Queensborough Community College
DEPARTMENT:
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
Chemistry
June 2013
YEAR: 2012-2013
A. DEPARTMENT SERVICES/ACTIVITIES REPORT IN 2012-13
1.
Department-sponsored services (fall and spring semesters combined)
Area of Service
Through an NSF grant, we have been able to offer free tutoring in the department since 6 years
ago for most of our classes. Dr. Paris Svoronos has been the PI for the grant.
Number Served
Roughly about 1000 students
per academic year
Area of service (for example): a department-run learning laboratory (not laboratories for which students register as part of their courses), the reference desk or reserve area of the Library, department
tutoring program, etc. (Note: Do not report courses or laboratories for which students register.)
2.
Department-sponsored faculty/staff development activities
Type of Activity and Topic
Date
Number
Attending
Faculty Development Seminars in Chemistry: Dr. Paul Sideris, QCC Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
(NMR) Spectroscopy of Anion-Exchangers and Battery-Related Materials
Dr. Thomas Kubic, John Jay College, Some Interesting Cases I Have Worked Involving Transfer Evidence
9-28- 2012
30
10-19-2012
30
Dr. Deb Chakravarti, York College, Pharmaceutical Sciences at York College: What Every Student Should Know
11-14-2013
30
Dr. John Reffner, John Jay College, The Impact of Microspectroscopy on Forensic Investigations
3-13-2013
30
Dr. Markus Enders, Anorganisch-Chemisches Institut
Universität Heidelberg Heidelberg, Germany Olefin Polymerisation with Organochromium Catalysts
4-5-2013
30
Note: Faculty and staff development activities (grants, presentations, exhibitions, performances, publications, instructional improvement activities, laboratory development, curriculum development, etc.)
INSTRUCTIONS:
For each activity, please indicate
1. whether department members organized the activities or gave presentations or both
2. the topic and type of activity and name of organizer/presenter, if applicable
3. the date (if not the exact date, indicate the month)
4. the number attending the event
B. COURSE CHANGES IN 2012-13
INSTRUCTIONS: For each course that changed, indicate:
1. whether the course is new, revised, or deleted
2. the course number
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Queensborough Community College
3.
4.
5.
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
June 2013
the course title
the semester the change was approved at the Academic Senate
for revised courses, in the Comments section, describe the type of change(s)—i.e., course title, description, pre/co-requisites, credits, hours,
designation
New, revised,
or deleted
Course
number
Course title
Semester
approved
Revised
CH-120
Fundamentals of Chemistry
Fall 2013
New
CH-106
Chemistry and the Arts
Fall 2013
Revised
CH-101
Living in a Chemical World
Fall 2013
Revised
CH-110
Chemistry and the Environment
Fall 2013
Comments
Pathway related course-Change in course
description
Lecture and Lab combined
Pathway related course-Change in course
description
Pathway related course-Change in course
description
C. PROGRAM CHANGES IN 2012-13
Program
Program change*
Effective Date (Semester and year)
Comments
*Key: (a)=initiated, (b)=closed, (c)=renamed, (d)=modified
INSTRUCTIONS:

Use the full title of the program, i.e. A.A. in Visual and Performing Arts.

Indicate whether the program change is initiated, closed, renamed, or modified. (If a new program has been approved by the CUNY Board (or is expected to
be approved by June 2013), use fall 2013 as the effective date.)

Describe the exact status (i.e., proposal submitted to CUNY Board; approved by CUNY Board; etc.) in the Comments.
D. DEPARTMENT CHANGES IN 2012-13
Type (see menu below)
Personnel
Personnel
Description of Change
Drs. John Regan and Julie
Pigza have resigned from
their position as assistant
Professors.
Dr. Sujun Wei was hired to
begin Fall 2013.
Reason for Change
Both found other
employment
Date/Semester
Spring 2013
To fill the vacancies.
Fall 2013
Evaluation of Change*
We have filled one of the
position openings and are
currently involved to fill the
second line
*Please note that, if change has been too recent to evaluate, you may indicate NA.
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Queensborough Community College
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
June 2013
MENU
Type of change
Personnel or organizational change
Facilities/space
Equipment
Other
Description
New hires, retirees, resignations, promotions, department name changes, etc.
Renovations or development of office space or new facilities (i.e., computer laboratories)
Acquisition of new or disposition of old equipment
Other changes affecting the department not included above and including interactions with other departments
E. DEPARTMENT ASSESSMENT IN 2012-13
1.
Departmental procedures for conducting assessment
The fundamental elements of standard 14 (assessment of student learning) of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education include: clearly
articulated statements of expected student learning outcomes…at all levels (institution, degree/program, course) and for all programs that aim to
foster student learning and development; a documented, organized, and sustained assessment process to evaluate and improve student learning;
evidence that student learning assessment information is shared and discussed with appropriate constituents and is used to improve teaching and
learning.
