Kent State University at Trumbull student Scott Teffner received the E. "Ted" Bunn Award for Student Excellence as the winner of the 2015 AURCO Student Poster Competition on Saturday, April 18 at the AURCO Annual Conference held on the campus of Kent State University at Salem.
Teffner's poster was entitled "Teaching Chemistry with Household Items." Teffner was mentored by Valerie Cubon, Ph.D., assistant professor of chemistry, Kent State Trumbull.
AURCO is the Association for University Regional Campuses of Ohio and is "devoted to the professional development of faculty throughout Ohio's 24 university regional campuses and their communities."
The following is an abstract of Teffner's scholarly work:
"Laboratory instruction and experimentation is a vital component of chemistry education. Such procedures are designed to generate interest in the subject matter and compliment textbook and lecture materials. As opposed to lecture alone, supplementing the course with laboratory experiences aims to increase student retention and comprehension. However, for new laboratory students, quantitative assignments using obscure chemicals can be tedious and imposing which can create a barrier to learning. This manual compiles and expands upon existing qualitative literature demonstrations providing educators with five experiments featuring a household product to introduce a general chemistry concept. The household items highlighted in these experiments are: aluminum foil, milk, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, orange juice, soda-pop, and glow sticks. These ordinary household substances were selected to showcase unfamiliar properties of everyday items. The general chemistry concepts introduced in this manual include recognizing the difference between reactants and catalysts, comparisons of pH and relative acidity, redox reactions, and reaction kinetics. Each experiment contains an introduction, list of materials, an experimental procedure complete with illustrations, and conclusion. This manual is designed to be an easy-to-follow step-by-step guide for educators teaching introductory chemistry classes in order to engage students in a fun and relatable manner."
Photo caption:
Kent State Trumbull student Scott Teffner with his award-winning research poster, "Teaching Chemistry with Household Items."