edited bv SUSAN H. HIXSON
Highlights
National Science Foundation Washington. DC 20550 CURTIS T. SEARS,JR. Georgia State University Atlanta, GA 30303
Projects supported by the NSF Division of Undergraduate Education Issues-Directed Chemistry for Business Students -A Progress Report David L. Adams Babson College Babson Park. MA 02157
The lack of interest in science courses among husiness majors is legendary. At Babson College in Wellesley, MA, we attack this prohlem by using an "issues-directed"chemistry course. The basis for this approach is that interest in chemistry is raised by framing the chemical principles with appropriate relevant and interesting issues. The issues chosen to provide this context are materials, energy, and waste management. In addition to their individual interest, these topics provide continuity in describing an overall course them+the manufacturing system. A case study introduces each issue and subsequently extends throughout the consideration of that particular issue. The case study for the materials unit, for example, is polyethylene (PE). The discovery, synthesis, molecular structure, ohservable properties, and uses of the various types of PE provide a consistent contextual thread throughout this issue. Other case studies in use are The Clean Air Act of 1990 for the energy component and the Chevron SMART program for the waste management unit. I am currently reviewing the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and the 3M 3P program as forthcoming cases for the energy and waste management units, respectively. We are writing the course units on materials, energy, and waste management as independent modules. Each module includes its case study, relevant chemical fundamentals, and husiness and industry perspectives and applications. c h in treatine In addition to the oedaeoeical .... a .~. ~ r o a used the content, course requirements and aasi@ments target the enhancement of critical thinkine and life-lonelearnine skills. The overall course theme, tlhe manufact;ring s y z tem, provides the basis for a semester-long research project. Each student investigates a business or industry, generic or specific, and descrihes the materials used, the energy required and the waste management practices employed in the manufacturing process. The project reinforces the three course issues and is flexible enough to allow students to research a topic of personal interest. Experience has shown that during issues-directed courses questions arise that cannot be answered either due to lack of expertise or time. This is a natural and desirable circumstance, one that reflects the real world situations in which students will find themselves after graduation. This apparent classroom deficiency is turned to advantage though the use of mini-research projects that require students to investigate and prepare a short (
