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2007
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Research: Science and Education
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Teaching a Modified Hendrickson, Cram, and Hammond Curriculum in Organic Chemistry
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Curriculum Redesign To Turn Around Student Performance
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Joel M. Karty and Gene Gooch
Department of Chemistry, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244
B. Gray Bowman
Department of Chemistry, High Point University, High Point, NC 27262
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July 2007
Vol. 84 No. 7
p. 1209
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| Abstract |
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Prior to the 2004–2005 academic year, a variety of indicators suggested a severe problem with the two-semester organic chemistry series at Elon University, a private, liberal arts institution with an enrollment averaging about 4500 undergraduate students. Student evaluations of teaching for organic chemistry were below the university average, the student attrition rate was near 50%, students exhibited poor competency with mechanisms, and scores on the ACS final exam were quite low. In the fall of 2004, we introduced a new curriculum, reminiscent of the approach by Hendrickson, Cram, and Hammond. In this new curriculum, fundamental concepts are introduced before mechanisms, and mechanisms are introduced before reactions. Reactions are introduced according to similarities among mechanisms rather than the functional group involved. After the implementation of that curriculum, substantially positive changes were observed for all of the above indicators. This report examines which factors may be the specific causes of these positive changes.
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| More Information |
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Citation |
Karty, Joel M.; Gooch, Gene; Bowman, B. Gray. J. Chem. Educ. 2007, 84, 1209.
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Keywords |
Learning Theories; Mechanisms of Reactions; Misconceptions / Discrepant Events; Mnemonics / Rote Learning; Organic Chemistry; Problem Solving / Decision Making; Second-Year Undergraduate; Textbooks / Reference Books
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History |
Created:
Last Updated: |
5/29/2007
6/7/2007
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| Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues >
2007
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July
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1209
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