The College of Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley is developing a new laboratory curriculum for both majors and non-majors general chemistry courses. The focus of this revision is to involve students in the authentic practice of chemistry in a structured context. Sustainability and the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry are integrated explicitly and implicitly in the laboratory activities. The new curriculum focuses on energy, environmental chemistry, chemical biology, and materials science in order to provide students with explicit exposure to the use of the chemical sciences to address modern societal problems. Vertical learning communities within the laboratory sections support students in the revised curriculum. Upper level undergraduates enroll in a course focused on learning to teach chemistry and collaborate with graduate students to teach the laboratory sections as part of their course work. The new curriculum was developed in an iterative process involving 10-20 undergraduate students each semester. Surveys, interviews, and observations are being used to assess the effectiveness of the new curriculum. The new curriculum, the iterative process by which it is being developed, and progress toward assessing effectiveness of both the curriculum and vertical learning communities will be presented.

Transformation of the general chemistry laboratory curriculum to engage students in the authentic practice of chemistry integrating green chemistry and sustainability

248th National Meeting (2014)

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