Milwaukee Section Award Chemistry Education Research: Measurement of Learning in Chemistry Thomas A. Holme Professor of Chemistry University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Monday November 28, 2005 Lunda Room - Alumni Memorial Union Marquette University Milwaukee, WI

DIRECTIONS

As has been true historically for the chemical sciences, the ability to make better measurements of how students learn chemistry will play a critical role in the development of chemistry education over the next decade or more. Chemical education research has begun to elucidate how learning occurs and the ACS Exams Institute, located at UW-Milwaukee, is now working to devise assessment materials that will better inform educators about the learning that takes place in their courses. This talk will highlight both the research that points to the importance of new measurements and the early stages of development for new materials that will (a) be more efficient and accurate in their measurement of student knowledge; (b) be more flexible about content knowledge to be measured; or (c) measure types of learning that previously could not be measured with accuracy.

Thomas Holme received a B.S. in Chemsitry and Physics from Loras College in Dubuque, IA in 1983 and a PhD in Chemistry from Rice University in 1987. In 1990 he was Fulbright Scholar in Lusaka, Zambia. He has been Director of General Chemistry at UWM since 1994 and was promoted to Full Professor in 2002. He has also been the faculty advisor to the Student Affiliate group at UWM during that time.

Tom has research interests in computational chemistry with current projects emphasizing the reactions of boranes in physiological systems. He is also active in curriculum development and teaching practices, publishing regularly in The Journal of Chemical Education and other education related venues. He is currently serving as the Director of the ACS Division of Chemical Education Examinations Institute, a position he assumed in July 2002. His interest in assessment began in 1996 when he served as the chair of the committee that wrote the standardized exam for Chemistry in Context for the Institute. His chemistry outreach efforts were recognized by the American Chemical Society in 1999 when he received the Helen Free Award for Public Outreach. Tom is listed in Who's Who in America, Who's Who in Science and Engineering and Who's Who in American Education.