INDEPENDENT STUDY PROGRAMS FOR FRESHMEN' PAUL H. CARNELL Albion College, Albion, Michigan
A SURVEY of the publications in THIS JOURNAL which relate to undergraduate research reveals that most of the research programs are concentrated in the junior and/or senior years (1-7). A recent publication (8) describes an undergraduate seminar and research program which includes sophomores. At the freshman level, a number of institutions (9, 10, 11) have incorporated some "research" into qualitative analysis in the form of special problems. A "freshman research project" involving the determination of the equivalent weight of metals has been described (12). SURVEY OF RESEARCH AND INDEPENDENT STUDY PROGRAMS FOR FRESHMEN
In an effort to determine the attitude of chemistry departments toward research and independent study programs for freshmen, and also the extent to which such programs are now being offered, a questionnaire was sent to 224 colleges whose chemistry departments are on the approved list of the American Chemical Society. The chemistry departments were asked to indicate whether or not they offered a freshman research or freshman independent study program. If this type of program was offered, the questionnaire asked for a brief description of it. If an independent study program for freshmen was not offered, the chemistry department was asked to indicate the reason, or reasons. Two hundred and eight (93%) of the questionnairee were returned. The replies have been classified into four groups based on the desirability of a research or independent study program for freshmen. TABLE 1 Classification of Questionnaire Replies Group
Number
%
Opposed Neutral Not opposed Favorable
45
22 30 24
63 51 49
24
Faculty a t 35 of the institutions in the "opposed" group indicated that they did not offer an independent study program for freshmen because of the general immaturity and weak science background of the first year college student. Professors at the other 10 institutions in this group indicated that undergraduate research Presented as past of the Symposium on New Ideas in the Four-Year Chemistry Currioulum before the Division of Chemical Education a t the 132nd Meeting of the American Chemical Society, New York, September, 1957.
VOLUME 35, NO. 5, MAY, 1958
in the junior and/or senior years was su5cient. In the "neutral" group, 54 indicated, without additional comment, that they did not have an independent study program for freshmen. The other nine in the neutral group "felt no need for such a program." I n the "not opposed" group, 48 institutions indicated that the lack of either faculty time, student time, or laboratory facilities prevented the adoption of an independent study program for the first year students. An additional three institutions in this group satisfied the needs of their outstanding freshmen by placing them in advanced courses. MANY INSTITUTIONS DIRECT SPECIAL ATTENTION TO FRESHMEN
The 49 institutions whose replies were "favorable" have been grouped as shown in Table 2. TABLE 2 ClassSeation of Institutions Favorable to Independent Study Programs for Freshman Chemistry Students Number of institutions
ClassifLeatin
26
Outstanding freshmen are invited to participate in discussion groups, speoial projects in the laboratory, and independent study programs. Very capable freshmen are encouraged to assist mofessors and araduate students on research Plan to adopt an independent study procram for freshmen in the near future. AG interested m independent study prw grams for freshmen and would like more information about them.
10
9 4
Examples of the programs offered by some of the institutions mentioned in Table 2 are illustrated by the following summary statements from the questionnaire.
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Amhwst: If an individual has a sneeific nroMem in mind. we are ~ l n dto i(ive him . ~ s w in the lnhnratory and hrlp wirh the pmhl~m. Thi* has hnppmrd rcwnrly w t h x Sxtiorrnl Svierwe Talent winner. Antweh: For exceptional students, we plan some special experiments, or allow them to plan experiments for themselves. As an examnle.. we have one of our unusual students who is working- with one of our profrssors on dcrrrmining amino acids by mean9 of 3 rcrorrling polarograph. 1.391 year onr of our ~tudenfa worked out s t i h o l ~progr3m for the ilcrwminarion of vapor prea-
.
B o s h Uniuersity: Nearly every year there are one or more very bright freshmen who express some spontaneous interest in a minor research program. In these cases, we encourage them and make a program and facilities available. Last year a freshman, in addition to his regular laboratory work, prepared some new hetempoly tungstates, made a new free acid of them by ion exchange, and potentiometrieally titrated the acid with a pH meter.
California Institute of Technology: A special independent study course of three hours per week for interested and qualified freshmen has reoently been inaugurated.
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Carleton: I n recent v e x % we h m e had informal weeklv meetinga of a group of able freshmen. A variety of topics are discussed, ususlly after a. presentation by one of the freshmen. Delaware: Outstanding freshmen who express 8. desire to do independent laboratory or reading work are assigned to a senior staff member who will suggest a modest program and supply the necessary supervision. Maine: In the past few years we have had several students who have become interested in problems as 8. result of discussion with the staff members in charge of general chemistry. We try to emphasize that ideas for problems must come from the students themselves and that any student who has enough interest, time, and ability, should have an opportunity to satisfy his desire for doing some "extra laboratory work.'' Mississippi: The upper 10% of the freshman class is offered a special course by the chairman of the department. Mount Union: Independent experimental work involving inorganic preparations is offered to very capable freshmen. Nebraska: Special prajeots, requiring same lahorstary work, are offered during the last three weeks in freshman chemistry.
