Teaching-as-Research: Using Formative Surveys to Guide Teaching Practices in an Organic Chemistry Class Steven Burnett,Yakini Brandy, Shimelis Hailu, Pogisego Dinake Howard University “ Tell me and I’ll forget; Show me and I may remember; Involve me and I’ll understand” --Chinese Proverb Teaching-as-Research: The Process Setting objectives and goals for students and their learning Conveying fundamental knowledge Using the scientific method for creating practices that enable students to meet goals and thrive Establishing a criteria for success Developing and implementing teaching practices within an experimental design Collecting and analyzing data Using data to guide teaching practice Reflecting, evaluating, and iterating Project Goals/Objectives To apply the TAR steps in generating a project that involves the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning To conduct weekly surveys to integrate technology into pedagogy To use the data obtained from the surveys as guidance in the re-lecture of a specific concept and to monitor students’/professor’s progress Project Experimental Materials: Blackboard Survey Monkey OWL Participants: Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Class Initial and Final Surveys were conducted on specific concepts using Survey Monkey In Class Activities: Based on survey responses, if less than 80% understood the concepts for a chapter, they were revisited. Assessment Measurements: Qualitative Assessments: Initial and Final Surveys Quantitative Assessments: Quizzes and Exams Setting Goals: Sample Outcome Objectives for A Chapter Identify Electronegativities of Atoms Determine Direction of Bond Polarity Determine if Organic Molecule Has Net Dipole Moment Determine Formal Charges of an Atom in a Molecule Drawing Resonance Structures Identify Bronsted Acids and Bases Identify Lewis Acids and Bases Use Pka Values to Predict Direction of Acid-Base Reactions Class Paticipation for Initial and Final Surveys Number of Students 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Chpt1 Chpt2 Chpt3 Chpt4 Inital 49 53 34 38 Final 49 44 50 58 Inital Final Concepts/Topics Survey Responce: Chapter 1 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 % Students with moderate, good, great gains 90 100 Concepts/Topics Survey Responce: Chapt 1 Knowing how to identify the hybridization of atoms in organic molecules Knowing the relationship between hybridization and molecular geometry Survey 1 Survey 2 Knowing how to explain the concept of hybridization 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 % Students with moderate, good, great gains 90 100 Concepts/Topics Survey Response: Chapter 2 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 % Students with moderate, good, great gains 90 100 Concepts/Topics Survey Responce : Chapt 2 Knowing how to use pka values to predict the direction of acid-base Knowing how to identify Lewis acids and bases Knowing how to identify Bronsted acids and bases Knowing how to draw resonance structures Survey 1 Survey 2 Knowing the resonance rules Knowing how to determine if an organic molecule has a net dipole Knowing how to identify the relative electronegativities of atoms 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 % Students with moderate, good, great gains 90 100 ID Ex 1 3 45 2 26 55 33 29 20 16 77 62 66 21 11 38 83 88 71 26 36 49 51 59 8 Ex 2 155 179 135 116 115 180 112 148 38 152 78 172 127 71 139 208 172 124 83 171 67 85 133 51 Ex 3 104 86 81 101 30 Ex 4 126 144 114 94 163 124 76 171 190 103 88 152 65 108 132 75 74 160 140 145 143 92 114 174 137 60 158 166 149 118 74 142 88 127 88 100 0 out of 3 373 437 353 277 283 503 317 389 68 424 78 489 352 207 468 564 424 342 245 465 132 193 353 51 Grades OWL quiz owl grades 62.16667 19.5 22.94118 72.83333 68.2 80.23529 58.83333 82.5 97.05882 46.16667 32 37.64706 