The Use of Dictating Machines in General Chemistry Instruction A new application of a familiar tool was tried as a self-help approach to the solving of general chemistry problems. Through the courtesy of Smith and Butterfield, a local office supply firm, tape recording dictating machines were made available. Two tapes were made. The problems found a t the end of a chapter were discussed. An effort was made to point out in the preceding chapter or chapters the information which had a. direct bearing on a particular problem. It was hoped that the correlation of specific textual material with a particular problem would enable a student to work out a solution. No solution t.o.n-. -.. nrnhlwo wna . ~ ... . -ziven. ~.~~ ~ . ~ ~ Through the interest and cooperation of the college library staff, the machines w d tapes were placed on the reserve books section in the college library. Students voluntarily called for s. machine and tape in the same manner as for a, book. A conference room, provided by the library, enabled a. group of students to listen by using the eonf~reneespeaker, plugged into the machine. A head set enabled an individual student to sit a t a table on the main floor of the lihrarv and listen while disturbing no one. A foot operated switch controls t,he movement of the tape. In this way one may listen, stop the machine, carry out the suggested study of the text and problem relationship and then move on to the next suggestion. Records show that the two tapes were used overs. hundred times and that the same students used the tapes one to four times. A number of students asked that additional tapes be made on other problem sets. The better prepared students, as expected, did not use the tapes. The experience with the two tapes indicates that students have an interest in this type of instruction. A further study with additional tapes and a. careful andysi: of grades earned and predictive test scores will give a. greater indication of the setual value of such methods.
Volume 37, Number 10, October
1960
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505
