Flipped Classroom in Organic Chemistry Has Significant Effect on Students’ Grades

Comprend des références bibliographique

A Flipped Classroom Redesign in General Chemistry

The flipped classroom continues to attract significant attention in higher education. Building upon our recent parallel controlled study of the flipped classroom in a second-term general chemistry course (J. Chem. Educ., 2016, 93, 13–23), here we report on a redesign of the flipped course aimed at scaling up total enrollment while keeping discussion sizes small (i.e.,students), and maintaining equivalent contact hour load for faculty and workload for students. To that end, the course format featured lecture contact pushed outside of the classroom in the form of video lectures (mean duration 13 minutes) paired with online homework sets, and three parallel weekly one-hour discussion sections were held in adjoining lab rooms immediately prior to the three-hour laboratory session. As in our previous design, the discussion sections were led by teaching assistants; however, the weekly discussion meeting was shortened from 75 minutes to 50 minutes, and the primary instructor “floated” between the three parallel sessions. Two such sessions were held each week, affording a possible enrollment of 144; initial enrollment was 141, with students self-selecting into the course. We examine student performance in and satisfaction with the course using: (1) a pre-test/post-test design based on the paired questions American Chemical Society (ACS) first-term and second-term exams, (2) data on DFW (D, F, withdrawal) rates, and (3) student evaluations

Flipped classrooms: Designed and implemented with colleagues collaboration

The aim of this study is to investigate the results of the flipped classroom model, which was prepared and applied in collaboration with colleagues, on the academic success on stereochemistry one of the topic the organic chemistry course of pre-service chemistry teachers, the views of the pre-service chemistry teachers about the flipped classroom model and the views of the collaborating faculty member about the practice. The study was designed and carried out according to the participatory action research method. Seventeen pre-service chemistry teachers participated in the study. In the study, short videos were shot in which the instructor of the course explained the lessons and the researcher provided pedagogical and technical support in order to carry out the stereochemistry lesson with the flipped classroom model. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected. The quantitative, which was collected with data the achievement test, was analyzed with the non-parametric Wilcoxon Test. The qualitative data were analyzed with the content analysis method. Quantitative results showed that there was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test achievement scores in favor of the post-test. As a result of the qualitative content analysis, it was determined that the pre-service teachers had positive views toward flipped classroom such as support learning, solving plenty of questions, watching the videos as often as desired, and being prepared for the lesson. The instructor who conducted the course also stated that he had positive thoughts about using the same method in his lessons and sharing the course material on online platforms

Flipped Learning in Synchronously-Delivered, Geographically-Dispersed General Chemistry Classrooms

In synchronously-delivered, multi-site classrooms, the physical separation between distance students and instructors may create a perceived divide that negatively affects learning. Building on prior experience in flipping organic chemistry in single-site face-to-face (F2F) classes, we decided to extend our approach to multi-site, synchronously-delivered general chemistry courses. Our thought was to narrow the perceived instructor-student divide in distance teaching by using the flexible in-class time that flipping affords to increase the number of positive teacher/distance-student interactions. In this effort, we gradually developed a technique called “bridging questions,” through which the instructor becomes more familiar with student interests and then connects those interests to chemistry topics discussed in class. Despite anticipating overall positive results, actual consequences were mixed: after flipping the class, evaluation scores and positive feedback increased slightly. However, the mean final exam scores decreased for F2F students by 26.2%, but increased for distance students by 4.4% (not statistically significant). Thus, this new approach (flipping with bridging questions) may have unintentionally skewed our focus to distance students, though this conclusion is speculative. (We acknowledge statistical limitations, due to small sample sizes.) We accordingly advocate proactive efforts to balance engagement between both F2F and distance sites. In this paper we also discuss modifications we made to adapt our flipped format to multi-site, synchronously-delivered freshman chemistry courses, as well as the basic idea of bridging questions in general

In-Class Versus At-Home Quizzes: Which is Better? A Flipped Learning Study in a Two-Site Synchronously-Broadcast Organic Chemistry Course

We recently shared our design of a two-semester flipped organic chemistry course, in which we gave students in-class quizzes to incentivize attendance and watching the lecture videos in advance. With a second iteration, we planned to make the video-watching experience more engaging. We accordingly hypothesized that if students completed short at-home quizzes while watching the videos, then attentiveness, engagement, and learning would increase. We tested this with a later section of the course, dividing the material into 13 units. For units 1-6, we gave in-class quizzes; for 7-13, quizzes were at home. Although units 1-6 and 7-13 covered different material, we were nonetheless surprised when students’ average quiz scores decreased for the take-home quizzes, because they did not have a time limit and were open-book, unlike the in-class quizzes. Anonymous survey feedback showed a strong preference for quizzes in class and indications that take-home quizzes demotivated attendance and pre-class watching of the videos. Thus, for analogous flipped course designs in chemistry, we recommend an in-class quizzing strategy over take-home quizzes to positively affect engagement, learning, and attendance. Of note, this course was synchronously delivered to two groups of students at geographically-distinct satellite locations

Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationThis research project improved general chemistry performance through four major efforts: 1) identifying factors predictive of students failing general chemistry, 2) adjusting course structure, 3) changing course curriculum to align with chemical education research, and 4) implementing metacognitive training. Low math ability and poor attendance at discussion sections most significantly contributed to students failing the course. Course prerequisites were then implemented and attendance in discussion became required, resulting in a 3% increase in final exam median score and a semester decrease in student enrollment. Yearly enrollment did not change in response to the addition of course prerequisites. Greater structure was added to the established flipped classroom through online homework questions, which linked students to videos and offered tutorials on the topic. Practice tests were added to this system, resulting in a 4% increase in median final exam score and a 6% improvement in pass rate. Metacognitive training within practice tests was added to the homework, with students predicting their ability, receiving feedback of their chemistry ability, and developing study plans. This training overcame low-achieving students' tendency to overestimate their chemistry ability but did not improve assessment scores. Regular metacognitive training was implemented within weekly quizzes, in addition to practice tests, including the system of prediction, feedback, and study plans. Student tendency to overestimate assessment scores was overcome and scores on each course exam improved. After factoring out other effects, overall final exam average improved by 4%, with the bottom quartile of students improving by 10%. This training was implemented over the year of general chemistry, improving the bottom quartile's final exam score by 2.7% for each semester of training received. Analysis of this training indicated that regular completion of study plans and accurate prediction of end-of-semester assessment scores correlated to positive semester trajectory. By the end of this study, student enrollment rates, the number of students passing the course, and the percent pass rates for General Chemistry I and II reached the highest levels seen since the outset. Final exam scores generally increased over the study, with a minor decline witnessed in the most recent semester of General Chemistry I

Design and evaluation of a chemistry subject in an engineering degree

The beginning of a new Degree at UPC was the opportunity to design a Chemistry subject from the start. It was designed under the criteria of focusing the process on student learning, following the indications of the last meeting of the European Higher Education Area in Rome, November 2020. The objective of the design was to comply with the regulatory requirements and incorporate the learning outcomes that were already defined in other engineering areas, as well as to facilitate the learning of students who had not studied chemistry in high school (between 20 and 30%). To this end, videos have been created with embedded questions, tests, summary preparation criteria, various cooperative work methodologies, ... to which part of the subject's grade (10%) has been assigned in order to facilitate student commitment to weekly completion. Each academic year (3 normal and one in confinement have been developed) an assessment has been made with the students, both of the methodology and the material. In all cases, they reflect that continuous work and immediate or very close feedback is one of the points that has helped them the most in their process. They have also commented (in each academic year) on possibilities for improvement in which they have been directly involved and have helped to bring it to completion. The material is currently ready to be made public on the University website and accessible to all students

Using Flipped Classroom Modules to Facilitate Higher Order Learning in Undergraduate Organic Chemistry

In an ongoing effort to incorporate active learning and promote higher order learning outcomes in undergraduate organic chemistry, a hybrid (“flipped”) classroom structure has been used to facilitate a series of collaborative activities in the first two courses of the lower division organic chemistry sequence. An observational study of seven classes over a five-year period reveals there is a strong correlation between performance on the in-class activities and performance on the final exam across all classes; however, a significant number of students in these courses continue to struggle on both the in-class activities and final exam. The Activity Engagement Survey (AcES) was administered in the most recent course offering included in this study, and these preliminary data suggest that students who achieved lower scores on the in-class activities had lower levels of emotional and behavioral/cognitive engagement and were less likely to work in collaborative groups. In total, these findings suggest that if students can be guided to engage more successfully with the in-class activities, they are likely to be more successful in carrying out the higher order learning required on the final exam. In addition to the analyses of student performance and engagement in the in-class activities, the implementation of the flipped classroom structure and suggestions for how student engagement in higher order learning might be improved in future iterations of the class are described herein

Proceedings of the 1st Annual Higher Education Flipped Learning Conference

Click the title or the Download button to view/download the proceedings as a PDF

The POGIL Model Integrated Flipped Classroom Assisted Learning Management System (LMS) for Learning Solution in ERI 4.0

The use of technology in learning is highly demanded during the covid-19 pandemic and the development period of the Industrial Revolution Era 4.0. The right learning model is a challenge that must be solved by educators. The LMS-assisted FGIL model was introduced as an appropriate model used for current and future learning. This development is a type of EDR (Educational Design Research) research with a plomp research model. Lecturers as expert review, and 12 students became the subject of research in this development research. The data obtained in the form of content validity data and media validity was processed using Aiken's V formula, while practicality data was processed with practical percent. Based on the results of the study obtained a value of V for content validity and media validity of 0.88; and 0.91; which is in the valid category. Then the practical results showed a value of 89.00% with a very practical category. So, it can be concluded that the model developed has been valid and practical so that it is worth using in learnin