editorially /peaking
The Importance and Utility of Conferences "A stimulating and intellectually invigorating experience. I d s of' new ideas to try with my classes. Surprised-hut pleased-at the number who wanted more info on our senior research program. Very valuahle meeting; well worth the time and effort il took to attend."
These are one teacher's comments on a recent conference for chemical educators. The first two papers in this issue of the JOURNAL concern the Sixth International Conference on Chemical Education to be held a t the University of Maryland in August, 1981. At, this time of upward spiraling costs, one might he tempted to make this conference and indeed conferences in general, a low priority. Rut conferences are professionally important. Conferences are nodes on informal communication networks as well as a means for bringing together "critical masses" of ueonle who share common interests and concerns. Teachers are interested in the specific subjects that they teach, teaching methodologies, topics of special and or potential relevance, updating and expanding their knowledge on certain topics, and/or discussing areas in which their research interests lie. Most teachers do not have immediate access to a critical mass of colleaeues with similar interests with whom they can interact; indeed, it is not often that teachers have the opportunity to interact meaningfully in their local situation with a critical mass on any single chemical subject, let alone on their entire spectrum of interests. Many believe that diversity is a strength in a teaching department, hut diversity can also he a hinderance. Conferences provide a forum for hringing persons with diverse interests together for a few days to engage in those subtle interactions that are necessary for stimulating dialogue and for meaningful learning to occur. A conference such as the Maryland meeting provides an excellent opportunity to learn (and perhaps teach) a t several interest levels: subject content, pedagogy, and continuing education.
sionally: people who know how to do things of mutual interest, who have experiences which may he related to current areas of concern, or who have useful information. Conferences serve different purposes than does the printed word. At conferences one often observes intellectual creativity in action, i.e., the formation of the nascent ideas which may not appear in written form for several years. The written word acquires an aura of permanence, and partially formulated ideas or subjects that are not well understood are seldom discussed in this medium. Oral communication is not only more comfortable in such cases. it also invites constructive criticism and informal discussion by ones peers. Many people feel that conferences are intellectuallv much more stimulatine- than the formal papers derived f k m them. Fhen listening to a discussion of a familiar suhiect can be enlightening. when the subject is familiar the listener can concentrate on the development of the material and observe the interaction of ideas without the usual concern about understanding the content. Such situations can provide new insights to the teacher concerned with perceived local prohlems. At this level of thought it is often possihle to separate prrhlems which derive from local conditions from those which are more general in nature. Solutions to the latter, although they may exist, can he affected by local conditions. The possibilities for comparative analysis are enormous at conferences, and such analyses can stimulate several years of work on a local level. Participants of well-run conferences frequently come away with a level of enthusiasm and intellectual stimulation that inspires their work as teachers and researchers for several vears. Past conferences on chemical edlication have been noted I ' r r develoning a sense of intellectual sharing among the participants. ~reiiminaryinformation on the ~ a r y l a n dconference indicates that there is every reason to expect that the environment there will he equally stimulating and will be JJL worth sharing.
Volume 58
Number 6
June 1981
449
