The Literature Discussion: A Signature Pedagogy for Chemistry

Abstract

Chemistry instructors strive to help undergraduate students develop the skills, understandings, habits of mind, and values of professional chemists. Signature pedagogies organize student learning to impart these skills. We propose that literature discussions, as described in this chapter, are a signature pedagogy for chemistry because they call upon students to work as disciplinary experts. In this chapter, using our experiences teaching inorganic chemistry as an example, we highlight the reported gains that students make when literature discussions are used as a pedagogical method. We provide practical advice to consider when structuring literature discussions to meet the diverse topics covered and levels of courses in inorganic chemistry. As an instructive case study, we describe how one instructor transformed her foundation level inorganic course to a more literature-centric model. This change allowed the instructor to integrate and highlight broader themes in inorganic chemistry. While there are many questions that need to be studied about the gains that students make in understanding, enjoying, solving problems in, and communicating chemistry, we believe that the findings would justify the designation of literature discussions as a signature pedagogy.