Videotape Exposition The advent of performance (or behavioral) objectives has been deemed sufficiently important that much of therecent activity of the Division of Chemical Education's Curriculum Committee has been directed toward the development of sueh objectives for each area of the undergraduate program. While some caution in the proper use of performance objectives is required,' a significant application suggests itself. If the subcommittee's objectives do, indeed, represent most of the fundamental material essential t o the undergraduate program in a particular area of chemistry, then i t should be oassible to nraduee color videotaoes orovidine the neeessarv information far instruction in this area. , I would suggest that fur each ;"pic trr principlr sub,ert, the moir o u t ~ t o n d ! n *iecturrr . he pn,rured fur thr prndurt~onof a series of video tape cassettes on that subject 'I'erhn~quesand applrcatruns could also he prrsrntrd, b~ the enthuiiasm and personalcty of the lecturer should always be evident. 'lhe finiihrd aeries of tapes rvuld he made arailablr to chemistry departments across the country and could insure a sound basic knowledge among baccalaureate chemistry graduates. Problems may be anticipated2 and the availability of sueh tapes should not replace the course instructor, although new methods of accounting for faculty workload may be necessary. Because new concepts and information continually influence the content and presentation of undergraduate chemistry, it is likely that about one-third of the tapes should be revised and updated eaeh year. Cost, therefore, requires that this he a national project with numerous participating colleges and universities. Several advantages may be realized by these endeavors. If videotape carrels can be made available for student use during most of the day (and night), eaeh individual can absorb the lectures a t whatever time and speed is found to be t h e most effective. Easy repetition of lectures over difficult material favors the "learning for mastery" concept of selfpaced and modular courses. The course instructor should have ample time far discussing sessions with smaller groups of students, as well as the opportunity to provide insight and personal enthusiasm to the student through elucidating more of thenewest developments in the field and their relationships to science and society. In states having a widely dispersed population, the videotapes could provide the means of mral students to participate in higher education without their necessarily moving to a university center or demanding the establishment of an isolated community eolle~e.The videotaoes could he regularly . . broadcast aver local or ~ u h l i ctelevision stations and he available for student use-at a local reso;rce center. Traveling scientists from the supporting university could periodically visit the local resource centers to provide the individual help, evaluations of progress, and seminars. In some wavs this oronosal is tantamount to "rediscoverine.. the textbook as a teaching.. t a d and orimarv source of information, However, it yorr heyond the limitntions oi the printed word and photograph to utilirr the rnormaus ad. vantages which the new technolorn of co.or videotape onsarttec can provide. Science lr mow than words and furmulns. 'l'heoppurtunity of hwing more timcfor ronve)my a n apprermiun of itsart and m u ~ ishould t he eagerly ~ e i w d .
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A,, J. CHEM. EDUC., 49,484 (1972). Carlson, E. A,, J. Coll. Sci. Teach., 2,15 (1973).
1 Young, Jay
G. Warren Smith University of Alaska College, Alaska 99701
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/ Journal of Chemical Education
