Introducing Chemistry Concepts in an Online Environment through a Citizen-First Approach

Abstract

Because of COVID-19 precautions, instructors worldwide were required to introduce a variety of virtual instruction modes to complete the Spring 2020 semester. Herein we describe parallel efforts in contextualized chemistry courses at two institutions—Carthage College and Central Michigan University. These courses are primarily designed for nonscience majors and are taught through a “citizen-first” approach using Chemistry in Context. The two classes featured similar class sizes and covered similar contexts. Although the online approach differed in scope between institutions, overall student performance was similar to that in pre-COVID offerings.