Introductory Chemistry Students Research Articles

Metacognitive reporting provides insight on students’ out-of-class study activities geared toward their learning of chemistry

Prompting students to practice metacognition, and encouraging the growth of metacognitive strategies improves student success in chemistry coursework. In this study, students were encouraged to submit weekly metacognitive reports providing (i) their time devoted to the course, including hours devoted to out-of-class additional study, and (ii) detailed summaries of additional study activities. This study was administered to students in two different courses, introductory chemistry and general chemistry I. Introductory chemistry students submitted 1,513 metacognitive reports with self-reported overall means of 2.81 hour per week devoted to attending lecture, 4.75 hours per week engaged in additional study, and 7.56 hours per week devoted to the course overall. Weekly patterns indicate that students’ additional study was focused on days of the week that preceded formal assessments. Our expectation was that general chemistry I students would report more time devoted to additional study outside of class than introductory chemistry students because of the preparatory nature of the course. General chemistry I students submitted 3,551 weekly metacognitive reports with self-reported overall means of 2.83 hours per week devoted to attending lecture, 4.83 hours per week engaged in additional study, and 7.66 hours per week devoted to the course overall. We will discuss the seeming equivalence of time spent on out-of-class additional study for the two populations of students. In addition, we will present qualitative analysis of students’ out-of-class study strategies, including classification of study strategies as deep or surface-level. This work is partially supported by the NSF-funded First2 Network.

A Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Solvent Impurity Jigsaw-Style Activity for Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Students

A cooperative-learning jigsaw-style activity was developed to create opportunities for introductory organic chemistry students to discuss and decipher 1H NMR spectra. Students cooperatively interpreted spectra that contained both pure and mixed solvents, building consensus through explanation and argumentation on what each spectrum represented. Through participating in this cooperative learning activity, students refined their ability to analyze complex, crude spectra that typically contained contaminants. The activity was designed to engage students in decoding data that are more realistic and applicable to research laboratories, where spectra are oftentimes difficult to interpret due to impurities such as unevaporated solvents and byproducts along with their intended product. Student perceptions of the activity were captured from reflective discussion in class and an end of course survey. Most students reported a shift in thinking about how they approached analyzing NMR spectra and found the activity helpful in learning to interpret spectra of complex mixtures.

Implementing Tactile Learning to Aid Students Understanding of the Bohr Model

It is essential for introductory level chemistry students to understand atomic models and how atoms interact to form chemical bonds. The tactile model in this article utilizes marbles to represent subatomic particles, a cup to represent the nucleus and wooden rings to simulate the electron orbitals. These inexpensive items can be combined to construct models in which students can build foundational knowledge of atomic structure and how subatomic particles interact. Students were asked to provide feedback comparing the use of this tactile model to atomic computer simulations, videos and their textbook regarding the method they felt was most useful to learn atomic structure.

RealOrganicChemistry.org: A Collection of Introductory-Appropriate Organic Chemistry Reactions

For most students, completing practice problems is an essential prerequisite for success in organic chemistry courses. Practice work, however, is sometimes perceived to be easier than or even not related to the types of chemistry that students see in assessments and “real-world” science. This negative view may contribute to a reduced level of engagement with course content and scientific learning practices. To combat this perception, a collection of introductory level-appropriate organic reactions bearing literature citations has been assembled and made available at RealOrganicChemistry.org. Portions of this collection were crowdsourced by introductory organic chemistry students through a three-part literature assignment intended for students reading the chemical literature for the first time. For students, RealOrganicChemistry.org is intended to provide a wealth of practice opportunities to complement conventional learning resources. For instructors, RealOrganicChemistry.org hosts a simple-to-complex range of reaction examples that are useful for literature-backed teaching efforts.

Attendance Matters! Supporting First Year Students’ Success with a Structured Attendance Policy

This work reports the effect of a revised attendance policy on attendance and course outcomes for two populations of students: introductory general chemistry students and upper-level chemistry majors. Initially, the attendance policy highlighted students’ responsibility for the material covered in class. This was changed to a policy with a specified reduction in the course average for excessive absences. Attendance and final exam scores were tabulated for each group. Implementation of the new policy increased attendance and final exam scores for introductory students, but it had no effect on attendance and final exam scores for upper-level majors. This result suggests that introductory students would benefit from course policies with specific expectations for attendance.

