The resource center, a spark of light in undergraduate chemical

W. E. Jones D. J. Silver1 and J. S. Wasson Dalhousie University Halifax. Nova Scotia B3H 4J3 Canada

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The Reswrce Center, A Spark of Light in Undergraduate Chemical Education

Over the Dast few vears we have develooed at Dalhousie two resource centers which have been found to he valuable assets for teachine" chemistrv to undergraduate students. Although . the idea of a facility with learning aids, study carrels, etc., is not new or uniaue, we have introduced a number of techniques

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can help the students with any chemist& problems they may have. direct them to the Droner . . learnine aids. and he svmaa. . t l ~ r t i ;tnd < i~nrlrrcrandinyto thrir needs. Our two r e . i t ~ r , ecenters h w e hren divided such that one serves the first year students while the other serves those students beyond the first year of the undergraduate program. The First Year Resource Center The- first year (introductory) chemistry class of about 860 students is divided into 12 sections with a maximum of 70 students each and one special section of 20 students. Each section is the responsibility of an individual faculty member who meets the students a t least 9 hrlwk, in lectures (3 hr), and Iahltutorials ( 6 hr). The first-year resource center serves several purposes. ( I ) It provides a ammon area for all students toget individual help or to help himself/herself, especially when the faculty member is not accessible or if the student is shy ahout approaching the

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('2) It pnrvides a unifying effect within the numerous sections,since