The Human HPLC Column

Y

7

Narcotics; Learning Motivation; Educational Change; Adolescents; Stimulants; Scientific Literacy; Intellectual Development; Active Learning; Drug Use; Chemistry; Teaching Methods; Role Playing; Brain; Psychomotor Skills; Science Instruction

0036-8555

Initiatives in education reform emphasize inquiry-based active learning and real-world relevance to increase science literacy nationwide. Active teaching and learning approaches yield rapid intellectual development and may increase interest and motivation to learn science. Incorporating the topic of drug use with neuroscience, biology, psychology, health, chemistry, and math may increase attention and participation of students in the classroom, as well as emphasize the harmful effects of drug use and abuse. In this article, the author describes a teaching module that provides active, "minds-on" role-playing experience for students in identifying and explaining key steps in chemical separation by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), while inferring the detrimental effects of drugs on the brain. This teaching module is designed to: (1) introduce adolescents to the acute neurochemical effects of psychomotor stimulant drugs; (2) help students explore two laboratory techniques used to analyze drug effects, in vivo microdialysis and chemical separation by HPLC; (3) spur maturation of analytical reasoning skills among adolescents; and (4) spark enthusiasm for science. (Contains 4 figures and 5 online resources.)

ERIC

8

2007

EJ758683