Development of the Chemistry Mindset Instrument (CheMI) for use with introductory undergraduate chemistry students

Chemistry education research has increasingly considered the role of affect when investigating chemistry learning environments over the past decade. Despite its popularity in educational spheres, mindset has been understudied from a chemistry-specific perspective. Mindset encompasses one's beliefs about the ability to change intelligence with effort and has been shown to be a domain-specific construct. For this reason, students’ mindset would be most relevant in chemistry if it were measured as a chemistry-specific construct. To date, no instrument has been developed for use in chemistry learning contexts. Here we present evidence supporting the development process and final product of a mindset instrument designed specifically for undergraduate chemistry students. The Chemistry Mindset Instrument (CheMI) was developed through an iterative design process requiring multiple implementations and revisions. We analyze the psychometric properties of CheMI data from a sample of introductory (general and organic) chemistry students enrolled in lecture courses. We achieved good data-model fit via confirmatory factor analysis and high reliability for the newly developed items, indicating that the instrument functions well with the target population. Significant correlations were observed for chemistry mindset with students’ self-efficacy, mastery goals, and course performance, providing external validity evidence for the construct measurement.

Development and Use of Kitchen Chemistry Home Practical Activities during Unanticipated Campus Closures

The closure of campuses in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic meant that scheduled practical activities for introductory chemistry students could not take place. The first practical class started prior to shutdown, and 21.5% of the students undertook the face-to-face offering. The remainder completed an online offering consisting of the same worksheet with videos of each of the tasks, which relate to ions in solution: conductivity and precipitation. A Kruskal–Wallis rank sum test comparison of the marks for the first practical showed that online students had, on average, a 0.9/10 drop in their mark compared to the face-to-face cohort. We concluded that a significant proportion of students found the transition to online learning difficult with the technology we provided. Rather than add another online learning activity, we chose to develop simple activities that students could complete at home, along with worksheets linking their observations to the theory taught in class. The first kitchen chemistry activity included experimental measurement (timing water boiling), solubility (mixing water with salt, sugar or oil), heat capacity (heating salt, sugar, butter and water), combustion calculations for gas heating, and colligative properties (timing ice melting with and without added salt). The second kitchen chemistry activity involved adding a constant amount of sodium bicarbonate to differing amounts of vinegar to explore stoichiometry; relating this to gas law calculations, and an extraction of red cabbage or other colored food to investigate the pH of household items. The aims of the kitchen chemistry experiments were to develop student observation skills, emphasize the importance of measurement and significant figures and provide some simple hands-on and relevant activities that could be done safely at home. The proportion of students who submitted online chemistry practicals was the same as typically attends face-to-face practicals (90%). Preliminary evaluation through anonymous student comments and staff reflections suggests that this was a valuable exercise: most students were able to learn in this replacement hands-on environment, receiving mean scores of 7.5/10 or higher. We conclude that relevant, engaging kitchen chemistry activities are useful for foundation level chemistry students.

1H NMR Spectroscopy Guided-Inquiry Activity Using the NMR Spectrometer: Incorporating Student-Generated Videos to Assess Learning

A 2-week hands-on activity is described in which introductory organic chemistry students prepare, obtain, and analyze 1H NMR spectra of known organic compounds to draw conclusions on multiplicity, ...

Mapping undergraduate chemistry students' epistemic ideas about models and modeling

AbstractDeveloping and using scientific models is an important scientific practice for science students. Undergraduate chemistry curricula are often centered on established disciplinary models, and assessments typically provide students with opportunities to use these models to predict and explain chemical phenomena. However, traditional curricula generally provide few opportunities for students to consider the epistemic nature of models and the process of modeling. To gain a sense of how introductory chemistry students understand model changeability, model multiplicity, the evaluation of models, and the process of modeling, we use a construct‐mapping approach to characterize the sophistication of students' epistemic knowledge of models and modeling. We present a set of four related construct maps that we developed based on the work of other scholars and empirically validated in an undergraduate introductory chemistry setting. We use the construct maps to identify themes in students' responses to an open‐ended survey instrument, the models in chemistry survey, and discuss the implications for teaching.

Carbohydrate Characterization through Multidimensional NMR: An Undergraduate Organic Laboratory Experiment

Carbohydrates are an essential group of molecules to the organic chemistry classroom providing molecular relevance to a common ingredient in chemical biology. While the meticulous elucidation of the carbohydrate structures by Fischer and others is an engaging topic in the lecture, there are few laboratory experiments that can emulate carbohydrate complexity. Advanced and multidimensional NMR (2D NMR) techniques such as correlation spectroscopies (COrrelation SpectroscopY (COSY), 13C Distortionless Enhancement by Polarization Transfer (DEPT), and HETeronuclear CORrelation (HETCOR) or Heteronuclear Single Quantum Coherence (HSQC)) have become more routine as they require less time on today’s instruments and are taught more often in lecture. A laboratory experiment is described for second-year introductory undergraduate organic chemistry students that involves the transformation of nutraceutical N-acetyl-d-glucosamine to α-chloroglucosamine tetraacetate. After synthesis and simple workup, students collect four different NMR spectra from which they identify each 1H signal in the product. Students learn to identify each signal’s multiplicity and how multiple NMR experiments are used to characterize a product. Student confidence in NMR characterization was assessed on a small subset through postlab questions and pre- and postsurvey data.

