Research on the flipped classroom model has shown an increase in student outcomes, student perceptions, and self-efficacy with regards to challenging subject matter, as well as teaching students’ teamwork and collaboration. By using active learning, an increase in student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics, in particular for first-generation and underrepresented minority (URM) students is commonly observed. The use of virtual reality helps students interact with visual and spatial representations of objects, places, environments, and processes, not possible in a real world setting such as traveling through an atom or molecule. Many researchers have found that virtual reality can enhance learning experiences by providing students with unique, immersive, and active learning environments ultimately leading to learning gains. While both flipped classroom and virtual reality (VR) teaching methods have been studied extensively in STEM courses, blending both technological methods is a novel high impact practice (HIP) that was evaluated for this study.<br/><br/>Findings will be presented from a mixed-methods design study that was conducted with undergraduate college students to decrease DFW rates in gateway General Chemistry courses. The project encompasses the undergraduate student population from a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) in the San Joaquin Valley. An overview of research on virtual reality and flipped classroom will be presented to support instructional practices of chemistry professors to foster student learning. Implications for integrating the flipped classroom enhanced virtual reality curriculum into general chemistry courses will be discussed for supporting teaching practices in high school and collegiate chemistry courses and how these HIP methods benefit various learning styles.

Implementation and assessment of the flipped classroom enhanced virtual reality curriculum as a novel high impact practice into gateway general chemistry courses with first-generation underrepresented minority (URM) students

ACS Fall 2021

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