In the Classroom: Writing
Using the World Wide Web To Enhance Writing Assignments in Introductory Chemistry Courses Cynthia McGowan and Patricia Sendall Department of Chemistry, Merrimack College, N. Andover, MA 01845 National attention in education has recently focused on writing across the curriculum (1), and educators are placing greater emphasis on incorporation of new pedagogical techniques early in a college student’s education (2, 3). With any assignment, the instructor outlines a specific task and the student typically sets off in search of library “leads”. The student might then extract articles from microfilm or microfiche, or copy articles from a magazine or book. If the technology is available, however, students can broaden and enhance their search by using the Internet. Research has shown that technology can facilitate important changes in curriculum even when it has no curricular content itself. “Worldware” is software that has been “developed for purposes other than instruction but also is used for teaching and learning” (4). The World Wide Web (WWW) is an example of worldware. When exposed to worldware, students become involved in active learning and discussion. Once students are familiar with worldware, there is a high probability that they will continue to use it for long periods of time. According to Ehrmann, worldware packages offer educational value because they enable several facets of instructional improvement. He further states that it is not the technology per se, but how it is used that matters most (4). We encourage the use of Netscape Navigator as a research tool to access the WWW for assignments that incorporate writing across the curriculum (WAC) into the chemistry curriculum. The writing assignment is given to students in an introductory chemistry course with a hands-on computer laboratory session to familiarize them with the browser systems and to develop effective search strategies. (Details of the laboratory session are available upon request.) Assignment topics range from the chemistry of particular compounds to chemical issues related to a student’s own particular field of interest. Although students are not expected to do a complete literature search, the results of their reading are presented in a modest review article. There is no absolute page limit, but five to ten pages for the review, not including references, structures, and figures, is recommended. References, properly cited, must include at least two recent chemical journal articles or texts and a minimum of five references, with at least three from primary sources including biology, physics, or other journals and books.
All students in our initial pilot group searched the WWW using Netscape, and 90% of them used the information from their search effectively in their final papers. Many of our chemistry students have continued to use the WWW for information gathering in other courses during the semester. These results are supported by Ehrmann’s conclusions that worldware such as the WWW has great educational potential and wide use for a long time. Studies show that women and men experience differing levels of comfort when it comes to the use of technology. Recent surveys have shown that whereas 35% of the users of on-line services are female, only 15% of those women are using the WWW (5). We have observed that the women in class tend to respond positively to the research assignments while using Netscape. According to Klawe and Leveson, “as [college] Freshman courses begin to assume extensive computer experience in those who take them, women and others without this experience will be at a significant disadvantage and may become discouraged” (6). Other researchers have found that schoolaged girls have been discouraged both at home and in the classroom from pursuing technical and/or scientific interests (7). Therefore by introducing a user-friendly Web browser such as Netscape Navigator to the class, female students in particular were provided an opportunity to become comfortable with both computer hardware and software. Positive results have been realized when the use of this pedagogy is shared with colleagues from various disciplines. Once colleagues have been briefly introduced to Netscape and the WWW, they too are more likely to introduce this research tool to students. Using the WWW for research provides access to a wider range of information, both domestic and international, than that available at one’s college library. This use of technology provides an educational strategy that can influence a student’s total course of study. Literature Cited 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
Zineser, W. Writing to Learn; Harper & Row, New York, 1988. Beall, H., Trimbur, J. J. Chem. Educ. 1993, 70, 478–479. Shires, N. J. Chem. Educ. 1991, 68, 494–495. Ehrmann, S. C. Change 1995, 27(2), 20–27. Zitner, A. Boston Globe, July 12, 1995, p 29. Klawe, M.; Leveson, N. Commun. ACM 1995, 38(1), 29–35. Eccles, J. S. Psychol. Women Q. 1987, 11(2), 135–171.
Vol. 74 No. 4 April 1997 • Journal of Chemical Education
391
