Incorporating active learning component in teaching organic chemistry courses

Svetlana (Lana) Mikhaylichenko

doi:10.21767/2472-1123-C5-015

Incorporating active learning component in teaching organic chemistry courses

8^th Edition of International Conference on Chemistry Education and Research
August 27-28, 2018 Zurich, Swit zerland

Svetlana (Lana) Mikhaylichenko

University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada

Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Org Inorg Chem

DOI: 10.21767/2472-1123-C5-015

Abstract

Studying organic chemistry is complicated and stressful for the majority of students. Teaching faculties are trying to implement different tools and techniques to help students learn the material and also reduce the anxiety associated with the learning process. It is well-known fact that using active learning principals in teaching helps students master their knowledge in this subject. For example: creatively designed homework problem sets and clicker questions during lecture, thoughtfully created extra credit activities, organized discussion sessions and course assignments. Implementation of these activities for the second and third year undergraduate Organic and Bio-Organic Chemistry courses will be discussed. Students can be actively involved in these activities not only as learners but, also as mentors. Mentors can participate in preparation and conducting discussion sessions, preparing sets of clicker or review questions, share their experience during lab preparation sessions or even help with creation of new laboratory experiments. Our mentors are students who have recently successfully completed the course and come from work study or volunteering positions. Different learning activities such as: extra credit projects, discussion sessions, laboratory skills seminars, literature searching assignments, etc. are used in these courses. This talk will focus on the students’ experience as learners and mentors for our organic chemistry courses at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Also discussed will be the feedback from mentors and mentees as well as methods of assessment and the advantages of each approach.