Linking Chemistry to Community: Integration of Culturally Responsive Teaching into General Chemistry I Laboratory in a Remote Setting

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic redefined how chemistry laboratories were taught. It also introduced a racial health disparity for Black and Brown people. The General Chemistry I laboratory curriculum at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Baltimore, MD, was redesigned to meet student needs during this challenging time. While surrounded by civil unrest and uncertainty, we wanted to reach our underrepresented students in a way that they felt seen and heard. “The Mystery of Mr. Johnson” series was designed to reinforce the role chemistry can serve in advancing equity in their community. This interconnected series of three experiments (Solutions, Titration, Spectroscopy) developed chemistry laboratory skills which were applied to diabetes, a COVID-19 comorbidity, and health disparity highly prevalent in Baltimore. “The Mystery of Mr. Johnson” series provided opportunities for students to gain exposure to the role of chemistry in addressing a health disparity that impacts their community. The culminating project was a public service announcement to communicate lifestyle changes and the prevalence of diabetes in the black community.

Graphical Abstract

“We should re-imagine chemistry as a discipline that encourages positive, inclusive dialogue for developing solutions to global issues, and move the chemist from the laboratory toward the front lines of justice as a means of participating in a greater, social endeavor.”¹

We are defining social justice as ensuring that people are equipped with the knowledge to improve their station in life and the tools to create an equitable playing field. Recent literature provides examples of the integration of social justice into the chemistry curriculum in undergraduate organic chemistry, analytical chemistry laboratory, and biochemistry lecture. A recent article by Ali et al. describes bringing aspects of social justice into the second semester of an introductory organic chemistry course.² Alongside the description and mechanisms for various drug compounds, the cultural impact of these drugs is also presented. One striking example is the introduction of the chemical structures of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). Class materials also include a review of the disparities in the incarceration of African Americans for possession of THC. At the same time, CBD is now being marketed by Caucasians for recreational use, with no penalties. Exit survey data from this course indicates that the students appreciated gaining knowledge of the societal impacts of the drugs they learned.

Roller and colleagues describe the infusion of social justice concepts in an undergraduate analytical chemistry course during remote teaching with the Making Introductory Courses Real while Online (MICRO) laboratory project.³ These inquiry-based laboratories were centered around at-home paper microfluidics-based experiments designed to link to a real-world societal issue. Designed experiments that have tie-ins to social justice included those related to the Flint water crisis, food deserts and food insecurity, and accessible healthcare. The authors included videos and other resources to inform students who wished to learn more about these areas.

In recent work by Hollond et al.,⁴ social justice issues have been integrated into a biochemistry class. The course’s overarching theme was “Racism as a Public Health Emergency”, with themes of public health, racism, social justice, and equity discussed through designed curricular activities. The authors’ curricular integration ensures that there are (1) discussions of these topics more than once (i.e. topics are covered over multiple weeks or the entire course) and (2) course-related content that specifically delves into understanding racism and inequity in science through the lens of the chosen themes. Several impactful activities are outlined in this paper, including building community among students by sharing the origin of their names, watching videos on systemic racism, and discussing the racial disparities of COVID-19.⁵ In other work, an upper-level chemistry seminar was used as a vehicle to introduce relevant topics such as Chemists Without Borders, Racism in Academics, Chemistry for Social Justice, and the Orphan Drug Act in other work.⁶ Overall, there are few examples of social-justice-infused chemistry courses that are directly applicable to underrepresented groups.^7–10 As educators at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), we sought to develop culturally responsive course material to stress the impact of chemistry on addressing societal issues to our marginalized students.

Morgan State University (MSU), located in Baltimore, is Maryland’s preeminent urban public research university with a student population that is 80% African American, 61% women, and 66% Maryland residents. The student population served, and the community surrounding MSU, was among the hardest hit by the pandemic in the state.¹¹ Furthermore, the year 2020 was also a year of trauma for African Americans, with countless examples of videos on television and social media that showed police violence against African American bodies.^12–15 The systemic racial injustices that are an everyday part of their lives were brought to the forefront.^16–20 It was time to move chemistry from a book on the shelf into a tool for equity for our students.

