An alternative approach to general chemistry: Addressing the needs of at-risk students with cooperative learning strategies.

TitleAn alternative approach to general chemistry: Addressing the needs of at-risk students with cooperative learning strategies.
Publication TypeWeb Article
Year of Publication2004
AuthorsJacobs D
Access Year2004
Access DateSeptember 30
KeywordsAcademic achievement, Active learning, Chemistry, Class discussion, collaborative learning, Diversity Institute Literature Review, Gatekeeper courses, Group work, Laboratory, Motivation, Retention, Undergraduate
URLhttp://kml2.carnegiefoundation.org/gallery/djacobs/index2.htm
SummaryThis website describes the "implementation of the alternative course" designed by Professor Dennis Jacobs (of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Notre Dame). It demonstrates methods used by Professor Jacobs to investigate the impact of the alternative course on at-risk students. Videos document the cooperative learning process. Interviews of student focus groups indicate where the students think that their best learning takes place. The website also contains surveys of student perceptions, attitudes and study habits. Results of a longitudinal study of students in traditional general chemistry course and those in the "redesigned" general chemistry course are included.
Extended SummaryProfessor Jacobs lists the pitfalls of a large lecture format, which highlights the benefits of the alternative course design over the traditional course design. Small focus groups were formed with a random sample of students enrolled in general chemistry to understand how students learn in the traditional chemistry classroom. The web site documents students' poor study habits in the traditional chemistry class. Students did not feel encouraged to keep up with readings for lecture or ask questions, feel responsible for what happens in class or feel compelled to develop their problem solving skills. Other limitations of the large lecture format include that students take notes without thinking deeply about the course material. Sometimes, the instructor cannot assess students' understanding of the material, but continues to teach regardless of how much the students might have understood. Professor Jacobs presents the alternative general chemistry course and compares its effectiveness to a traditional general chemistry course vis-à-vis student understanding, student persistence in chemistry, and grades. He used "concept tests" in his 250-student classroom in which students paired off to discuss conceptual questions. The website has links to examples of chemistry concept tests used by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Carnegie Mellon University.The website contains video clips of students of cooperative learning which demonstrate how students' understanding of course material increases through small group interaction. The videos show the crucial role of the TA in "establishing an environment where cooperative learning is effective and enjoyable." They demonstrate TA-student and student-student interactions that are beneficial to learning."At-Risk" students are those students who have a greater probability of "dropping out of the general chemistry course and are not going on to advanced chemistry courses."
RecommendationsUse cooperative learning to foster student knowledge and engagement. Encourage students to discuss concepts with each other. Train TAs to create positive and collaborative interpersonal dynamics.