Chemistry Departments Try to Attract More Students by Retooling the Major – WSJ

Chemistry Departments Try to Attract More Students by Retooling the Major – WSJ.

Good or Bad?  I’m not a chemist, so I don’t know.  But I’m always concerned.  It really depends on the university.

I wrote,

”

I don’t know chemistry, but I know colleges.

Don’t trust – do verify!

For example, a peer to Emory (Washington U. in St. Louis) adapted  a course to deal with the STEM problem.  They wrote in an article “Intro Class Blues”, that a physics prof.

“…scrapped the traditional lecture format…they hear one or more 10-minute lectures … talk about two-minute problems in groups… go home and rework the original set of homework problems…Students… were clamoring to get in…”

“It was touted as the best at WU, but … I feel like I did not learn much..I am a Physics major and am worried about the voids in my background..”,

Others were much happier:

“His 197 exams have unlimited time and are so easy!..”

“he wrote the exams and they were pretty easy! I wish there were more profs like him. A+”

I was told 90% of his students expect an A.

“Student” needs aren’t the same as “Consumer” wants.

(Details are on inside-higher-ed .)

I found only one online comment from a student who didn’t like the course.  He wrote