Hello everyone
The UOW School of Chemistry has decided to proceed with splitting first year chemistry (CHEM101 and CHEM102, Autumn and Spring sessions) into two stransds or levels with student entry depending their high school chemistry background. The endpoints of the two strands will be different:
Strand 1: CHEM101 and CHEM102, requiring senior school chemistry (ie HSC Chem in NSW or equiv) as prerequisite, and fulfilling prerequisite requirements for CHEM2XX our standard second year subjects.
Strand 2: (CHEM1XX and CHEM1XX) essentially for Biol and Health Sci, not requiring senior school chemistry and fulfilling prerequisite requirements for biochemistry.
I am wondering about the experience of others going down this path, especially with respect to:
Sorting students: If you have divisions like this, do you allow students with senior school chemistry iinto the lower strand subject NOT requiriing it? Such students would be in a degree program not requiring CHEM2XX.
20 20 vision: If you have gone down this path, are there major points arising in retrospect???
Differences: If you have gone down this path, are there major differences between strands in the methods of delivery, use of soft materials and use of web based learning??
regards
glennys
School of Chemistry, UOW.
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Madeleine Schultz
Wed, 07/18/2012 - 12:54am
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Hi Glennys,
Hi Glennys,
We had two strands and as of this semester we have three:
- general chem, including for chem majors - does NOT require high school chem; chem over two semesters with general/physical in s1 and mostly organic in s2. 3 hours lecture/week plus a tutorial. Current text: Wiley
- chem for health sciences - also does not require high school, but these students are mostly in pharmacy, optometry etc and very high achieving, and most do have high school. They are a much stronger group than above; our BSc (Chem) students are a weak bunch! They have more lectures and cover almost all of the above in one semester. 4 hours lecture per week, no tutorials. Current text: Wiley. Same pracs in one semester that are in both the semesters for general chem.
As of 2012, we also offer Biological Chem, which is a very diluted version of the latter, for people not continuing in chem who can't cope with that pace. They have 2 hours lecture per week plus tutorials. Text: Biological Chem (not Wiley, I can't remember if Pearson or Nelson). Very biology-specific pracs.
We would love to require high school chem but we would lose BSc students because they are the ones who don't have it! I think that the current structure will not last long, the powers that be do not like the idea of us "double teaching".
Our new BSc, coming in next year, has a generic first semester and they do not choose a major until second semester; then they do 2 chem units in second semester. There are some good things in the plan but having a whole degree in 2.5 years is a big problem.
It is good that UoW will let you require high school chem. I know UQ and Sydney do as well (or offer a foundation chem unit). QUT used to do that but we were told we were overteaching.
I think that the best thing about your system is the ability to have health science specific pracs (and examples in your lectures).
Good luck!