Over a three-year period, we developed and integrated computing and data science (CDS) materials into five chemistry courses: a large-enrollment first-year life science course (CHM135H1); a first-year course for physical scientists (CHM151Y1); and three environmental chemistry courses (CHM210H1, CHM310H1, and CHM410H1-1410H). CDS materials were tailored to each unique course context. Examples include: the introduction of a structured data analysis workflow in Excel in the first-year laboratories; the generation of reproducible and increasingly complex data analysis workflows using R in the upper year laboratories; and the creation of more interesting and topical assignments including one in CHM210H1 where students create interactive maps relating air quality to wildfire activity. Many of the materials created through this project are now available as open-access educational resources.

To assess the success of this initiative we conducted an REB-approved study to assess the affective experience of students interacting with computer code within a chemistry course context. We found that chemistry students appreciate the introduction of CDS skills to their courses and recognize these skills as crucial for their academic and professional futures. Professors D’eon and Liu presented this work at the Faculty of Arts & Science Teaching and Learning Community of Practice and to the wider chemistry community.

This work has created a strong interdisciplinary relationship that will outlast this grant, and which has already resulted in new collaborations.