|
Throughout my teaching career I have asked what it is I want my students to
gain as a result of completing a general chemistry course. I now consider
students' chemistry experience to be successful if they (a) demonstrate
understanding of chemical concepts discussed throughout the course, (b)
understand at some minimum level the relationship between chemistry and their
major, and chemistry and society in general, (c) leave with a positive
attitude toward their chemistry learning experience, (d) evaluate their own
learning, and (e) finish the course.
I have used a variety of instructional and assessment tools to enable my
students to reach these criteria of success, i.e., in-class quizzes, exams,
lab work, lab reports, in-class discussions, challenge problems, journals,
and portfolios. In addition, during Spring 2000, students completed
ChemConnection module assignments and cumulative projects; summarized and
reacted to journal articles; and presented a poster to demonstrate their
understanding between chemistry and their majors, and chemistry and society.
Some of these tools, such as portfolios, have evolved over time based on my
evaluation of students' work and student feedback.
Students also worked extensively in cooperative groups both in class and in
lab. They evaluated their groups periodically and discussed the impact of
group work on their learning chemistry. The group evaluations were generally
positive. Students even organized study times with group members outside of
class. One student indicated he would have dropped the class had it not been
for the support of his group.
Scores on exams and lab reports were consistent with those of students in
other sections of general chemistry and compared to scores from past
semesters. A pre and post- test on global warming indicated students
initially knew very little about this issue, but finished the semester
knowledgeable about the basic chemistry of the greenhouse effect and the
complexity of this environmental / societal issue. Written communication,
including journals, lab reports, short answer/essay type questions on exams,
and the cumulative projects for the two modules, improved as the semester
progressed, especially when students had the opportunity to submit rough
drafts. They generally responded well to the feedback from me and from their
peers. But, it was difficult for students to work on multiple projects
simultaneously. They expressed feelings of being overwhelmed, especially
toward the end of the semester. It was also sometimes difficult for me to
evaluate their work in a timely fashion. However, despite the tremendous
amount of work they had to complete, they described their chemistry learning
experience as enjoyable, worthwhile, and even fun. The new tools I used may
not have significantly improved students' understanding of chemical concepts,
but they did seem to positively impact students' attitudes towards chemistry
learning.
As I critically examine students' work and my own classroom practices, more
questions arise. Are students' critical thinking skills improving? Are
their written and oral communication skills in general and in the language of
chemistry improving? Which tools are most effective in helping students be
successful in chemistry? Finally, what impact do the instructional and
assessment techniques have on student attrition? These are just a few
examples of more questions to study.
|
