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Enhancing Student Learning and Retention in Organic Chemistry: Benefits of an Online Organic Chemistry Preparatory Course

  • January 2019
DOI:10.1021/bk-2019-1341.ch009
  • In book: From General to Organic Chemistry: Courses and Curricula to Enhance Student Retention (pp.119-128)
Authors:
Susan King at University of California, Irvine
Susan King
Ninger Zhou at Purdue University
Ninger Zhou
Christian Fischer at University of Tuebingen
Christian Fischer
Fernando Rodriguez
Fernando Rodriguez
Fernando Rodriguez
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Abstract

An online Preparation for Organic Chemistry course was developed to ease the transition into organic chemistry for students with widely disparate preparation levels, and to lessen student anxiety around this notoriously challenging course. The design, implementation, and evolution of this online preparation course over the last three years will be discussed. In addition, an assessment of the impact of this preparatory course on students’ grades in the first quarter of organic chemistry will be presented. Student impressions of the impact of the preparatory course over the subsequent three-quarter organic chemistry series will also be provided.
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Enhancing Student Learning and Retention in Organic Chemistry: Benefits of an Online
Organic Chemistry Preparatory Course
Susan M. King, Ninger Zhou, Christian Fischer, Fernando Rodriguez, Mark Warschauer
University of California, Irvine, USA
Abstract: An online Preparation for Organic Chemistry course was developed to ease the
transition into organic chemistry for students with widely disparate preparation levels, and to
lessen student anxiety around this notoriously challenging course. The design, implementation,
and evolution of this online preparation course over the last three years will be discussed. In
addition, an assessment of the impact of this preparatory course on students’ grades in the first
quarter of organic chemistry will be presented. Student impressions of the impact of the
preparatory course over the subsequent three-quarter organic chemistry series will also be
provided.
Full text available here:
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/bk-2019-1341.ch009
An author’s copy of a version of the article may be requested via
http://chrisfi.com/requestmanuscripts
Full citation:
King, S., Zhou, N., Fischer, C., Rodriguez, F., & Warschauer, M. (2019). Enhancing student
learning and retention in organic chemistry: Benefits of an online organic chemistry
preparatory course. In S. Kradtap Hartwell & T. Gupta (Eds.), From General to Organic
Chemistry: Courses and Curricula to Enhance Student Retention (pp. 119-128).
Washington, DC: American Chemical Association. https://doi.org/10.1021/bk-2019-
1341.ch009
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