Journal of Chemical Education Call for Papers—Special Issue on

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Journal of Chemical Education Call for PapersSpecial Issue on Reimagining Chemistry Education: Systems Thinking, and Green and Sustainable Chemistry Peter G. Mahaffy,*,† Edward J. Brush,‡ Julie A. Haack,§ and Felix M. Ho∥ †

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Chemistry, The King’s University, Edmonton, Alberta T6B 2H3, Canada Chemical Sciences, Bridgewater State University, Bridgewater, Massachusetts 02325, United States Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon 97403, United States Chemistry, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, SE-751 20 Uppsala, Sweden

ABSTRACT: The Journal of Chemical Education announces a call for papers for an upcoming special issue on Reimagining Chemistry Education: Systems Thinking, and Green and Sustainable Chemistry. KEYWORDS: High School/Introductory Chemistry, First-Year Undergraduate/General, Upper-Division Undergraduate, Curriculum, Environmental Chemistry, Interdisciplinary/Multidisciplinary, Problem Solving/Decision Making, Green Chemistry, Learning Theories, Student-Centered Learning, Systems Thinking, Sustainability

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of the learning of chemistry.5 Teaching chemistry through a systems approach challenges students to apply scientific principles to solve real-world problems, demonstrates chemistry’s role as an essential science in finding solutions to global challenges, and prepares future scientists for the collaborative interdisciplinary work required. An International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) project is focused on this task,9 which also motivates this call for papers. Elements of systems thinking have helped to drive developments in green and sustainable chemistry education. The successful application of the principles of green chemistry and engineering, the effective use of tools such as life-cycle analysis, and the development of novel molecular design strategies depends on considering the interconnectedness of reactions and processes with local and global systems. Building students’ capacity to integrate systems thinking into their chemistry problem-solving toolkit can yield new insights and create new opportunities for design and innovation. These strategies and approaches can help to stimulate and inspire further work and research more broadly within chemistry education in promoting and enhancing students’ systems thinking skills as well as a deeper and more interconnected understanding of chemistry and related disciplines as a whole.

INTRODUCTION A number of recent publications have challenged the profession of chemistry to transform itself to address emerging global challenges in the context of a rapidly changing world.1−4 Common themes in these calls are the need for integration of systems thinking into the practice of chemistry and for the reimagination of chemistry education to more effectively help educate scientists and citizens for their roles in a rapidly changing planet and society.5−8 The Journal of Chemical Education announces a call for papers for an upcoming special issue to report on and guide efforts to reimagine chemistry education through infusing systems thinking approaches throughout educational programs. The themed issue will publish reviews and explorations of the scope and definition of systems thinking in the context of chemistry education, as well as educational research and practice oriented by systems thinking approaches. The issue will include a strong focus on the application of systems thinking to green and sustainable chemistry education and seeks to include interdisciplinary perspectives that can drive innovation in this area. Systems thinking emphasizes the interdependence of components of dynamic systems. In the context of chemistry, systems thinking moves beyond isolated consideration of reactions and processes to consider where materials come from, how they are transformed and used, and what happens at the end of their life span. It draws attention to a need to balance the benefits and impacts of chemical substances and the role they play in societal and environmental systems.4 Applied to STEM education, systems thinking describes approaches that move beyond fragmented and reductionist knowledge of disciplinary content to a more integrated and holistic understanding of the field. A framework for using systems thinking in chemistry education places learners at the center of a system of chemistry education, suggesting tools and approaches to help instructors and curriculum developers see interconnections among the different components that are part © XXXX American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.

