Overview of Chem 121-3
This short presentation will include material on
four topics:
•
What you and we can expect in this course.
•
Approaches to learning Chemistry.
•
The ethics of scientific professionals.
•
What is research like in the sciences,
especially in Chemistry?
What you and we can expect in this course.
Based on the course descriptions and enrollment patterns,
we assume:
• You completed a High School Chemistry course
or equivalent.
• Your math skills are very good.
• You are pursuing a major in a science-related field
and Chemistry is deemed critical to that preparation.
• Many of you are apprehensive about Chemistry.
• Most of you will complete Chem 121, 122, and 123,
but some will stop after Chem 121.
Characteristics of Chem 121-3
You may find this course a bit different from others you
have taken in the past:
• The lecture hall is large – but we still expect you to
ask and answer questions in class.
• You will have separate, but related, activities in
small sections for Laboratory and Recitation.
These will be lead by Teaching Associates.
• The entire teaching staff and support program is
dedicated to help you learn Chemistry.
• Nevertheless, YOU are the primary person responsible
for learning the material.
Our expectations:
• Attend Class!
And Be Prepared for Class!
• We won’t take attendance — but you are responsible
for all that is presented in class.
• Be Honest, with yourself, classmates, and teachers.
(More on this later.)
• Be Inquisitive. Strive to understand concepts, not
just memorize information.
• Keep ahead of lectures. Be aware you cannot learn
the material by cramming.
Do you recognize this diagram?
Bloom’s Taxonomy–
[Approaches to learning Chemistry.]
Knowledge – Simple recall of facts
Comprehension – Translate into your own words or equations.
Application – Apply concepts to specific situations; recognizing and solving a
problem when the equations are not given.
Analysis – Application plus recognition of important parts of problem.
Synthesis – Assemble components into a form new to them,
i.e. design a research plan or devise a synthetic scheme.
Expected
in this
course.
Evaluation – Judge the value of materials in terms of internal and external
criteria.
Expected
This is a grossly abbreviated adaptation from Bloom, B. S. (Ed.) (1956) Taxonomy of educational
in objectives:
The classification of educational goals: Handbook I, cognitive domain. New York; Toronto: Longmans,
Research.
Green. Use Google to find other references.
see also http://www.coun.uvic.ca/learn/program/hndouts/bloom.html
http://www.officeport.com/edu/blooms.htm
http://www.kurwongbss.eq.edu.au/thinking/Bloom/blooms.htm
Ethics in Chemistry — and the Professions
Each of you is headed toward a professional career as
a physician, engineer, or scientist. Whatever this chosen
field, your key to success and respect depends critically
on your high level of ethical behavior.
Read recent newspapers and/or scientific journals to learn
of issues of dishonesty which have lead to the downfall of
professionals who previously had excellent reputations.
Most of the material that follows is based on a publication
by the National Academy of Sciences:
http://books.nap.edu/catalog/4917.html
http://www.nas.edu (home page for NAS)
On Being a Scientist: Responsible Conduct in Research,
Second edition, ISBN: 0309051967
Authored by National Academy of Sciences,
National Academy of Engineering,
Institute of Medicine
Available for viewing and searching at
http://newton.nap.edu/catalog/4917.html
Some Chapters from the NAS publication:
[These chapter titles have links to the NAS on-line pages.]
The Social Foundations of Science
Experimental Techniques and the Treatment of Data
Values in Science
Conflicts of Interest
Publication and Openness
The Allocation of Credit
Authorship Practices
Error and Negligence in Science
Misconduct in Science
Responding to Violations of Ethical Standards
The Scientist in Society
Research in Chemistry
What is it?
How can you get involved?
•
It will become included in all laboratory courses
in Chem 122, 123, 221, 254, and 255 through
the REEL project.
•
You can work with most professors at OSU in
their research program—right along with
graduate students and other colleagues.
•
Visit the Department of Chemistry web site
for Undergraduate Research.