Describe below the department’s ongoing procedures for assessing student learning and using assessment results to improve teaching
and learning. In your description, please explain how the department fulfills each of the Middle States fundamental elements
above.
We have had an ongoing course assessment for nearly all our course offerings: CH-103, 127, 151, 152, 251, and 128. In all the
documents we have addressed the Middle States fundamental elements mentioned.
2a.
Departmental participation in self-study/program review during 2012-2013, if applicable
Program(s) reviewed: (GIVE FULL TITLE, i.e., A.A.S. in Digital Art and Design)
External Agency or Reviewers: (GIVE NAME OF AGENCY OR NAME OF REVIEWER[S])
Date of site visit
Major conclusions of self-study
Major conclusions of external reviewers
Resulting action plan
2b.
Program review follow-up
Action item from program review
Timeline for completion
Accomplishments during current year
To conform with Pathway, the LS program underwent restructuring. The new and revised
program is academically more vigorous. For instance, there is more math requirement, more
sciences in the core, and higher level of science in the concentration.
3.
Course assessment
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Queensborough Community College
Courses
assessed
Relevant QCC
Educational Objectives
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
June 2013
Relevant Curricular Objectives (cite
both curriculum and objectives)
Evaluation of Assessment Results
Action plan
Meet requirements for successful
transfer/acceptance into the junior year of
a baccalaureate program in Nursing,
Dietetics, Nutrition, diagnostic medical
imaging and other health related programs
(LA1, HS1)
The administration of the assessment
quiz allowed course coordinators to
identify areas of weakness in students’
comprehension of concepts or
application of skills. These areas
included recalling the pattern of prefixes
commonly used in the metric system,
knowing the relative size of the units at
hand, or making proper use of the
factor-label method (Question 1);
interpreting a chemical formula, correctly
calculating molar mass, or properly
using molar mass as a conversion factor
(Question 2); recognizing the additive
nature of partial pressures,
distinguishing the parts from the whole
in the data (Question 3); using
percentage as a unit of concentration,
applying the factor-label method to
solution concentrations (Question 4);
using pH as a measure of the
concentration of an acid or a base, or
recognizing the inverse relationship
between acidity and basicity (Question
5).
The results of the assessment will be
disseminated to all instructors so
they can adjust their courses to
address areas of weakness. Future
assessments will reveal how
assessment and feedback from the
results contribute to improved
learning outcomes. Instructors will
also be advised to compare the
overall results of their students to
both the expected scores based on
the estimated difficulty of the
assessment questions, and to the
actual results across the department.
If a group of students notably
underperforms either the theoretical
expectations or actual past results
for a particular question, increased
emphasis on the learning outcome(s)
assessed by that question may be
required. An important means to
increase the average score of all
students will be to reduce the
number who score 20% or below (0
or 1 out of 5 questions).
The sample-sizes for summer terms is
small, and these students may not be
representative of the students taking
CH-127 during the normal school year.
In particular, approximately half of
summer students are not enrolled at
QCC, but are instead seeking credit for
an outside program.
While the current format of the
assessment quiz provides valuable
information towards measuring
student learning outcomes, future
revisions of the quiz will attempt to
assess only one learning outcome
per question. These revisions will
help pinpoint particular areas of
weakness with greater precision, and
therefore help instructors to
appropriate emphasis on particular
concepts and skills.
(list individually)
H-127
Communicate effectively
through reading, writing,
listening and speaking
Use analytical reasoning to
identify issues or problems
and evaluate evidence in
order to make informed
decisions
Reason quantitatively and
mathematically as required
in their fields of interest and
in everyday life
Integrate knowledge and
skills in their program of
study
Work collaboratively in
diverse groups directed at
accomplishing learning
objectives
Employ concepts and
methods of the natural and
physical sciences to make
informed judgments
Demonstrate mastery of mathematics and
science required for transfer to the junior
year in a baccalaureate program in
Nursing or a related program. (LA1, HS1)
Demonstrate an understanding of the
principles of chemistry and how they are
fundamental to all living systems. (HS1)
Reason quantitatively and mathematically
as required in their fields of interest and in
everyday life. (LA1)
Use analytical reasoning to identify issues
or problems and evaluate evidence in
order to make informed decision. (LA1)
Communicate effectively through reading,
writing, listening and speaking. (LA1)
Employ concepts and methods of the
natural and physical sciences to make
informed judgments. (LA1)
Integrate knowledge and skills in their
program of study. (LA1)
Work collaboratively in diverse groups
directed at accomplishing learning
objectives. (LA1)
Some questions of the current format of
the quiz simultaneously assess multiple
learning outcomes. While this design
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Queensborough Community College
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
provides valuable information and allows
the quiz to be very short, the design also
complicates the identification of
particular areas that require greater
emphasis or practice
CH-251
Use analytical reasoning to
identify issues or problems
and evaluate evidence in
order to make informed
decisions.
