Introductory College Chemistry Research Articles

Building a Community of Practice: a Case Study of Introductory College Chemistry Students

Building a Community of Practice: a Case Study of Introductory College Chemistry Students

Examining lecture and inquiry-based laboratory performance for language minority students in science gateway courses.

This study examined the effectiveness of lectures and inquiry-based instruction in supporting learning for language minority (LM) students in science gateway courses at a large public research university. Utilizing institutional data from 6,911 students across nine years, we fitted cross–lagged panel designs to model associations between lecture courses and inquiry-based laboratory courses for both LM and non-LM students in two-course sequences of introductory college Physics and Chemistry. We found that initial performance in lectures and laboratory sessions can be a predictor of subsequent course performance across disciplines and independent of LM status. Notably, while LM students performed worse in the initial lecture course, LM status resulted in neither worse performance in inquiry-based laboratory courses nor in worse performance in subsequent courses in the science gateway course sequence. Thus, this study suggests that interventions intended to support LM students in college science should target the initial courses in the corresponding science gateway course sequences.

Understanding Diverse Needs and Access to Resources for Student Success in an Introductory College Chemistry Course

Understanding Diverse Needs and Access to Resources for Student Success in an Introductory College Chemistry Course

Using the chemistry of pharmaceuticals to introduce sustainable chemistry and systems thinking in general chemistry

Introductory college chemistry courses are required by a wide range of science curricula. This fact has tended to frame the courses as places where core, fundamental ideas are taught, so that a foundation of knowledge might be called upon by students when they are in subsequent courses. Unfortunately, the preponderance of compartmentalized fundamental topics bolsters learning that has challenges in terms of transfer of knowledge to other science settings. One method that has been proposed to help alleviate this concern is to incorporate systems thinking and rich contexts that directly connect foundational chemistry ideas to larger systems. One area that shows strong potential for such efforts is the science of pharmaceuticals. Adding examples related to the chemistry of drugs, both within the large lecture setting of general chemistry and within smaller discussion groups. The role of example problems, student writing projects and group construction of systems thinking related visualizations of the context of pharmaceutical chemistry are reported.

Restructuring a General College Chemistry Sequence Using the ACS Anchoring Concepts Content Map

Many STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines require a two-semester sequence of introductory college chemistry, which are thus critical gateway courses to a variety of majors. Recognizing the benefit to educators of a structure of content learning across the chemistry curriculum, in 2012, the American Chemical Society (ACS) developed the Anchoring Concepts Content Map, or ACCM. The development and subsequent revision of the general chemistry ACCM inspired the restructuring of our first-year chemistry sequence. Thus our CHEM 1001 and 1002 courses, taught in an atoms-first framework, were reorganized into a set of nine modules, each intentionally linked to one (or more) anchoring concept of the ACCM. In this initial effort, we have developed the course modules and subtopics and a set of learning objectives for each module and linked these to the general chemistry ACCM. To facilitate the initial teaching of the courses, the redesign occurred during the academic year, and the courses were taught in summer term 2019 using a flipped classroom design with three weekly 100 min face-to-face discussion meetings and two weekly laboratories for the 6 week long courses. Herein we describe the course design and its mapping onto the ACCM and discuss the results of the initial implementation, with suggestions given for future adaptations.

The Purple Flask: A Novel Reformulation of the Blue Bottle Reaction

Herein we describe The Purple Flask, a novel color-changing redox reaction that uses ascorbic acid as an electron donor, atmospheric oxygen as an electron acceptor, a copper–iron mixture as a redox catalyst, and the purple phenothiazine dye thionine as redox indicator. This formulation has several advantages over other versions of the classic “blue bottle” reaction for classroom demonstrations: (i) It uses noncaustic chemicals and proceeds at mildly acidic pH 4.2. (ii) The purple color generated by the oxidation reaction is intense, but fades rapidly. (iii) The reduction reaction rate is very temperature sensitive, which enables exploration of the impact of temperature on reaction kinetics. The Purple Flask is a vivid classroom demonstration that quickly captures student attention and can be used to illustrate the principles of redox chemistry in settings ranging from middle school through high school advanced placement chemistry and introductory college chemistry.