Chemistry has been especially relevant to social justice issues in the Baltimore area, such as the Kennedy Krieger Institute lead paint abatement study, Baltimore water quality, higher urban air pollution exposure inequities, and environmental chemical exposure.^21–23 For underrepresented minorities, the connection between giving back to their community and the science curriculum is invaluable and increases persistence in STEM.²⁴ Incorporating a culturally responsive teaching approach enables faculty to engage students with sensitive material in a way that they felt seen and heard.²⁵ Therefore, we viewed reaching our underrepresented students in an introductory course and highlighting the role chemistry can serve in advancing equity in their community as crucial. This work enriches chemistry and presents a health disparity prevalent in the urban community surrounding our university.

THE MYSTERY OF MR. JOHNSON

The Mystery of Mr. Johnson series utilized diabetes, a health disparity prevalent in Baltimore and a comorbidity for COVID-19, to demonstrate the importance of chemistry.^14,26–28 According to the Center for Disease Control Social Vulnerability Index, Baltimore was listed as more vulnerable than 95.5% of counties in Maryland with respect to diabetes.²⁹ This focus on relevant culturally responsive material served to enliven the learning experience and provide deeper student engagement with course material.^30–33 Over the course of three general chemistry laboratory experiments, students applied chemistry to assist with the diagnosis of Mr. Johnson, an African American male with diabetes. It is important to note that while diabetes was used as a vehicle to increase awareness of health disparities, an understanding of diabetes beyond public health prevention information was not a requirement. Mastery of the chemistry concepts and techniques associated with these laboratories, coupled with communication of scientific information to expert and nonexpert audiences, was the major learning outcome for the series.

COURSE IMPLEMENTATION

Course Logistics

There were six sections of General Chemistry I and one section of the honors version of the course. The course enrollment was 126 students, 90% African American and 82% women. It was taught remotely, and each section met synchronously once a week for 3 h. All sections of the course were delivered using the CANVAS Learning Management system. At the end of the course, an optional survey was administered using a Google form. The incentive for the survey was extra credit in the course. Instructor buy-in was crucial to implement the project effectively. Five instructors taught the course, with two having more than one section. Weekly team meetings were held between the coauthors and instructors on Fridays, where guiding questions to connect social justice and chemistry were provided. These meetings served as a time to discuss successes and/or challenges of the current week’s lab, and to monitor student progress through the series. As a result of these meetings, the instructor’s questions about running the lab were answered beforehand.

Overview

The redesigned chemistry experiments were Solutions, Titration, and Spectroscopy. Each experiment contained a Mr. Johnson scenario, a virtual training lab, and the chemistry–community connection (Figure 1). The scenario provided the students with an overall context of Mr. Johnson’s circumstance and the clinical setting backdrop for each experiment. The virtual training laboratories were Labster simulations. Labster simulations were 3D simulations that required students to interact with equipment, learn techniques, and perform experiments individually. The chemistry community connection is the application of chemistry skills and concepts to the health disparity. This link was presented throughout the Canvas course and highlighted through in-class group discussions. The final project was a Public Service Announcement (PSA) brochure about diabetes for friends and family and a class presentation that combined the public health information from the brochure and the chemistry skills utilized in the diagnosis of Mr. Johnson. This work is not meant to serve as a step-by-step guide on how to perform experiments such as titration, separation techniques, etc. as these are standard in traditional chemistry laboratory textbooks.³⁴ Rather, it is meant to provide insight on methods that can be used to infuse culturally responsive teaching material in the general chemistry laboratory to increase inclusivity and student engagement.

Figure 1.

Mystery of Mr. Johnson series diagram.

Solutions

Scenario.

“Mr. Johnson has recently been admitted to the hospital with an array of symptoms including excessive thirst, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, weakness and fatigue, shortness of breath, fruity-scented breath, and confusion. He also frequently has to urinate. To begin to find out what is going on the doctor orders the nurse to take some blood and urine samples. As a laboratory technician, your role is to run a series of tests on these samples to see if there are any abnormalities. From your initial urinalysis on the patient, you notice that the patient’s urine has beta-hydroxybutyric acid present.

This is worrisome to you, and this leads you to think maybe Mr. Johnson has an issue with the pH of his urine. Your manager will be performing a titration reaction and has tasked you with making 500 mL of 0.025 M NaOH so that she can perform the titration reaction. Since this is a very important task, she is sending you to solutions training to make sure that you can do the job. Mr. Johnson’s life is in your hands!!!!”

Virtual Training Lab.