Integrate knowledge and
skills in their program of
study.
Employ concepts and
methods of the natural and
physical sciences to make
informed judgments.
Demonstrate proficiency in factual
knowledge and conceptual understanding
required for transfer to the junior year in a
baccalaureate program in natural science,
mathematics, engineering, or computer
science or any other program in health
sciences. (LS1, PE1)
Demonstrate proficiency in communication
skills, including technical writing and oral
presentation. (LS1, PE1)
Apply concepts through use of current
technology. (LS1)
Demonstrate an understanding of the
professional, ethical, and social
responsibilities related to the fields of
natural science, forensic science,
mathematics, engineering, and /or
computer science. (LS1, PE1, SF1)
Demonstrate proficiency in acquiring,
processing and analyzing information in all
its forms as related to the field of
concentration. (LS1)
Use analytical reasoning skills and apply
logic to solve problems. (PE1)
Use quantitative skills and mathematical
reasoning to solve problems. (PE1)
Students will communicate effectively
through reading, writing, listening and
The exam was written by the American
Chemical Society as a general test for
the Organic Chemistry level. It is
administered nationwide and therefore
the results at QCC can be compared to
other schools. Students took this
multiple choice exam at the end of the
semester. As an incentive, bonus points
were added to their final grade. There
were a total of seven questions that
were selected. The questions tested the
student’s knowledge to: a) recognize
organic compounds in a variety of
representations, b) learn the functional
groups that are common in organic
compounds, c) learn the common
physical properties of organic molecules,
d) study the stereochemistry of
molecules, e) understand the basics of
the movement of electrons, f) learn the
chemical transformations that are
common to each of the functional
groups, and g) interpret multiple-step
syntheses and retrosyntheses. Rigorous
rubrics were created to assess the
seven questions and to assign a score
for each question from 0 to 3. The
percentage of students receiving each
June 2013
We note that the last figure following
Table 8D, above, shows gradual but
consistent growth in the proportion of
students in the regular school year
who score at least 4 out of 5 correct
on the assessment exam. The
improvement in overall results since
assessment began in Spring 2011 is
statistically significant. The
assessment process has, therefore,
led to greater success in achieving
our stated learning outcomes.
C. Resulting action plan:
Based on A and B, what changes, if
any, do you anticipate making?
Question #4
The concept of formal charge is well
understood by a very high
percentage of students and teaching
techniques on this topic do not need
to be altered.
Question #5
To better reinforce the concept of
resonance, it would be best to
highlight both favorable and
unfavorable resonance structures
when discussing the topic. Then
students could clearly see the
relationships between the least and
most favored structures. The
instructor should also enhance the
discussion of bond dipoles by
drawing a resonance structure to
help students understand the
reactivity of certain functional
groups. This will allow students to be
more familiar with resonance
structures and at the same time
increase their appreciation of
chemical reactivity.
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Queensborough Community College
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
speaking. (SF1)
Students will demonstrate competency in
the concepts and methods of the
foundation of organic chemistry required
for transfer to the junior year in Forensic
Science at John Jay College. (SF1)
Students will apply concepts learned in the
classroom and make conclusions based on
scientific thinking. (SF1)
Students will work collaboratively in the
laboratory to provide reasonable analysis
of data obtained and to solve problems.
(SF1)
Students will integrate the knowledge and
skills gained in previous courses with
subsequent courses to establish an allaround scientific background. (SF1)
score was recorded. The rubrics were
based on the important aspects
identified within each question and
represent learning goals of the course.
Evaluation of student learning
The goal of the assessment test was to
critically evaluate student learning in
seven key categories. These categories
represent fundamental concepts and
expected learning outcomes of a student
at the end of the first semester of the
organic sequence. Organic chemistry as
a course introduces central concepts in
the first few chapters of the textbook and
these concepts are reinforced
throughout the semester through the use
of more complex examples.
Question #4
This problem tested the students’
knowledge of formal charge as assigned
to atoms within a structure. Students
had to understand the meaning of formal
charge and how to calculate it for each
atom in a structure. Due to the high
percentage of students who answered
the question correctly (90%), we believe
that the concept was adequately and
clearly discussed and was well
understood by the students.
Question #5
This problem tested the students’ ability
to understand the concept of resonance
and to assess which resonance
structure was favored out of the three
possibilities. Of the three possibilities,
students had to rank them in order from
most favored to least favored. For this
question, 68% of students chose the
right answer in ranking the three
resonance structures. Of the remaining
June 2013
Question #13
Since physical properties between
two different functional groups are
not discussed in the textbook, it is up
to the instructor to spend some time
introducing these relations between
functional groups to students. In
addition, this will serve to reinforce
the physical properties of functional
groups learned earlier in the
semester. It would also be
advantageous for the laboratory
instructor to both remind students of
these important properties and to be
able to demonstrate these as
practical examples.
