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Two-Cycle Organic Chemistry and the Student-Designed Research Lab

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Dennis J. Gravert

Department of Chemistry, Saint Mary''s University of Minnesota, Winona, MN 55987

J. Chem. Educ., 2006, 83 (6), p 898

DOI: 10.1021/ed083p898

Publication Date (Web): June 1, 2006

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

Teaching the two-semester, lecture and laboratory course in organic chemistry using the "two-cycle" strategy led to several advantages over a traditionally organized course. During the first semester, students skimmed through the textbook to learn a selected group of key concepts and reactions. In effect, this transformed the first semester into a survey course without increasing faculty teaching loads. During the second semester, students started again from the beginning and read through the textbook to learn course material omitted previously. This second pass through the textbook provided opportunities for review and further understanding. Additionally, the coverage of a wider range of topics during the first semester resulted in better preparation for students in the second-semester laboratory program wherein they designed and carried out synthetic research projects. Statistical analysis of scores from a standardized ACS Organic Chemistry Exam demonstrated a significant increase in student performance following the implementation of the two-cycle strategy.

Keywords (Audience):

Second-Year Undergraduate

Keywords (Domain):

Curriculum

Keywords (Pedagogy):

Student-Centered Learning

Keywords (Subject):

Synthesis

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

Using Student-Developed, Inquiry-Based Experiments To Investigate the Contributions of Ca and Mg to Water Hardness
Shui-Ping Yang and Chung-Chia Li
Journal of Chemical Education2009 86 (4), 506
- Using Student-Developed, Inquiry-Based Experiments To Investigate the Contributions of Ca and Mg to Water Hardness
  Shui-Ping Yang and Chung-Chia Li
  Journal of Chemical Education2009 86 (4), 506
  This study provided a challenging opportunity for general chemistry students to mimic the scientific research process by solving a water-quality problem concerning individual calcium and magnesium concentrations. We found that general chemistry students ...
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