in this Educating the Nonscientists The consequences of a scientificallv illiterate public were illustrated nicely by a recent e x h a & of letteis to the editor in a lwal news weekly. The letters expressed concern over plans for a new coal-fired plant togenerate electricity, wh~chmight pollute the surrounding air, but degcnerated inta an areummt over whether carbon dioxide or sulfur dioxide was the main product of burning coal. In the last letter the lndienant author averred that she knew burnine coal gave off&bon dioxide, but the EPA had yet to cs& lish an emission level for it and therefurc the hazard to the environment could not predicted. The wording strongly implied that this was iust another failure of the eovernm e k to protect us from a dangerous contaminent. It was clear that this citizen was obviously well-intentioned and concerned and just as obviously completely igprocesses involved. norant of the chemical and ~hvsical . " The temptation was strong to write a sarcastic reply pointing out that if' the EPA set strict em~ssionlimlts for this "tokic product" we might not be allowed to exhale anymore. However, reflection led to the thought that the real victim here wai the well-intentioned citizen, and the culprit was the educational system that had not prepared her to understand the complex world she lived in. Much has been published recently about how science courses are not meeting the needs of nonscientist citizens, and this earnest but wrong-headed exchange showed just how far we have missed the mark. The pages of this Journal have seen many discussions of appropriate ways to teach this cohort, and this issue is no exception. One approach is to design courses for the nonscientist that emphasize the real world aonlications of the chemistry being taught. The material c a i be arranged so the real world exam~lesare introduced into a traditional curriculum or the Geal world issues can themselves be the organizing framework, with the science introduced a s i t is needkd. Fenster, ~ c h w a r aand , Harpp (page 819) take the latter approach in a course they have developed for nonscience i h d science majors alike: (on the assumption
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Journal of Chemical Education
that the traditional courses do not normally leave the latter time to learn about modem chemical aspects of food, nutrition, drugs, or public issues such as pollution). The course has proved very popular; it is currently the largest nonrequired course on campus. Another way to redesign the course for the nonscientist is to examine the ways people learn and then use teaching techniques that will foster the most learning for the kinds of students they have in class. There have been many studies in cognitive psychology, and the learning process is becoming better understood. Although many chemistry teachers are unaware of these results, there have been others who have applied them specifically to the teaching of chemistry. Janiuk (page 828) reviews the findings that have been reported andthat can affect how teachers organize and teach their introductory courses. We often think that getting students interestedh how their world works is a problem only in countries with advanced, k h l v technicai societies; however, as an author from china reveals, this is just as much a problem in nations that are just now emerging into the world economy. Shen (page 8i6) gives the philosophic outlook of a dedicated teacher who is seeing that students' needs are not being met by traditional approaches. Teachers in Western societies will fmd his concerns, problems, and inspirations strikingly familiar. Amore radical approach to cuniculum reform has been suggested by some: that we reorganize the way we view chemical knowledge itself. Mailoo (page 824) examines some of the chemical knowledge that'isllow presented in a n unsvstematic wav, oRen the result of historical developments. He then g&es on to suggest a principlelconcept based approach that orders chemical knowled~eon a rational bisis and eliminates concepts and histor&al biases that only confuse students. He &ves specific examples and suggestions and concludes by point& out that 'the importance of chemical knowledge lies in its application and use...". This observation is particularly apt in the education of citizens, such as the one discussed above, who must struggle with issues such as power plants, the environment, and choosing a healthful lifestyle.
