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Gateway to Success for At-Risk Students in a Large-Group Introductory Chemistry Class

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Diana Mason and Ellen Verdel

Interdisciplinary Studies, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78249

J. Chem. Educ., 2001, 78 (2), p 252

DOI: 10.1021/ed078p252

Publication Date (Web): February 1, 2001

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

Thirty-six entering freshmen of a designated "at-risk" population were divided between two classes of introductory chemistry for nonscience majors. Seventeen students were placed in a typical large-group lecture (n = 210) class, and the remaining 19 were placed in a special class with enrollment restricted to the selected, at-risk students. To assure equity and control for consistency, both lecture classes met at the same time. The two female instructors gave the same lectures to each class. At-risk students from both sections were required to attend supplemental instruction sections led by the same teaching assistant, and the same instructor graded all assignments. Students of both classes were encouraged to form informal collaborative groups to complete 10 in-class problem sets, which were graded on an individual basis. The at-risk students from the large-group lecture (average = 75.5) outperformed students enrolled in the special class (average = 70.6). All targeted students were successful in the large-group lecture class; however, three at-risk students in the smaller class were unsuccessful. Scaffolding from a more diverse population in the larger group may be one reason for this unexpected outcome. In the larger lecture class, students rated the collaborative assignments as being most beneficial to their success.

Keywords (Audience):

High School / Introductory Chemistry

Keywords (Domain):

Chemical Education Research

Keywords (Feature):

Chemical Education Research

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Collaborative / Cooperative Learning

Keywords (Subject):

Minorities in Chemistry

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