Sleep quality, duration, and consistency are associated with better academic performance in college students

Although numerous survey studies have reported connections between sleep and cognitive function, there remains a lack of quantitative data using objective measures to directly assess the association between sleep and academic performance. In this study, wearable activity trackers were distributed to 100 students in an introductory college chemistry class (88 of whom completed the study), allowing for multiple sleep measures to be correlated with in-class performance on quizzes and midterm examinations. Overall, better quality, longer duration, and greater consistency of sleep correlated with better grades. However, there was no relation between sleep measures on the single night before a test and test performance; instead, sleep duration and quality for the month and the week before a test correlated with better grades. Sleep measures accounted for nearly 25% of the variance in academic performance. These findings provide quantitative, objective evidence that better quality, longer duration, and greater consistency of sleep are strongly associated with better academic performance in college. Gender differences are discussed.

Classwide Investigation of Absolute and Relative Scaling Conceptions of Students in Introductory College Chemistry

The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has outlined four themes that define science literacy; these are systems, models, constancy and change, and scale. More recently, the ...

Creation of a stable and highly functional pluripotent stem cell derived hepatocyte model for drug metabolisation and toxicity screening

Introductory college chemistry courses are required by a wide range of science curricula. This fact has tended to frame the courses as places where core, fundamental ideas are taught, so that a foundation of knowledge might be called upon by students when they are in subsequent courses. Unfortunately, the preponderance of compartmentalized fundamental topics bolsters learning that has challenges in terms of transfer of knowledge to other science settings. One method that has been proposed to help alleviate this concern is to incorporate systems thinking and rich contexts that directly connect foundational chemistry ideas to larger systems. One area that shows strong potential for such efforts is the science of pharmaceuticals. Adding examples related to the chemistry of drugs, both within the large lecture setting of general chemistry and within smaller discussion groups. The role of example problems, student writing projects and group construction of systems thinking related visualizations of the context of pharmaceutical chemistry are reported.

Partial least squares structural equation modeling of chemistry attitude in introductory college chemistry

Students’ decisions to enter or persist in STEM courses is linked with their affective domain. The influence of factors impacting students’ affective domain in introductory college chemistry classes, such as attitude, is often overlooked by instructors, who instead focus on students’ mathematical abilities as sole predictors of academic achievement. The current academic barrier to enrollment in introductory college chemistry classes is typically a passing grade in a mathematics prerequisite class. However, mathematical ability is only a piece of the puzzle in predicting preparedness for college chemistry. Herein, students’ attitude toward the subject of chemistry was measured using the original Attitudes toward the Subject of Chemistry Inventory (ASCI). Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to chart and monitor the development of students’ attitude toward the subject of chemistry during an introductory college chemistry course. Results from PLS-SEM support a 3-factor (intellectual accessibility,emotional satisfaction, andinterestandutility) structure, which could signal the distinct cognitive, affective, and behavioral components of attitude, according to its theoretical tripartite framework. Evidence of a low-involvement hierarchy of attitude effect is also presented herein. This study provides a pathway for instructors to identify at-risk students, exhibiting low affective characteristics, early in a course so that academic interventions are feasible. The results presented here have implications for the design and implementation of teaching strategies geared toward optimizing student achievement in introductory college chemistry.