Predictions and constructing explanations: an investigation into introductory chemistry students’ understanding of structure–property relationships

The relationship between chemical structure and physical and chemical properties is essential to chemistry. Studies have shown that students have difficulty using structural representations to predict properties, which is not surprising because of the sequence of inferences that are required for sense-making. However, obtaining a nuanced model of students’ understanding depends on how information is elicited. This study investigated how the phrasing of the question prompt may elicit students’ understanding of structure–property relationships. Students were given a two-part assessment: (1) four multiple-choice questions assessing students’ self-reported abilities to predict structure–property relationships, and (2) three questions requiring students to predict, argue, and explain a boiling point trend. Two groups of students were selected to determine the sensitivity of the instrument (one with less explicit instruction of structure–property relationships and one with more explicit instruction). We found that Part I of the assessment was able to differentiate between these two groups of students. The group with more explicit instruction was further analyzed to determine how their prediction on a boiling point task connected to their arguments and explanations of the phenomenon. Even though 64% of students answered the boiling point ranking task correctly, the students typically provided less complete arguments as to why that structure had a higher boiling point. However, after scaffolding (i.e., providing relevant information for the phenomenon) and asking for an explanation, students’ responses began to include a much more mechanistic understanding, suggesting that having students provide explanations instead of constructing an argument would display their reasoning at a deeper level.

Permanganate Oxidation of DNA Nucleotides: An Introductory Redox Laboratory Framed as a Murder Mystery

For a variety of reasons, understanding oxidation–reduction (redox) reactions can be challenging for introductory chemistry students. To provide an experiential foundation for students to learn red...

Hands-On Hybridization: 3D-Printed Models of Hybrid Orbitals

Introductory chemistry students encounter the concept of hybrid orbitals as a transition from atomic orbitals to molecular bonding. The principal purpose of learning hybridization in the undergraduate curriculum is to impart an understanding of the origins of molecular bonding and geometry. Physical models of both individual hybrid orbitals and combinations of hybrid orbital types have the potential to aid in student visualization of molecular geometry. 3D printing can serve to generate physically accurate models in a cost-effective manner. The use of a freely available JavaScript applet (CalcPlot3D) enables the generation of 3D-printing files (.stl/.3mf files) that can be subsequently printed on a 3D printer. The procedure is low-cost and relatively flexible and produces mathematically accurate hybrid orbital models that can serve as hands-on pedagogical tools.

Evaluating students' abilities to construct mathematical models from data using latent class analysis

Analyzing and interpreting data is an important science practice that contributes toward the construction of models from data; yet, there is evidence that students may struggle with making meaning of data. The study reported here focused on characterizing students’ approaches to analyzing rate and concentration data in the context of method of initial rates tasks, a type of task used to construct a rate law, which is a mathematical model that relates the reactant concentration to the rate. Here, we present a large-scale analysis (n= 768) of second-semester introductory chemistry students’ responses to three open-ended questions about how to construct rate laws from initial concentration and rate data. Students’ responses were coded based on the level of sophistication in their responses, and latent class analysis was then used to identify groups (i.e.classes) of students with similar response patterns across tasks. Here, we present evidence for a five-class model that included qualitatively distinct and increasingly sophisticated approaches to reasoning about the data. We compared the results from our latent class model to the correctness of students’ answers (i.e.reaction orders) and to a less familiar task, in which students were unable to use the control of variables strategy. The results showed that many students struggled to engage meaningfully with the data when constructing their rate laws. The students’ strategies may provide insight into how to scaffold students’ abilities to analyze data.

Troubled Waters: Tracing Globalization and Waste in the Delaware River

ABSTRACT In spring 2014, an interdisciplinary media project titled “Troubled Waters: Tracing Waste in the Delaware River” was organized at Haverford College. This project brought together more than 50 students from four courses comprising introductory political science, chemistry, and documentary film students, as well as a community media artist and community partners. The aim was to explore the causes, impacts, and meanings of different types of waste that are polluting the Delaware River. Chemistry students collected samples to determine the presence of chemicals from various waste products, political science students traced the waste to globalized production processes, and documentary students explored diverse ways of representing the theme of waste on screen. This article describes the project and how it might serve as a pedagogical model for multicourse interdisciplinary collaboration and community engagement.

