Challenges in Teaching Organic Chemistry Remotely

Abstract

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has changed not only people’s daily lives but also the education system. The rise of e-learning all across the world has challenged both students and teachers to adapt to digital technologies and a novel learning experience on both sides. As if COVID-19 was not enough, many students were facing the alien territory of organic chemistry for the first time. There is no denying that organic chemistry is a tough subject, and several students may also have preconceived misconceptions. In addition, organic chemistry can be challenging to teach remotely. It is very abstract in nature; it involves many concepts, and the teacher typically uses molecular models of one kind or another to depict molecules in three dimensions. Nonetheless, challenges provide an opportunity to implement new strategies to increase students’ interest, motivation, and understanding. However, most educators only had a few days to put everything they do in class onto an online platform. In this study, we evaluated the effect of these changes in the teaching and learning of organic chemistry at a first year undergraduate level. Our results show that student success depends on the digital resources used for the different subjects. Students that received weekly quizzes performed better than those who did not, and a positive correlation exists between quiz score and final exam marks. Based on the students’ feedback, the implementation of quizzes was a successful didactic tool that helped them review the topics. In addition, the incorporation of open-access web-based tools led to a dynamic online classroom experience.