Students’ Learning Experience with a Flipped Introductory Organic Chemistry Course: A Course Designed for Non-Chemistry Majors

Horace Luong; Thomas Falkenberg; Mahdi Rahimian

doi:10.21432/cjlt27917

Authors

Horace Luong University of Manitoba
Thomas Falkenberg University of Manitoba
Mahdi Rahimian Queen’s University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21432/cjlt27917

Keywords:

organic chemistry, undergraduate, flipped classroom, blended learning, non-major

Abstract

The use of flipped classrooms has been gaining popularity across various disciplines as student-centered active learning pedagogy. In this study, an introductory organic chemistry course was delivered through flipped classroom methodologies, incorporating blended learning to deliver content and group work in the classroom. The learning experiences of non-chemistry majors students enrolled in the course are discussed. The majority of the students adjusted to the pedagogy and felt autonomy in their learning. These students also believed that most of the flipped classroom design components were a good use of their time in learning organic chemistry.

Author Biographies

Horace Luong, University of Manitoba

Horace Luong is a senior instructor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Manitoba, Canada. His research interests are in developing novel synthetic organic chemistry experiments for undergraduate students with a focus towards green chemistry.

Thomas Falkenberg, University of Manitoba

Thomas Falkenberg, Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Manitoba, Canada and the editor or co-editor of a number of books on teacher education and education for sustainable well-being. Thomas is the current Chair of the Editorial Board of the ESWB Press of the University of Manitoba (www.ESWB-Press.org).

Mahdi Rahimian, Queen’s University

Mahdi (Matt) Rahimian, Academic Integrity Coordinator at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada.. Matt has worked in more than fourteen post-secondary institutions in Canada and abroad. His areas of interest include post-secondary education, international education, second/additional language learning, and research methodology in education.

References

Aspden, L., & Helm, P. (2006). Making the connection in a blended learning environment. Educational Media International, 41(3), 245-252. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523980410001680851

Bernard, P., Broś, P., & Migdał-Mikuli, A. (2017). Influence of blended learning on outcomes of students attending a general chemistry course: Summary of a five-year-long study. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 18(4), 682-690. https://doi.org/10.1039/C7RP00040E

Casselman, M. D., Atit, K., Henbest, G., Guregyan, C., Mortezaei, K., & Eichler, J. (2020). Dissecting the flipped classroom: Using a randomized control trial experiment to determine when student learning occurs. Journal of Chemical Education, 97(1), 27-35. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00767

Chase, A., Pakhira, D., & Stains, M. (2013). Implementing process-oriented, guided-inquiry learning for the first time: Adaptations and short-term impacts on students’ attitude and performance. Journal of Chemical Education, 90(4), 409-416. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed300181t

Christiansen, M. A. (2014). Inverted teaching: Applying a new pedagogy to a university organic chemistry class. Journal of Chemical Education, 91(11), 1845-1850. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed400530z

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011). Research methods in education (11th ed.). Routledge.

Cooner, T. S. (2010). Creating opportunities for students in large cohorts to reflect in and on practice: Lessons learnt from a formative evaluation of students’ experiences of a technology-enhanced blended learning design. British Journal of Educational Technology, 41(2), 271-286. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2009.00933.x

Donnelly, R. (2010). Harmonizing technology with interaction in blended problem-based learning. Computers and Education, 54(2), 350-359. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.08.012

Driscoll, M. (2002). Blended learning: Let’s get beyond the hype. E-Learning, 3(3), 54.

Eichler, J. F., & Peeples, J. (2016). Flipped classroom modules for large enrollment general chemistry courses: a low barrier approach to increase active learning and improve student grades. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 17(1), 197-208. https://doi.org/10.1039/C5RP00159E

Fautch, J. M. (2015). The flipped classroom for teaching organic chemistry in small classes: Is it effective? Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 16(1), 179-186. https://doi.org/10.1039/C4RP00230J

Flynn, A. B. (2015). Structure and evaluation of flipped chemistry courses: Organic & spectroscopy, large and small, first to third year, English and French. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 16(2), 198-211. https://doi.org/10.1039/C4RP00224E

Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), 8410-8415. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1319030111

Garrison, R., & Vaughan, N. (2013). Institutional change and leadership associated with blended learning innovation: Two case studies. The Internet and Higher Education, 18, 24-28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2012.09.001

