edited by
SUSANH. HIXSON
Highlights
National Science Foundation Washington, DC 20550
CURTIS T SEARS. JR. Georgia State University Atlanta, GA 30303
Projects supported ~ I the J NSF Division o f Undergraduate Education Systemic Changes in the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum Program Planning grants made under the first round of the Systemic Changes in the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum Proeram have been announced. This Proeram .. is designed to enhance the learning and appreciation ol'science throueh changes in chrniistw instrurt~on.The - sienificant changes sought are broai and should benefit all students in a n institution's undereraduate Droerams. with a potential for significant impact a t the -iational level anh ultimate adoption of developed materials and curricula a t other institutions. Inter- a i d multidisciplinary approaches to achieving changes are encouraged, and it is expected that chemistry faculty will work closely with their colleagues from other disciplines in planning and carrying out these changes. Collaborative projects are encouraged in which several institutions that emphasize different aspects of education cooperate on the project. A total of 112 proposals for planning grants was received by the closing date of October 1,1993, and 14 awards were made. The next closing date for the Systemic Changes in the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum Program is June 6, 1994. At that time both planning grant proposals and full proposals will be accepted. Because NSF will in all likelihood be ableto fund only a few full proposals, applicants for these awards are ureed to pursue multiple paths for implementation of their J A 6~is also t6e ciosing date for the oneoine .. .. Course and Curriculum Develo~ment Pro@xm that considers projerts w ~ t hmore focuit~dubject i w i . Il'vou would l ~ k additional e information ahour anv of these programs, you should contact the Division of undergraduate Education a t (703) 306-1667. Finally, institutions receiving planning grant awards may be interested in expandine their coalitions. If vour curricular plans would benefii from &ticipating in a coalition, youmay wish to contact one or more ofthe awardees.
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Planning Grant Awards Systemic Change In the Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum David M. Chittenden $44,217 Arkansas State University-Main Campus State University, AR 72467
The Arkansas Consortium of Chemistry Programs wishes to reoreanize their chemistrv Droerams in parallel with the ~ ~ ~ - ? u n Arkansas ded ~tat"ewidisystemic Initiative for the improvement of science education. a n initiative focused principally in the K-12 sector but havkg 13-16 ex-
tensions. The proposed study will have three segments: the reoreanization of the curriculum a s a whole and of snecific cou&es within the curriculum; attendant changes'in the delivery of classroom instruction; and of laboratory instruction. The production of new textual materials will follow from these innovations. The vehicle for promulgating curricular changes and their delivery will be recent advances in computing and communications. We will study technologies such as: distance learning using interactive uplinkldownlink systems: computer modelline and simuiation; personal iomput&based data aequis%ion/analysis systems for teaching laboratories; chemistry-rel a t e d computational a n d drill software, video, a n d interactive CD-ROM. We propose to include broad, thematic elements i n our BS and BSE programs, statewide, i n Chemistry and in related programs: biology, engineering. re-healine arts- re-med., re-dent., ore-vet. These co&mou themes, stresied strongly i n the lower division courses, will be chosen after careful study of existing and potential model curricula. Particularly stressed will be the theme t h a t contemporarv chemistrv is conducted a s a more interdisciplinary enterprise t h a n current compartmentalized chemistry curricula would suggest.
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Sweeping Change in Manageable Units: A Modular Approach to Chemistry Curriculum Reform C. Bradlev Moore university of California-Berkeley Berkeley, CA 94720
Massive reform can start with small steps, particularly when the politics of change are so complex. Change in the chemistry curriculum must meet the needs of science and e n ~ e e r i n departments e whose students we serve, a s well a s t h e needs ofthe chemistry major going into ind;stry or graduate school, and the liberal arts conscripts to chemistry courses. I n order to make inroads toward change we must find a path that makes possible a curriculum that can be modified continually, is usable in a variety of institutions, can accommodate the increasingly diverse m u p. of students we need to serve, and encourages participation of faculty and students alike. The in- and out-of-classroom experience must incornorate new technoloeies to aid the students in accessing, organizing, filtering and assimilating scientific information. We must revise our model of curriculum across the rapidly blurring boundaries of the subdisciplines of chemistry, and the disciplines of all sciences. We propose to develop self-contained modules, a t all levels of the chemistry curriculum. that can be used for 2 4 weeks in a lecture or laboratory course. The instructional tools developed for the module will include software, videos, interaetive CD's, and other resource material that can replace or greatly augment traditional texts and laboratory m a n u a s forfacuky, teaching assistants, and support staff. Each module will focus on a question or problem to
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Volume 71 Number 1 January 1994
43
