The University of Michigan Undergraduate Chemistry Curriculum 1. Philosophy, Curriculum, and the Nature of Change

Abstract

Narrowing the gap between how we understand chemistry and how we teach it.

Incorporating Analytical Chemistry into an Introductory Course in Chemistry

“…Table 1 highlights some advantages of this introductory core. Although several institutions have adopted a curriculum that eliminates a traditional one-or two-semester sequence in general chemistry, most notably the "organic-first" curricula at The University of Michigan [6] and Juniata College, [7] we know of no other institution with an introductory core similar to ours.…”

Designing convergent chemistry curricula

“…'Organic first' curricula have been developed by Juniata College in Pennsylvania and by the University of Michigan, and biology-focused introductory chemistry sequences are offered at several universities, including Harvard and Purdue [13][14][15][16] . At most institutions, however, curricular change has been slow or nonexistent.…”

An Investigation of Communication Patterns and Strategies between International Teaching Assistants and Undergraduate Students in University-level Science Labs

“…A critical challenge for American higher education is improving the educational experience of American undergraduates, especially in courses such as introductory science courses, which have traditionally been designed to winnow students out rather than draw them in (Yankelovich, 2005). Discussion of curricular change in introductory-level science courses, with the goal of supporting undergraduate learning and understanding of the material of the discipline, calls attention to ways undergraduates can be drawn into mastering the content material of the discipline (Ege, Coppola, & Lawton, 1997). Redden (2006) reports that many factors have been identified as being important for improving the educational experience of undergraduates-undergraduate satisfaction and success when engaged in educationally purposeful activities to learn content material.…”