Combining Chemical Information Literacy, Communication Skills, Career Preparation, Ethics, and Peer Review in a Team-Taught Chemistry Course

Abstract

The widely acknowledged need to include chemical information competencies and communication skills in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum can be accommodated in a variety of ways. We describe a team-taught, semester-length course at Wright State University which combines chemical information literacy, written and oral communication skills, professional ethics, and career preparation. The chemical literature instruction includes evaluation of sources, practice with scientific databases, and an introduction to reference management. Written communication skills are addressed in a term paper assignment which includes a peer review exercise to provide students with exposure to an author’s and a reviewer’s perspective. Students’ oral communication skills are honed through training in presentation techniques and the completion of several speaking assignments. Resume-writing, professional ethics discussions, and presentations by alumni who are employed in a variety of chemistry-related positions contribute to ...