The Solutions online Labster simulation walked the student through the preparation of solutions using standard equipment and glassware they would encounter in a face-to-face laboratory. Each student completed the following techniques in the simulation:

• Measure using an analytical balance, cylinders, and volumetric flasks

• Differentiate between micropipets and proper use and application

• Conduct pipetting and serial dilution

• Prepare aqueous solutions to a specific concentration

After completing the simulation, students applied what they learned to the Mr. Johnson series.

Chemistry Community Connection.

The Solutions experiment was the first introduction to Mr. Johnson. During the group discussion, students recognized that the first step in helping Mr. Johnson was understanding the methods and skills needed to diagnose his symptoms. This provided a clear connection for the students between the chemical knowledge they gained and its application in a clinical setting to potentially help people in their community. Students learned about the importance of equipment, glassware, and concentrations, and how incorrect concentrations could lead to inaccurate lab results. They discussed the importance of making sure that solutions were appropriately prepared and the need for accurate calculations. During the discussion, a connection to Mr. Johnson the person was also fostered. Students’ questions included the following: Who is Mr. Johnson? Why do we care? Why is this important, and how is this relevant to chemistry in life? They were introduced to an individual that they were familiar with, had seen, and may even know, and started to develop a sense of what can they do for Mr. Johnson and those in similar situations.

Titration

Scenario.

“The results are in!! Your manager successfully completed the titration on Mr. Johnson’s sample. Unfortunately, she got called away to work on another patient’s case and left the raw data for you to interpret. She wanted to make sure that you understood the theory behind titration reactions. She is sending you to training on the titration technique.”

Virtual Training Lab.

The Titration virtual lab had two parts: a Labster simulation and a video demonstration. The online Labster simulation reinforced skills from the solutions simulation, such as correctly using an analytical balance and measurements. New skills and techniques learned were as follows:

• Identification of titration glassware

• Assembly of the titration apparatus

• Ability to describe the function of each part of the titration apparatus

• Ability to conduct a titration experiment and analyze results

The video demonstration was a urinalysis using titration as a means to diagnose kidney disease.³⁵ After gaining a better understanding of how titration was used in diagnosis, students then applied the skills learned in solution preparation and titration to investigate Mr. Johnson further.

Chemistry Community Connection.

After gaining an understanding of the role pH can play in disease diagnosis, students extended the application of what they learned to consider Mr. Johnson’s urinalysis report. Using titration raw data and basic lab results from the urinalysis report, students (1) performed titration calculations, (2) determined the concentration of β-hydroxybutyrate, and (3) compared it to known physiological limits for acidic urine. The procedure and results from the solutions titration laboratories were combined and submitted as a draft lab report which included an analysis of Mr. Johnson’s urinalysis data. The designed exercises continued to draw a direct link between chemistry and disease.

Spectroscopy

The Titration virtual lab had two parts: a Labster simulation and a video demonstration. The online Labster simulation reinforced skills from the solutions simulation such as the correct use of an analytical balance and measurements. The new techniques were as follows;

Multipart Scenario.

Part One: Introduction to Spectroscopy I.

“From the titration lab, you determined that Mr. Johnson did have urine that was considered to be acidic because of the increased presence of ketoacids such as β-hydroxybutyrate. This phenomenon is called ketoacidosis. Diabetes can be one reason why ketoacidosis occurs. Take a look at Mr. Johnson’s medical report as well as his urinalysis report from the previous week. You will have to conduct further experiments to determine the glucose level in Mr. Johnson’s blood.”

Part Two: Introduction to Spectroscopy II.

“Mr. Johnson is now resting well and has been put on plenty of fluids to make sure he has the proper nutrition. You will have to conduct further experiments to determine the glucose level in Mr. Johnson’s blood. Your manager has tasked you with determining the glucose level in Mr. Johnson’s blood. You will use a DNS-absorbance based assay.”

Virtual Training Lab.

The spectroscopy online Labster simulation introduced students to flow injection analysis (FIA) and the use of Beer’s law to determine the unknown concentration of compounds. Through guided practice, students:

• Identified the different parts of the FIA machine

• Altered machine parameters and prepared samples for use

• Created an absorbance graph to communicate results

This final experiment in the series trained students in techniques that allowed them to confirm their suspected diagnosis for Mr. Johnson.

Chemistry Community Connection.

