Gateway Examinations in General Chemistry for Engineers

本项目是为工程预科学生设计和实施普通化学课程中的门户考试。认识到这门课程的服务性质，我们正在确定作为普通化学一部分的技能和能力，这些技能和能力为高级工程课程提供了重要的基础。这些特征超越了对特定化学事实的陈述性知识，并纳入了关键的概念开发和问题解决策略。一个包括化学、工程和教育心理学教师在内的多元化顾问小组在这个项目中发挥着促进作用。该项目的第一个目标是，根据这个小组的意见，确定在普通化学中教授的技能和能力，这些技能和能力是工程课程的核心。正在设计工具来衡量学生在这些领域的能力。由此产生的考试被用来确保通过普通化学课程的学生的最低能力。达到最低标准的学生肯定会在课程中获得及格分数，尽管分数较高的学生在这部分内容上需要的不仅仅是最低限度的能力。正在解决在大型讲座课程中管理入门考试重考的后勤问题。

This project is designing and implementing gateway exams in the general chemistry course for pre-engineering students. Recognizing the service nature of this course, we are identifying skills and abilities that are part of general chemistry which provide important building blocks for advanced engineering courses. These traits go beyond declarative knowledge of specific chemical facts and incorporate key conceptual development and problem solving strategies. A diverse advisory panel including faculty from Chemistry, Engineering and Educational Psychology is serving a facilitating role in this project. The first objective of the project is to identify, with input from this panel, the skills and abilities taught in general chemistry that are core to the engineering curriculum. Instruments are being devised to measure the competence of students in these areas. The resultant examinations are being used to assure minimum competency of students who pass the general chemistry course. Students who meet the minimum standards are assured of a passing grade in the course, though higher grades require more than minimal competence on this subset of content. The logistics of administering retakes of gateway exams in large lecture courses is being addressed.