The Need for Innovations in Higher Level Chemistry Education – A Pedagogical Justification

Higher Education is currently experiencing a period of unprecedented change. In Europe the Bologna Process is necessitating changes to the duration and structure of many courses while the Lisbon Agenda, which seeks to develop a Knowledge-Based European Economy, is identifying the need for many more graduates in key areas including chemistry. It is clear that the traditional teaching methods will be inadequate and inappropriate to support the mass higher education system that is now emerging. This book has been written as a guide for all lecturers interested in developing their chemistry teaching in order to promote more effective student learning at Universities and other higher education institutions. This first chapter introduces readers to important aspects of modern learning theory, and from this starting point goes on to provide a pedagogical justification for the need for new and innovative methods to be applied in higher level chemistry education with the aim of promoting the meaningful learning required to educate future generations of chemistry graduates. The chapter therefore aims to motivate readers to develop their own teaching using pedagogically sound strategies.