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The Role of Structure of the Discipline in Improving Student Understanding: The Case of Organic Chemistry

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Gail Green and Marissa Rollnick

School of Chemistry and College of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa

J. Chem. Educ., 2006, 83 (9), p 1376

DOI: 10.1021/ed083p1376

Publication Date (Web): September 1, 2006

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

This article arose from interesting observations during a larger study where the focus was on the interface between two years of university chemistry. Locating the interface was not as straightforward as anticipated owing to differences in innate characteristics of the knowledge structure of various chemistry disciplines. This necessitated conceptualizing knowledge development as occurring in either a linear or branched fashion in any particular topic. Data used for identifying courses that students found most difficult revealed that scores in organic chemistry (a course which develops linearly) improved dramatically after an intervention by an instructor in 1998. This observation makes it possible to theorize about why an intervention had been so successful in this subject and setting.

Keywords (Audience):

Graduate Education / Research

Keywords (Domain):

Chemical Education Research

Keywords (Feature):

Chemical Education Research

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Misconceptions / Discrepant Events

Keywords (Subject):

Enrichment / Review Materials

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This article has been cited by 1 ACS Journal articles (1 most recent appear below).

A Method for Writing Open-Ended Curved Arrow Notation Questions for Multiple-Choice Exams and Electronic-Response Systems
Andrei R. Straumanis , Suzanne M. Ruder
Journal of Chemical Education2009 86 (12), 1392
- A Method for Writing Open-Ended Curved Arrow Notation Questions for Multiple-Choice Exams and Electronic-Response Systems
  Andrei R. Straumanis , Suzanne M. Ruder
  Journal of Chemical Education2009 86 (12), 1392
  A critical stage in the process of developing a conceptual understanding of organic chemistry is learning to use curved arrow notation. From this stems the ability to predict reaction products and mechanisms beyond the realm of memorization. Since ...
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