Question #21
Students were allowed to use their
molecular model kits on the ACS
exam. The answer to this question
would have been obvious if students
could visualize the molecules by
building a model of each Fischer
projection. It is our belief that a low
score on this test was due to the fact
that students did not take the time to
use their model kits. It would also be
beneficial for instructors to use this
drawing convention at several later
points throughout this semester. In
addition, this problem highlights the
differences between stereoisomers
and these should be highlighted
throughout the semester as students
learn new reactions, where
appropriate. The long term goal
would be for students to understand
stereochemistry since this topic
arises again in Organic II.
Question #30
Overall students performed very well
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Queensborough Community College
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
students, 24% failed to realize that a
structure with zero formal charge is
actually favored as compared to a
structure with formal charge on it.
Resonance is taught early in the
semester and the rules for resonance
are generally not reinforced throughout
the semester.
Question #13
This problem tested the students’
knowledge of functional groups and how
they relate to the observed physical
properties. In particular, it relates to the
solubility of two different organic
molecules. Approximately 40% of the
students chose the correct answer while
more students chose a response that
included non-matched solubilities. This
indicates a lack of familiarity with
matching of physical properties of
organic molecules. While all of the
functional groups are taught at the
beginning of Organic I, two of the four
functional groups are not taught in more
depth until Organic II. In addition,
chapters are set up to focus on one
specific functional group and do not
globally compare among other functional
groups. Because of these overriding
factors, our expectations were lower for
this question.
Question #21
This problem tested the students’ ability
to use look at different 2D
representations of 3D molecules and to
assess the relationship between them.
Two molecules were drawn in the
Fischer projection and students were
asked about the relationship between
the two structures. The majority of
students were unable to answer the
June 2013
on this question involving the
mechanistic steps of a reaction.
Students are introduced to the arrow
pushing formalism at the beginning
of the semester and it is reinforced
throughout the whole second half of
semester when students are learning
reactions. This shows that students
perform better on concepts that are
reinforced across a wide variety of
examples.
Question #42
To increase student performance on
this type of question, students need
to practice more examples
highlighting the differences among
the reaction pathways. The instructor
could also help to improve student
learning on this concept by
contrasting the mechanistic
pathways when showing a reaction.
For example, when students see an
example of an E2 reaction, they
should be reminded why it is not an
E1 reaction.
Question #56
This problem is a difficult and time
consuming to solve. One way to
solve this type of problem would be
for students to draw the answer after
each reagent shown. While this
problem solving technique is taught
in class, students are not often
exposed to the wrong conditions or
to multiple conditions at one time.
Instructors should pose questions in
which the wrong order of conditions
are shown and ask students why it is
incorrect. Students can benefit from
seeing the incorrect strategies as
well as the correct strategies. An
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Queensborough Community College
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
question correctly. The drawing
represented in this question is not a
typical drawing convention used
throughout the book and is only
sporadically reinforced throughout
organic chemistry. However, it is an
important but underutilized drawing
convention that students should
understand and be able to visualize. The
importance of the convention is
reinforced in Organic II. It is also an
ideal way to compare two molecules to
be able to highlight differences in the
stereochemistry.
Question #30
This problem tested the students’ ability
to look at mechanistic steps within a
reaction and to recognize which step
was not likely to have occurred. The
reaction step with mechanistic arrows
were shown for each choice, however
one of the steps was incorrect and did
not lead to the product shown and this is
the answer that students had to choose.
The majority of students (80%) chose
the correct answer. This indicates that
students understand the mechanism of a
common reaction of alkenes.
Question #42
This problem tested the students’ ability
to predict the likely mechanistic pathway
for the reaction shown. Students were
given the reactant, conditions, and
products and had to assess which broad
class of reactions applied. On this
question, 58% of the students chose the
correct answer while another 26%
identified the correct general reaction
type as an elimination reaction. The
students understood the broad concept
highlighted in the question but were
June 2013
additional type of problem to test
students would be to give them
several reagents and ask them
which is the best to use and why.
Summary
The results of the assessment will be
disseminated to the instructors who
teach CH-251 so all instructors can
evaluate the outcomes. Meetings will
be scheduled with all instructors and
will involve the discussion of future
strategies to improve student
learning on key concepts. The
strategies to discuss will involve: the
power of reinforcement of key topics
throughout the semester, the
addition of alternative explanations
to describe a key concept, and
asking a similar question in different
ways to reinforce learning and
challenge students to think more
deeply about concepts. We believe
the ACS assessment test was a
useful tool to measure student
learning and we anticipate using it
for future semesters to evaluate
progress in student learning
outcomes based on using the above
mentioned strategies.
