Paul Kelter’s research while affiliated with Northern Illinois University and other places

The ICUC (International Center for First-Year Undergraduate Chemistry Education) is an international organization that focuses attention on entry-level chemistry education and provides information and expertise for educators and other supporters throughout the world (ICUC, 2012). The ICUC was established in 2003, and grew to over 200 members by 2010 (Kelter and Castro-Acuna, 2012). It has provided opportunities for exchange of best practices in the teaching of first-year chemistry through a listserv, a newsletter entitled the ICUC Quarterly, a yearly journal published in Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Argentina named Anuario Latinoamericano de Educacion Quimica (ALDEQ) and sponsorship of the ICUC FYI-Chem conferences in 2005 and 2007. Due to a decrease in funding and the evolving needs of the membership, the ICUC Board of Directors has been discussing the best means for retooling the ICUC so that it can remain a vital organization for international chemistry educators and attract new members. Some of the issues faced by the organization, the personal contributions of current and former Board members, and the Board’s vision for the future of the organization are presented here.

Individuals with a very different cultural background but with a common enthusiasm for teaching chemistry in the best way possible and the desire to share their points of view and experiences along their academic careers are the main ingredients to create a successful center of information where everyone can benefit from each other member. ICUC is the answer for many academic needs that teachers share worldwide particularly when they are in charge of teaching the first course of chemistry to youngsters that are not necessarily interested in the subject; despite this lack of interest, teachers will try to give them the basic chemistry tools to become citizens that will use this knowledge to take better decision. In this article we show some testimonies by Chemistry teachers from different countries about how a center like ICUC serves as a great option to get better results in their day to day teaching activities.

Collaborations between scientists often transcend borders and cultural differences. The fundamental nature of science allows scientists to communicate using knowledge of their field but the institutions that support them are often hindered by financial and cultural barriers. As a result, science suffers. This book evolved from an August 2009 symposium at the 238th annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Washington, DC. Its focus is on chemistry students and professors interested in developing a global approach to teaching chemistry, by participating in an international exchange program or incorporating culturally inclusive techniques into their classroom. The book has three broad themes; education research with a globalized perspective, experiences of teaching and learning in different countries, and organizations that support a global view of chemical education and chemistry. Here are the authors and an overview of their stories.

Due to the nature of large enrollment courses, it is difficult to create intimate learning environments where students can seek advice from the instructor. One alternative to the large lecture is to offer small discussion courses taught by highly trained graduate teaching assistants. These small courses allow students to interact with skilled instructors while keeping costs low. In this paper, we discuss differences in student exam scores between a large lecture taught by an experienced lecturer and a small discussion taught by an trained graduate student at a large Research 1 institution. Attrition rates were lower while student satisfaction ratings and exam grades were higher for the graduate student section. This result will be viewed in terms of a larger longitudinal study on the effectiveness of graduate TAs versus teaching professionals in introductory courses and current research on graduate TA training.