Organic chemistry, laboratory courses education

Zoller, U., Pushskin, D. (2007). Matching higher-order cognitive skills (HOGS) promotion goals with problem-based laboratory practice in a freshman organic chemistry course. Chemistry Education Research cmdPractice, 8, 155-171... 

Chemical Toxicity. In chemistry courses students learn a lot about what a chemical can do for them, but they know woefully little about what a chemical can do to them This deficiency in their chemical education is a result of standard and currently recommended academic practices. (For example, almost all new laboratory manuals in general and organic chemistry have eliminated the use of benzene and dichromate because of their carcinogenic status.) For reasons of safety and economy teaching laboratories tend to make use of small amounts of reagents with minimum toxicity, and use low-risk procedures, such as microscale. Students have only a single or at most a few exposures to any one chemical, and learning about a chemical s toxicity is minimal. These procedures often continue into advanced courses, and even research projects. Spills and waste disposal are handled by the instructors. 

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