Peer-Led Team Learning : General Chemistry

Preface

Preface to the Peer-Led Team Learning Series
The Workshop Chemistry Project was an exploration, development, and application of the concept of peer-led team learning in problem-solving Workshops in introductory chemistry courses. A pilot project was first supported by the National Science Foundation, Division of Undergraduate Education, in 1991. In 1995, the Workshop Chemistry Project was selected by NSF/DUE as one of five systemic initiatives to "change the way introductory chemistry is taught." In the period 1991-1998, the project grew from the initial explorations at the City College of New York to a national activity involving more than 50 faculty members at a diverse group of more than 30 colleges and universities. In 1998-1999, approximately 2500 students were guided in Workshop courses by 300 peer leaders per term. In Fall 1999, NSF chose the Workshop Project for a National Dissemination Grant to substantially broaden the chemistry participation and to extend the model to other SMET disciplines, including biology, physics, and mathematics.

Peer-Led Team Learning—A Guidebook is the first of a series of five publications that report the work of the Project during the systemic initiative award (1995-1999). The purpose of these five books is to lower the energy barrier to new implementations of the model. The Guidebook is a comprehensive account that works back and forth from the conceptual and theoretical foundations of the model to reports of "best-practice" implementation and application. Three other books provide specific materials for use in Workshops in General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry. One book in the series, On Becoming a Peer Leader, provides materials for leader training.

The collaboration of students, faculty, and learning specialists is a central feature of the Workshop model. The project has been enriched by the talents and energy of many participants. Some of their names are found throughout these books; many others are not identified. In either case, we are most grateful to all those who have advanced the model by their keen insight and enthusiastic commitment.

We also acknowledge, with pleasure, the support of the National Science Foundation, NSF/DUE 9450627 and NSF/DUE 9455920. Our work on the second NSF award was skillfully guided by our National Visiting Committee: Michael Gaines (chair), Joseph Casanova, Patricia Cuniff, David Evans, Eli Fromm, John Johnson, Bonnie Kaiser, Clark Landis, Kathleen Parson, Arlene Russel, Frank Sutman, Jeffrey Steinfeld, and Ronald Thornton. We value their advice and encouragement. The text of the Guidebook was repeatedly processed by Arlene Bristol, with exceptional skill and remarkable patience. Finally, we appreciate the vision and commitment of John Challice and Prentice Hall to make this work readily available to a large audience.

Books are written for you, the readers. We welcome your comments and insights. Please contact us at the indicated email addresses.

Peer-Led Team Learning is an innovative model in science education. Student-leaders (peers) guide the activities of small groups of students in weekly Workshop meetings. The students work through challenging problems that are designed to be solved cooperatively. The peer leaders are trained to ensure that the students are actively and productively engaged with the material and with each other. This methodology offers a number of educational opportunities: the supportive format encourages questions and discussions that lead to conceptual understanding; students learn to work in teams and to communicate more effectively; peer leaders learn teaching and group management skills. Designed for students, this workbook features hundreds of class-tested problems at a variety of levels. These problems cover the core areas of the typical general chemistry course and can be used as-is or adapted by instructors.

Features :

• Focuses most heavily on areas of traditional weakness—The authors have many years of teaching experience and have focussed the modules on the topics students traditionally find the most difficult to master.
• Students will get plenty of opportunity to practice and learn the most challenging core concepts.
• Versatile—This material has been developed by instructors who teach general chemistry at a variety of institutions. The material is organized into units that correspond to the core chapters found in most general chemistry textbooks.
• Instructors will find this material at a variety of levels, one of which will be appropriate for their students.
• All instructors, whether they are teaching a two-term or a one-term sequence, can use this workbook to assign group problems.
• Instructors can use this material no matter which text they use.
• Extensively class-tested—The material in the workbook has been tested on students at a variety of institutions and fine-tuned for efficacy and accuracy.
• The material in this workbook forms a strong base that can be used as-is and at once.
• Instructor Website—Allows constant updating and provision of additional problems.
• As new problems are developed and as material is refined, users of this book are able to access a database of this material over the internet.

1. The Search for the Elements.
2. Atoms and Subatomic Structure.
3. Introduction to Stoichiometry.
4. Strategies for Stoichiometry.
5. Ions in Solution.
6. Gases: Nature, Laws, and Applications.
7. Thermochemistry.
8. Energy and the Hydrogen Atom.
9. Building Atoms with Quantum Leaps.
10. Covalent Bonding.
11. The Structure of Molecules.
12. Oxidation-Reduction Reactions.
13. Solutions.
14. Chemical Kinetics: Concepts and Models.
15. Rate Data and Rate Equations.
16. The Transition State and Catalysis.
17. Equilibrium Concepts.
18. Introduction to Acids and Bases.
19. The Acid-Base Concept.
20. Buffers and Titrations.
21. Solubility Equilibria.
22. Entropy Concepts.
23. Enthalpy, Entropy, and Free Energy Calculations.
24. Electrochemistry.

Appendix A: Mathematics and Measurement.
Appendix B: Unit Conversion-Dimensional Analysis.