Although the potential diagnosis was woven throughout the other experiments, the link between chemistry and diabetes was most apparent in the spectroscopy data analysis component. Students were tasked with addressing the diagnosis of Mr. Johnson by revisiting data from their titration lab report, urinalysis report, and the newly obtained medical report. Through collaborative data analysis, students gained a deeper understanding of the relationship between titration and diabetes diagnosis. Students applied knowledge from the FIA training to determine the concentration of glucose in Mr. Johnson’s sample. The concentration was determined to be above the normal physiological levels of glucose leading students to a clear diagnosis of diabetes.

Final Project

The final project was assigned to the students during Spectroscopy Part 1. Over the course of several weeks, students worked in groups to develop presentations on their application of chemistry to the diagnosis of Mr. Johnson. The students were provided the following scenario:

“Over the course of several weeks you and your team have been conducting experiments and analyzing data to determine what is wrong with Mr. Johnson. Based upon the data and information that you have collected, it appears that Mr. Johnson may have diabetes. You will have to conduct further experiments to confirm your results. Your manager wants to be prepared for when the results come in so you and your team have been tasked to work together to develop a PSA in the form of a “brochure” and media presentation to communicate some lifestyle changes and the prevalence of diabetes in the black community.”

The guidelines for the PSA are as follows:

• Present the data collected from each of the laboratory experiments and describe how the techniques performed allowed you to collect and analyze Mr. Johnson’s urinalysis and medical reports.

• Explain how chemistry was used to diagnose Mr. Johnson and the importance of the data collected. For the PSA, remember, you are now communicating the information to the general public who may not have any scientific knowledge or background. Think about ways that you can communicate the information so that it is understood as well as reaches your target audience.

• Communicate the diagnosis to Mr. Johnson’s family and provide suggestions on lifestyle changes that are specific to Mr. Johnson.

• Using Mr. Johnson as an example, inform the community of the importance of diabetes and the associated risk factors and provide suggestions on lifestyle changes to combat the disease.

• Further, investigate diabetes and the different types, choose a specific age group, and develop your presentation to communicate the importance of diabetes, risk factors, and prevention to that age group.

The PSA provided a framework for students to share their scientific findings using the best method that worked for them. In one of the group presentations, students used a clip from the TV show Blackish that showcased when Mr. Dre Johnson had diabetes. Students enjoyed the clip, and it was the highlight of the group’s feedback. Another student shared, “I found the assignment to be enjoyable. I like how we were allowed to choose our approach to discuss the topic of diabetes. I also like how we shared information that is valuable to everyone.” A sample of student presentations can be seen in Figure 2.

Figure 2.

Sample of a student presentation.

Peer-to-Peer Feedback.

“I like how this group added the chemistry aspect of detecting diabetes. I enjoyed this presentation.”

“I enjoyed working with my group. They’re hardworking and creative, and putting our presentation took real team effort. Mr. Johnson’s case helped to shed a light on things that we do not really talk a lot about in the black community and I’m glad each group was able to present their own spin on it. diabetes is deadly, Fight diabetes today!”

“I enjoyed how you made your brochure section a lot more interactive. Personally for me I have been affected by diabetes in my family history and it was cool that you went over a lot of what some people miss.”

“This presentation was very detailed and broken down to the point of applying chemistry techniques, and etc.”

“I really like how this presentation provided data and statistics that supported the information about diabetes. I especially liked how it focused on the African American community and how diabetes affects the entire community. I think this presentation was nicely organized as far as breaking down the different types of diabetes.”

Student Impact.

The integration of culturally responsive teaching allowed students to connect and identify with the impact of diabetes on black communities. Survey data showed that not only were the students a part of the community by either race or residence, but also 90% of respondents knew one or more persons with diabetes. Compared to the traditional experiments, 62% of students felt more engaged in the activities in the Mr. Johnson series. A significant majority of students (89%) wanted science classes to focus more on real-life case scenarios that affect their communities (Figure 3).

Figure 3.

I would like for science classes to focus more on real-life case scenarios that affect my community (n = 73).

The relatability of diabetes, coupled with the freedom to express chemistry concepts without cultural constraints, allowed students to move toward ways of advancing social equity in their community. Figure 4 shows that 82% of students said they were likely to share information with their friends. From the data, students already share information with their family 1.7 times more than friends and 5.5 times more than their community. Only 5% of students already share information with their community, and 92% expressed a likelihood to share to some extent after the Mystery of Mr. Johnson series.

