With funding from a four-year Howard Hughes Medical Institute grant, Southwestern University has incorporated active learning pedagogies throughout its science and math curriculum. These programmatic changes in both lecture and laboratory courses were evaluated using several methods. The Teaching Dimensions Observation Protocol was used to determine differences in pedagogical methods, behaviors, and dialogue displayed in lecture courses as active learning course modules were implemented. The level of inquiry of chemistry laboratory experiments was characterized and compared between old and new curricula. Additionally, student survey data were analyzed to identify if pedagogical transformations were associated with changes in perceived learning gains and understanding. Within general chemistry, preliminary results confirm higher levels of inquiry within the new laboratory curriculum and an increase in student-centered pedagogies in the lecture portion of the class. This presentation will discuss the outcomes of our pedagogical reforms in general chemistry and organic chemistry laboratory and lecture courses.

Transforming the undergraduate chemistry experience through active learning: Evaluating pedagogical reforms within general and organic chemistry

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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