Greater access to technology for students, now native to virtual learning environments out of either choice or pandemic-related necessity, has forced student approach to coursework and subject mastery to evolve. While tools like online homework software have been around for many years, there has been much room for improvement in the interfaces students use, the scaffolding of the new problems students are learning to solve, and the ability to use those programs effectively inside the classroom. Beginning in Fall 2021, Aktiv Chemistry (formerly Chem101) has been employed in a variety of ways in the General and GOB Chemistry courses at Springfield College, a small private 4-year institution heavily aligned with educating future health professions without a chemistry major. This software has improved accessibility for students at all levels of introduction-level chemistry, both in and out of the classroom. The ability to provide students with a wide variety of scaffolding exercises has helped support students with weaker backgrounds in mathematics and prior chemistry due to educational interruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. In anonymous post-exam surveys, students report using Aktiv homework problems, ungraded practice problem sets, and daily in-class assignments as some of their primary study tools for exam preparation.

Evolution of support in general and GOB chemistry with the COVID cohort

Where thousands of chemistry professionals meet to share ideas and advance scientific and technical knowledge. Spring 2023 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch at the end of March.

ACS Spring 2023

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