Wilma K. Meckstroth The Ohio State University Newark Campus Newark, Ohio 43055
A Chemistry Course for Underprepared Students
The need for a preparatory chemistry course became increasingly apparent as students with weak backgrounds sought assistance and advice in compensating for their lack of preparation. Although supportive programs in remedial English and remedial mathematics have been offered for some time, there were no provisions for such a program in chemistry. In answer to this need, a noncredit course was offered in which the emphasis was on basic chemical principles and concepts. The suggested course content (outlined in the Appendix) was considered flexible and was varied to meet the needs and interests of individual students. Laboratory experiments were chosen to illustrate some fundamental principles and teach basic laboratory techniques and procedures. Class Slructure
Enrollment in the class was limited to 25 students, and the class basically consisted of approximately 3 hr of lecture-discussions and 3 hr of laboratory work each week, which was modified as required. Because many students worked, regular attendance was not always possible. Therefore, 3-5 additional hr of supervised time per week were made available during which the students could work in the laboratory or obtain individual help. Most of the students enrolled in this noncredit class were strongly motivated but lacked self-confidence in science courses, whether self-imposed or due to failure in previous attempts. It was found that some students had delayed taking a chemistry course for several years due to their feelings of inadequacy and fear of failure. Because the noncredit course allowed the students to work without the usual competitive pressure for grades, the class atmosphere was relaxed and conducive to overcoming their lack of self-confidence. Due to the limited enrollment, a close relationship was possible between student and instructor and with the help of two student assistants (who each had a minimum of 25 credit hours of chemistry) individual instruction was emphasized a t all times. Objectives and Approach
In order to fulfill the needs of the heterogeneous students enrolled in this course, it was necessary to evaluate their backgrounds and goals. On the first day a preliminary evaluation test was given covering such fundamental skills as mathematical manipulations, the knowledge of chemical symbols, conversion units, and basic terminology. The results of this test, along with the student's planned field of study, were used to divide the class into three groups. The lecture-discussions were combined with group workshop sessions, which provided supervised study time in which the students could work on problems from the lecture or laboratory and receive personalized help and instruction. Because students too often think of chemistry as a series of disconnected subjects, the relationship and interconnecting nature of topics were repeatedly stressed. Although rote learning of vocabulary terms and symbols is necessary and although memorization may serve as a prelude to learning, the emphasis was placed on understanding, not memorizing. The historical background of chemistry was discussed to illustrate the scientific method and the development of chemical principles. After some
fundamentals were covered, relevant subjects such as nutrition and disease, food chemistry, electrolyte balance in the body, drugs, environmental pollution, use of synthetic substances, and deceptive advertising of consumer products were introduced and discussed to stimulate interest and stress the importance of traditional chemistry in understanding current topics and making wise choices among proposed and available alternatives. No text or laboratory manual was required because of the flexibility of the course content but a supplementary text was given to each student for use during the course and additional books could be obtained from the library. All study material was chosen, compiled, and written by the instructor. This material included theory sections and student response sections with answers included, so that a more advanced student could move ahead at a faster pace. Also provided were supplementary problem work sheets and sample test questions for which the solutions were made available after the student had worked on the problems. Weekly quizzes and tests were given as a method of stimulating the student's application to the course material. All problem sets, quizzes, and tests were graded and returned on the same day that they were turned in, and a key to the tests was always posted. A questionnaire was prepared which gave students the opportunity to anonymously evaluate the course content, instruction, etc. This was completed by the students after the fourth. seventh. and tenth weeks of the auarter. The results were valuable in adjusting the course content and changing the approach to fit individual needs. Conclusions
The success of the course will be dependent on the ability of each participant to succeed in subsequent chemistry courses. However, upon completion of the course, each student had a good idea of his or her ability to succeed. Student response indicated that the lack of self-confidence in dealing with mathematical and scientific principles, which had inhibited their progress in previous science courses, had been alleviated in this course which provided exposure in these areas without the added competitive pressure of grades. It is important to note that results obtained from the anonymous questionnaire showed that more than 80% of the students felt their expectations from this course had been fulfilled. Appendix: Suggested Course Content
(I) Lecture-Discussion Topics 1.
Mathematical operations.
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2. Matter. measurement. and enerev 3. Nomenclature and chemical equations.
Stoichiometry. Acid-base theory. Preparation and concentration of solutions. Electronic structure. Periodic trends. Chemical bonding. (II)Laboratow Ex~eriments 1. ~easur&& of density. 2. Physical separations. 3. Determination of the emnirical formula of a comoound 4. Titration of the acetic acid in commercial vinegar. 5. Spectroscopy. 4.
5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Volume 51, Number 5, May 1974
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