Implementation of Recitations in General Chemistry I Laboratory Courses to Increase Student Performance

Primarily undergraduate institutions have limited resources to offer required, credit based supplemental instruction for students. Meredith College’s Chemistry, Physics, and Geoscience Department revised the laboratory chemistry curriculum to incorporate chemistry concept recitations into the lab co...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of chemical education 2022-05, Vol.99 (5), p.1838-1846
Main Authors: Lilly, Cassandra P., Ormond, Alexandra B., Carter, Andrea A., Powell, Walda J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
Chemistry
College students
Colleges & universities
Curricula
Dimensional analysis
Learning
Mathematical analysis
Naming
Organic Chemistry
Quantum numbers
Science Curriculum
Student attitudes
Student participation
Students
Supplementary Education
Teaching methods
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:Primarily undergraduate institutions have limited resources to offer required, credit based supplemental instruction for students. Meredith College’s Chemistry, Physics, and Geoscience Department revised the laboratory chemistry curriculum to incorporate chemistry concept recitations into the lab course schedule. Activities for the following concepts were developed and incorporated into the course starting in Fall 2018: dimensional analysis, electromagnetic spectrum, quantum numbers, electron configurations, periodic trends, naming, and molecular modeling. Results of student performance in Fall 2018 and Fall 2019 were assessed using the ACS GCF2015 standardized exam with Fall 2016 and Fall 2017 as the controls. Analysis suggests that the incorporation of these recitation activities did enhance student learning as demonstrated by increased scores on the exam and decreased class DFW rates. Incoming student GPA, SAT, and ACT data were analyzed and showed that these factors were insufficient to solely explain the improvement observed in Fall 2018 and 2019. This article provides a strategy for PUIs to incorporate required supplemental instruction for students without the need for additional resources. Recommendations for implementation and student perceptions are also shared.
ISSN:0021-9584
1938-1328
DOI:10.1021/acs.jchemed.1c00542