioinformatic databases. (Goals 1 and 2, above)
  • Apply knowledge to critically analyze scientific literature and synthesize a “state-of-the-art” review of a field. Consider how literature precedence is used in the proposal of scientific studies, and design of experiments. (Goals 1 and 2)
  • Learn to tackle ill-defined problems through hypothesis-creation and experimental design. (Goal 1)
  • Gather and evaluate data from literature sources to address a problem or answer a question. (Goals 3 and 4)
  • Further develop effective writing, speaking and presentation skills. (Goal 4)
  • Analyze and probe the scientific ideas of others in a discussion format. (Goal 2)
  • Develop an interest in a specific area of research. (Goal 4)

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