The first-year General Chemistry sequence (CHEM 1211/1212) serves a large number of students and their prospective majors and career plans. Students who enroll in CHEM 1211 arrive at UGA with widely varying degrees of readiness, from the perspective of both course content and “habits of mind” (i.e., what students do to learn). In order to prepare students for the rigors of the General Chemistry sequence, the Department now offers CHEM 1210. Although it meets core requirements, its primary targets are students who would benefit from additional instruction in the basics of chemistry and in developing problem-solving skills and strategies. To aid students in making enrollment decisions between CHEM 1210 and CHEM 1211, the UGA Chemistry Diagnostic Test (UGA-CDT) has been implemented. The UGA-CDT is entirely advisory in nature; no course credit is given based on one’s CDT score. The goal is to provide students with information helpful to making course registration decisions. More information can be found at the UGA-CDT site, including the current means to complete the test. CHEM 1210 offers multiple pedagogically relevant components: on-line textbook; lecture videos; problem-solving videos; self-assessment and tutorial exercises (mostly electronic); and discussion sessions with instructors that focus on problem-solving skills and strategies. The content covered overlaps with the General Chemistry sequence but at a level of breadth and rigor appropriate to a one-semester course designed specifically to increase student learning.
