{"id":557,"date":"2017-10-16T20:51:59","date_gmt":"2017-10-17T00:51:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/chemreview.net\/blog\/?p=557"},"modified":"2026-03-17T18:57:37","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T22:57:37","slug":"16-online-conference-help-with-chem-math","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chemreview.net\/blog\/?p=557","title":{"rendered":"16 – Online Conference: Help with the Math of Chemistry"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

NSF data tell us that nationally, about 90% of students who take science-major college chemistry hope to major in biology, health sciences, or engineering.\u00a0 Those majors require first-year chemistry because molecular behavior is a foundation for all science, but also with the expectation that chemistry will teach calculation skills that are central in scientific disciplines.<\/p>\n

In scientific calculations, numbers have units attached. In addition, if equations are required, students are expected to determine which data goes where, and in chemistry, students learn to do so. \u00a0But most chemistry textbooks optimistically assume that students during K-12 have learned the fundamental rules of arithmetic and algebraic computation.<\/p>\n

In the U.S. for the current generation, due to circumstances often beyond their control, test data show that computation skills have declined substantially since about 1990.\u00a0 We also we know from cognitive studies (but did not know until recently) that to solve calculations reliably, students need \u201cvery high\u201d rather than \u201cmoderate\u201d proficiency in math computation.\u00a0\u00a0 And because over-reliance on calculators and a decrease in calculation practice have been a part of K-12 math standards in most states since 1990, current students leaving K-12 are unlikely to have \u201cvery high\u201d computational proficiency.<\/p>\n

These issues are discussed in some detail in the paper<\/p>\n

Addressing Math Deficits to Improve Chemistry Success<\/strong><\/p>\n

here:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/confchem.ccce.divched.org\/sites\/confchem.ccce.divched.org\/files\/2017FallConfChemP8.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

This was one of eight papers presented and discussed in the fall of 2017 at an ACS Division of Chemical Education (DivChEd) online conference on \u201cImproving Student Skills in the Mathematics of Chemistry.\u201d Among the topics:<\/p>\n