Over the past few decades a growing body of work has emerged that speaks to how people learn and how we might better structure learning experiences; it also includes the  multiplicity of affective components that impact learning and a better understanding of the  neural mechanisms that underlie learning . In addition the recent National Research Council report on Discipline Based Education Research (DBER) synthesizes what we know about student learning at the college level in various Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. However, it is quite surprising that relatively little of this understanding has made its way into the design of chemistry curricula offered at most colleges and universities.  While there is much discussion of evidence based reform, most of these efforts are focused on incorporating “active learning” techniques, rather than redesigning the curriculum in light of evidence from research. This presentation will focus on the need for evidence based curriculum reform, the research findings that can guide such reforms, and how we might assess the results of these reforms.

What can the learning sciences tell us about teaching chemistry?

249th National Meeting (2015)

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