Cooperative learning in organic chemistry increases student assessment of learning gains in key transferable skills

Abstract

Science and engineering educators and employers agree that students should graduate from college with expertise in their major subject area as well as the skills and competencies necessary for productive participation in diverse work environments. These competencies include problem-solving, communication, leadership, and collaboration, among others. Using a pseudo-experimental design, and employing a variety of data from exam scores, course evaluations, and student assessment of learning gains (SALG) surveys of key competencies, we compared the development of both chemistry content knowledge and transferable or generic skills among students enrolled in two types of large classes: a lecture-based format versus an interactive, constructive, cooperative learning (flipped classroom) format. Controlling for instructor, as well as laboratory and recitation content, students enrolled in the cooperative learning format reported higher learning gains than the control group in essential transferable skills and competency areas at the end of the term, and more growth in these areas over the course of the term. As a result of their work in the class,

Process oriented guided inquiry learning (POGIL®) marginally effects student achievement measures but substantially increases the odds of passing a course

“…There is a renewed interest in how science is taught, with national calls that science pedagogy should encompass the development of content knowledge as well as process and transferable skills [12]. Part of this drive stems from a widely reported gap between science graduate’s technical content knowledge and employer-desired transferable skill sets [12, 47–49].…”

“…Part of this drive stems from a widely reported gap between science graduate’s technical content knowledge and employer-desired transferable skill sets [12, 47–49]. However, despite the reported gap, teaching process skills often takes a back seat to developing content knowledge–in part because of the fear that developing process skills will come at the cost of content coverage [50].…”

“…Moog [7] specifically describes seven process skills that can be developed in a POGIL learning environment when using a well-designed POGIL activity: communication, teamwork, management, information processing, critical thinking, problem solving, and assessment (specifically self-assessment). That is, POGIL materials are designed to develop transferable skills in the context of content learning, with one or two process skill targets in well-designed POGIL activities [7,12]. To realize these, students in a POGIL classroom take up individual roles within their small group learning communities (i.e., manager, reporter, skeptic) to establish positive interdependence [7,8].…”

“…Here, we focus on pass rates as measure of student success and retention as opposed to the commonly reported failure rates in the literature [8,12]. Course failure rates measure the percentage of students who receive grades of D, F or withdraw from a course for any reason.…”

Introducing Organic Chemistry Students to the Extraction of Natural Products Found in Vegetal Species

“…In April 2013, the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were released, which are composed of three strands: disciplinary core ideas, crosscutting concepts, science and engineering practices [2]. Science and engineering educators, and employers, agree that students should graduate from college with expertise in their major subject area as well as the skills and competencies necessary for productive participation in diverse work environments [3]. In this sense, this work proposes an introducing to organic chemistry students to the extraction process of natural products found in plants.…”