Using self-efficacy beliefs to understand how students in a general chemistry course approach the exam process

Retention of students who major in STEM continues to be a major concern for universities. Many students cite poor teaching and disappointing grades as reasons for dropping out of STEM courses. Current college chemistry courses often assess what a student has learned through summative exams. To understand students' experiences of the exam process, including how students prepare for an exam, take an exam, and respond to feedback from an exam, data was collected through interviews with students in an introductory college chemistry course. The interview data was analyzed using emergent coding to describe students' experiences of the exam process using phenomenography. Data indicated that students' experiences with the exam process could be categorized based on their reported exam performance. Overall, differences could be seen between these students' self-efficacy beliefs and metacognitive skills based on the grade each student reported receiving on the exam. The students who performed highest on the exam had self-efficacy beliefs primarily from their mastery experience, and middle performing students' self-efficacy beliefs came from vicarious experience. The lowest performing student had low self-efficacy beliefs. Students who received the highest grades on the exam viewed learning as making meaningful connections between topics, and students who received lower grades viewed learning as memorization. By further understanding students study habits, their views on the exam process, and the development of their self-efficacy beliefs, instructors may be better able to assist low and middle performing students in our general chemistry courses. The findings from this study suggest several ways instructors could facilitate more effective studying and promote higher self-efficacy beliefs, including promoting group work, talking with students about study skills, and encouraging attendance at office hours to review exam responses.

How Do We Measure Success in Introductory College Chemistry?

A focus on graduation rates and simple numerical measures appears to be a new, national trend. Providing and measuring quality in chemical education is discussed.

Exploring a measure of science attitude for different groups of students enrolled in introductory college chemistry

Decisions about instruction, research, or policy often require the interpretation of student assessment scores. Increasingly, attitudinal variables are included in an assessment strategy, and it is important to ensure that interpretations of students' attitudinal status are based on instrument scores that apply similarly for diverse students. In this study, a shortened version of the Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA) was used to gather validity evidence based on the internal structure of the instrument in an introductory chemistry course. Using measurement invariance analysis by sex and race/ethnicity, it was found that the internal structure holds by sex, but it did not hold by race/ethnicity in our sample. Further analysis revealed problems with the normality scales for Black students in our sample. Also, this study examined the relationship between the scales of the Shortened TOSRA, achievement in chemistry, and prior math knowledge. Using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) it was found that two of the scales, attitude toward inquiry and career interest in science, have a small but significant influence on students' achievement in chemistry. This study highlights the importance of examining if the scores apply similarly for different groups of students in a population, since the scores of these assessments could be used to make decisions that will affect the students.

Investigation of Absolute and Relative Scaling Conceptions of Students in Introductory College Chemistry Courses

Scale as a theme in science instruction is not a new idea. As early as the mid-1980s, scale was identified as an important component of a student’s overall science literacy. However, the study of scale and the scale literacy of students in varying levels of education have received less attention than other science-literacy components. Foremost into the foray of students’ scale literacy has been the research by Gail Jones and co-workers, who have been studying students in middle and high school, in-service teachers, and experts in their respective fields. However, the scale literacy of students in undergraduate college chemistry courses is unknown. One should not assume that students in introductory chemistry courses have an appropriate and developed conception of scale, particularly down to the relevant size realms for chemistry. The research presented here investigates the relative and absolute scaling conceptions of students in introductory chemistry courses.

Valid and Reliable Assessments To Measure Scale Literacy of Students in Introductory College Chemistry Courses

An important component of a student’s science literacy is scale and concepts relating to scale including proportion and quantity. Measuring a student’s scale concept has been examined using laboratory studies with one-on-one activities and interviews. However, classwide assessments to measure a student’s scale concept have been limited and largely focused on one component of a student’s scale concept. Classwide assessments that are validated and found to be reliable for a particular group of students can be useful in measuring the effects of interventions or course experiences. Two assessments were developed to measure a student’s scale concept, targeting specific components of scale as described by Gail Jones and co-workers through the Scale Concept Trajectory. One of these assessments examines students’ skills related to scale while the other examines students’ scale concepts. The validation and reliability analyses as well as correlations of these measures to course performance in chemistry for both ge...