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Queensborough Community College
CH-152
Use analytical reasoning to
identify issues or problems
and evaluate evidence in
order to make informed
decisions
Reason quantitatively and
mathematically as required
in their fields of interest and
in everyday lifelong
learning
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
Demonstrate proficiency in factual
knowledge and conceptual understanding
required for transfer to the junior year in a
baccalaureate program in natural science,
mathematics, engineering, or computer
science or any other program in health
sciences. (LS1, PE1)
Demonstrate skills in mathematics to the
minimum level of basic calculus concepts,
including their applications to science and/
or engineering. (LS1)
Demonstrate proficiency in communication
skills, including technical writing and oral
presentation. (LS1)
Apply concepts through use of current
technology. (LS1)
Demonstrate an understanding of the
unclear on the fine details of the reaction
mechanism.
Question #56
This problem tested the students’ ability
to determine which sequence would be
best to accomplish the transformation
given the starting reactant and final
product. The reaction was two steps
long and students were given a
sequence of reagents for each choice.
The students had to pick the correct
order to use the reagents. Only 28% of
the students got the correct answer
while 41% of the students picked the
correct reagent to use first but were
misled on the second reagent choice. All
of the listed reagents were familiar to
students, it is encouraging that nearly
70% used the correct first reagent. This
problem highlighted one of the most
troublesome aspects for students in
organic chemistry which is to string
together more than one reaction in a
sequence.
What do the results suggest about how
well the assignment and the assessment
process worked both to help students
learn and to show what they have
learned?
This particular assignment is given at
the end of the course. Its purpose is to
show what students have learned with
respect to several fundamental chemical
concepts that they will need to use in
subsequent classes. The evaluation of
the outcomes will be discussed with the
members of the department to improve
learning in the desired areas. This
assessment will be repeated in
subsequent semesters, and the
collected data will be evaluated over
June 2013
Question #7: Based on the data
provided, there is only one correct
way to solve this problem, and it is
typically taught as a specific
sequence of steps. We therefore
expected a higher percentage of
students to solve it correctly. Looking
more closely at the results, we have
realized that the simplest explanation
for the most frequently chosen
(incorrect) answer was that the
question was simply misread. It is
possible that many students
determined the order of the entire
reaction (2nd order), rather than the
order in terms of the particular
reactant (1st order). There is nothing
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Queensborough Community College
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
professional, ethical, and social
responsibilities related to the fields of
natural science, forensic science,
mathematics, engineering, and /or
computer science. (LS1, PE1, SF1)
Demonstrate proficiency in acquiring,
processing and analyzing information in all
its forms as related to the field of
concentration. (LS1)
Use analytical reasoning skills and apply
logic to solve problems. (PE1)
Use quantitative skills and mathematical
reasoning to solve problems. (PE1)
Demonstrate effective skills in technical
writing and oral presentation (PE1);
Students will communicate effectively
through reading, writing, listening and
speaking. (SF1)
Demonstrate a strong foundation in the
core engineering fundamentals of general
chemistry. (PE1)
Demonstrate a strong foundation in the
core engineering fundamentals of general
chemistry. (PE1)
Students will demonstrate competency in
the concepts and methods of the
foundation general chemistry courses
required for transfer to the junior year in
Forensic Science at John Jay College.
(SF1)
Students will apply concepts learned in the
classroom and make conclusions based on
scientific thinking. (SF1)
Students will integrate the knowledge and
skills gained in previous courses with
subsequent courses to establish an allaround scientific background. (SF1)
Demonstrate mastery of mathematics and
science required for transfer to the junior
year in a baccalaureate program in
Environmental Health or a related
time.
The questions are written in very simple
straightforward sentences. There is little
to distract and little to misinterpret. The
multiple choice answers give the correct
response plus responses that anticipate
the most commonly made errors.
Questions #7 and #21 require a logical
and widely applicable sequence of steps
to arrive at the correct answer. They
also require an understanding of
quantitative relationships including
simple algebra, ratios, and multistep
calculations. Rote memorization is only
useful to a limited extent in question
#27. Question #33 assesses the
students’ ability to interpret simple visual
models in the context of key chemical
concepts. This is a critical skill in
chemistry since the phenomena
discussed are frequently based on the
behavior of particles that cannot be
seen. Thus various 2D and 3D models
and interpretations are necessary.
These questions were well chosen
because several of them can only be
answered after the student has
compared all of the choices to each
other. Further, some of them require
higher-order thinking by connecting two
or more concepts. However, because it
was a multiple choice exam, when
students chose the wrong answer, it was
hard to tell if their choices were based
on a certain type of mistake or
misconception, or if they were simply
random choices. This made
interpretation of the data more difficult.
