Implementing a Multidisciplinary Program for Developing Learning, Communication, and Team-Working Skills in Second-Year Undergraduate Chemistry Students

Abstract

Since 2002, a multidisciplinary program has been used to encourage science students to build on their chemical knowledge and to appreciate how it applies to the world around them. The program is interactive and instills a new set of core learning skills that are often underrepresented in undergraduate curricula, namely, cooperative learning, communication and presentation skills, and resource mining. The second-year science cohort of 220 students is divided into small groups. Each group proposes a topic through which to explore the societal role played by chemistry. The program has two components: a report written by pairs of students and a short competitive group presentation. The multiple positive outcomes of the program have been assessed, including the less tangible benefit of a renewed connectivity between students and staff engaged in the pursuit of chemistry.