Faculty Assessment Of The Effects Of A Freshman Chemistry Course

Abstract

This paper reports on a unique assessment of a structured active learning approach to a freshman chemistry course. Faculty members (N=25) from 11 departments outside the chemistry department served as assessors interviewing approximately 200 students from the experimental and a comparison version of the course. The experimental section of the course, characterized by a structured active learning approach, includes specific strategies such as an absolute grading scale, open-ended laboratory projects, and a variety of interactive lecture techniques. Two specific conclusions can be drawn from this study: (1) there are a number of longitudinal effects of structured active learning; and (2) although it is possible to assert that the comparison group does not report the kinds of learning outcomes that the structured active learning students report, further study is needed to be sure that the findings are reliable. (DDR) ******************************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. ********************************************************************************