Ginns, P., & Ellis, R. A. (2009). Evaluating the quality of e-learning at the degree level in the student experience of blended learning. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(4), 652-663. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2008.00861.x

He, W., Holton, A., Farkas, G., & Warschauer, M. (2016). The effects of flipped instruction on out-of-class study time, exam performance, and student perceptions. Learning and Instruction, 45, 61-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.07.001

Hemraj-Benny, T., & Beckford, I. (2014). Cooperative and inquiry-based learning utilizing art-related topics: Teaching chemistry to community college nonscience majors. Journal of Chemical Education, 91(10), 1618-1622. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed400533r

Hernández-Nanclares, N., & Pérez-Rodríguez, M. (2016). Students’ satisfaction with a blended instructional design: The potential of “flipped classroom” in higher education. Journal of Interactive Media in Education, 2016(4), p. 12. http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/jime.397

Hibbard, L., Sung, S., & Wells, B. (2016). Examining the effectiveness of a semi-self-paced flipped learning format in a college general chemistry sequence. Journal of Chemical Education, 93(1), 24-30. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00592

Hogan, K. (1999). Thinking aloud together: A test of an intervention to foster students' collaborative scientific reasoning. Journal of Research in Science Technology, 36(10), 1085-1109.

Holley, D., & Oliver, M. (2010). Student engagement and blended learning: Portraits of risk. Computers and Education, 54(3), 693-700. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.08.035

Hwang, A., & Arbaugh, J. B. (2009). Seeking feedback in blended learning: Competitive versus cooperative student attitudes and their links to learning outcome. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 25(3), 280-293. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2729.2009.00311.x

Kirik, O. T., & Boz, Y. (2012). Cooperative learning instruction for conceptual change in the concepts of chemical kinetics. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 13(3), 221-236. https://doi.org/10.1039/c1rp90072b

Lancaster, J. W., Wong, A., & Roberts, S. J. (2012). “Tech” versus “talk”: A comparison study of two different lecture styles within a Master of Science nurse practitioner course. Nurse Education Today, 32(5). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2011.09.018

Lancaster, S. (2013). The flipped lecture. New Directions, 9(1), 28-32. https://doi.org/10.11120/ndir.2013.00010

Lenczewski, M. S. (2016). Scaffolded semi-flipped general chemistry designed to support rural students’ learning. Journal of Chemical Education, 93(12), 1999-2003. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00320

Lopez-Perez, M. V., Perez-Lopez, M. C., & Rodriguez-Ariza, L. (2011). Blended learning in higher education: Students’ perceptions and their relation to outcomes. Computers & Education, 56(3), 818-826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.10.023

Lyon, D. C., & Lagowski, J. J. (2008). Effectiveness of facilitating small-group learning in large lecture classes: A general chemistry case study. Journal of Chemical Education, 85(11), 1571-1576. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed085p1571

Lyons, T., & Evans, M. M. (2013). Blended learning to increase student satisfaction: An exploratory study. Internet Reference Services Quarterly, 18(1), 43-53. https://doi.org/10.1080/10875301.2013.800626

McNally, B., Chipperfield, J., Dorsett, P., Del Fabbro, L., Frommolt, V., Goetz, S., Lewohl, J., Molineux, M., Pearson, A., Reddan, G., Roiko, A., & Rung, A. (2017). Flipped classroom experiences: Student preferences and flip strategy in a higher education context. Higher Education, 73(2), 281-298. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-016-0014-z

Mooring, S. R., Mitchell, C. E., & Burrows, N. L. (2016). Evaluation of a flipped, large-enrollment organic chemistry course on student attitude and achievement. Journal of Chemical Education, 93(12), 1972-1983. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00367

Naibert, N., Geye, E., Philips, M., & Barbera, J. (2020). Multicourse comparative study of the core aspects for flipped learning: Investigating in-class structure and student use of video resources. Journal of Chemical Education, 97(10), 3490-3505. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00399

Novak, G. M. (2011). Just-in-time teaching. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 128, 63-73. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl

Oliver-Hoyo, M. T., & Allen, D. (2005). Attitudinal effects of a student-centered active learning environment. Journal of Chemical Education, 82(6), 944. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed082p944

Owston, R., York, D., & Murtha, S. (2013). Student perceptions and achievement in a university blended learning strategic initiative. Internet and Higher Education, 18, 38-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2012.12.003