Using a Table Tennis Game, “Elemental Knock-Out”, To Increase Students’ Familiarity with Chemical Elements, Symbols, and Atomic Numbers

A motivating and fun activity for students in introductory chemistry has been designed to increase familiarity with the chemical elements, symbols, and atomic numbers in the periodic table. This activity, Elemental Knock-Out, is a table tennis game, and the gameplay is adapted from a box grid baseball game. Playing in teams for fun and enjoyment, students work cooperatively with others to compete against an opposing team. The game is designed for first-year undergraduate students. The cost of one set of game materials is less than $50. The average time required to complete one game, i.e., to become familiar with the chemical elements and atomic numbers, is about 120 min for a class of 60 students. This game was implemented with 118 students including different grade classes. The results were interpreted through poll and quiz before and after the activity. The results of the study revealed that most of the students had positive impressions of the game and considered it to be a fun way of interacting with t...

Analysis of Copper-Bearing Rocks and Minerals for Their Metal Content Using Visible Spectroscopy: A First Year Chemistry Laboratory Exploration

General chemistry and introductory chemistry students were presented with a laboratory exploration for the determination of the mass percent of copper in rock and mineral samples. They worked independently in the laboratory, which involved multiple lab (pipetting, preparing standard solutions by quantitative dilution, recording visible spectra with spectrometers) and data analysis skills (graphing and multistep stoichiometry calculations) using spreadsheet software. The results from the malachite mineral samples were used to evaluate the success of the copper extraction and analysis methods. Students were tasked with evaluating the economic viability of a “mining site” using their analysis of the malachite bearing rock samples. They worked with the entire class data set to make this evaluation. Students’ lab reports and spreadsheets (submitted electronically) were evaluated using a grading rubric. Their engagement and enthusiasm for this exploration was high as they were eager to solve this real-life prob...

Do-It-Yourself: 3D Models of Hydrogenic Orbitals through 3D Printing

Introductory chemistry students often have difficulty visualizing the 3-dimensional shapes of the hydrogenic electron orbitals without the aid of physical 3D models. Unfortunately, commercially available models can be quite expensive. 3D printing offers a solution for producing models of hydrogenic orbitals. 3D printing technology is widely available, and the cost of 3D printing “inks” is relatively low. Creation of models requires graphing electron orbital probability distributions in spherical coordinates and exporting as stereolithography (.stl) files (a common format for 3D printing). There is both freeware (CalcPlot3D), and license-requiring (Matlab, Mathematica, Maple) software capable of plotting orbital equations and exporting in the required format. The process of creating the orbitals is relatively simple, and the 3D printing methodology is cost-effective.

Development and Implementation of a Simple, Engaging Acid Rain Neutralization Experiment and Corresponding Animated Instructional Video for Introductory Chemistry Students

Here we describe an acid rain neutralization laboratory experiment and its corresponding instructional video. This experiment has been developed and implemented for use in the teaching laboratory of a large introductory chemistry course at Brown University. It provides a contextually relevant example to introduce beginner-level students with little or no acid–base chemistry background to the basic theories of solution chemistry. First, students measure the conductivity of water samples with different ionic compositions, serving as an introduction to the conductivity of solutions. Second, to simulate the neutralization reaction between acid rain and limestone as it occurs in nature, students pass a sulfuric acid solution through a column containing calcium carbonate and monitor the conductivity of the resulting solution. Students are then required to graph conductivity versus volume of sulfuric acid added to the calcium carbonate column and use the resulting plot to calculate the equivalence point. Additio...

Using a Sequence of Experiments with Turmeric Pigments from Food To Teach Extraction, Distillation, and Thin-Layer Chromatography to Introductory Organic Chemistry Students

This experiment encourages students to use deductive reasoning skills to understand the correlation between different techniques used in a chemistry laboratory and to extract and analyze curcuminoids using natural products and processed food from a grocery store. Turmeric pigments were used to teach continuous or discontinuous extraction, vacuum or atmospheric pressure distillation, and thin-layer chromatography (TLC) in an introductory organic chemistry laboratory course in three laboratory sessions of 3–4 h each. Pigment extracts from the rhizome of turmeric, commercial dehydrated vegetable soup, and chicken-flavored instant bouillon (with turmeric as an ingredient) were used. The three techniques were discussed in the first laboratory session before students proposed a methodology to identify pigments in food extracts through a problem-based format. Students were assessed in a final exam where they presented a more detailed discussion of the chemistry laboratory techniques used. These results were compared to exam results from previous years. On the basis of students’ and teacher’s feedback, the sequence of laboratory experiments was considered interesting, and students were motivated to participate more actively during instruction.