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SPECIAL ISSUE SCOPE AND CONTENT The Journal of Chemical Education special issue is intended to be the inaugural global reference point for literature on systems thinking in chemistry education that will lead to a further understanding about the interdependence of the components of systems at work for chemistry learners, and the application of systems thinking to green and sustainable chemistry education. Received: September 19, 2018

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DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00764 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX

Journal of Chemical Education

News and Announcements

received after the deadline may still be considered for publication, but depending on the length of the peer-review process may be included in an issue of the Journal subsequent to this special issue. When submitting your manuscript in the Paragon system, select “Reimagining Chemistry Education: Systems Thinking and Green and Sustainable Chemistry” under the Special Issue Selection during “Step 1: Type, Title, & Abstract”. Authors should also indicate in the cover letter during “Step 6: Details & Comments” that the manuscript is submitted for publication in the Special Issue: Reimagining Chemistry Education: Systems Thinking, and Green and Sustainable Chemistry. As with all ACS journals, papers intended for the special issue will be available ASAP (as soon as publishable) online as soon as they are accepted and proofs have been checked, ahead of publication in the special issue itself.

We welcome papers on the following topics and related topics that move forward research and practice in chemistry education oriented by systems thinking: • Theoretical/conceptual frameworks or literature reviews relevant to defining the scope of systems thinking in relation to chemistry and chemistry education • Theoretical/conceptual frameworks or literature reviews examining key skills and concepts as well as challenges involved in teaching and learning systems thinking in the context of chemistry education • Presentation of exemplary teaching and learning curricular materials with a systems thinking orientation, including how they are used and how outcomes from their use are evaluated. This may include, but is not limited to, innovative engaged-learning pedagogical approaches such as context-based learning, projectbased learning, etc. • Descriptions of the use of systems thinking tools to assist in using systems thinking in the teaching and learning of chemistry and other STEM disciplines • Laboratory experiments, demonstrations, and other teaching and learning formats oriented by systems thinking, for pre-university-level and university-level courses • Examples of strategies and approaches by which chemistry education addresses emerging global challenges such as those articulated in the UN Sustainable Development Goals10 and the Planetary Boundaries Framework11,12 • Examples of integrating green and sustainable chemistry into the overall chemistry curricula at the pre-university and university levels • Descriptions of foundational and advanced courses that include green and sustainable chemistry and/or key concepts of systems thinking • Descriptions of courses, materials, and pedagogies from disciplines other than chemistry that promote the teaching and learning of systems thinking, including discussions on possible adaptations to chemistry education, and the barriers that may be encountered; interdisciplinary discussion and examples are particular encouraged Ultimately, the aim of this special issue is to offer educators a framework for and successful examples of incorporating a systems thinking approach in chemistry classrooms and laboratories with implications for teaching.

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GUEST EDITORS

The themed issue will be curated by Peter Mahaffy, Ed Brush, Julie Haack, and Felix Ho. Peter Mahaffy is Professor of Chemistry at the King’s University, Edmonton, Alberta, and Director of the King’s Centre for Visualization in Science. He is cochair, with Stephen Matlin, of the international IUPAC Project on Systems Thinking in Chemistry Education,9 and he is a past chair of IUPAC’s Committee on Chemistry Education. Ed Brush is professor of chemistry at Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts. He serves on the advisory board for the Green Chemistry Commitment and is a member of the ACS Committee on Environmental Improvement, contributing to the ACS CPT Green Chemistry Supplement, and led discussions on connecting the chemistry enterprise to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Julie Haack is the Assistant Department Head and Senior Instructor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Oregon, in Eugene, Oregon. She has 18 years of experience designing curricula and creating educational experiences and professional development opportunities that use green chemistry and life-cycle thinking to connect design and innovation to the science of sustainability. Felix Ho is an Associate Professor of chemistry at the Ångström Laboratory of Uppsala University, Sweden. He has worked extensively with initiatives on improving tertiary teaching and learning, curriculum development, as well as faculty training and development in tertiary education and chemistry education in particular. He is a titular member and national representative on the IUPAC Committee on Chemistry Education. The guest editors would like to acknowledge the strong support provided by Jennifer Mackellar, from the ACS Green Chemistry Institute.