Figure 4.

After investigating Mr. Johnson, how likely are you to share information family, friends, and community (n = 73).

Improvement and Future Plan

Implementing culturally relevant teaching can be challenging but not impossible. The impact of bringing in course material that speaks to students’ communities and experiences is clear. A majority of students (60%) either agreed or strongly agreed that they understood how chemistry lab skills are used in real life. At the same time, 84% of students agreed or strongly agreed that they understood the importance of chemistry lab skills to inform diagnosis. To keep this series going beyond one semester and even one course, changes will need to be made. The lessons learned through student and faculty feedback highlight two key areas: overall improvement of the project and insight for a successful transition from an online environment to a face-to-face setting. The three experiments had gaps of time that resulted from scheduling challenges. This contributed to a lack of continuity and unclear links between chemistry skills and the chemistry community connection. It was most evident in the case of the solutions postlab assignment. Students were tasked with explaining how to prepare solutions but did not really understand why they were doing it. The assignment lacked the connection between solution preparation and the Mr. Johnson scenario. Effectively bridging these two ideas together through scheduling the experiments in consecutive weeks would help to prevent the disconnect that students experienced when transitioning between solutions and titration experiments. To prevent students from enduring four continuous weeks of simulations, students performed hands-on experiments with take-home kits. While well-intentioned, this further increased the time between titration and spectroscopy experiments. Therefore, time was allotted each week for the students and instructors to revisit the Mr. Johnson project. During this period, it was incumbent upon the instructor to regularly discuss the case study and facilitate student progress toward completing the PSA. However, when Mr. Johnson’s discussions were not formally linked with a laboratory experiment, the continuity of the culturally relevant experience differed per course section. This impacted the learning experience as the strength of this reinforcement may vary widely.

The anticipated transition to in-person learning is expected to resolve the aforementioned gaps between experiments and provide the necessary hands-on training, whereas, concerning the peer-to-peer collaboration, anticipated standard time constraints are expected to impede this essential component upon return to campus. In a remote learning environment, students were at home and more readily able to collaborate and research topics. Opportunities for student reflection, discussion, and collaboration were accomplished through Learning Management System (LMS)-integrated discussion boards, Padlets, and collaboration features. Instructor feedback and buy-in will be critical to a successful transition as pandemic-induced effects on learning may still be present. Instructors were cognizant of the fact that this is the first iteration of this exercise and “definitely there will be a lot of areas to improve as we move forward”. Suggested enhancements include more interactive in-person presentations such as videos and increased laboratory time devoted to the project. The revised approach to the Mr. Johnson project will enable the cohesive integration of this culturally relevant curriculum into a single streamlined series of experiments that take place in consecutive weeks. Effective online LMS strategies will be leveraged to enhance student collaboration in a face-to-face environment and restructure the allocation of laboratory class time to maximize student engagement in the laboratory setting.

Reflections

The Mr. Johnson exercise was designed to be an entryway to more intentional incorporation of culturally responsive course material with an underlying foundation in DEIR principles. For far too long, chemistry experiments have not catered to the interests of underrepresented minorities, often under the guise of it being too difficult. Factors that contribute to this perceived difficulty can include lack of faculty buy-in, time commitment, and concern for loss of integrity of scientific rigor. From our point of view, it takes desire, creativity, and sustained effort to develop a Mr. Johnson-type series. One positive outcome was that our culturally diverse faculty were challenged to step outside of their own understanding and gain new perspectives on the challenges faced by the student population that they serve. For example, one instructor stated that the “various obstacles encountered by the black community in preventing and treating the prevalence of the disease were very informative.” Through this project, positive and inclusive dialogue in a chemistry laboratory course for social justice by both faculty and students was fostered. Students understood the relevance of the chemistry curriculum and felt empowered to share information with their friends and community.

“As Black female students attending an HBCU (a historically black college or university), majoring in science fields, I feel like it is our duty to ensure the people in our community are educated in how to maintain healthy lifestyles so they can have that longevity. The system would want us to feel beaten by this illness, picking us off one by one, but I say we kick diabetes in the face and say “Not today”. We have to do better in taking care of our own, providing the right treatment for those in need, like for our friend Mr. Johnson.”