Environmental Chemistry course highlights the interdisciplinary nature of the Yale-NUS curriculum

Interdisciplinary learning is an important aspect of Yale-NUS College students’ academic journeys. Environmental Chemistry: How The Science Informs Our Policies is a new course introduced by Assistant Professor of Science (Chemistry) Chan Kiat Hwa last semester, which approaches environmental science from a chemistry and policy-based perspective, and enables students from wide range of backgrounds to gain knowledge about the chemistry of our natural world.

Explaining the objectives of the course, Asst Prof Chan said, “The course aims to illustrate how integrated chemistry concepts are required to understand the water, soil, and atmospheric chemistry in our environment, as well as how these concepts underpin some of the policies we adopt with regards to our environment.”

Besides exploring the theory behind these concepts, the course also involves hands-on learning. Asst Prof Chan emphasised the importance of performing laboratory experiments to help students develop skills in asking questions and gathering data to answer them.

A student performs laboratory experiments for the course. Image taken by Ashbel Chioh for Yale-NUS College.

In order to aid students’ understanding of the interconnectedness of water, soil, and atmospheric chemistry with public policies, Asst Prof Chan incorporated several real-world case studies into his lesson plan. These include topics such as water purification and distribution, ozone management, soil management and desertification,

Glenda Chin (Class of 2022), who took the course this past semester, said that these case studies allowed her to see the practical applications of the knowledge she gained. For one of their assignments, the students had to design a water filter using only materials that would be readily available on campus during an apocalyptic-like emergency, to filter pond water from the Yale-NUS biofiltration pond to make it fit for drinking

“I appreciated the practical component of the course, as it helped me understand how scientific knowledge was adopted to solve real life problems,” she said. “For instance, we were tasked with a situational problem which we had to solve using both our creativity and knowledge we gained from the course.”

By encouraging the use of problem-solving skills and creative thinking, this course also challenged students to apply knowledge from various fields and think outside the box.

“The questions asked were not simply ones that could be answered through memorisation of content,” said Jacqueline Jin (Class of 2023). “My problem-solving skills were tested and we had to incorporate integrated skills from multiple concepts, which span organic, inorganic, physical and analytical chemistry. As such, taking this course greatly complemented my organic chemistry course, which I took at the same time. This was what made the course challenging, yet exciting.”

Students collaborate on a project at the laboratory. Image taken by Ashbel Chioh for Yale-NUS College.

Through the different assignments, students are able to implement class material in a practical manner. “I appreciated the opportunity to have a more hands-on approach – acquire basic skills in experimentation and troubleshoot a problem,” said Glenda.

Asst Prof Chan’s multi-faceted approach to environmental science – both from a theoretical and practical standpoint – allowed the course to integrate concepts from many fields of study, including organic and inorganic chemistry, public policy, and environmental sciences.

Sharing how the interdisciplinary approach of the course has benefitted her, Jacqueline explained, “Although I did not previously know much about what ‘environmental chemistry’ entailed, I found the concepts in this course multidisciplinary as they were interwoven with organic chemistry foundations, allowing me to experience a fluid coverage of soil chemistry supported by organic chemistry abstractions”.

Generating data from the experiments. Image taken by Ashbel Chioh for Yale-NUS College.

In the end, students not only gained a theoretical understanding of environmental chemistry, but were also able to apply this interdisciplinary knowledge in the real world, either in the form of engaging projects such as the water filtration challenge or hands-on experiments performed in the science laboratory.

“I think the most important takeaway from this class was the skill of learning how to apply theoretical knowledge for problem-solving,” said Glenda. “I think this course is great to introduce you to the science behind concepts, whilst allowing you to also utilise this knowledge to tackle specific issues at hand.”

Jacqueline also echoed this sentiment. When asked about the most important takeaway from this class, she said, “Thinking outside of the box! Particularly because the questions required lots of problem-solving and critical thinking, I found I had to use different perspectives to tackle the concept.”

“Personally, it has been an enjoyable teaching and learning experience, especially in terms of connecting the science to the policy case studies,” said Asst Prof Chan, adding, “Together with the students’ suggestions, I look forward to refining the course to better meet students’ needs when I run it again.”