Chemistry Central Blog
Open access in chemistry education
A new commentary published in Chemistry Central Journal delivers a compelling argument for using open access articles as an educational tool.
The article by Harry Pence and Barbara Losoff, “Going beyond the textbook: The need to integrate open access primary literature into the Chemistry curriculum”, explains that chemical educators can use open access articles to develop research-related skills and cultivate the next generation of scientists.
There is already some support for educators who develop science curricula incorporating research-like experiences into undergraduate teaching, but while conventional journal subscriptions can be a financial burden for small colleges and high schools, peer-reviewed papers from open access publications are freely available, and they can expand the potential for enriching scientific education.
The authors explain that “Open access peer-reviewed journals provide the means for chemistry educators, regardless of institutional resources, to introduce undergraduate students to the primary literature and to promote higher level cognitive skills by integrating primary scientific literature into the curriculum.”
We hope that this article sparks a discussion amongst chemical educators of ways that open access articles can be incorporated into the curriculum. Exposing students to current research without barriers to access will help them develop a deeper understanding of both chemistry and science.Posted by Bailey Fallon at 11:44 Comments (0)