47.16667 0 0 83.83333 59.7 70.23529 52.83333 52.6 61.88235 64.83333 26.2 30.82353 11.33333 0 0 70.66667 72.7 85.52941 13 0 0 81.5 71.4 84 58.66667 0 0 34.5 0 0 78 67.8 79.76471 94 40.2 47.29412 70.66667 66.4 78.11765 57 62.7 73.76471 40.83333 34.1 40.11765 77.5 40.4 47.52941 22 0 0 32.16667 0 0 58.83333 52.4 61.64706 8.5 0 0 ID Ex 1 69 63 9 17 27 101 151 98 122 134 166 178 200 195 155 210 212 241 263 293 287 299 288 300 313 Ex 2 115 179 203 137 90 140 165 138 122 149 82 99 25 Ex 3 148 61 88 117 89 80 151 98 157 104 165 149 180 171 131 130 120 78 21 83 157 119 14 81 77 152 130 98 86 55 164 117 120 Ex 4 51 87 98 68 141 31 104 157 63 143 150 137 123 out of 3 115 507 526 398 0 151 326 412 347 253 322 82 275 25 123 455 169 307 451 270 112 157 248 431 226 Grades OWL quiz owl grades 19.16667 0 0 84.5 70 82.35294 87.66667 50.9 59.88235 66.33333 73.5 86.47059 0 0 25.16667 5.5 6.470588 54.33333 70.6 83.05882 68.66667 38.4 45.17647 57.83333 45.1 53.05882 42.16667 43.4 51.05882 53.66667 0 0 13.66667 0 0 45.83333 43.5 51.17647 4.166667 0 0 20.5 0 0 75.83333 55.4 65.17647 28.16667 0 0 51.16667 10.7 12.58824 75.16667 75 88.23529 45 4.5 5.294118 18.66667 0 0 26.16667 0 0 41.33333 0 0 71.83333 81.5 95.88235 37.66667 0 0 ID Ex 1 347 397 355 377 400 416 419 445 491 436 449 487 453 500 509 579 528 532 566 505 518 600 614 Ex 2 196 186 174 187 98 86 131 103 120 41 137 179 45 172 116 163 142 132 145 115 115 Ex 3 195 148 118 128 Ex 4 185 194 129 179 129 69 32 132 32 135 36 166 113 131 101 131 127 114 99 108 2 106 85 156 161 113 101 33 82 170 59 105 144 176 156 155 143 104 88 out of 3 576 528 421 494 98 323 200 137 358 106 304 470 81 497 344 322 420 449 233 430 427 333 302 Grades OWL quiz owl grades 96 80.5 94.70588 88 73.5 86.47059 70.16667 57.9 68.11765 82.33333 40.4 47.52941 16.33333 0 0 53.83333 26.8 31.52941 33.33333 7.4 8.705882 22.83333 17.8 20.94118 59.66667 46.3 54.47059 17.66667 37.1 43.64706 50.66667 0 0 78.33333 81.5 95.88235 13.5 0 0 82.83333 75 88.23529 57.33333 28.9 34 53.66667 41.3 48.58824 70 52.3 61.52941 74.83333 44.9 52.82353 38.83333 30 35.29412 71.66667 81.2 95.52941 71.16667 71.5 84.11765 55.5 55.1 64.82353 50.33333 12.2 14.35294 Results The Average for First Exam was 129 The Distribution was 50/50 The Average for Second Exam was 97.7 Only 42% were Above and 58% were Bellow • 72% of the class participated in the OWL study; from that number, 43% showed signs of success; and for 28%, the OWL helped and was a good indicator for success. 28.3 % of the students that scored 70% or better on OWL also did the same for the exams 15% of the students scored bellow 70% on OWL , but picked up slack and scored 70% or better on exams 7.5% of the students scored 70% or better on OWL, but did not pass exams! Outliers due to bad study habits. So, 43.3 % of the students used OWL and their exams reflected it with passing grades. Conclusion Formative surveys enables the professor to adjust his teaching and place emphasis specific topics. Enable students to engage in active learning in the classroom Give professor more time to cover course content Currently, it is still unclear if lectures or webcasts alone weight heavily on performance; However, OWL quizzes simulates exam questions and gives students more exposure An unknown variable, students learning behavior, will ultimately dictate exam performance, As seen in the OWL results Effort should be made to inform students of the importance of maintaining survey integrity. Learning outcome surveys would be skewed if different students take the initial and final surveys The survey project is still ongoing in the organic chemistry class to improve the teaching practices and learning experience of the students and professors. Acknowledgments Dr. Folahan O. Ayorinde University of Wisconsin Shimelis Hailu Pogisego Dinake Yakini Brandy CIRTL Network CIRTL-at-Howard NSF