Placing Science into Its Human Context: Using Scientific Autobiography to Teach Chemistry
Felix A. Carroll
Department of Chemistry, Davidson College, Davidson, NC 28036
Jeffrey I. Seeman
Chemical Heritage Foundation, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2702, and SaddlePoint Frontiers, Richmond, VA 23236-3218
Scientific autobiography and biography can improve chemistry learning by helping students relate otherwise abstract concepts to important events in the lives of fellow human beings. In advanced courses, reading scientific autobiography and biography can help students see how scientific collaboration, advances in instrumentation, and major events in human lives influence the development of chemical ideas over time. In addition, studying many years of an individual's research program can demonstrate the progress of science, the connectivity of research findings, and the validity of experimental results over many decades. This paper describes the use of an autobiography of an eminent chemist in an advanced undergraduate chemistry course. This approach not only enhances the teaching of chemical concepts, but it also provides students with expanded opportunities for cooperative and self-directed learning activities.
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Citation
Carroll, Felix A.; Seeman, Jeffrey I. J. Chem. Educ.2001 78 1618.
Keywords
Collaborative / Cooperative Learning; History / Philosophy; Organic Chemistry; Public Understanding; Teaching / Learning Aids; Writing in Chemistry
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