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tant, but analytical chemists have something different to contribute. Some nonanalytical chemists have a notion that experimental work in analytical chemistry courses is basically boring, frustrating, and destructive to a continuing interest in chemistry. This impression is simply not correct; a well-orga nized analytical laboratory can stimulate students positively as no other laboratory experience can. The Students' Council at Alberta recently gathered data anony mously to evaluate student opinion about undergraduate courses, for publication in a course guide. This student-run project covered about 400 course sections in the faculties of Arts and Science. One item on the questionnaire asked, "How valuable did you find the labora tory for this course?" Figure 4 il lustrates the response to this ques tion for courses in organic, physi cal, and analytical chemistry along with an average for other sciences. In general, the reaction to the labo ratories for chemistry was more favorable than for the other sci ences. Analytical stands alone. The differences in student opinion for the various courses shown in the figure were not the result of signifi cant differences in grading stan dards; these were virtually the same for all four groups. Who Should Teach Analytical Chemistry?
This question is of concern to all. One position is that it need not be taught as a separate discipline at all, that is, that a series of casual experiences will do. It is difficult to see how deleting training in care ful measurements in an experimen tal science can be an advantage. Even though the right material is taught at the right time, the in structor will be ineffective if he is not committed to excellence in his subject. In a laboratory, students are influenced by the attitudes of their instructors, their teaching as sistants, the nonacademic staff, and their fellow students. If a signifi cant fraction of any of these groups resists the point of view essential to an appreciation of the discipline, a student has difficulty becoming deeply involved. Primarily, how ever, he becomes involved in a sub-
Circle No. 134 on Readers' Service Cam
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ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, VOL. 42, NO. 13, NOVEMBER 1970
ject through the instructor's deep commitment. Commitments are contagious. Better chemists will be produced if that part of their education dealing with chemical measurements is presented by a person who is expert and interested in analytically oriented research. Unfortunately, an analytical chem ist too often is not available, and departments make do with some one not particularly interested in the subject. To assign the teaching of any subject to persons whose principal interests are elsewhere is a major blunder. In the first place, the person whose interests are not in analytical chemistry probably will not keep up to date with devel opments in this fast-moving field. He may well teach the same mate rial he was exposed to in his under graduate career and be 10 or 20 years behind. Moreover, he is un likely to transmit the challenge and excitement inherent in analytical chemistry. The subject becomes boring and tedious, and everyone begins to cast around for a way out. Analytical chemistry taught under these conditions is both un defended and indefensible. When teaching it is regarded as an odious duty, the solution of integration may be seized upon, whereby re sponsibility for the subject be comes everyone's and no one's. While everyone should have some concern for reinforcement of the teaching of the several branches of chemistry, an interested group should have primary responsibil ity for each branch. Integration of organic, physical, or inorganic chemistry with any of the others probably would not do justice to any area. The same applies to analytical chemistry. How Should Analytical Chemistry Be Taught?
Whatever it is that makes the mature chemist commit himself to work for long periods when noth ing particularly exciting is happen ing cannot be expected to appear in a beginning student. But nei ther are the beginnings of dedica tion to a subject instilled by fran tic efforts to make it interesting through transparent gimmickry. For example, the "discovery method" of teaching often falls flat because, despite the effort expended
