Assessment Details
Academic Year: 2020-2021 Level: Undergraduate
Campus Department: Morrissey College of Arts & Sciences [UG and Grad]
Program Type: Core [UG]
Program Name: Chemistry Core (Link)
Description of Data Collection:
In 2020-21, assessment tools were developed for and utilized in CHEM1105-6 Chemistry and Society I-II. Five times throughout the semester, an anonymous survey was given to students using the online platform Qualtrics to gauge overall satisfaction. In tandem with this quantitative measure, text-entry boxes allowed students to explain and offer feedback. Also, in the last week of classes, students were invited to respond to reflection prompts on the course’s online discussion forum. A high number of students (49% of the class) responded to at least one of the prompts, selected from the following:
● What is something you discovered in chemistry this year that you tell people about?
● Is there something you encounter on a daily or semi-regular basis now that makes you think of the invisible world of molecules?
● Did you have an Aha! moment this year?
● When looking at a chemical structure, what did you think before this semester and what do you think now?
● What should the future of chemistry look like?
● Do you have any thoughts on how chemistry education (or science education) to the general public can be improved?
● What’s your pick for a molecule (or material, process, or technique) that changed history?
The 68 responses, many several paragraphs long, gave a rich resource from which to analyze the sentiments of students towards chemistry and assess success in meeting the targeted outcomes.
Review Process:
The instructor for Chemistry and Society, Prof. Joseph Morabito, and the Chair of Undergraduate Chemistry Studies, Prof. Lynne O’Connell, interpret the evidence together. Prof. Morabito compiles the results, and then he and Prof. O’Connell analyze and interpret the data and discuss changes to the curriculum/assessments. This occurs during the summer.
Resulting Program Changes:
Some common sentiments expressed by students in their end-of-semester reflections were:
● I surprised myself with my ability to comprehend concepts in chemistry despite coming in believing that chemistry is too difficult for “someone like me”
● My experience with chemistry in high school—in particular its emphasis on calculations—left me thinking it a dull subject, but this course’s focus on connections with society improved my view
● Instructor enthusiasm and abundant real-world connections were the main reasons I was able to connect more with this class than with previous chemistry classes
● Everyday experiences like smelling a scent or washing my hands with soap now conjure up pictures of what’s happening at the molecular level
● I was able to explain to roommates and family members the chemistry behind everyday occurrences such as the diffusion of an aroma or solutions to global problems such as battery storage for renewable energy. The final project (in which students gave a group presentation on a topic involving chemistry of their choosing, often with a personal connection) was instrumental in seeing how chemistry connected with my daily life and the things I care about
Feedback indicated that connections to daily life, society, and current global issues resonated most with students, and so the decision was made between fall and spring semesters to double-down on these aspects. Starting in Spring 2021, material began to be structured according to a societal question or problem rather than a scientific category. For example, the lesson “liquids and solutions” became “water sanitation and life expectancy”. This shift in perspective allowed teaching of the same scientific principles, but through a lens that is relevant to students’ lives and that emphasizes the critical role played by chemistry in extending human lifespan and improving quality of life.
Less favorable student feedback on surveys mainly related to the difficulty of chemistry content on quizzes. Specific changes that were implemented as a result of this feedback were (i) the addition of review sessions before quizzes, (ii) greater alignment between quiz questions and the check-for-understanding questions that accompanied each lesson, and (iii) providing a PDF of the check-for-understanding questions to make it easy for students to print and mark up. In their end-of-semester evaluations, many students mentioned the ability to give regular feedback as a strength of the course, and several specifically called out the review sessions and adjustments to the quiz structure as positive changes.
Date of Most Recent Program Review:
Some common sentiments expressed by students in their end-of-semester reflections were:
● I surprised myself with my ability to comprehend concepts in chemistry despite coming in believing that chemistry is too difficult for “someone like me”
● My experience with chemistry in high school—in particular its emphasis on calculations—left me thinking it a dull subject, but this course’s focus on connections with society improved my view
● Instructor enthusiasm and abundant real-world connections were the main reasons I was able to connect more with this class than with previous chemistry classes
● Everyday experiences like smelling a scent or washing my hands with soap now conjure up pictures of what’s happening at the molecular level
● I was able to explain to roommates and family members the chemistry behind everyday occurrences such as the diffusion of an aroma or solutions to global problems such as battery storage for renewable energy. The final project (in which students gave a group presentation on a topic involving chemistry of their choosing, often with a personal connection) was instrumental in seeing how chemistry connected with my daily life and the things I care about
Feedback indicated that connections to daily life, society, and current global issues resonated most with students, and so the decision was made between fall and spring semesters to double-down on these aspects. Starting in Spring 2021, material began to be structured according to a societal question or problem rather than a scientific category. For example, the lesson “liquids and solutions” became “water sanitation and life expectancy”. This shift in perspective allowed teaching of the same scientific principles, but through a lens that is relevant to students’ lives and that emphasizes the critical role played by chemistry in extending human lifespan and improving quality of life.
Less favorable student feedback on surveys mainly related to the difficulty of chemistry content on quizzes. Specific changes that were implemented as a result of this feedback were (i) the addition of review sessions before quizzes, (ii) greater alignment between quiz questions and the check-for-understanding questions that accompanied each lesson, and (iii) providing a PDF of the check-for-understanding questions to make it easy for students to print and mark up. In their end-of-semester evaluations, many students mentioned the ability to give regular feedback as a strength of the course, and several specifically called out the review sessions and adjustments to the quiz structure as positive changes.
Attachments (if available)