Science Scores, Measures of Success, and National Competitiveness

Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test data, advanced placement chemistry test scores, and success of students in an introductory college chemistry course are discussed. As more students and a more diverse population in high school and college take chemistry courses, new challenges are encountered that include ones that are outside the scope of college teachers. Keeping focused on potential content and pedagogical changes is crucial, and reform needs to be informed by evidence.

Analysing the distribution of questions in the gas law chapters of secondary and introductory college chemistry textbooks from the United States

This study analysed the distribution of questions from the gas law chapters of four high school and four college chemistry textbooks based on six variables—Book Type (secondaryversusintroductory college), Cognitive Skill (lower-orderversushigher-order), Question Format (calculationversusmultiple-choiceversusshort-answer), Question Placement (in-chapterversusend-of-chapterversustest-bank), Question Type (qualitativeversusquantitative), and Representation (macroscopicversusparticulateversussymbolic). The questions in these chapters were homogeneously distributed for the Cognitive Skill and the Representation variables, but showed differences in question distribution based on the Book Type, Question Format, Question Placement, and Question Type variables. The loglinear analysis method used in this study provides one way to analyse the distribution of different types of questions appearing in chemistry textbooks, and these differences in question distribution can be helpful for textbook authors to evaluate the types of questions appearing in their textbooks and how they are presented, and can be helpful for chemistry instructors to determine how they need to adapt their instructional lessons to prepare students for course examinations or college/career placement examinations.

Student Success in Intensive versus Traditional Introductory College Chemistry Courses

The goal of this study was to determine whether students would be more successful in a traditional 15-week introductory college chemistry course or an intensive three-week version of the same course. In addition to course format, we also analyzed whether the students’ academic experience (measured as the number of college credit hours taken by these students), life experience (measured as the number of years since the student graduated from high school), academic major (categorized as physical science, life science, or nonscience), and gender had an effect on their success in the class. The results of this study showed that, once corrected for student academic ability, students in the intensive course were more successful in this course than the students in the equivalent traditional course. However, we were unable to show that academic experience, life experience, academic major, or gender had any significant effect on student success in these courses.

The learner characteristics, features of desktop 3D virtual reality environments, and college chemistry instruction: A structural equation modeling analysis

We examined a model of the impact of a 3D desktop virtual reality environment on the learner characteristics (i.e. perceptual and psychological variables) that can enhance chemistry-related learning achievements in an introductory college chemistry class. The relationships between the 3D virtual reality features and the chemistry learning test as it relates to the selected perceptual (spatial orientation and usability) and psychological (self-efficacy and presence) variables were analyzed using the structural equation modeling approach. The results supported all the hypothesized relationships except one. Usability strongly mediated the relationship between 3D virtual reality features, spatial orientation, self-efficacy, and presence. Spatial orientation and self-efficacy had statistically significant, positive impact on the chemistry learning test. The results indicate that 3D virtual reality-based instruction is effective for enhancing students' chemistry achievement. Overall, this study contributed a research model that can help increase the effectiveness of desktop virtual reality environments for enhancing spatial ability and science achievement. Moreover, this study provides insight to science educators, instructional designers, and multimedia developers who are interested in designing science-based instruction using instructional design principles.

The Heat Is On: An Inquiry-Based Investigation for Specific Heat

A substantial number of upper-level science students and practicing physical science teachers demonstrate confusion about thermal equilibrium, heat transfer, heat capacity, and specific heat capacity. The traditional method of instruction, which involves learning the related definitions and equations, using equations to solve heat transfer problems, and using equations to determine the heat capacity of a metal in a laboratory setting, contributes to this confusion. A simple modification of a traditional high school or introductory college chemistry heat capacity laboratory is described. Based on the learning cycle, rather than a verification of the concept of heat capacity, this experiment is designed to introduce students to the concept of heat capacity and to encourage them to make connections to their personal experiences before being provided with definitions and mathematical equations. Rationale for this modification along with a description of the experiment including pre- and postlab student questions, student instructions, sample student data, and teacher facilitation suggestions are provided.