Thermodynamics in Context: A Case Study of Contextualized Teaching for Undergraduates

Thermodynamics is often considered to be a dry and theoretical area of undergraduate chemistry. To make it more accessible, a contextualized approach to first-year university thermodynamics has been developed, building on the experiences at the high school level of ChemCom in the United States and Salters Advanced Chemistry in the United Kingdom. A constructivist approach takes into account students' prior understanding of enthalpy and energy transfer from high school chemistry. Contextualized lectures, tutorials, workshops, and examination questions are supported by a bank of Web-based questions designed to practice the basic mathematical manipulations. Contexts used include fuels, explosives, food, and bioenergetics. The course, which is aimed at chemistry majors, has been used at the University of Leeds and the University of York in the United Kingdom. Initial evaluation suggests that the approach increases the appeal of thermodynamics and improves learning of fundamental principles. The article seeks responses from other instructors who are interested in bringing the benefits of contextualized teaching to undergraduate chemistry.