Project Description.
Although the use of radioactivity and nuclear chemical techniques is increasing in many fields and there is a corresponding need for well-educated individuals with a background in nuclear science, the number of nuclear science faculty is decreasing, there are few practicing radiochemists, and negative public perception has led to student reluctance to enter the field. As a result, the supply of students trained in nuclear chemistry and related areas falls well short of meeting anticipated national needs. This project reintroduces nuclear science into the traditional college chemistry and high school science curricula.

Goals and Objectives.
The original goals of our project were:

1. to produce curriculum modules designed to incorporate nuclear chemistry into the traditional, four-year undergraduate chemistry curriculum, and
2. to train faculty at Central Appalachian and historically black colleges and universities to use the modules. We have since added the goals of
3. adapting these materials for use at the high school level and
4. disseminating the materials to college and high school teachers via the Internet. The following activities are planned for the final funding period:

College level:

• test dissemination of materials through an "internet workshop" (99/00 academic year)
• hold an internet follow-up workshop (Summer 00)
• incorporate suggested revisions to internet site (Summer 00)

High school level:

• place high school modules on the web site (99/00 academic year)
• hold a follow-up workshop for users of material (Summer 00)
• incorporate suggested revisions to material (Summer 00)

Achievements.
At this time, we have assembled modules for all four years of college chemistry (general, organic, analytical and physical), trained 36 college faculty members to use the materials, and revised this material based on the feedback from its use in actual classrooms. Modules for high school science teachers are in the development phase, recruitment of high school teachers for a workshop next summer (99) is beginning, and a web site is being constructed.

Evaluation.
Evaluation will continue to be based on actual use of materials in the classroom. Workshop attendees (traditional or internet) spend one session developing evaluation plans for the coming year, and an initial evaluation of the curriculum modules and workshop is conducted at this time. During the school year, teacher participants keep a log, recording which curriculum units they use, preparation and class time spent, a critique of the material used, and input from students in classes using these materials. At follow-up workshops (again both traditional or internet), participants make an overall evaluation and provide suggestions for changes and additions in the curriculum materials.

Sustainability.
At the end of the funding period, we will have a complete set of tested and revised nuclear chemistry modules for use in high school science and college chemistry courses on the internet. We plan to continue to disseminate the college materials with funding from DOE and the CCLI program at NSF. The American Association for the Advancement of Science recently recommended to the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment of the U.S. House of Representatives that the Energy Research and Nuclear Energy divisions of DOE be given $100K annually to provide teaching materials for radioactivity segments in high schools, colleges and universities.¹ Having developed these exact materials, we intend to solicit DOE for these or similar funds. At the high school level, individual schools will be able to support teachers to complete the "web workshops" as training and professional development for in-service teachers.

The method we are applying to the problem of introducing nuclear chemistry into existing curricula will serve as a model for similar modifications relating to any discipline or field. Examples include the use of manipulatives across a series of math courses, applications of interactive hypermedia in business, or the inclusion of environmental studies or materials science in the undergraduate science curriculum.


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