Report on WPI-NEACT Conference "General Chemistry; Approaching the 21st Century H. Beall Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA 01 609 The general chemistry courses given in high schools, colleees. and universities are ~ i v o t a lfeatures in science educ%n. They can greatly infiuence the career choices of technicallv talented voune students and ~ r o v i d ae n i m ~ o r t ant basis ?or their f;ture;cientific study. They also represent the culminatine science courses for manv nonscientists and, as such, play a paramount role in establishing the scirntdic literacv ofthese students. On the other hand. the general chemisky courses have been the subject of much discussion and considerable criticism in recent years. The future of general chemistry teaching is a crucial and controversial subject and was the topic of the FiRh Annual Conference on Chemical Education held a t Worcester Polytechnic Institute.' The conference was sponsored by the Deportment of Chemistry at Worcester ~olytechnicinstitute in cooperation with the New England .Association of Chemistrv Teachew. The soeakers wwc F. Peter Boer or W. R. and company,hice J. Cunningham ofAgnes Scott Colleee. and Paul Gassman of the Universitv of ~innesota.$hethree speakers each considered the context that exists todav reeardine chemistrv from his or her own viewpoint and tken relatezthe generh chemistry course to this context. Boer stressed the relationship of the general chemistry course to the needs of United States industry and economy. General chemistry is the only chemistry course taken by most of the general public, and yet this public is required to make dec&ions Ghich are more and more chemFcal in nature. The futures of those students, who go on to advanced courses in chemistry, lie largely in the fields of health care, industry, and academics. Health care is and will continue to be an area of rapid growth and will be increasingly chemically oriented. The future p w t h of industrv and academies in the United States is not so certain and depends on education, particularly in chemistry, and on public interest and attitudes. These attitudes are shaped considerably by the public's experience in science courses. He reminded the conference of the dismal situation in American chemistry and physics education in sharp comparison to Japan where the pool of science and engineering talent has been increasing a t a rate of about 2.5 times ours for the last 20 vears. He also pointed out that much of our science talentis in the area of defense which is not as economically productive as research in the industries where we compete with other nations. Boer made some predictions of the areas of American activity which will be increasing and decreasing in the future. Environmental issues, no longer the preserve of fringe groups, and health care should both grow stronger and provide opportunities for technically trained people. Administrative infrastructure will increase in a n increasingly litigious society anxious to minimize risks. This will require technicallv trained ~ e o ~tol interuret e and administer many new iaws and*re&lations. Defense, capital formation, personal income and, unfortunately, education
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'Beall, H. J. Chem. Educ. 1991, 68,381-382.
are all predicted losers. Specific areas of chemical research that were nredided to mow were ~ o l v m e rscience. membrane scieice, and a n a k i c a l chenksk-all area; which are underemphasized in academic instruction. Boer predicted that the losers will b e s y n t h e t i c chemistry, which is hampered by the high costs of introducing new commercial compounds, structural chemistry, and petrochemicals. Boer cave his views on the kevs to a successful undergraduaG chemistry curriculum.
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(1) It must give a sound understanding of basic principles without which the technolo@stcannot survive. Because of
the ranid chanees in technolom. chanees in areas and career; are fre&ent and the new material cannot be learned adequately if the basics of science are not well understood. (2) It must allow mastery of the core curriculum ofthe discipline. This material, covered after the general courses and before enteringresearch,must be incorporated in the very short time of one to two years. (3) It must include meaningful independent work that best teaches what it takes to function in the outside world. (4) Communication skills must be taught. ( 5 ) Humanities and languages must be emphasized because of the global environment in which our academics, business, and industry are conducted. The problems and challenges seen in general science teaching are (1) The scope of the basic sciences keeps expanding. (2) The linear approach to science teaching where each topic leads neatly to the next is unmotivating. An interested
student would generally prefer to proceed in the opposite direction where a omblem is identified and the means of solvinc --- it are euolnred. ~ r ~ ~ ~ ~ (3) Science courses are too intimidating and students view the study of science to be intense, stressful, and insufficiently rewarding. Our laboratories are more and more being staffed by foreign-born scientists who do not hold these views. Weneed to make our science courses less intimidating and educate the public to understand the value of science. I The atmosphere in academic scicnce is too ndvrrsarial Teamwork mhonld he fustrrrd as it is in countries such su Japan sothat oursc~ent~iti will hcableto workrffwtlvrlv in industry. ( 5 ) Relationships with industry should be developed so that students have the backeround to develoo realistic solu~wn.?1 0 ~nvinmmrmlaland rrthrr prohlrms Fnilwe to crestc these reldtwnsh~psand ..olve thrsr pmblems nil1 contribute in rhr long run to industry hemg driven aver-
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Cunningham opened her presentation by identifying this a s the best and worst of times for chemistrv Kever before has the science been so exciting, and the students generally are not interested. We teach harder and seem to accomplish less. Money for science is tight, faculties are aging with replacements uncertain, and recruiting of new faculty is fraught with uncertainties. She noted that college Volume 68 Number 10 October 1991
