A persistent challenge in chemistry education is the reliance on commercial laboratory instrumentation and associated control and processing software without attention paid to learning the fundamental principles underlying instrument function and signal processing. To address this need for improved student learning of the inner workings of analytical instrumentation, a four-week laboratory module (4 h per week) for senior undergraduate students was developed in which students learn to design, build, and refine their own instrument for chemical analysis. This module emphasizes experiential learning of analytical instrument development through a scaffolded introduction to basic electronics, circuit design, and microcontroller programming by using inexpensive Arduino hardware and freely available development software. Students, tasked with the development of a fluorimeter, begin by exploring the principles of fluorescence and the optical and electronic components required for signal generation and detection. They then construct circuits incorporating LEDs, photodiodes, and operational amplifiers and interface these with Arduino boards for data acquisition and instrument control. Throughout the process, students gain hands-on experience in optics, electronics, coding, and analytical measurement. In the final week of the module, students are tasked with revising and optimizing their fluorimeter designs based on their observations and data collected during initial testing. This iterative process encourages critical evaluation of the analytical figures of merit (e.g., limit of detection, sensitivity, and dynamic range), and challenges students to implement hardware and/or software modifications to improve their instrument design and performance. By engaging in the full cycle of instrument development─from conceptual design to performance refinement, students develop a deeper understanding of the practical considerations of instrument construction.
Piunno et al. (Mon,) studied this question.