Previous research has linked poor student performance with the depersonalized feeling of large lecture courses.  Various forms of enhanced communication have been tried that appear to enhance personalization in large courses.  At the University of Georgia we have attempted to enhance communication using 26 instant messaging (IM) devices in large general chemistry courses.   A project we called IM-Chem.  The general chemistry classes are taught in a 365-seat lecture hall.  Implementation of IM-Chem in large lecture general chemistry courses has had a positive impact on student performance.  IM-Chem participants had a mean course grade that was 0.14 GPA units higher than non-participants.  Gains in student performance are attributed to the active learning environment that IM-Chem participants experienced.  Additionally, an overwhelming majority of participants stated that IM-Chem personalized the large lecture setting by providing them with an unintimidating way to ask questions and individualized answers to those questions.

IM-Chem:  The use of instant messaging to improve student performance and personalize large lecture general chemistry courses

244th National Meeting (2012)

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