https://harshmanresearchgroup.com/

Keywords

• Chemical Education Research
• Chemistry Doctoral Education Programs
• Quantitative Research Methods
• Undergraduate STEM Classroom Practices

Awards

• NSF CAREER Award, 2022
• C. Harry Knowles Endowed Professor, 2023

Research Interests

The Harshman Research Group is focused on several key areas of research including effective graduate education in chemistry, robust statistics in chemistry education research, and instructional practices of STEM faculty. We have many projects ongoing that seek to better the landscape of chemistry education and contribute to the goal of discipline-based education research by conducting highly robust educational research. We are constantly trying to grow in the areas of qualitative and quantitative research. We are also passionate about R, a statistical coding language that many of the group’s members find extremely helpful along the way.

Design of Modern Doctoral Education in Chemistry

Chemistry Ph.D. programs are currently training over 20,000 students nationwide. These students typically complete their degrees in about five and a half years before seeking careers in a wide range of fields, including industry, academia, and government. The variety of roles they fill, from researchers and teachers to consultants and managers, highlights the need for doctoral programs to equip them with a diverse set of skills and knowledge.

The Harshman Research Group aims to investigate this topic by comparing the skills and knowledge students gain in their Ph.D. programs with the skills and knowledge needed for their future careers. By identifying any gaps, we can evaluate the effectiveness of traditional graduate components like courses, research, and exams. This research will help us better understand the career preparedness of doctoral-level chemists.

Classification of STEM Instructional Practices

Researchers have long known that active learning can significantly improve student engagement and learning in college-level STEM classes. Despite this, studies from our collaborators show that these teaching strategies are not widely used in STEM classrooms. Our research group is using the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM (COPUS) to analyze instructor behaviors and identify patterns in teaching methods. We believe that linking these observed classroom behaviors to student learning outcomes will help us better understand the effectiveness of different teaching strategies.

In collaboration with Dr. Marilyne Stains at the University of Virginia, our group developed and maintains the COPUS Analyzer website.  This online tool allows researchers and educators to upload their own COPUS data. The analyzer then provides valuable feedback through visualizations and classifications, showing how their classroom data compares to the teaching profiles we've observed in other studies. The site is also used to help researchers establish inter-rater reliability by comparing data from different observers.

Advancing Quantitative Practices in Chemistry Education Research

The Harshman Research Group is passionate about improving the use of statistical reasoning in chemistry education research. We are strong advocates for using R, a free and powerful programming language. Our goal is to not only utilize R in our own research but also to help others learn how to use this valuable tool. We are available as a resource for anyone who needs assistance.

In a collaborative project with Dr. Jack Barbera at Portland State University and Dr. Regis Komperda at San Diego State University, our group is developing a centralized database of chemistry education research instruments. This project, called the Chemistry Instrument Review and Assessment Library (CHIRAL), provides a single, easy-to-access resource for the chemistry education community. You can explore the website and its resources here: https://chiral.chemedx.org/ 

Google Scholar Page:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kpp9NFQAAAAJ&hl=en

Research areas:

Chemical education