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science teachers frequently try to find scapegoats for their problems: society, the government, the prevalence of academic research, and precollege. teachers. She suggested that college chemistry teachers quit analyzing the problem and start solving it. She stated that the general chemistry course is not really general but is much too specific and that it impedes the student's view ofthe whole of chemistry. Studentsplanning to continue in chemistry should have more options for entering the study of chemical science. Any ofthe branches of chemistry can be a satisfactory starting point for the study of the subject. She recognized that changes in an otherwise fured curriculum are very difficult to effect but suggested the development of a new course entitled, "Significant Aspects of Chemistry". The new ways of teaching chemistry should be suited to a new environment. We should present a more integrated perspective of chemical principles, give students a sense of the rapid pace of acquisition of new knowledge, and adapt our teaching methods to learners who are different from those of the past. She does not, however, advocate simplifying our presentation. The fundamental precepts of Cunningham's proposed changes in chemistry teaching are reorganize and unify. We should teach the principal concepts and show how these relate to everyday problems. To unify the student's view of chemistry, we should emphasize advances in technology that depend on chemistry and discuss how chemistry will evolve in the next years. The chemical concepts which she sees as unifying are (1) Patterns of structure, (2) How structure defines properties, (3) . . Haw enerev -" differences drive reactions (4) The general types of reaction mechanisms, (5) That reactions proceed at variable rates, ( 6 ) That all svsteni eventually come to equilibrium, and 7 That chrm~ralswternc mn bc rnndrlcd hnirdonexperimenrstinn t o prowde predtrttons. 3hr no1t.d rhnt WP h n w errentlally not br,gun to usc cornpurer modrlmg of ehemr-
cal processes as a teaching tool Cunningham's proposed course, "Significant Aspects of Chemistry," deals with materials, methods, and processes. She credited Richard van Duyne of Northwestern University with this terminology, although he actually suggested it in the context of the whole undergraduate curriculum rather than the introductory course in chemistry. Each student enters class with a view of the macroscopic world that can be a basis for this study. All types of materialsinorganic. organic. nolvmeric. and biochemical-should be disclssed an2 molecuiar modeling should be used when auurouriate. The methods covered should include svnthesis, measurement and characterization, separation and analysis, and physical methods. The processes part of the triad refers to chemical dynamics and equilibrium. The studv of measurement should emphasize the incredible sensitivity of modem equipment. ~ b instance, r the quartz crvstal microbalance can determine amounts of about 10.' moles; the scanning tunneling microscope gives essentially atomic resolution. The studv of chemical urocesses is unified by emphasizing that reaction mechanisms have only a few possibilities: electron transfer, proton transfer, and group transfers, including substitutions, eliminations, and additions. Such topics as diffusion and charge migration, traditionally avoided in general chemistry curricula could be included very effectively with computer simulation. The difference between equilibrium and steady state conditions should be made clear because of simificance in biochemical processes. The challewes of teaching this course include providinrc examples from the f r ~ n t i e r ~chemistry of to s h o i t h a t it is
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Journal of Chemical Education
a n expanding and dynamic field. Faculty will have to be sure that they have unifymg breadths of perspective including allied topics such a s molecular biology and chemical physics. We will have to provide students with realistic problems that they can think about solving and must get students involved with modem electronic instrumentation. Unfortunately, we must tackle the problems of curricular chanee while confronting shrinking enrollments and sources of finances. I n summary, Cunningham stated that in a new community of science, educators must effect some drastic changes that many or most of us have never conceived. Gassman entitled his presentation, "Chemistry and the Next Decade; Will there Be Sufficient Chemists in the 21st Century?" He emphasized the importance of this question by stating that of the 600,000 scientists and engineers engaged in research and development in the United States, fully one-half are in the chemical sciences. Furthermore, chemistry is the only federally unsubsidized industry in the United States which regularly has a positive balance of trade. The declining supply of high school chemistry and physics teachers in the nation was emphasized by the fact that 50% of these will retire by the year 2000 and that sufficient aualified reulacements are s i m ~ l vnot beine produced. Th; percentage of high school &dents with'lab experience. United States science achievement scores, the supply of new bachelor's level chemists, and new ~ m e & c a n born PhD's in chemistry are all in serious decline. Other pertinent factors are the increased time it takes for a student to complete the PhD in chemistry, the chronic faculty vacancies that exist in United States chemistry departments, and the sharp drop in the percentage of PhD students that intend to uursue academic careers. Academic hiring ofchemists will beexacerbated by the huge numhers ofchemists that will nced to be rccrui~edbv industrv in the next 15 years and the dramatic increase" in the start-up funds needed to launch the research of new chemistry faculty. The institutions which will likely be the most seriouslv affected bv the intense comuetition for new chemistry faEulty will be the small colliges, traditionally the most prolific providers of students for chemistry . maduate programs. Long term solutions to these problems involve educating and extending scientific literacy to educators, legislators, the media, and the general public. Gassman recognizes uroblems in chemistrv education a t everv stage. certainlv chemistry co&se.-~e in the college level larlv lamented the fact that current eeneral chemistrv cou;ses concentrate on the subject maker that was formerly taught in the junior year and beginning graduate level physical chemistry courses. He stated that the course is aimed too much a t onlv those who are destined to become chemical research specialists; whereas, it should offer more for the general student. Gassman declared that we are a t the point where it is necessary either to change the general chemistry course or abolish it and start students with organic chemistry He feels that we could increase the number of chemistry majors that we graduated by 10-20% if they were not lost during the freshman year. A number of points were brought out in the panel discussion which followed. AU three of the speakers agreed that adequate laboratory work is essential to chemistry education in high schools and colleges but felt that operating laboratories is a serious challenge. Boer suggested that current societal problems that involve chemistry should be analyzed in chemical terms in high school chemistry courses, and Gassman suggested that high schools should work to acquire gifts of "obsolete" equipment to help stock their laboratories.
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In summing up the ideas presented, Cunningham stated that everybody wants to see something happen in general chemistry but as yet there is not enough action.
Acknowledgment The author is indebtedto the Provost's Office ofWorcester Polytechnic Institute for support.
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