Future versions of this assessment may
be improved by using questions whose
incorrect choices can be unambiguously
June 2013
wrong with its wording. However,
when students see the same
question too frequently, they may
begin to ignore the details. As a
result, when something has
changed, it may go unnoticed. In this
case, they may have correctly
determined the answer, but then
went on to unnecessarily perform
additional steps that commonly
follow. By deconstructing the steps
the students perform and by asking
different questions based on the
same given data, it may be possible
to prevent students from becoming
too comfortable. This should
encourage them to make sure they
are answering the actual question
and not the question they think they
have been asked. This can be
accomplished in class and also with
homework assignments.
Question #21: As noted in Section
B, the most likely error that occurs in
this type of problem is that the
students do not correctly figure out
how to dissociate the salt into its
ions. Those that can properly do this
are typically able to solve this kind of
“entry-level” solubility problem.
However, “AB2” salts are often
dissociated into A+ and B2–, instead
of A+2 and 2B–, for example.
Though the rest of the calculation
may be performed correctly, it begins
with an incorrect premise and leads
to an incorrect result. The only way
that students’ understanding of this
concept will improve is with exposure
and practice. It can be practiced and
applied at several points in CH-151
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Queensborough Community College
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
program. (EH1)
correlated to a single error.
June 2013
and it should be reviewed again
when solubility equilibria are
introduced in CH-152. Students
should especially be encouraged to
write complete chemical equations
for every problem they encounter,
both in class and on homework
assignments.
Question #27: This problem ties
together many aspects of
thermodynamics and relates it back to
equilibrium. Most students will
probably approach it from a purely
algebraic standpoint, trying to figure
out how the signs of ΔH and ΔS
determine the sign of ΔG and how
that is subsequently related to the
equilibrium constant. To do this, they
must have memorized the relevant
equations, which is certainly possible
given sufficient practice. However,
students will likely perform better on
this kind of question if they are able to
understand the physical significance
of the magnitudes and signs of
equilibrium constants and
thermodynamic quantities. This will
reduce the errors made, for example,
if a student leaves out the negative
sign in an equation like ΔG = –
RTlnK. And in addition to thinking
solely in terms of positive and
negative values for ΔH and ΔS
(algebraic approach), students should
be encouraged to think about whether
an exothermic reaction or an increase
in entropy is typically favorable or
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Queensborough Community College
CH-103
Use analytical reasoning to
identify issues or problems
and evaluate evidence in
order to make informed
decisions.
Reason quantitatively and
mathematically as required
in their fields of interest and
in everyday life.
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
Observe, analyze and solve problems of
arts conservation (AM1).
Use analytical reasoning to identify issues
or problems and evaluate evidence in
order to make informed decision (LA1).
Reason quantitatively and mathematically
as required in their fields of interest and in
everyday life (LA1).
Employ concepts and methods of the
natural and physical sciences to make
informed judgments (LA1).
CH-151
Use analytical reasoning to Demonstrate proficiency in communication
identify issues or problems skills, including technical writing and oral
What do the results suggest about how
well the assignment and the
assessment process worked both to
help students learn and to show what
they have learned?
As predicted in the fall 2012 course
assessment report, there was indeed a
higher degree of participation in the
spring 2013 assessment exam, which
was of multiple choice format. It was far
quicker, easier and less ambiguous to
grade across the sections of the course.
The spring 2013 assessment exam
demonstrated that students understood
certain concepts such as subtractive
color mixing and balancing chemical
equations to a greater degree than
expected.
Switching to a multiple-choice format
allowed us to assess whether students
understood various concepts without
simultaneously testing their ability to
express themselves in writing. The fall
2012 assessment did include shortanswer questions, and because so
many students skipped these questions,
we could not determine whether lack of
understanding or difficulty with writing
was the bigger obstacle. The current
format revealed that a greater number
of students than expected did indeed
understand many core concepts of color
mixing, chemical notation, and the
connection between chemistry and the
arts. It is believed that in general, the
multiple choice format of the questions
better assessed the students’
understanding of the material.
What do the results suggest about how
well the assignment and the
June 2013
Since the multiple choice format was
administered for only one semester, it
will be interesting to see if similar
results could be replicated. Thus it is
expected that this assessment exam
will be given for the fall 2013 semester
and an assessment report comparing
all three semesters fall 2012, spring
2013 and fall 2013 will be done.
Instructors who are teaching this
course will also try to reinforce certain
concepts of subtractive color mixing
to improve student learning. In
addition, more in-class and
homework based practice on reading
and interpreting scientific articles
related to art conservation and writing
to express scientific concepts will be
done. One faculty teaching this
course will experiment on teaching
one section of this course as a writing
intensive course. Students will
continued to be encouraged to visit
the campus writing center for further
assistance in completing written
assignments for this course.
Question #1: Though the chemical
nomenclature is systematic,
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Queensborough Community College
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
presentation. (LS1)
and evaluate evidence in
order
to make informed decisions
Reason quantitatively and
mathematically as required
in their fields of interest
and in
everyday lifelong learning
assessment process worked both to
help students learn and to show what
they have learned?
