Much of the research on learning in organic chemistry has focused on the characterization of student difficulties with various aspects of learning such as the use of mechanistic arrows. This work has led to the realization that many students address organic chemistry by attempting to memorize vast swathes of reactions, and by using pattern recognition. There is little evidence from this literature that students are able to reason through organic chemistry tasks in a meaningful way. It is clear that there is a need for change in the organic chemistry curriculum, but there have been few explicit descriptions as to what needs to change, or how those changes might be assessed. To address these problems, we have developed a new organic chemistry curriculum, Organic Chemistry, Life, the Universe & Everything (OCLUE). This curriculum, supported by funds from the National Science Foundation uses the approach and lessons learned from the development of the successful general chemistry curriculum, “Chemistry, Life the Universe and Everything” (CLUE). In this approach, topics are connected to core ideas by using scientific practices, such as constructing models and explanations, and analyzing and interpreting data. In this presentation I will discuss the evidence, theory and the decisions that went into the development of the course, along with the compromises made and the rationales behind those choices. I will provide examples of how the chemistry core ideas are further developed in the context of scientific practices. I will provide examples of formative and summative assessment items that have the potential to elicit student reasoning about reactions, and to provide us with more information about how students develop expertise in organic chemistry. Evidence about the efficacy of the new OCLUE curriculum will also be presented in the form of replicated longitudinal studies investigating student causal mechanistic reasoning and mechanism use.<br/>

Organic chemistry, life the universe & everything (OCLUE): Design and assessment of an evidence–based organic chemistry curriculum

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.