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     In  accordance  with  the  theoretical  structure  of
departmentalized scientific knowledge,  American educators
have  evolved  a system of introductory  courses  for  the
various  sciences.    These  courses  serve  the following
functions: (1)  Maintain standards by eliminating science-
incompetent  students,   (2)   Lay  down  the  theoretical
foundation/assumptions   for   upper   level   theoretical
courses,   (3)  Supply a large enough departmental student
enrollment to justify small enrollments in exclusive upper
level classes.

     Were   introductory   courses  at  the   college  and
university  level  structured  to  be  helpful   to   real
students:   (1)   They would be designed to  help students
advance through their developmental stages. (2) They would
be designed to  help  students learn relevant fundamentals
in the context  of  dealing  with real problems.  (3) They
would be packaged in smaller units so that  students could
pick course units which fit their individual needs.

     At  the  present  time there are traditions regarding
what  constitutes  a  course-credit  or   hour-credit   in
colleges  and  universities.   Those  colleges  which have
chosen a course-credit system will need  some  imagination
to  design mini-courses to meet science education needs of
real students. The Physics Department at St.  Olaf College
has  moved  in  a helpful direction by making  all physics
courses half-courses which  are taught in the  first  half
or  last  half  of each term.   Students sign up for those
combinations  of  half-courses  which  best   meet   their
individual  needs  and each term earn an integer number of
course-credits in physics.

     It  is  important  to  seek  ways  to  organize   the
curriculum  to  meet the needs of  real  students---rather
than   to  conform  to  the  whims  and   convenience   of
instructors.  So long as genuine dialogue between students
and instructors is not possible---it will not be  possible
to helpfully restructure departmental curriculum.  Without
mutual understanding  it  is  impossible to  resolve  real
dilemmas   through   team   work.     When   channels   of
communication  become open,  then  real  dilemmas  may  be
recognized  for  what they are,  and be  resolved  through
political action.
                         (c) 1999 by Paul A. Smith in
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