Participatory Learning in Organic Chemistry

Perhaps the most important goal in the teaching of undergraduate organic chemistr)i is to develop in students their learning skills rather than to cram as many facts as possible into the time available. In order to realize this goal we spend almost all our class time dealing with assigned problems and student questions. Lecturing is kept to s minimum.

In our classes (which have raneed in size from 12 to 40 students) a student acts as discussion leader while the entire ~~~ ~~ ~~~ ~

clas% par t~c~pa te i m snsncrme :> pnrticulnr prnhlrm nr quesri<,n. \\'r. then mwc un to a t w n r,rohlrn~ and s neu d~scuwon Imder. 'l'hr. m;tructor's mlr in thl i prvcc+ tap3rl 110111 311 O~~r i i ioml Ierttm 10 i:ll in stme gaps! is 10 ohsrrvr thr pwa- rest heme made oy rnrh indnldual. tu pru\.dr rncourngement, ro in inhire rhc time spcnr in drnrl r ~ d . 2nd to note where the class has trouble.

During the problem solving, we emphasize approach rather than answers, methods rather than facts. The class does not move on to a new topic until there is substantial agreement that the intellectual techniques of the old topic are well understood. The amount of material covered is less imoortant than the develooment of leamine skills. In our one week. wpcn hluk, take home rrnt~>innrim% rhv srudcnts perform v t n wdl on nmrrinl irnm rhaprer> thar ha\c n.,t been rort red m rlai. I . r ~ a ~ s e th t s~a tudrn t i h.me hewme l~teratc in the fwld.

Thi> nppnrarh ic apphra1,lc to mmr courses Rmh students and instructom ar t relicwd lo he out ntrhr cmn~nAwr. "on-productive race to "cover all the topics in the syllabus."

Stanley Bernstein

Antioch College Yellow Springs, Ohio 45387

Volume 50, Number 12. December 1973 / 849