EDIT0RIAL
June 1969,Vol. 41, No. 7 Editor:
HERBERT A. LAITINEN
EDITORIAL HEADQUARTERS Wadiugbn D C 20036 1165 S i t h S t * N W Phone: 202-737-3333 Tiletype WA 23 Managing Editor: John K. Crum Associate Editorr: Jomephine Pechan, Virginia E. Stewart Editorial Audatantr: Eugenie C. Calbghan, Ana So1de GutiCrrez Contributing Editor: R. H. Miiller Production Stoff-wwhingbn: Dimtor of Dciign: Jomph Jacob. P d u e t i o n Manager: B a d Guiley Art and Layout: Norman W. Favin
Production Staff-Ewton, Pa.: AaIociate Editor: Charlotte C. Sayee Ariutant Editor: Elizabeth R. Rule Aduirory Board: Klaus Biemann A. E. Cameron Lyman Craig Henry ’ Freiser, John FAkhouser, March Golay, D. R. J o h n Joeeph Jordan D. W. MargW. W a y k Meink? R. d.O a t e y q t n g . R. L’. Pecaok C. N . F d e y , A. Lea rmth, Jamen D. d e t o r d n e r AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY PUBLICATIONS Director of Publication.. Richard L. Kenyon Direcbr of Businor. Operations, Joeeph H. Kuney Publication Manager, Jou~M&, David E. Gulhee Executive Airwtant to the Director of Publication., Rodney N. Hader Circulation Development M a w , Herbert C . 8Arrutant to the Dimtor of Publicationr, William Q. Hull REGIONAL EDITORIAL BUREAUS NEW YORK N. Y. 10017 733 Third AveI PHILADELPHIA Pa 19107 Philadelphia Natidml Bank Building Broad & Cheatnut Streeta PITISBURGH Pa 16219 630 William Pe& Piace CHICAGO Ill 80603 36 South #ab& Ave. CLEVELAND Ohio 44114 1367 East S i St. S A N FRANCISCO, Calif. 94104 67 Post St. LOSANGELES Calif 90006 422 South Wenteh Av;. HOUSTON T e w 77002 614 Main Bide. 1212 Main St. FRANKFURT/MAIN Weat Germany 32 GBockenheim&trar*e LONDON W C 2,England 27 John A& S< TOKYO Japan Iiura Cktral Building 4th Floor 12 Iikura Kata-machi, L b u Minato-ku, Tokyo W A S H I N G T O N D C 20098 1166 Skteemth Si., N. W.
Science Education for Nonscientists in American colleges and universities to assure some degree of familiarity with the methods and accomplishments of the physical sciences among nonscience majors has been to require a year’s course in natural science during the first or second year of study. Some institutions have experimented with survey courses covering several sciences, while others have offered special courses in single sciences for nonscience majors. A basic question is whether such students are best served by courses “in” science or “about” science. I n past generations, a persuasive argument could have been presented to the effect that there is only a single structure of science, and therefore that it is illogical to present one kind of science course for scientists and another for nonscientists. But with the increasing complexity of modern science and with the quickened pace of its development, it is necessary to re-examine the validity of the traditional approach. I n addition, it must be recognized that people who were educated in arts or humanities 10 or 20 years ago, and who received an adequate exposure to science a t that time, most likely are hopelessly inadequate in their understanding of current science. Yet these very people are apt to be in positions of leadership in business and government, charged with the responsibility for making decisions affecting the welfare of science. As for college courses in chemistry for nonscience majors, an article by Prof. William F. Kieffer, of the College of Wooster [J.Chem. Educ., 45, 550, September (1968)l is noteworthy in several respects. First of all, the course is offered a t the junior or senior level, flaunting the custom of restricting nonmajor courses to the first two years. Second, the same course is offered regardless of the type of physical science course taken earlier. Third, advantage is taken of greater maturity and broader experience of the students to include the historical and philosophical background underlying scientific discoveries along with the science itself. With respect to the education of nonscience professionals, the special coursw instituted several years ago by Dr. W. W. Grigorieff of Oak Ridge Associated Universities deserve special mention. Being first organized to bring groups of University professors from nonscience fields together with scientists for several weeks of lectures and discussions about modern science, the program has shifted during the past two years kowaxd noneduclators-e.g., clergymen-and toward shorter courses. Encouraged by the success of this program, several universities have recently experimented with special short courses in a similar vein. Such experiments deserve careful study as guidelines for further progress in this important area of education.
T
HE TRADITIONAL APPROACH
Advertwing Management REINHOLD PUBLISHING C O W . (for Branch 05ces, BBB page 129 A)
For submission of manuscripts, see page 2 A . VOL. 41, NO. 7, JUNE 1969
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