Chemical Education Today
A Brief History of the Gordon Research Conference in Chemistry Education Research and Practice by Marcy Towns Department of Chemistry, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907
[email protected] The Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on Chemistry Education Research and Practice can trace its roots back to 1992, when a single GRC on science education was held. Attendees Angelica Stacy (UC-Berkeley) and Art Ellis (then at UWMadison) subsequently proposed a new conference titled Innovations in College Chemistry Teaching (1). This conference was held seven times between 1994 and 2002. Early programs focused on new perspectives and challenges in teaching undergraduate courses such as general, organic, analytical, and physical chemistry. Speakers also addressed workforce issues for graduates, preparing future faculty to help students learn chemistry, and facilitating the success of all students, including underrepresented minorities. The conferences also focused on broader issues in the science curriculum. For example, participants considered how to integrate scientific disciplines more effectively, emphasize realworld applications, and use technology to facilitate or assess student learning. The role of research by undergraduates in the chemistry curriculum was also a topic of discussion. In addition, from 1996 to 2001, the conference highlighted the investment of the National Science Foundation (NSF) in reforming the undergraduate chemistry curriculum via five funded systemic initiatives. Plans, progress, and results from the Establishing New Traditions (UW-Madison), ChemLinks (Beloit College), ModularCHEM Consortium (UC Berkeley), Molecular Science Project (UCLA), and Workshop Chemistry Curriculum (CUNY) projects were presented. The Conference Evolves over Time Over time, Innovations in College Chemistry Teaching evolved to include more presentations focused on research-based approaches to explore what students understood about chemistry. Correspondingly, the number of attendees interested in this topic increased. Conference participants learned about analytical approaches in cognitive science that shed light on how people learn. Attendees also benefited from presentations focusing on educational research and practices in the disciplines of engineering, physics, and biology. In 2002, as a response to the growing number of faculty engaged in chemistry education research, the name of the conference was changed to Chemistry Education Research and Practice. The change reflected the growing number of presentations that used theories of learning to guide the design of studies and frame research questions. By rigorously discussing the research design and methods, presenters were able to elucidate methodological frameworks consistent with theory that guided data collection and analysis. The new conference name also emphasized recognition of the need to evaluate and assess curricular innovations in a rigorous, well-designed fashion. Thus, the 2002
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GRC began with a session titled Research in Chemistry Education. The first presentation of the session connected the theoretical framework of constructivism to research in chemistry education; the second delved into current physical chemistry research as a real-world authentic context for the application of concepts in physical chemistry classrooms and laboratories. Common Topics at a Chemistry Education Research and Practice Conference Throughout the history of the now-titled GRC: Chemistry Education Research and Practice conference, priority has been placed on bringing discipline-based education research to the classroom. In the case of chemistry education research, the emphasis has been on conducting well-designed studies that inform faculty about student understanding of the macroscopic, symbolic, and molecular worlds of chemistry across the curriculum in lecture and in the laboratory. Varying pedagogical approaches have all been elucidated at conferences between 2002 and 2009; these include small-group learning that makes use of social theories of learning, inquiry in different forms, and the integration of real-world contexts. Conference presenters have also probed the laboratory environment within courses and undergraduate research. Discipline-based undergraduate science education research in fields such as physics and mathematics has encouraged faculty to learn from each other rather than to work in parallel. Visualizing chemistry, especially at the molecular level, has emerged as a key area of research that informs teaching and learning. Associated with the molecular level are the concepts of size and scale that have been explored at recent conferences, from the very large to the nano scale. What Is Special about a Chemistry Education Research and Practice Conference? Gordon Research Conferences are designed to facilitate sustained engagement and interaction with colleagues for nearly a week. The conference typically begins with a dinner on Sunday and concludes with a breakfast on Friday. Presentations are scheduled for the mornings and evenings, with the afternoons free for special-interest groups to spontaneously assemble or for groups to share field trips. An evening social hour is scheduled Sunday through Thursday; it has been known to stretch into the wee hours of the morning. Evening poster sessions, held in conjunction with the social hour, allow time for in-depth conversations among presenters and conferees. It is common to see conferees discuss the evening's posters, presentations, emerging research directions, and new proposal ideas inspired by shared interests. The conference has
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r 2010 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc. pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc Vol. 87 No. 11 November 2010 10.1021/ed100085f Published on Web 08/30/2010
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witnessed considerable growth in the number of posters from 75 to 80 in 2005 and 2007, respectively, to 112 scheduled across three evening sessions in 2009. The networking and interactions that take place at a GRC are different than those afforded by any other conference. At the Chemistry Education Research and Practice conference, the attendees' exchanges are characterized by a passion for chemistry, research, and student learning. Come to the 2011 Conference The GRC: Chemistry Education Research and Practice meets during the summer of odd-numbered years, alternating with the Biennial Conference on Chemical Education (BCCE). In 2009, the GRC set a registration record: 156 people attended, including 20 foreign attendees. This broad engagement of the chemical education community both inside and outside the United States has sent a new benchmark for future GRCs. I encourage you to mark your calendars for the next GRC: Chemistry Education Research and Practice, scheduled for June 26 through July 1, 2011 at Davidson College in Davidson, North Carolina. The conference program and application information
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Vol. 87 No. 11 November 2010
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will be posted at http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year= 2011&program=chemedu (accessed Aug 2010) (2). Please note that you must apply to attend this conference. The conference chair reviews all applications, and most conferees submit a poster abstract to share their work in chemistry education. If the conference chair accepts your poster, you will receive an e-mail message with a link to the GRC's Online Registration Web site (3). Please hold the date and consider applying to this prestigious and stimulating conference in chemistry education. Literature Cited 1. GRC: Chemistry Education Research and Practice Conference Portfolio. http://www.grc.org/conferences.aspx?id=0000901 (accessed Aug 2010). 2. 2011 GRC: Chemistry Education Research and Practice Conference Home Page. http://www.grc.org/programs.aspx?year=2011&program= chemedu (accessed Aug 2010). 3. GRC: Chemistry Education Research and Practice Conference Online Application Web Page. http://www.grc.org/application. aspx?id=10106 (accessed Aug 2010).
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r 2010 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
