Nathaniel P. Grove

Impact of a spiral organic curriculum on student attrition and learning

At Miami University, the attrition rate in the year-long organic chemistry sequence for pre-medical majors typically ranges from 30-50%. To decrease attrition, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry developed an innovative, spiral curriculum. Unlike a traditional organic chemistry course that moves sequentially through the material, the spiral approach provides students with a broad, general overview of organic chemistry during the first semester, followed by exploration of important topics in more detail during the subsequent semester. A qualitative, case-study approach using interviews and reflective essays documented the experiences of eighteen students as they progressed through this spiral curriculum. This paper describes the strengths and weaknesses of the spiral approach, its impact on student attrition, results from ACS exams, and suggestions to improve the model.

Perry’s Scheme of Intellectual and Epistemological Development as a framework for describing student difficulties in learning organic chemistry

We have investigated student difficulties with the learning of organic chemistry. Using Perry’s Model of Intellectual Development as a framework revealed that organic chemistry students who function as dualistic thinkers struggle with the complexity of the subject matter. Understanding substitution/elimination reactions and multi-step syntheses is consistent with subsequent epistemological development to Perry’s multiplistic and relativistic stages.

Classroom Uses for BeSocratic

This paper describes how BeSocratic can be used to improve learning and class interaction. BeSocratic is a novel intelligent tutoring system that aims to fill the gap between simple multiple-choice systems and free-response systems. The system includes a set of interactive modules that provide instructors with powerful tools to assess student performance. Beyond text boxes and multiple-choice questions, BeSocratic contains several feedback driven modules that can capture free-form student drawings. These drawings can be automatically recognized and evaluated as complex structures including Euclidean graphs, chemistry molecules, computer science graphs, or simple drawings for use within science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses. This paper describes three use-cases for BeSocratic and how each scenario can improve learning and class interaction throughout the curriculum. These scenarios are: (1) formative assessments and tutorials, (2) free-response exercises, and (3) in-class real-time activities.