Palincsar, A. S. (1998). Social constructivist perspectives on teaching and learning. Annual Review of Psychology, 49(1), 345-375. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.49.1.345

Rau, M. A., Kennedy, K., Oxtoby, L., Bollom, M., & Moore, J. W. (2017). Unpacking “active learning”: A combination of flipped classroom and collaboration support is more effective but collaboration support alone is not. Journal of Chemical Education, 94(10), 1406-1414. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.7b00240

Reid, S. A. (2016). A flipped classroom redesign in general chemistry. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 17(4), 914-922. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6RP00129G

Reidsema, C., Hadgraft, R., & Kavanagh, L. (2017). Introduction to the flipped classroom. In C. Reidsema, L. Kavanagh, R. Hadgraft, & N. Smith (Eds.), The flipped classroom: Practice and practices in higher education (pp. 3-14). Springer Nature.

Reidsema, C., Kavanagh, L., Hadgraft, R., & Smith, N. (Eds.). (2017). The flipped classroom: Practice and practices in higher education. Springer Nature.

Rein, K. S., & Brookes, D. T. (2015). Student response to a partial inversion of an organic chemistry course for non-chemistry majors. Journal of Chemical Education, 92(5), 797-802. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed500537b

Rossi, R. D. (2015). Confchem conference on flipped classroom: Improving student engagement in organic chemistry using the inverted classroom model. Journal of Chemical Education, 92(9), 1577-1579. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed500899e

Ryan, M. D., & Reid, S. A. (2016). Impact of the flipped classroom on student performance and retention: A parallel controlled study in general chemistry. Journal of Chemical Education, 93(1), 13-23. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00717

Seery, M. K. (2015). Flipped learning in higher education chemistry: Emerging trends and potential directions. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 16(4), 758-768. https://doi.org/10.1039/C5RP00136F

Shattuck, J. C. (2016). A Parallel controlled study of the effectiveness of a partially flipped organic chemistry course on student performance, perceptions, and course completion. Journal of Chemical Education, 93(12), 1984-1992. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.6b00393

Shea, P., & Bidjerano, T. (2010). Learning presence: Towards a theory of self-efficacy, self-regulation, and the development of a communities of inquiry in online and blended learning environments. Computers and Education, 55(4), 1721-731. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2010.07.017

Slunt, K. M., & Giancarlo, L. C. (2004). Student-centered learning: A comparison of two different methods of instruction. Journal of Chemical Education, 81(7), 985. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed081p985

Smith, J. D. (2013). Student attitudes toward flipping the general chemistry classroom. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 14(4), 607-614. https://doi.org/10.1039/C3RP00083D

Smyth, S., Houghton, C., Cooney, A., & Casey, D. (2012). Students’ experiences of blended learning across a range of postgraduate programmes. Nurse Education Today, 32(4), 464-468. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2011.05.014

Snodgrass, S. (2011). Wiki activities in blended learning for health professional students: Enhancing critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 27(4), 563-580. https://doi.org/10.1108/08858620810850227

Snodin, N. S. (2013). The effects of blended learning with a CMS on the development of autonomous learning: A case study of different degrees of autonomy achieved by individual learners. Computers and Education, 61(1), 209-216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.10.004

Sweller, J. (1994). Cognitive load theory, learning difficulty, and instructional design. Learning and Instruction, 4, 295-312. https://doi.org/10.1016/0959-4752(94)90003-5

Trogden, B. G. (2015). Confchem conference on flipped classroom: Reclaiming face time - How an organic chemistry flipped classroom provided access to increased guided engagement. Journal of Chemical Education, 92(9), 1570-1571. https://doi.org/10.1021/ed500914w

Warfa, A.-R. M. (2016). Using cooperative learning to teach chemistry: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Chemical Education, 93(2), 248–255. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00608

Weaver, G. C., & Sturtevant, H. G. (2015). Design, implementation, and evaluation of a flipped format general chemistry course. Journal of Chemical Education, 92(9), 1437-1448. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00316

Woltering, V., Herrler, A., Spitzer, K., & Spreckelsen, C. (2009). Blended learning positively affects students’ satisfaction and the role of the tutor in the problem-based learning process: Results of a mixed-method evaluation. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 14(5), 725-738. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10459-009-9154-6

Wu, J.-H., Tennyson, R. D., & Hsia, T.-L. (2010). A study of student satisfaction in a blended e-learning system environment. Computers & Education, 55(1), 155-164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2009.12.012