RESEARCH
Research & Initiatives
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Engagement With Scientific Practices
Reasoning about underlying mechanisms of observed chemical phenomena lies at the core of scientific practices. To prepare for work as scientists and engineers, students should engage in scientific and engineering practices. One way to engage students in these practices is through three-dimensional learning (3DL); 3D assessments require students to integrate chemistry core ideas with scientific practices and crosscutting concepts. Written constructed response assessment items that ask students to explain, make a prediction, and provide their reasoning offer the strongest evidence of 3DL. This research project will provide an understanding of how students engage with 3D assessments without instruction on 3DL, and in the future, will include developing AI/ML systems to help learners engagement with scientific practices.
Capabilities and Uses of Generative Artificial Intelligence
Emergent large language model (LLM) and generative artificial intelligence (GAI) technologies will inevitably change the chemistry education landscape including the potential to develop students’ mechanistic reasoning. Previous studies have evaluated the capabilities of GAI-based chatbots, such as ChatGPT, but have found limitations that may hinder its use. However, in February 2025, OpenAI released o3-mini, a powerful and fast reasoning model that claims to deliver exceptional reasoning capabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, including chemistry. With this advancement in reasoning capabilities of LLMs and GAI technologies, it is therefore timely to reevaluate the capabilities of ChatGPT. This research project will provide an understanding of the current reasoning capabilities of LLMs, and also the reasoning capabilities when asked to describe pictorial representations of reaction mechanisms, as a start to developing technologies to aid in the learning of chemistry.​
Effects of Alternative Grading
In recent years, alternative grading schemes and movements have increased in popularity. Within chemistry, specifications grading is favored. Specifications grading has been proposed as an alternative grading scheme to address the reported flaws of the traditional, 100-point or A–F, grading system. Advocates for specifications grading expect increases in students’ motivation to learn, grading transparency, and reductions in stress. Specifications grading has also been proposed to promote an equitable learning environment and grade equity where there is a reduction in grade disparities between students of different identities and backgrounds. However, empirical investigations testing these hypothesized outcomes are rare within the literature. This project will provide an understanding of the effects of specifications grading on equity and affective outcomes through empirical studies.​
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*Left figure from: B. J. Yik, L. Morkowchuk, L. B. Wheeler, J. Roksa, H. Machost, & M. Stains. Balancing Equity in General Chemistry Laboratory: The Complex Impact of Specifications Grading on Student Success and Opportunity Gaps. JACS Au, advance online article.
*Right figure reproduced from: B. J. Yik, H. Machost, A. C. Streifer, M. S. Palmer, L. Morkowchuk, & M. Stains. Students' Perceptions of Specifications Grading: Development and Evaluation of the Perceptions of Grading Schemes (PGS) Instrument. Journal of Chemical Education 2024, 101 (9), 3723–3738.​
Motivation of Learning Assistants and Their Thinking About Their Teaching
The learning assistant (LA) model supports student success in undergraduate science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Students who have previously performed well in a course are invited back to facilitate peer discussion and foster active learning activities. While there has been some work on understanding the benefits of LAs to students and how LAs facilitate discussion, there is little research that investigate what factors may influence students to become LAs and stay as LAs, and effects on their motivation and teaching beliefs. This project will provide an understanding of the motivations, goals, and factors that influence students to become LAs, and quantify the effect that becoming an LA has an effect on the LAs themselves and the students that they serve.
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*Photo attributed to Queen's University under a Creative Commons license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/). https://www.flickr.com/photos/queensucanada/12442400225/in/photostream/