COURSE ASSESSMENT REPORT (CAR)
Course Prefix, Number and Title: CHEM 220-Introductory Organic Chemistry
School/Unit: School of Sciences, Physical Sciences Department
Submitted by: Peter D. Theisen, Ph.D.
Contributing Faculty:
Academic Year: 2011-2012
Revised 08/01/2011
Course Outcomes
In the boxes below, summarize the outcomes assessed in your course during the year.
Assessment Measures
In the boxes below, summarize the methods used to assess course outcomes during the last year.
Assessment Results
In the boxes below, summarize the results of your assessment activities during the last year.
Outcome #1
The student will gain knowledge of selected organic structures and reactions that are important in physiological activity and biochemistry through textual materials, lectures, practice problems and laboratory work
Pre- and post- exams were developed for first time use in the
Spring semester to test the students’ knowledge coming into the course and what they learned during the course. The exams were primarily developed from the ACS General, Organic and
Biochemistry Exam and follow the same format used for CHEM
121 and CHEM 122. Since this was the first semester that this type of assessment was used for
CHEM 220, the post exam scores were not used as part of the grade determinant. This is expected to affect the exam scores in a negative way. The pre- and post- exams were identical.
See the attached data table on the
Hake gain and subject area results.
Use of Results
In the boxes below, summarize how you are or how you plan to use the results to improve student learning.
The Spring semester was the first attempt at initiating this type of assessment for CHEM 220. The post-assessment exam will be expanded and included as part of the grade for the Fall, 2012 semester. The subject area results will be paid close attention to over the next few semesters to determine if there are areas that will require modification of teaching methods.
Effect on Course
Based on the results of this assessment, will you revise your outcomes? If so, please summarize how and why in the boxes below:
Since the results are preliminary and data gathering is only in the initial stages, it is too early to make decisions regarding changes in instruction. It is apparent that students have the most problem with the Organic
Chemistry topics, and are much better at gaining an understanding of the biochemistry topics. This is to be expected, and will most likely continue whether or not there are instructional changes.

COURSE ASSESSMENT REPORT (CAR)
Course Prefix, Number and Title: CHEM 220-Introductory Organic Chemistry
School/Unit: School of Sciences, Physical Sciences Department
Submitted by: Peter D. Theisen, Ph.D.
Contributing Faculty:
Academic Year: 2011-2012
Course Outcomes
Outcome # 2
The student will gain knowledge of the structure and properties of compounds of biochemical interest such as amino acids, enzymes, carbohydrates and lipids through textual materials, lectures, practice problems and laboratory work
Assessment Measures
Pre- and post- exams were developed for first time use in the
Spring semester to test the students’ knowledge coming into the course and what they learned during the course. The exams were primarily developed from the ACS General, Organic and
Biochemistry Exam and follow the same format used for CHEM
121 and CHEM 122. Since this was the first semester that this type of assessment was used for
CHEM 220, the post exam scores were not used as part of the grade determinant. This is expected to affect the exam scores in a negative way. The pre- and post- exams were identical.
Assessment Results
See the attached data table on the
Hake gain and subject area results.
Use of Results
The Spring semester was the first attempt at initiating this type of assessment for CHEM 220. The post-assessment exam will be expanded and included as part of the grade for the Fall, 2012 semester. The subject area results will be paid close attention to over the next few semesters to determine if there are areas that will require modification of teaching methods.
Effect on Course
Since the results are preliminary and data gathering is only in the initial stages, it is too early to make decisions regarding changes in instruction. It is apparent that students have the most problem with the Organic
Chemistry topics, and are much better at gaining an understanding of the biochemistry topics. This is to be expected, and will most likely continue whether or not there are instructional changes.

COURSE ASSESSMENT REPORT (CAR)
Course Prefix, Number and Title: CHEM 220-Introductory Organic Chemistry
School/Unit: School of Sciences, Physical Sciences Department
Submitted by: Peter D. Theisen, Ph.D.
Contributing Faculty:
Academic Year: 2011-2012
Average Hake Gain (sec 1001) 0.33 range 0.091 - 0.94
Ave. HG (sec 1003) 0.39 range -0.63 to 0.81
Ave. HG (sec1005) 0.25 range -0.052 to 0.65
Topic
Alcohol Oxidation
Aldehyde Structure Identification
Alkene Reaction
Amino Acid pI
Benzene Alkylation
Boiling Points
Carbohydrate Hydrolysis
Cell Organelle Identification
Cyclohexanone Reaction
Digestive Enzyme Identification
DNA Base Pair Hydrogen Bonding
DNA/RNA Complementarity
Enantiomer Identification
Enone naming
Enzyme Activity Control
Enzyme Classification
Fatty Acid Structure
Geometric Isomer Identification
Lipid Structure pH
Protein Synthesis
Solubility
Starch/Glycogen Structure
Sucrose Hydrolysis
Vitamin Deficiency Identification
Post Test Average
(section 1001)
67%
56%
62%
56%
23%
31%
59%
69%
28%
46%
44%
46%
36%
38%
49%
67%
82%
27%
77%
28%
59%
51%
23%
82%
28%

COURSE ASSESSMENT REPORT (CAR)
Course Prefix, Number and Title: CHEM 220-Introductory Organic Chemistry
School/Unit: School of Sciences, Physical Sciences Department
Submitted by: Peter D. Theisen, Ph.D.
Contributing Faculty:
Academic Year: 2011-2012
5/31/2012
6/8/2012
8/6/2012