A series of mini-courses under the general title of "Chemistry in Modern Society: Fundamental Concepts & Practical Applications" is being developed. The courses are being conducted entirely in "laboratory settings". About ten two-hour laboratory activities are being designed for each one-credit course. Course scheduling varies as needed: it may be concentrated in a two to three week period, or be spread over a whole quarter. Up to five mini-courses are being completed and test-run in an 18-month period. These include: fundamental concepts, nuclear, environmental, art, and pharmacological applications of chemistry. A comprehensive student manual is being written for each mini-course. This project takes a significant step in turning away from the traditional lecture-lab format of instruction to a student-centered, collaborative, laboratory learning process in which the instructor is a guide and a resource person, and the students actively engage in hands-on exercises that are designed to trigger an appreciation and a practical understanding of fundamental concepts of chemistry. We wish to attract, retain and educate those students who have difficulty with introductory chemistry in conventional practice for various reasons, by starting them with one mini-course at a time. This innovation is being conducted in a community college with extensive vocational programs and a high percentage of nontraditional students. As such it supports a national model for promoting and implementing science education reform in settings not adequately addressed currently.
