VOL.5, No. 7 Tns ELEMENTARY CHEMISTRY COURSES AT PRINCETON
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THE ELEMENTARY CHEMISTRY COURSES AT PRINCETON
During the last few years the pedagogical methods used in our schools and colleges have been examined more critically than ever before, both by educators and by the public generally. As a result many institutions have made radical changes in educational procedure. Some of the innovations showed their worth almost a t once, while others are still in a highly experimental stage. It is interesting to note that most of the changes have had to do with decreasing the size of the teaching unit; or with the development of a plan involving a great deal of independent work on the part of the student, under the direction of an instructor who has made i t his business to learn that particular student's needs and ability. It looks as though the ideal which we are approaching, but probably will never reach because of the expense involved, is a teaching unit consisting of one student and one instructor; or what amounts to the same thing, a separate course for each student. This year the Chemistry Department a t Princeton has had in operation for the first time a plan of instruction for the freshmen which has several interesting aspects and which apparently is a new approach to the ideal mentioned above. Most institutions have one course in elementary chemistry. Princeton for some years has offered two courses, and this year the number was increased to five. The student may elect one or another of these depending on his previous training in preparatory school, his ability, and his purpose in studying chemistry. The plan may be explained most simply by describing the courses in some detail and indicating the methods of instruction and the class of students for whom each course was designed. Course I is open to all freshmen who have had no previous training in chemistry. There is no requirerent as to ability as shown by secondary school records, but in general those who enroll have more than a passing interest in chemistry and have considered going on with chemistry or some allied science. The instruction consists of two experimental lectures on the elements and their compounds, one class period and one (three hour) laboratory period per week. For the class period the class is divided into groups of about fifteen men each. During this hour, the instructor encourages questions having to do with the subject matter of the lectures and the laboratory work, he occasionally holds short quizzes, helps the men with problems, advises about outside reading and in general attempts to round out the course in any way possible. Course I1 was offered to men who wished to include some chemistry in their educational program but who were interested mainly in the cultural value of the subject. It was felt that such men Irequently hesitated to
elect the general courses because the laboratory work meant giving a disproportionate amount of time to a minor interest, and the great mass of technical detail obscured for them the essentials of the science. Laboratory work is omitted in this course and instruction is given by means of experimental lectures and class work which is supplemented by outside reading. Occasionally the professor in charge of the course invites experts in special fields to lecture to the class on some phase of their subject which is important to a general understanding of chemical science. The lecturers may be members of the department of chemistry, they may be members of some other department of the university, or they may come from some other institution. The course is less technical than No. I ; stress is put on the historical development of chemistry, the contributions which i t has made to the progress of our civilization, and ti its general relation to other branches of knowledge. It does not satisfy the prerequisite in general chemistry for the advanced courses, and is only open to men who have not offered chemistry for entrance. Courses I11 and IV are alike in that the ground covered in the lectures is identical-the elements and their compounds and the fundamental laws and theories of chemistry-and they are open only to men who have passed chemistry for entrance. There is no requirement as to ability as shown by secondary school records. The object here is to provide a means whereby men with previous training can progress more rapidly than the beginning students and where i t is possible to avoid repetition of the material covered in the preparatory school work. Courses I11 and IV differ in the amount and nature of the laboratory work: in I11 one three-hour period per week is required, which includes experiments on the chemistry of the metals and an introduction to qualitative analysis. No. IV includes two laboratory periods and the work is largely qualitative analysis. No. I11 is chosen by men who may or may not go on with chemistry, and to whom the extra laboratory work does not appeal either on account of lack of interest or lack of time. No. IV as a rule will be elected by men who intend to specialize in chemistry. Credit is given for qualitative analysis and those who receive high marks are allowed to elect organic chemistry in sophomore year. Course No. V is offered by special invitation to exceptionally good students and who have had previous training in preparatory school. It is presumed that the men have a special interest in chemistry and particularly in the purely scientific aspects of the subject. Theory is stressed in the lectures rather than purely descriptive matter, and in the laboratory (2 three-hour periods per week) the student is encouraged to develop interests of his own and to do as much as he can assimilate. Qualitative analysis is covered rather thoroughly, and those who complete the requirements of the course are permitted to elect organic chemistry in the sophomore
year. If, during the term, a man does not live up to the rather high standards which are set in this course, he is dropped back to No. IV. Although this five-course plan is far removed from a system in which the individual needs of each student are studied and perfectly provided for, it is hoped and believed that every freshman, after consultation with his faculty advisor, will find that one of the courses is far better suited to his purpose and ability than any of the others. Since the complete plan has been in operation for part of a term only, it is impossible a t present to make an estimate of its worth. Course V, however, was offered in 1926-27 and was elected by about fifteen freshmen. Most of these men are now taking the regular junior courses in organic and physical chemistry, and the results to date have been most gratifying. In fact these exceptional students have clearly demonstrated their ability to complete in one year the work ordinarily required in two years of college chemistry.
