A Trajectory of Reform in General Chemistry for Engineering Students

Research and Teaching: Transforming Discussion in General Chemistry With Authentic Experiences for Engineering Students

Journal of College Science Teaching ◽

10.2505/4/jcst16_045_05_75 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 045 (05) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Kent Crippen ◽

Treavor Boyer ◽

Maria Korolev ◽

Trisha De Torres ◽

Phil Brucat ◽

...

Keyword(s):

General Chemistry ◽

Engineering Students ◽

Research And Teaching

Download Full-text

The effect of peer-led team learning on undergraduate engineering students’ conceptual understanding, state anxiety, and social anxiety

Chemistry Education Research and Practice ◽

10.1039/c7rp00201g ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 19 (3) ◽

pp. 694-710 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

E. N. Eren-Sisman ◽

C. Cigdemoglu ◽

O. Geban

Keyword(s):

General Chemistry ◽

Social Anxiety ◽

Conceptual Understanding ◽

Trait Anxiety ◽

State Anxiety ◽

Engineering Students ◽

Control Group ◽

College Instruction ◽

Undergraduate Engineering ◽

Experimental Group

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of a Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) model with that of traditional college instruction (TCI) in enhancing the conceptual understanding and reducing both the state anxiety and social anxiety of undergraduate engineering students in a general chemistry course in a quasi-experimental design. 128 engineering students taking the course participated in the study. One of the course sections was randomly assigned to the experimental group and the other section was assigned to the control group. Both sections were taught by the same instructor. The control group was instructed using traditional college instruction, while the experimental group was instructed using the PLTL model. Throughout this study, six peer-led chemistry workshops and leader training sessions were performed simultaneously. The General Chemistry Concept Test, the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Social Anxiety Questionnaire for Adults were administered before and after the treatment to both groups. One-way Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) indicated that after controlling students’ university entrance scores, trait anxiety scores and pre-test scores of both the General Chemistry Concept Test and state anxiety, the PLTL model was more effective in improving the conceptual understanding and reducing the situational anxiety of engineering students in undergraduate general chemistry. However, it was not so effective in lessening their social anxiety when compared to traditional college instruction.

Download Full-text

General Chemistry for Engineers in the 21st Century: A Materials Science Approach

MRS Advances ◽

10.1557/adv.2017.40 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2 (31-32) ◽

pp. 1629-1634 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Scott A. Sinex ◽

Joshua B. Halpern ◽

Scott D. Johnson

Keyword(s):

General Chemistry ◽

Data Analysis ◽

Engineering Students ◽

Materials Science ◽

Health Science ◽

Calibration Error ◽

First Semester ◽

Students First ◽

Almost All ◽

Limited Coverage

ABSTRACTIn the case of General Chemistry, many engineering students only take a one semester class with important topics such as kinetics and equilibrium being given limited coverage. Considerable time is spent covering materials already covered in other courses such as General Physics and Introduction to Engineering. Moreover, most GChem courses are oriented toward health science majors and lack a materials focus relevant to engineering. Taking an atoms first approach, we developed and now run a one-semester course in general chemistry for engineers emphasizing relevant materials topics. Laboratory exercises integrate practical examples of materials science enriching the course for engineering students. First-semester calculus and a calculus-based introduction to engineering course are prerequisites, which enables teaching almost all the topics from a traditional two semester GChem course in this new course with advance topics as well. To support this course, an open access textbook in LibreText, formerly ChemWiki was developed entitled General Chemistry for Engineering. Many of the topics were supported using Chemical Excelets and Materials Science Excelets, which are interactive Excel/Calc spreadsheets. The laboratory includes data analysis and interpretation, calibration, error analysis, reactions, kinetics, electrochemistry, and spectrophotometry. To acquaint the students with online collaboration typical of today’s technical workplace Google Drive was used for data analysis and report preparation in the laboratory.

Download Full-text

Determinants of General Chemistry Success of Engineering Students in PLTL and Traditional Classroom: State Anxiety and Test Anxiety

SHS Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/shsconf/20184801051 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 48 ◽

pp. 01051

Author(s):

Ece N. Eren-Sisman ◽

Ceyhan Cigdemoglu ◽

Ömer Geban

Keyword(s):

General Chemistry ◽

Test Anxiety ◽

Trait Anxiety ◽

State Anxiety ◽

Engineering Students ◽

Significant Contribution ◽

Private University ◽

Traditional Classroom ◽

Unique Contribution ◽

Learning Group

The purpose is to find out whether state and test anxiety can predict general chemistry grade in peer-led team learning group (PLTL) and non-PLTL groups and to explore their predictability of the grade after controlling the influence of trait anxiety. The sample consisted of a total 128 freshman engineering students attending general chemistry in a private university. STAI and RTT instruments and exams were used to generate data which were analyzed by using standard and hierarchical multiple regression. The findings revealed that in both groups the combination of predictors is significantly related to general chemistry grade, having the strongest unique contribution of test anxiety; however, it was only statistically significant for PLTL group. After controlling the effect of trait anxiety, test anxiety still makes a unique significant contribution for PLTL group. Accordingly, test anxiety can be used to predict the general chemistry grade of PLTL students.

Download Full-text

An examination of student outcomes in studio chemistry

Chemistry Education Research and Practice ◽

10.1039/c6rp00202a ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 233-249 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Alan L. Kiste ◽

Gregory E. Scott ◽

Jesse Bukenberger ◽

Miles Markmann ◽

Jennifer Moore

Keyword(s):

General Chemistry ◽

Student Engagement ◽

Student Performance ◽

Engineering Students ◽

Course Evaluations ◽

Laboratory Instruction ◽

Time Data ◽

Comprehensive University ◽

Positive Effects ◽

Learning Attitudes

Twenty years ago, a major curriculum revision at a large, comprehensive university in the Western United States led to the implementation of an integrated lecture/laboratory (studio) experience for our engineering students taking general chemistry. Based on these twenty years of experience, construction of four purpose-built studio classrooms to house the majority of the remaining general chemistry courses was completed in 2013. A detailed study of the effects of the entire ecology of the studio experience on student success was initiated at that time. Data from content knowledge pre- and post-tests, learning attitudes surveys, and student course evaluations show positive effects on student performance, the development of more expert-like learning attitudes, increased student engagement, and increased student–instructor interactions vs. the previous separate lecture and laboratory instruction for non-engineering students. Our data also show that an associated new peer Learning Assistant program increases student engagement while also having positive impacts on the Learning Assistants themselves.

Download Full-text