This particular assignment is given at
the end of the course. Its purpose is to
show what students have learned with
respect to several fundamental
chemical concepts that they will need to
use in subsequent classes. The
evaluation of the outcomes will be
discussed with the members of the
department to improve learning in the
desired areas. The same questions will
be used in subsequent semesters, and
the collected data will be evaluated over
time.
The questions are written in very simple
straightforward sentences. There is little
to distract and little tomisinterpret. The
multiple choice answers give the correct
response plus responses that anticipate
the most common incorrect choices.
Question #1, 16, and 21 require a
logical and widely applicable sequence
of steps to arrive at the correct answer.
They also require an understanding of
quantitative relationships including
simple algebra, ratios, dimensional
analysis, and multistep calculations.
Rote memorization is only useful to a
limited extent in question #1. Question
#8 assesses the students’ ability to
apply fundamental definitions to a
simple visual model. This is a critical
skill in chemistry since the phenomena
discussed are frequently based on the
behavior of particles that cannot be
seen. Thus various 2D and 3D models
and interpretations are necessary.
June 2013
polyatomic ions are typically
problematic because many of the
names and formulas are very similar.
Greater effort could be spent
discussing and applying the
nomenclature system as it applies to
these species so that students can
understand why a certain formula has
a certain name. However, the most
effective solution is probably to
encourage the students to prepare
their own memory aids, such as
flashcards, so that they can
memorize names, formulas and
charges of the most common
polyatomic ions. In addition,
extensive practice is necessary in
class and as homework because
repetition will bring familiarity, not
only with the names, but with
deducing charges as required by this
problem. Further, once the topic has
been taught, it should be
continuously referred to and applied
in later chapters, reinforcing that this
is the language of chemistry and it
must be spoken to succeed.
Question #8: The classification of
matter as pure substances, mixtures,
compounds, and elements is the first
topic covered in most general
chemistry classes. It is usually
covered very quickly and with
examples
of “common, everyday” substances,
rather than with chemical symbols
and formulas. While it should not be
assumed that all students understand
the information conveyed by chemical
formulas, the outcome of this
problem suggests that they should be
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Queensborough Community College
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
June 2013
included as examples. Including
another assessment question on the
same topic that uses words only may
indicate if the poor outcome on this
problem is due to an inability to
interpret the diagram, or to a
fundamental misconception of the
topic itself. In any event, it is
advisable to use more visual models
in class and in homework problems,
especially with topics that require an
understanding of the particulate
nature of matter and its changes.
Question #16: The simplest
explanation for the overall outcome of
this problem is that it was simply
misinterpreted. If read quickly, “How
many moles of manganese are in 286
g of Mn2O3?” could be seen as
asking for the number of moles of the
compound, rather than the moles of
atoms. Inserting the word “atoms” so
that it reads “How many moles of
manganese atoms are in 286 g of
Mn2O3?” should remove any
ambiguity. However, the question as
written provides all the information
that is necessary and students should
be expected to read every question
carefully. More likely is that because
most of the emphasis is placed on
mass-moles conversions and
stoichiometry, students are
underexposed to the concept that
chemical formulas contain their own
mole ratios of atoms to each unit of
the compound. More practice in
class and in homework should be
devoted to using these “internal”
whole-number mole ratios. In
addition,
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Queensborough Community College
CH-128
Communicate effectively
through reading, writing,
listening and speaking.
Use analytical reasoning
to identify issues or
problems and evaluate
evidence in order to make
informed decisions.
Integrate knowledge and
skills in their program of
study.
Work collaboratively in
diverse groups directed at
accomplishing learning
objectives.
Employ concepts and
methods of the natural and
physical sciences to make
informed judgments.
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
Meet requirements for successful
transfer/acceptance into the junior year of
a baccalaureate program in Nursing,
Dietetics, Nutrition, diagnostic medical
imaging and other health related
programs. (HS1)
Demonstrate mastery of mathematics and
science required for transfer to the junior
year in a baccalaureate program in
Nursing or a related program. (HS1)
Demonstrate an understanding of the
principles of chemistry and how they are
fundamental to all living systems. (HS1)
Communicate effectively through reading,
writing, listening and speaking. (LA1)
Use analytical reasoning to identify issues
or problems and evaluate evidence in
order to make informed decision. (LA1)
Integrate knowledge and skills in their
program of study. (LA1)
Work collaboratively in diverse groups
directed at accomplishing learning
objectives. (LA1)
Employ concepts and methods of the
natural and physical sciences to make
informed judgments. (LA1)
The goal of the assessment test was to
critically evaluate student learning in
five major categories. These categories
represent fundamental concepts and
expected learning outcomes of a
student at the end of a one semester
introductory organic course. The course
is designed to cover in one semester
that is normally covered in two
semesters of a conventional organic
chemistry curriculum. As a
consequence, the course does not
cover each topic in depth and rather is
meant as a preparatory course for
organic chemistry or to satisfy
requirements in the allied health fields.