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SUBMISSION, REVIEW, AND PUBLICATION PROCESS Manuscripts should align with the principles outlined in the Author Guidelines for the Journal of Chemical Education13 and can be submitted using these manuscript types: Activity, Article, Commentary, Communication, Demonstration, Laboratory Experiment, and Technology Report. Authors are strongly encouraged to use the JCE-specific manuscript template,14 which contains prompts for required manuscript components; using the manuscript template aids in creating documents that are easier to review and publish. Manuscripts should be submitted to the Journal of Chemical Education through the online manuscript submission portal ACS Paragon Plus15 by Monday, April 1, 2019, to receive full consideration for publication in the special issue. Manuscripts

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INQUIRIES Inquiries regarding the suitability of a manuscript topic can be directed to Peter Mahaffy at peter.mahaff[email protected]. Questions regarding the submission process can be directed to [email protected].

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AUTHOR INFORMATION

Corresponding Author

*E-mail: peter.mahaff[email protected]. B

DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00764 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX

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ORCID

Peter G. Mahaffy: 0000-0002-0650-7414 Felix M. Ho: 0000-0001-7731-3396

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REFERENCES

(1) Matlin, S. A.; Mehta, G.; Hopf, H.; Krief, A. One-World Chemistry and Systems Thinking. Nat. Chem. 2016, 8, 393−396. (2) Whitesides, G. M. Reinventing Chemistry. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2015, 54 (11), 3196−3209. (3) Anastas, P. T.; Zimmerman, J. B. The United Nations Sustainability Goals: How Can Sustainable Chemistry Contribute? Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry 2018, DOI: 10.1016/j.cogsc.2018.04.017. (4) Constable, D. The Practice of Chemistry Still Needs to Change. Current Opinion in Green and Sustainable Chemistry 2017, 7, 60−62. (5) Mahaffy, P. G.; Krief, A.; Hopf, H.; Matlin, S. A.; Mehta, G. Reorienting Chemistry Education through Systems Thinking. Nature Reviews Chemistry 2018, 2 (4), 0126. (6) ACS Committee on Professional Training. Green Chemistry in the Curriculum: A Supplement to the ACS Guidelines (approved March 2018). https://www.acs.org/content/dam/acsorg/about/ governance/committees/training/acsapproved/degreeprogram/ green-chemistry-in-the-curriculum-supplement.pdf (assessed Sep 2018). (7) Voorhees, K.; Hutchison, J. E. Green Chemistry Education Roadmap Charts the Path Ahead. Chem. Eng. News 2015, 93 (38), 46. (8) Holme, T. A.; Hutchison, J. E. A Central Learning Outcome for the Central Science. J. Chem. Educ. 2018, 95, 499−501. (9) International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Committee on Chemistry Education. Learning Objectives and Strategies for Infusing Systems Thinking into (Post)-Secondary General Chemistry Education (IUPAC Project 2017-010-1-050). https://iupac.org/ projects/project-details/?project_nr=2017-010-1-050 (accessed Sep 2018). (10) United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. https:// sustainabledevelopment.un.org/?menu=1300 (accessed Sep 2018). (11) Stockholm Resilience Centre. The Nine Planetary Boundaries. http://www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries/ planetary-boundaries/about-the-research/the-nine-planetaryboundaries.html (accessed Sep 2018). (12) Steffen, W.; Richardson, K.; Rockström, J.; Cornell, S. E.; Fetzer, I.; Bennett, E. M.; Biggs, R.; Carpenter, S. R.; de Vries, W.; de Wit, C. A.; Folke, C.; Gerten, D.; Heinke, J.; Mace, G. M.; Persson, L. M.; Ramanathan, V.; Reyers, B.; Sörlin, S. Planetary Boundaries: Guiding Human Development on a Changing Planet. Science 2015, 347 (6223), 736−747. (13) Author Guidelines for the Journal of Chemical Education can be found at the Information for Authors page. http://pubs.acs.org/page/ jceda8/submission/authors.html (accessed Sep 2018). (14) Journal of Chemical Education Document Templates. http:// pubs.acs.org/page/jceda8/submission/jceda8_templates.html (accessed Sep 2018). (15) ACS Paragon Plus. https://acs.manuscriptcentral.com/acs (accessed Sep 2018).

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DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00764 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX