BENJAMIN P. BURTT Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York STunmTs enrolled in difficult lecture courses are often faced with a note-taking problem. If they attempt to take very thorough notes, they may not understand all that they have written. On the other hand if they listen carefully and try to understand as the lecture proceeds, they are not able to get complete notes. This problem arises particularly when theoretical concepts are presented. If a tape recording of each lecture is available to the student he is often able to overcome these problems and to get the maximum benefit from the lecture. For the past two years I have tape recorded my lectures in the introductory course as well as those given in my advanced course in radiochemistry. These records, and a machine upon which they can be played, are always available in the office. Any student who wishes to do so may hear a lecture again. The secretary puts the desired tape on the machine and the student or students sit about a table listening to the record. They are urged to study their lecture notes first and after having done so to listen to the recording. They listen while following the lecture in their notebooks. A given part of the lecture may be replayed as many times as desired. Many points not previously written down can be added to the notes and a very complete, accurate set is obtained. This project has been enthusiastically received by the freshmen. Of the 180 who take the course, one or two come in every day of the week. About one-half of the students in the advanced-course have made use of it. Those who have made use of it are very enthusiastic and say it helps a great deal. The superior student apparently has not felt the need of it.
I t is of special value to those who have been absent. It is possible evidently to get quite a bit from the lecture even without the visuals. (This must be kept in mind while lecturing and everything put on the blackboard should be mentioned aloud as it is written.) The availability of the recordings has not decreased lecture attendance. I have four 1800-foot reels of the new "extra play" tape for each course. Thus I can put two 50-minute lectures on one side of each reel when recording a t the low speed (3'/a inches per second). When the semester is about half over, the earliest tapes are used again by wiping out the old lecture and recordmg the new. To save time in locating the beginning of the second lecture on the reel, a loud, low pitched noise is put on the record (with the volume as high as it will go) for about ten seconds of playing time. When played rapidly as in winding the tape to the desired point, this becomes a high pitched note and the second lecture is easily located. A lapel microphone is somewhat superior to a fixed microphone for it is always the same distance from the speaker. In addition, the background noises do not interfere. In the large lecture hall a t Syracuse University a public address system and lapel microphone are always used. One of the outputs from the amplifier is plugged directly into the recorder. Another use for the tape recorder has been found in the taking of experimental data. There are times when many observations must be taken in a short time and one's hands may be occupied making adjustments. The observations can merely be recited aloud to the recorder and later transcribed into written form.
DU PONT AGAIN SUPPORTS ST. LOUIS CWEMISTRY INSTITUTE SAINTLOUISUNIVERSITY ha8 been awarded a $10,400 grant from E. I. Du Pont de Nemoum and Company for the support of its Institute for the Teaching of Chemistry. The grant will provide for 16 fellowships valued at $350 each far chemistry teachers in high schools and junior colleges, enabling them to attend the University's six-week program of the Institute to be held in the summer of 1956. The applicants need not he candidates for a degree. The Summer Institute program is comprised of five types of activity: special lectures, seminars in special topics of chemistry, seminars on the problems of teaching chemistry, informal conferences, and field trios to loed industrv and laboratories. TIw gmnt s i l l nlro provide for two frll~,rrrhirwof S16fi0 for the support ofquuliti~drrrrnt rollcyr grsdu3ct.s who n.i;h to work loward a !dn*trr of St:itwe i r l the @aching of rlrrmistry during the academic ymr IO3G37. The deyrrc pnw:trn ia tailor-made for gruluhte traitring in chrmistry wxhing. It combines dwrrr.rrl wursr* irr chrrniatry, physics, mathrmnrirs, srld rclurntion. Quallli~dapplirnnts ma" write dirn.11~to Dr. T. A. .\shford, 1)irrrtor of the Inititurn for the Tencline of C h r m i ~ r r S ~ . h t Louis I..nirereitv, Saint Loui*. hfissouri, for further information concern& the fellowships and s. bulletin describing the Institute. ~
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