Just Do It:
Perspectives of First-Time
POGIL Implementers
Elizabeth Jensen & Li-Heng Chen
Department of Chemistry
Aquinas College
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Our Home: Albertus Magnus Hall of Science
Aquinas College
• PUI, 4-year private Catholic
• founded 1886 by Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids
• approx. 2300 students (400 nontraditional; 400 graduate)
Chemistry Department
• 3 faculty, 1 lab manager
• 3-5 majors, ~10 minors per year
• traditional program
- 1 year general chemistry
- 1 year organic chemistry
- 1 year physical chemistry
- 1 sem. quantitative analysis
- 2 sem. chemistry electives
- independent research project
Jensen with student in lab
Our Backgrounds
Jensen
• 3 years at AQ
• analytical and inorganic courses
• attended several POGIL workshops over two years
Chen
• 20+ years at AQ
• organic and physical courses
• attended one POGIL workshop
What we liked about POGIL
• constructivist/ learning cycle
• peer working groups
• practice discussing concepts/language
• process of problem solving
• well-defined team structure
• alternative to lecturing
Chen teaching physical chemistry
Taking the Plunge
Fall 2005
• General Chemistry I (Jensen)
• Organic Chemistry I (Chen)
• Physical Chemistry I (Chen)
Spring 2006
• General Chemistry II (Chen)
• Physical Chemistry II (Chen)
Team Organization
Presenter
Manager
4 students
Recorder/Reflector
Reflector
Manager
Recorder
3 students
Presenter
Presenter
• assigned teams
• using exam scores
• team reports
• time allowed
Responsible for:
• presenting oral and written reports.
• representing the team to the class.
• participating in team activities.
Example of Student Role Card
General Chemistry I
5 credits
Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Friday
Recitation A
(2 hours)
Morning
Lecture
(1 hour)
Mid-day
Afternoon
Thursday
Lab A
(3 hours)
Lab B
(3 hours)
• first time teaching course
• POGIL in Recitation sections
• ~ 45 students, 20-25 per section
Lecture
(1 hour)
Lecture
(1 hour)
Recitation B
(2 hours)
Activities
Week 1
The Nuclear Atom (1)
Week 2
Balanced Chemical Equations (28)
Limiting Reagents (29)
Week 3
Molarity (33)
Oxidation Numbers (49)
Week 4
The Ideal Gas Law (34)
Week 5
Enthalpy of Atom Combination (31)
Enthalpy Changes in Chemical Reactions (32)
Week 6
The Shell Model I (4)
The Shell Model II (5)
Week 7
Photoelectron Spectroscopy (7)
The Shell Model III (8)
Week 8
Atomic Size (6)
Week 9
Bond Order and Bond Strength (13)
Bond Length and Bond Strength (14)
Week 10
Lewis Structures II (15)
Lewis Structures III (16)
Week 11
Dipole Moment (22)
Hybrid Orbitals (18)
Weeks 12 & 13
Intermolecular Forces (26)
Strengths
• students liked working in groups
• students met/talked to classmates
• activities helped students understand concepts
• recitations were less boring
Areas for Improvement
• confusion about the “right answers”
• poor class discussions
• Reflector role underutilized
Insights
• overall course grades=different instructor
• ACS exam scores
• better prepared for 2nd semester
• 6 vs. 17-18 drops
CY111 2005
%NC,
14.6
n = 41
%A, 9.8
%D, 4.9
%B, 36.6
%C, 34.1
CY111 2002-2004
%NC, 5.0
%D, 4.3
%A, 25.7
%C, 35.7
%B, 29.3
n = 140
General Chemistry II
5 credits
Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Thursday Friday
Morning
Lecture
(1 hour)
Mid-day
Afternoon
Lab A
(3 hours)
Lab B
(3 hours)
• taught course 4 years
• POGIL in Recitations (5)
• 30-35 students, ~15 per section
Lecture
(1 hour)
Lecture
(1 hour)
Lab A
(3 hours)
Lab B
(3 hours)
Used for Recitation
Activities
Week 1
Rates of Chemical Reactions I (36)
Rates of Chemical Reactions II (57)
Week 2
Equilibrium I (37)
Equilibrium II (38)
Week 7
Relative Acid Strength (46)
Acid/Base Strength of Conjugate Pairs (47)
Week 9
The Solubility Product (41)
Week 12 Redox Reactions (48)
Organic Chemistry I
5 credits
Monday Tuesday Wednesday
Thursday Friday
Morning
Lecture
(1 hour)
Mid-day
Afternoon
Lab
(3 hours)
Lecture
(1 hour)
Recitation
(3 hours)
• taught course 7 years
• POGIL replaced traditional lectures & Recitations
• 20-25 students
Lecture
(1 hour)
Activities
Lewis Structures (2)
Resonance Structures (3)
Acid-Base Reactions (8)
The Core Charge Effect and Inductive Effect (9)
Resonance Effects (10)
Electron Orbitals (11)
Conformers of Carbon Structures (4)
Chirality (7)
One-Step Nucleophilic Substitution (12)
Two-Step Nucleophilic Substitution Reactions (13)
Elimination Reactions (14)
Stereochemistry of E2 Reactions (15)
Hydroboration/Oxidation (22)
Physical Chemistry I & II
4 credits each
• three 1-hour lectures, one 3-hour lab
• instructor taught for many years
• POGIL replaced traditional lectures
• 7 students
Two teams: 3 and 4 students
Teams worked through activities separately
Entire class participated in discussion
Activities
First Semester
Gases I (G1)
Gases II (G2)
Work (T1)
The First Law of Thermodynamics (T2)
Enthalpy (T3)
Heat Capacity (T4)
Temperature Dependence of the Enthalpy of Reaction (T5)
Entropy (T6)
Entropy Changes as a Function of Temperature (T7)
The Third Law of Thermodynamics (T8)
Activities
Second Semester
Gibbs Energy and Helmholtz Energy (T9)
Gibbs Energy as a Function of Temperature and
Pressure (T10)
Equilibrium (T11)
Temperature Dependence of the Equilibrium Constant
(T12)
Temperature and Pressure Dependence of Phase
Equilibria for Pure Phases (T13)
Vapor Phase and One Component Phase Diagrams
(T14)
Partial Molar Volumes (T17)
Enzyme Kinetics (K6)
Strengths
• students enjoyed POGIL, working together
• students believed they learned more and better
• more difficult concepts more easily mastered
• conversation and laughter
• very good class discussions
Areas for Improvement
• much more time-consuming
• stronger students dominated difficult material
• students sometimes missed key points
• how to study for exams?
• small class size was a problem
Insights
• enjoyment of physical chemistry
• reduced fear of the course?
• exam scores, grades
Chen with ACS officers
Conclusion
Strengths
• students like POGIL, enjoy class more
• greater comfort level with chemical concepts & language
• difficult topics are less intimidating
• weaker students may do better
• offers structured way to provide another class format
Areas for Improvement
• emphasize process & roles
• requires more time
• Facilitation
Insights
• student performance
• student attitudes
• interactivity
• communication skills
Plans for 2006-2007
Jensen will use POGIL again in General Chemistry I
Would like to use POGIL in analytical chemistry courses
Chen will use POGIL again in General Chemistry II, Organic Chemistry I
and Physical Chemistry
• explore ways to answer without frustrating students
• select activities carefully
• stay on schedule
• improve Facilitation
Acknowledgements
Aquinas College Faculty Development Committee
Aquinas College Department of Chemistry
Students in our 2005-2006 courses
POGIL Project personnel