Report of a seminar on the general science course in higher education

Sister Mary Marguerite Christine. J. Chem. Educ. , 1951, 28 (1), p 47. DOI: 10.1021/ed028p47. Publication Date: January 1951. Cite this:J. Chem. Educ...
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SCIENCE COURSE IN HIGHER EDUCATION SISTER MARY MARaUERITE CHRISTINE Mundelein College. Chicago. Illinois

Tm seminnr in the nnturnl srienws nt the Workshop i n Cntholic Higher fil~~cntion for Women, held nt Larrtto Heights CnIIem in Drnvrr, nttnrkrd thrno~vmrllworn p r o l h n of thr plnrr of t h r srirnrrs in n grnrrnl wl~~rntion with n t r f h ~ i q ~drsipnwl w to stimulntr intcrrst of n vitnl nntnrr. Instend ol viewinp t h r situntion from the stand of the ccl~~rntionists nncl fitting scirncr into the grnrrnl p n t t m ~ ,thr srminnr mrmlwrs nppronrhd the question from the viewpoint of thr srientints and discr~sswlthe clrhntnhlr nnwrrs to: "\\l~nt pnrt clo grnrrnl drlrnt,ion srirnre r n u m plng in n sc-irnrr rnrrirulum?" 'I'hc hur and cry of mnny nonsrirnre fncwlty mrmhers hnre hrcn thnt it is the scirnrr mnjor who is not 8' grnrrnlly" edr~rntnl. 'I'his mnttrr hn. I w n wrll r e f11tr11 in nn nrticlr hy Doctor Van Ewrn of Grorgr \\-nshington Univ~rsity,~ nnd 1vn.3 not on the n m d n of the srirnrr seminnr sinrr the mrmlwrs wrre 1111 of one mind, ngrcring vith Dr. \'an 1:vrrn thnt the sricnre mnjor with his rrquirrmrnts in history, soriolnp, rrnnomies, nnd English is prohahly n fnr morr l~rondly t r n i n ~ lmnn thnu is his (.Inxsmntr who hns nlmnst no srirnrr. Ho\vcvrr, the workshop group npprrrintecl the fnrt thnt the hrond ovrrvirw of thr nntrtr:il srirnrrs, nr prrrrntwl hy t h r grnrrnl roursr, wns of sig~iliriintvnll~rto the srirnre mnjnr, dong with thr mluirrd rlrmrntnry srirnrr c.ollrsrx, nnel l~onsrqllrlltlys h l d i ~ the ! prnhIrm of I~owto fit t h r scirnrr grwrnl roursr, or thr nvhirvc mrnt of its hrond ohjrrtivrs, into thr srirnrr currir~~lum. Thrrr npprnml to h r thrrc mrthnrls for nttnining ..:.I,

nn,l.

semester, thr sricnrr mnjor w o ~ ~ lrontinue d to hnild his mnjor rrqurnrr. His nest rorlrsr ~ v o ~ ~simply lcl hen hrondrning nncl n drrprning of thr first. I t would prrsllme on thr knowlnlp~pnined from t l ~ first r cor~rsr, and c~on.scqurntlyno v:~lt~nl~lc rrtrrirulr~mtimr ~ v o ~ I*~ l d rrmovecl from the sprc.i:~Iizationprrind of the scirnre mnjor. Somrthing nlong illis linr is lwinp &me i n thr chrmistry clrp~~rtmrnt of St. Louis University. (:I) In thr lwt metl~rxl, the srirnvr mnjor \voold tnkr the rlemrntnry ro~lrsr in his mnjor field nncl ~ v o ~ ~not l t l tnkr thr grncrnl roursr in sc.irncr. Thrn during his senior yrnr hr rvoolcl pnrtiripntr in n neminnr 1vhir.h woolcl intrgrntr his mnjor stoclies with rrlntnl nrirnrw nnrl with nthrr firlds. This would permit him to gain thnt ovrr-nll view of srirnce nnd scienre reIntionships mwntinl to n rrnl ~~ndrrstnnding of nny nnturnl scienre. i\ ronsirlernhle timr during the .wminnr meetings a t the Workshop wn.* c l r r o t ~ lt,o n s t t ~ d yof vnriow pnernl coursrs. llrthwls of npproarh and pdngopirnl t,crhnique were nnnlyzd, nod r o ~ ~ r s rofs s t ~ ~ f l y rsnminwl. I