The weighted average was used as a
conventional indicator of student
learning for each question. The
weighted scale was from 0-3 with
numbers closer to 3 representing a
better understanding while numbers
closer to 0 represent an incomplete
understanding on the student’s part.
Based on the weighted averages, the
students performed the best on
question #19 (weighted average = 2.3).
Students were able to recognize the
product of a common oxidation reaction
when given a description of the starting
material and classes of possible
products. To do this, students were able
to recognize functional groups present
in organic compounds and the key
transformations that these functional
groups undergo. Since reactions of
functional groups are a key focus of
June 2013
“real world” ratios, such as “2 eyes to
1 face” or “4 wheels to one car”
should be used as analogies to the
ratios contained in chemical formulas.
Based on A and B, what changes, if
any, do you anticipate making?
Overall, the assessment results do
indicate that the students are learning
the important concepts. Our goal is to
increase the student learning by at
least one performance level,
especially focusing on students are
who are at performance level 1 or 0.
One common theme noticed from the
above results is that students tend to
perform less satisfactory on the
questions whose topics are not
reinforced throughout the course.
While instructors do not have the time
to reinforce all concepts, they can
make sure to highlight the key
aspects above that are useful for
student success in their chosen
profession. These strategies include:
1) reviewing functional group naming
protocols, 2) drawing functional
groups in a variety of representations,
and 3) explicitly drawing physical
properties rather than using words to
list them. Instructors are encouraged
to cumulatively test the students on
functional groups throughout all
exams during the semester.
The results of this assessment will be
disseminated to the three instructors
who teach CH-128 so all instructors
can evaluate the outcomes. Future
discussions with the instructors will
discuss the outcome of each question
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Queensborough Community College
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
every chapter, the results indicate that
student learning of these concepts was
satisfactory. Three of the five questions
(#9, #10 and #40) had a weighted
average of 2.0 indicating that a majority
of the students were able to understand
these concepts. These concepts dealt
with naming, physical properties, and
recognizing how functional groups are
drawn. All of these concepts are
reinforced in every chapter. While the
naming of functional groups varies per
chapter, the same naming strategies
and rules are reinforced throughout the
course. The aspects that the students
chose incorrectly were subtleties within
the name of a specific functional group.
In terms of physical properties, the three
main properties appear throughout each
chapter but all three are not discussed
within every chapter. In addition, the
question required students to be able to
choose the correct representation of a
certain physical property. The majority
of students were familiar enough with
the concept to choose the correct or
mostly correct answer. In terms of
recognizing how functional groups are
represented, despite the fact that
specific functional groups are not
reinforced in each chapter, students still
have to draw in each chapter and are
reminded of functional groups. The
remaining question (#8) had a weighted
average of 1.9. This question also dealt
with recognizing aspects of specific
functional groups. In question #8,
students were given a structure and had
to choose the name of the functional
group. Conversely in question #9, they
were given the name and had to choose
June 2013
and discuss strategies to improve
student learning on key concepts.
The same questions will be used in
subsequent semesters and the
collected data will be evaluated.
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Queensborough Community College
Year-end Report – Teaching Department
June 2013
the correct structure. Despite these
differences, the majority of students
were able to understand functional
groups in either way that they were
presented.
4.
Results of certification exams, employer and alumni surveys, student surveys, advisory board recommendations (if
applicable, please use the table below)
Data Source
Results
Action plan
Certification exams
Employer/alumni surveys, including
graduation and placement survey
Student surveys (current students)
Advisory Board recommendations
5.
Other assessment activity
F. DEPARTMENT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
1.
Goals/objectives for 2012-2013
(Please indicate [Yes or No] if the objectives were part of the College’s Strategic Plan for 2011-2012.)
Departmental goals/objectives 2011/2012
Strategic Plan Y/N
Evaluation of achievement
Resulting action plan
Not completed.
2.
Goals/objectives for 2013-2014
(Explain how these goals/objectives align with the College’s goals and Strategic Plan for 2013-2014)
Departmental goals/objectives 2012-2013
1) We had requested in previous years that 3 of our 4 teaching labs are in real need for
renovation. Many of the drawers are both outdated and too small to fit glassware. No
action has been taken in this regard.
2) As our research students are multiplying and faculty are taking on more students, it
would be ideal to think of building a 3rd research lab. Presently, there are too many
faculty and students who are sharing the limited lab space in S-406 and 410.
3) Our course assessment is ongoing and faculty update them per academic year.
Mission/Strategic
Plan
Planned method of evaluation
The best method of evaluating how
the research lab space has been
utilized productively is by the
number of students presenting at
various conferences as well as
faculty-led student co-authorship on
scientific articles.
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