Chemical Education Today
Association Report: ACS Education
Chemistry Education: Experiments Worth Running by Mary M. Kirchhoff
Education plays a visible role in the National Charter of the American Chemical Society, enacted in 1938. The Act of Incorporation committed ACS to “the improvement of the qualifications and usefulness of chemists through high standards of professional ethics, education, and attainments”, and “promote scientific interests and inquiry, thereby fostering public welfare and education”. Numerous programs have been initiated over the years to fulfill the objects of incorporation. Improving “the qualifications and usefulness of chemists” is addressed through the development and administration of guidelines that identify high quality undergraduate chemistry programs, a process overseen by the Committee on Professional Training. “The increase and diffusion of chemical knowledge” is met, in part, through the development and publication of innovative textbooks and student-focused magazines, and by offering online courses that enhance the qualifications of K–8 teachers. The activities of the Student Affiliates Program, Project SEED, the Chemistry Olympiad, Kids & Chemistry, and High School Chemistry Clubs engage young people in a myriad of opportunities for professional and personal growth. The programs, products, and services of the American Chemical Society truly foster “public welfare and education” by focusing on high-quality chemical education for members and non-members alike. Education is not a static endeavor but one open to new experiments. Not every experiment works as we envision; like laboratory research, however, each effort yields new information. Education needs to be responsive to the changing needs of students and teachers, as well as to new developments in the chemical enterprise. New experiments abound in the ACS Education Division. The Office of K–8 Science has launched the 3rd edition of Inquiry in Action: Investigating Matter through Inquiry. Responding to the current educational climate and to the requests of K–8 teachers, this new edition includes increased science content for teachers and incorporates more opportunities for students to read and write. A companion Web site at www. inquiryinaction.org (accessed May 2007) provides teachers with online support for the book and other teaching resources. Our High School Office is also responding to the changing needs of students and their teachers. In keeping with the principles of Universal Design, which is related to “inclusive design” or “design for all”, the 5th edition of our first-year high school chemistry text, Chemistry in the Community, will be released as a Digital Talking Book in fall 2007. This is a project ACS has worked on with gh, LLC (an assistive technology company), and will be the first digital talking chemistry textbook on the market. We envision that this will increase the accessibility of introductory high school chemistry for students who have physical impairments, learning disabilities, reading difficulties, or for whom English is a second language. Another new endeavor at the secondary level is the second edition of Chemistry in the National Science Education Standards. Slated for a Summer 2007 release, this resource will
address standards-based chemistry instruction and acknowledge the realities of No Child Left Behind in the secondary chemistry classroom. The Education Division will continue to run these and other experiments at the K–12 level as we respond to the everchanging climate of primary and secondary science education. It is also of great importance that our Division respond to the dynamic nature of the post-secondary environment. I would like to focus the remainder of this article on new endeavors in the following four areas
• Graduate education
• International opportunities
• Faculty development
• Two-year colleges
Graduate Education The United States remains the world leader in graduate education. Students emerge from their graduate experience as highly-trained experts in a very specific area of science. Often, however, our students have not been exposed to the skills needed to be successful beyond graduate school—many have never written a paper or research proposal, organized a symposium, or considered the impact of their work in a global context. The life of a graduate student is often limited to the academic world, where he or she has spent the last 20-plus years. Students don’t understand what an industrial career entails because they haven’t been exposed to industry. ACS must continue to support opportunities targeted toward graduate students, such as workshops on proposal writing and manuscript preparation, and summer schools in interdisciplinary research areas. Expanded programs and services will better prepare graduate students for their professional lives beyond graduate school. International Opportunities The globalization of the chemical industry suggests that an increasing number of chemists will spend part of their careers working or doing business overseas. Few undergraduate chemistry majors take advantage of study-abroad programs, in part because the hierarchical nature of the chemistry curriculum makes it difficult to spend a semester abroad without extending the time to degree. Students need international experiences that do not disrupt their studies, such as the new ACS–NSF–DAAD International Research Experience for Undergraduates program, which enables U.S. and German undergraduates to spend a summer conducting research in Germany and the U.S., respectively. Graduate students can gain international experience through short courses, such as the Pan-American Advanced Studies Institute on Sustainability and Green Chemistry. Undergraduate and graduate students benefit from these, and other, international opportunities, which position them for success in the global marketplace.
1090 Journal of Chemical Education • Vol. 84 No. 7 July 2007 • www.JCE.DivCHED.org
Chemical Education Today
Faculty Development The faculty development opportunities currently offered by ACS focus on equipping faculty members to effectively use ACS materials, such as textbooks, in the classroom. Faculty development goes beyond specific curricular materials, however, and can be especially effective in guiding faculty through transition periods, such as faculty beginning academic careers and those assuming the mantle of department chair. I envision ACS offering a suite of faculty development opportunities, starting in graduate school. Workshops focused on interactive pedagogies or faculty responsibilities could be targeted to graduate and post-doctoral students planning academic careers. Early career faculty at R1 universities would benefit from workshops that address effective approaches to teaching large sections of general chemistry. Such opportunities would enrich the professional development of faculty members at a variety of institutions. Two-Year Colleges Approximately half of all college students begin their work in higher education at two-year colleges, and these institutions serve a large number of students from under represented groups. ACS is working to identify the best way it
can serve the needs of faculty and students at two-year colleges by soliciting input from the two-year college community. Suggestions include some form of ACS recognition for chemistry programs, increased research opportunities for students, and travel support for faculty members to attend ACS National Meetings. I’ve never forgotten the mnemonic I learned in elementary school to remember the planets: “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pickles” (the recent demotion of Pluto means a new mnemonic is needed.) The older I get, the more I rely on mnemonics to remember important information (my kids note that I have amazing recall of useless data). The mnemonic I use to focus on the four areas outlined above is “GIFT”—Graduate, International, Faculty development, and Two-year colleges. Success in these areas will truly be a gift from the ACS to future generations of citizens and scientists. I invite you to send your suggestions on these, and other, initiatives to me at
[email protected]. Collectively we can develop and implement programs that make a difference in the lives of all our students. Mary M. Kirchhoff was recently appointed Director, Education Division, American Chemical Society, 1155 Sixteenth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036;
[email protected].
www.JCE.DivCHED.org • Vol. 84 No. 7 July 2007 • Journal of Chemical Education 1091