New Mezico Institute of Mining and Technology: The more capable freshmen are given the opportunity to carry out individual study programs. Some topics included in recent projects are "Growing Isomorphic Crystals" and the "Recovery and Purification of Zinc Sulfate, Sodium Hydrogen Sulfate, and Potassium Chloride from Hydrogen, Hydrogen Chloride, and Oxygen Generators." N o ~ t hCarolina: A s p e d ireshman lecture section for exceptionally able students is offered. Oberlin: One cannot have individual laboratory work geared
to the capabilities snd experience of different students a t the freshman level and still assign a fixed experiment for each laharatory period. There is too muoh variation in the students and in the specifio experiments they have done before coming to college. We have therefore gone over to a system under which the student works a t his own rate of speed, selecting experiments from a preassigned list. A specific group of about ten experiments, mostly of a quantitative character, must he performed by all students.
Ohio Wesleyan: A selected group of high-ranking students write a special paper requiring library rather than extra laboratory work. Also, permission is given to do special experiments beyond those as~ignedto the class. Primeton: The Department of Chemistry offers an "honara" course in general chemistry, admission to which is limited to students who have had a t least one year of chemistry in school and whose academic records in science courses are superior. This course is accompanied by six hours of labomtory a week throughout the school year. During the first term, the laboratory work is qualitative analysis. The second term of labomtory is devoted largely to individual projects. These are chosen, insofar as is practical, by the students. The projects require a study of the literature related to the problem, development of a method (usually an adaptation of a known technique), execution of the problem, and preparation of a report written in scientific jounalese. Advice and assistance are given to the individuals by the laboratory instructor (facultv member) and an assistant (maduate student) an an as-asked-& basis. The types of projects vary widely. At present there are several devoted to improvement of qualitative analytical techniques, synthetio inorganic problems on compounds of elements not normally enoountered in freshmen analysis (as far example, germanium, silicon, titanium, and cerium chemistry), and studies of soluhdities and oonductivities of salts dissolved in non-aqueous solution are being made. Also paper chromatography, electrophoresis, the physics1 chemistry of dyeing, the use of spectroscopy in analysis, and the relation of fuel properties to racket propulsion, are under study. Interest in individual projects is very high. The effort ex-
Sainl Joseph's: Chemistry majors have the option of performing experimental work on their own time. No credit is given. Last year eight students performed selected experiments from "Inorganic Preparations" by Walton. Sainl Louis Uniuersity: We offer an honors program for the reading and discussion of some original papers by famous ehemists of the past. South Dakota School gf Mines and Technology: Special projects are assigned in the freshman labarntaries. South Dakota State College o j Agriculture and Mechanic Arts: An additional hour of laboratory credit ($-hour lab.) is offered to chemistry majors. Each student is required to work on some individual project and make n. report of it to the class. Some recent projects are: "Production of Silicon by T h e m i t e Reduction," "Separation of Halide Ions by Use of Anion Exchange Resins," and "Paper Chromatography in Cation Analysis." Stanford: The chemistry majors are separated as far as laboratory is concerned in the third quarter of freshman chemistry. Their laboratory work consists of organic and inorganic chemical preparations, for the most part, and they enjoy a considerable choice of work to he done. This is the first year that we have had suoh a program. The twenty students enrolled (chemistry majors-A's and R's) seem to be getting a great deal out of the work. INDEPENDENT STUDY PROGRAM FOR FRESHMEN AT ALBION COLLEGE
For the past six years a t Albion College, we have offered a course in ''Independent Study" which is open, upon invitation of the instructor, to freshmen whose performance in the first semester of general chemistry indicates exceptional talent. The course commences a t the beginning of the second semester with an informal lunch a t which a small group of very able freshmen become acquainted with the chemistry staff members. The program following the lunch includes a discussion of the nature and objectives of the independent study course. Brief descriptions of work completed in the past are presented. The choice of the problem for the independent study investigation is made after the student has had an opportunity to discuss possible projects with each of the staff members. Problems suggested by the staff should be chosen with care. The instructor should be thoroughly familiar with the projects which he proposes so that he will be able to stimulate the interest and imagination of the student. A special effort should be made to choose problems which will enable the student t o make a definite, though perhaps small, contribution to scientific knowledge. Some of the independent study projects which our students have chosen are: Factors Meeting the Stability of Colloidal Sulfur Freezing Point Lowering with Mixed Salts Development of a Reliable Lecture Demonstration for the Quantitative Illustration of Graham's Law Reaction of Cobalt Nitrate with Commercial Bleach Solutions Preparation of Sodium Halide Colloids Viscosity Modifiers Diffusion Coefficients in Mixed Solvents
The student has regular conferences with the staff member as the problem proceeds. This allows the instructor to guide the work and to establish an informal and personal relationship with the student. JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION
I t is important that the instructor make certain the student does not attempt hazardous experiments without adequate instruction and care. The program which we follow permits a maximum of one hour of credit per semester. For this credit, a minimum of three hours in the laboratory, or one hour in the library, each week, is required. All of the data obtained by the student, including any information from a literature search, are recorded in a suitable research notebook arranged with carbon copies. The student may keep the carbon copies, and the original record becomes a part of the permanent files of the chemistry department. At the end of the semester, the students participating in the independent study program are required to write a careful, well-organized report describing the work which they have completed. Also, they are asked to present an oral discussion of their results to the local Student Affiliate Chapter of the American Chemical Society. (This is, generally, one of our most stimulating meetings of the year.) INDEPENDENT STUDY PROGRAMS FILL NEED FOR GIFTED STUDENTS
What are the educational values of an independeut study program for freshmen? James R. Killian (M.I.T.) headed a committee for the White House Conference of Education which made this observation (IS) : l
