Abstract
This work provides a description of our experience with designing and implementing green chemistry elements in higher education. It addresses the problem of content and methodology in green chemistry education and provides models of innovative approaches in design and teaching practices.
An introductory course, Pollution Prevention, Green Chemistry and Green Engineering, supported by a grant from Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, was designed at Grand Valley State University (GVSU), in Michigan, in 2008 and run for the first time in 2009, with 12 students. The positive response from the students who took the class coupled with increasing visibility of green chemistry initiative at the state level (MI Governor’s Green Chemistry directive and Green Chemistry Round Table) led the GVSU administration to recognize the need of such a course and, after revision, to its inclusion into the Chemistry Department curriculum, under the designation “Introduction to green chemistry”, CHM 111. This remains to be a sought-after course for freshmen and upper-level undergraduates interested in the issues of green chemistry who have no chemistry background in their education. Since 2011, the course ran twice a year with a total of 302 students to date (December 2017). From semester to semester, it underwent several modifications, in order to accommodate the most recent, up-to-date developments in green chemistry and green engineering. The repository of teaching materials created is growing continuously. The progress and lessons learned throughout the years in running this course are summarized here.
References
[1] Cronkite J, Admissions Office, Grand Valley State University, October, 2017.Search in Google Scholar
[2] American Chemical Society: Green Chemistry Institute, ACS-GCI. https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/greenchemistry.html (last accessed December 10, 2017).Search in Google Scholar
[3] EPA Green Chemistry Presidential Award. https://www.epa.gov/greenchemistry/information-about-presidential-green-chemistry-challenge (last accessed December 10, 2017).Search in Google Scholar
[4] Marteel-Parrish AE, Abraham MA. Green chemistry and engineering: a pathway to sustainability. 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers, Inc., New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons; 2014.Search in Google Scholar
[5] Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, University of York, UK https://www.york.ac.uk/chemistry/research/green/ (last accessed June 2, 2017).Search in Google Scholar
[6] Beyond Benign: green chemistry education http://www.beyondbenign.org/ (last accessed December 12, 2017).Search in Google Scholar
[7] Carnegie Mellon Institute for Green Sciences. http://igs.chem.cmu.edu/ (last accessed December 10, 2017); Learning Green, The Institute of Green Sciences, Carnegie Mellon: Introduction to Green Chemistry http://igs.chem.cmu.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=69&Itemid=515Search in Google Scholar
[8] Chemical and Engineering News, C&EN, https://cen.acs.org/magazine.html (last access December 15, 2017).Search in Google Scholar
[9] Worth mentioning here is our long-standing collaboration with Steelcase corporation, https://www.steelcase.com/, via Clinton Boyd and Mary Ellen Mika, who delivered invited guest lectures several times. C. Boyd was also the main instructor for course for one entire semester. Accessed 10 January, 2017.Search in Google Scholar
[10] Michigan State, Western Michigan, Kettering Universities.Search in Google Scholar
[11] Dicks A, Hent A. Green chemistry metrics: a guide to determining and evaluating process greenness. In: Sharma SK, Editor. Briefs in green chemistry for sustainability. Cham, Switzerland: Springer, 2015.10.1007/978-3-319-10500-0Search in Google Scholar
[12] Trost B. Atom economy—a challenge for organic synthesis: homogeneous catalysis leads the way. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 1995;34:259–81.10.1002/anie.199502591Search in Google Scholar
[13] Sheldon RA. Organic synthesis; past, present and future. Chem. Ind.,. 1992;903–6.Sheldon, R., A The E factor 25 years on: the rise of green chemistry and sustainability. Green Chem. 2017;19:18–43.10.1039/C6GC02157CSearch in Google Scholar
[14] Mack K. CHM111-Green chemistry principles: a Diels-Alder reaction. See Appendix: Sample teaching materials to this chapter.Search in Google Scholar
[15] Robinson NE, Soon W. Environmental effects of increased atmospheric carbon dioxide. J Am Physicians Surgeons. 2007;12:79–90.Search in Google Scholar
[16] Gore A. An inconvenient truth: the crisis of global warming. 1st ed. New York: Rodale Books, 2006.Search in Google Scholar
[17] Gore A. An inconvenient sequel: truth to power. 2017.Search in Google Scholar
[18] Krikke J. An introductory green chemistry course, ACS National meeting, San Francisco, 2010.Search in Google Scholar
[19] Gutwill-Wise JP. The impact of active and context-based learning in introductory chemistry courses: an early evaluation of the modular approach. J Chem Ed. 2001;78:684–90.10.1021/ed078p684Search in Google Scholar
