Abstract for

A consortium of nine institutions of higher education headed by Lehigh University proposes a fundamental revision of the chemistry curriculum at all levels for majors in chemistry, for future professionals, scientists and engineers, for responsible citizens, and for continuing education students. The proposed ChemPRIME curriculum will utilize current, high- visibility, multiple exemplars to structure the chemistry. Options in exemplars, depth and rigor of treatment, learning style format, review, self-testing, and evaluation create a flexibility made possible by CD-ROM technology. Students will create self-customized courses. Ultimately a single publication will integrate all courses in the curriculum.

The planning process involves faculty in:

(1) selection of exemplars for introductory and analytical chemistry courses,
(2) definition of basic chemistry content covered in these exemplars, and
(3) combination of exemplars into tracks though the courses in the traditional curriculum.

The interdisciplinary nature of many exemplars will promote the integration of chemistry and related disciplines, while traditional core concepts will allow reliance on the experience and training of faculty.

The ChemPRIME curriculum will create courses of unprecedented flexibility because:

(1) different exemplars treating the same basic chemistry will be interchangeable;
(2) depth and rigor may be selected by an instructor;
(3) courses may be incrementally updated;
(4) students will select the presentation optimized for their learning style;
(5) laboratory experiences will be closely linked to exemplars; and
(6) customized courses for new constituencies may be more easily designed and tested, broadening the impact of chemistry through the traditional college curriculum.

Evaluation of individual components and the overall ChemPRIME project will be readily conducted. Student access to the developing program through a network will allow determination of component use and learning success via embedded self-testing and traditional methods.

To access the Planning Grant Proposal in full (five pages)