RELEVANCE, HISTORY, AND FRAMEWORKS IN TEACHING INSTRUMENTATION (OR HOW I LEARNED TO STOP TALKING ABOUT VACUUM SYSTEMS AND DISCUSS 1950S RUSSIAN MICROPROBE DESIGNS)

Even the best teachers are liable to hear "Why do we have to learn this stuff?" muttered in their classrooms (or see it written across their students' faces). Those who teach instrumentation are no exception. Careful consideration of the relevance of class materials to analyses is, of course, paramount, but the significance of some information can escape even bright students. The best way to handle this disconnect is to anticipate it by providing answers before students ask. The solution involves a two-fold approach. First, from the start of a class, students must be provided with a framework into which they can fit later information. The second element is making the relevance of the course material more explicit and connecting it to students' interests and prior knowledge. Starting to present context and relevance early in the course has the added benefit of re-aligning students' expectations: some students come to instrumentation courses expecting a "button-pressing, knob-turning" class. At the University of Minnesota, history has provided a useful framework for understanding electron microprobe analysis. For example, students can learn a great deal about how an X-ray spectrometer works by considering alternative designs that failed to catch on. The history of electron microscopy also contains cautionary examples: the bacterial mesosome, thought real for many years, is now considered a mere artifact of sample preparation. Including philosophy of science can lead students to think critically about the use of instruments in science. Furthermore, having students consider engaging scenarios, such as the challenges of sending a rover-sized instrument to Mars, can stimulate them to rethink the essentials of the analytical technique and apply what they have learned. Employing such pedagogical methods to connect lecture material to actually using the instrument can improve students' understanding, application of knowledge, and motivation.