The widely acknowledged need to include
chemical information competencies
and communication skills in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum
can be accommodated in a variety of ways. We describe a team-taught,
semester-length course at Wright State University which combines chemical
information literacy, written and oral communication skills, professional
ethics, and career preparation. The chemical literature instruction
includes evaluation of sources, practice with scientific databases,
and an introduction to reference management. Written communication
skills are addressed in a term paper assignment which includes a peer
review exercise to provide students with exposure to an author’s
and a reviewer’s perspective. Students’ oral communication
skills are honed through training in presentation techniques and the
completion of several speaking assignments. Resumé-writing,
professional ethics discussions, and presentations by alumni who are
employed in a variety of chemistry-related positions contribute to
the course’s career preparation goals.
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