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The Suggestion Box-An Old Idea Brings the "Real World" Back to Freshman Chemistry Students (and Professors)

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Andreas Stein

Department of Chemistry, University of Minnesota, 207 Pleasant St. S. E., Minneapolis, MN 55455

J. Chem. Educ., 1997, 74 (7), p 788

DOI: 10.1021/ed074p788

Publication Date (Web): July 1, 1997

Abstract

This paper describes a method of incorporating a suggestion box into freshmen chemistry lectures as an additional avenue of communication between students and the lecturer. Students (mostly science and engineering majors) were invited to submit comments or suggestions concerning the lecture in a suggestion box. Special examples included applications of the lecture material to a student's own field of study, questions relating the material to the household, and other "real world" connections of the day's subject matter not presented in the text or by the lecturer. These comments were addressed in the next lecture or another appropriate lecture. They could be used to tie together several concepts covered earlier in the course, and to illustrate the process of research and reasoning. Many students were less afraid to ask questions in a large lecture auditorium by this semi-anonymous method. The suggestion box method has been successful in helping students recognize how the theory learned from the book and in lecture could be applied to practical everyday-life situations. At the same time it has provided the instructor with fast lecture feedback and new curriculum ideas.

Keywords (Audience):

High School / Introductory Chemistry

Keywords (Domain):

Public Understanding / Outreach

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Student-Centered Learning

Keywords (Subject):

Learning Theories

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This article has been cited by 4 ACS Journal articles (4 most recent appear below).

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