Enhancing Students’ Engagement and Understanding in Organic Chemistry by Participative Learning

Abstract

Organic chemistry is one of the most preferred disciplines for students who enroll for the Master’s program in chemistry at the University of Mumbai, India. However, through several decades of classroom teaching, we also observed that organic chemistry is often perceived as the most difficult subject by many students who enroll for Bachelor’s program in chemistry. Our experience indicates that most students engage themselves with rote learning and are weak with their conceptual understanding. Thus, they are generally less confident about solving problems in the subject. To enhance students’ engagement and understanding in organic chemistry, we have initiated several in class and out of class activities for those enrolled in the undergraduate program in chemistry. Most of these activities emphasize problem solving in organic chemistry through collaborative group work. The activities implemented in chronological order are a) study circle b) problem solving workshops c) one-minute test d) tutorial sessions e) remedial classes and f) blended learning. All these activities have evolved over a period of time as a response to students’ needs. The current chapter will discuss and present all these activities with their salient features and students’ feedback. In general, these activities have benefited the students in i) enhancing their self-confidence ii) overcoming their fear for organic Chemistry and iii) helping them to perform better in major competitive examinations.