Incorporation of writing assignments in the chemistry curriculum is perceived to both develop student scientific writing abilities and to promote student success in understanding more difficult concepts in short and long term assessments.  The goal of this study is to assess how well Calibrated Peer Review (CPR) assignments assist students in developing models that build deeper conceptual understanding and critical thinking skills. If successful, we would expect students to demonstrate greater knowledge retention of critical concepts and avoid common misconceptions. A treatment group completed six CPR assignments and traditional problem sets during a two-quarter general chemistry course, and the control group only completed traditional problem sets. To assess conceptual understanding and knowledge retention, approximately 30 students from each group were interviewed and asked specific questions regarding definitions, concepts, and applications of acid-base chemistry. After the interviews were completed, responses were transcribed and coded with numerical scores. Statistical analyses were used to determine whether there was a statistical difference between the control and variable groups.

Writing and knowledge retention in general chemistry: Does a correlation exist?

246th National Meeting (2013)

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