At Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), introductory chemistry is a one-semester course without an associated lab. It is a required course for all undergraduates with most of them taking it in their first year, and for many of them this is their only contact with chemistry. In response to a perceived decrease in student engagement with the course material and to increase student agency in what they learn. We have implemented a series of novel small group activities that build towards a capstone project that uses chemical concepts to explore a topic of their choosing. We did not eliminate any units or topics except that the project replaces the cumulative final. In order to accommodate the class time dedicated to group activities, we created on-demand video content for learning and review. The success of these changes is measured by end-of-semester surveys. Students report that they enjoy the changes and that the final project is preferable to a final exam.

Implementing guided instruction in introductory chemistry to increase student engagement

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

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