[20] Anders C, Berg R. Factors related to observed attitude change toward learning chemistry among university students. RSC: CERP, 2005;6:1–18.Search in Google Scholar
[21] Oliver-Hoyo MT, Allen D. Attitudinal effects of a student-centered active learning environment. J Chem Ed. 2005;82:944–9.10.1021/ed082p944Search in Google Scholar
[22] Nespechal K. Cooperative learning in the laboratory. Western Michigan University, unpublished results 2006.Search in Google Scholar
[23] Class activity package Kristina Mack. See Appendix: Sample teaching materials to this chapter for all materials designed and used for this activity.Search in Google Scholar
[24] Advancing Green Chemistry website http://advancinggreenchemistry.org (last accessed May 25, 2017).Search in Google Scholar
[25] FDA triclosan info https://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm205999.htm, (accessed March 17, 2017).Search in Google Scholar
[26] Biomimicry matching game, activity and picture set available from Beyond Benign website http://www.beyondbenign.org/lessons/advanced-biomimicry-matching-game/, (last accessed December 10, 2017).Search in Google Scholar
[27] Links to a selection of Janine Beyhus’s talks: https://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_shares_nature_s_designshttps://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_biomimicry_in_actionhttps://www.ted.com/talks/janine_benyus_shares_nature_s_designs/discussion?utm_cahttps://youtu.be/n77BfxnVlyc. Accessed on September 28, 2017.Search in Google Scholar
[28] Yeom B, Sain T, Lacevic N, Bukharina D, Cha SH, Waas AM, et al. Abiotic tooth enamel. Nature. 2017;543:95–8.10.1038/nature21410Search in Google Scholar PubMed
[29] Vestaron Corporation: nature by design. http://www.vestaron.com/ (last accessed November 21, 2017).Search in Google Scholar
[30] The 20th GC&E, Portland, OR, symposium Exploring Opportunities for Green Chemistry Educators and Researchers as Change Agents Addressing the Social and Environmental (In) Justices of Chemical Exposure, Brush, E, organizer, 2016.Search in Google Scholar
[31] Kovacs DG. the 21st ACS-National GC&E, an introduction to green chemistry with a twist toward social and environmental justice, Reston, Virginia, June 14, 2017.Search in Google Scholar
[32] 21st GC&E conference, symposium Ed Brush and G.A. Lasker, organizers, 2017.Search in Google Scholar
[33] a) Kirchhoff M. Chemistry in the context of social justice. In Abstract of Papers of the American Chemical Society, vol. 253. 1155 16TH ST, NW, Washington, DC., 2017. b) Brush, E. Green chemistry = social and environmental justice, Beyond Benign webinar series, http://www.beyondbenign.org/bbdocs/webinars/20161018_Brush.pdf (last accessed December, 2016); c) Lasker, G, Mellor, KE, Mullins, ML, Nesmith, SM, Simcox, NJ. Social and environmental justice in the chemistry classroom. J. Chem. Educ. 2017;94:983−7.Search in Google Scholar
[34] Electronics Take-Back Coalition http://www.electronicstakeback.com/toxics-in-electronics/ (last accessed January 24, 2017).Search in Google Scholar
[35] CBS’s ’60 Minutes’ documentary The Wasteland: E-waste. https://youtu.be/-jSbYTNAJIQ (last accessed May 30th, 2017).Search in Google Scholar
[36] Brush E, Green Chemistry = Social & Environmental Justice, contribution to ACS Green Chemistry Institute® Green Chemistry, The Nexus Blog, Aug15, 2016.Search in Google Scholar
[37] E-Stewards, an initiative that defines and promotes responsible electronics reuse and recycling best practices worldwide. http://e-stewards.org/ (last accessed June 2, 2017)Search in Google Scholar
© 2019 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Articles in the same Issue
- Characterisation of battery materials by electron and ion microscopy techniques: a review
- Hydrogenation of nitriles and imines for hydrogen storage
- Coupling photoredox and biomimetic catalysis for the visible-light-driven oxygenation of organic compounds
- Energy transfer in liquid and solid nanoobjects: application in luminescent analysis
- An introductory course in green chemistry: Progress and lessons learned
- Molecular structure and vibrational spectra of 2-(4-bromophenyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) 1,3-thiazolidin-4-one and its selenium analogue: Insights using HF and DFT methods
- Applied battery diagnosis
- Inorganic mass spectrometry
- Safer electrolyte components for rechargeable batteries
Articles in the same Issue
- Characterisation of battery materials by electron and ion microscopy techniques: a review
- Hydrogenation of nitriles and imines for hydrogen storage
- Coupling photoredox and biomimetic catalysis for the visible-light-driven oxygenation of organic compounds
- Energy transfer in liquid and solid nanoobjects: application in luminescent analysis
- An introductory course in green chemistry: Progress and lessons learned
- Molecular structure and vibrational spectra of 2-(4-bromophenyl)-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl) 1,3-thiazolidin-4-one and its selenium analogue: Insights using HF and DFT methods
- Applied battery diagnosis
- Inorganic mass spectrometry
- Safer electrolyte components for rechargeable batteries