How Do I Design a Chemical Reaction To Do Useful Work? Reinvigorating General Chemistry by Connecting Chemistry and Society
Katherine M. Van Heuvelen, G. W. DAUB, Lelia N. Hawkins, Adam R. Johnson, Hal Van Ryswyk, David A. Vosburg
Abstract
Insights and methods from the chemical sciences are directly relevant to global challenges such as climate change, renewable energy generation and storage, water purification, and food production. However, these connections are often opaque to students in general chemistry courses, who may get lost in the weeds of stoichiometry, VSEPR, and gas laws, and fail to see the relevance of their studies to their lives and their communities. Herein we describe a redesigned first-year undergraduate chemistry course that grounds chemical content in relevant societal applications. Students engage in collaborative, inquiry-based learning through an adapted POGIL methodology, and the highly structured class activities help students learn soft skills that enable success in higher education. Significant course revisions sometimes face resistance from key stakeholders, including students, faculty, and administration. We offer a case study in framing broader disciplinary concerns through the lens of institutional values to increase buy-in among key stakeholders.