Evidence from research into how students learn science have stressed the importance of engaging students in the teaching-learning process. At Texas A & M International University a predominantly Hispanic institution (~90%) where most students accepted need extra help, it is imperative that many tools are deployed to augment traditional lecture method in order to engage students and provide them enduring learning in chemistry. Pre-class assessment and peer-led group assignments have been employed to provide students opportunities to personally examine the concepts being taught. This is employed even in General Chemistry where we have large numbers (~170students). In the lab project based experiments which last at least 6 six weeks are used in place of classical experiments. Students are guided to do literature search on topic of interest on the subject matter, then they generate hypothesis and design experiments to test out the hypothesis. This interesting thing is that they don’t know the outcome and the frustrating thing for them is that they know the outcome. This presentation will show how engaging students using in-class peer group session has helped not only student success but also broken the chemistry phobia, developed confidence in students to venture into other pursuits and helped some succeed in their pre-professional exam and others move on to obtain employment in chemical industry. Some of the group leaders have embraced other roles as paid discussion leaders, tutors and supplementary instruction leaders. Successes that have been achieved using project-based laboratory experiments will also be discussed. Project-based laboratory experiments have aroused the interests of students in research. This has led to increase in undergraduate co-authorship in peer-reviewed journals and presentations.<br/>

Applying active learning to give students enduring learning experiences in chemistry at Texas A & M International University

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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