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”

Teaching-as-Research: Using Formative Surveys to Guide Teaching

Practices in an Organic Chemistry Class

--Chinese Proverb

Teaching-as-Research: The Process

Setting objectives and goals for students and their learning

Conveying fundamental knowledgeUsing the scientific method for creating practices

that enable students to meet goals and thrive Establishing a criteria for successDeveloping and implementing teaching practices

within an experimental designCollecting and analyzing dataUsing data to guide teaching practiceReflecting, evaluating, and iterating

Project Goals/ObjectivesTo 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 ExperimentalMaterials:

Blackboard Survey MonkeyOWL

Participants:Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Class Initial and Final Surveys were conducted on

specific concepts using Survey MonkeyIn 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

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Num

ber o

f Stu

dent

s

Inital Final

Inital 49 53 34 38

Final 49 44 50 58

Chpt1 Chpt2 Chpt3 Chpt4

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

% Students with moderate, good, great gains

Co

nc

ep

ts/T

op

ics

Survey Responce: Chapter 1

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

% Students with moderate, good, great gains

Knowing how to explain theconcept

of hybridization

Knowing the relationshipbetween

hybridization and moleculargeometry

Knowing how to identify thehybridization of atoms in

organicmolecules

Con

cept

s/To

picsSurvey Responce: Chapt 1

Survey 1

Survey 2

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

% Students with moderate, good, great gains

Co

nc

ep

ts/T

op

ics

Survey Response: Chapter 2

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

% Students with moderate, good, great gains

Knowing how to identify the relativeelectronegativities of atoms

Knowing how to determine if anorganic molecule has a net dipole

Knowing the resonance rules

Knowing how to draw resonancestructures

Knowing how to identify Bronstedacids and bases

Knowing how to identify Lewis acidsand bases

Knowing how to use pka values topredict the direction of acid-base

Con

cept

s/To

pics

Survey Responce : Chapt 2

Survey 1

Survey 2

ID Ex 1 Ex 2 Ex 3 Ex 4 out of 3 Grades OWL quiz owl grades3 155 126 92 373 62.16667 19.5 22.94118

45 179 144 114 437 72.83333 68.2 80.235292 135 104 114 353 58.83333 82.5 97.05882

26 116 86 75 277 46.16667 32 37.6470655 115 94 74 283 47.16667 0 033 180 163 160 503 83.83333 59.7 70.2352929 112 81 124 317 52.83333 52.6 61.8823520 148 101 140 389 64.83333 26.2 30.8235316 38 30 68 11.33333 0 077 152 145 127 424 70.66667 72.7 85.5294162 78 78 13 0 066 172 143 174 489 81.5 71.4 8421 127 137 88 352 58.66667 0 011 71 76 60 207 34.5 0 038 139 171 158 468 78 67.8 79.7647183 208 190 166 564 94 40.2 47.2941288 172 103 149 424 70.66667 66.4 78.1176571 124 118 100 342 57 62.7 73.7647126 83 88 74 0 245 40.83333 34.1 40.1176536 171 152 142 465 77.5 40.4 47.5294149 67 65 132 22 0 051 85 108 193 32.16667 0 059 133 132 88 353 58.83333 52.4 61.647068 51 51 8.5 0 0

ID Ex 1 Ex 2 Ex 3 Ex 4 out of 3 Grades OWL quiz owl grades69 115 115 19.16667 0 063 179 148 180 507 84.5 70 82.352949 203 171 152 526 87.66667 50.9 59.88235

17 137 131 130 398 66.33333 73.5 86.4705927 0 0 0

101 90 61 151 25.16667 5.5 6.470588151 140 88 98 326 54.33333 70.6 83.0588298 165 117 130 412 68.66667 38.4 45.17647

122 138 89 120 347 57.83333 45.1 53.05882134 122 80 51 253 42.16667 43.4 51.05882166 149 86 87 322 53.66667 0 0178 82 82 13.66667 0 0200 99 78 98 275 45.83333 43.5 51.17647195 25 25 4.166667 0 0155 55 68 123 20.5 0 0210 164 141 150 455 75.83333 55.4 65.17647212 117 21 31 169 28.16667 0 0241 120 83 104 307 51.16667 10.7 12.58824263 157 157 137 451 75.16667 75 88.23529293 151 119 270 45 4.5 5.294118287 98 14 112 18.66667 0 0299 157 157 26.16667 0 0288 104 81 63 248 41.33333 0 0300 165 143 123 431 71.83333 81.5 95.88235313 149 77 226 37.66667 0 0

ID Ex 1 Ex 2 Ex 3 Ex 4 out of 3 Grades OWL quiz owl grades347 196 195 185 576 96 80.5 94.70588397 186 148 194 528 88 73.5 86.47059355 174 118 129 421 70.16667 57.9 68.11765377 187 128 179 494 82.33333 40.4 47.52941400 98 98 16.33333 0 0416 86 129 108 323 53.83333 26.8 31.52941419 131 69 200 33.33333 7.4 8.705882445 103 32 2 137 22.83333 17.8 20.94118491 120 132 106 358 59.66667 46.3 54.47059436 41 32 33 106 17.66667 37.1 43.64706449 137 85 82 304 50.66667 0 0487 179 135 156 470 78.33333 81.5 95.88235453 45 36 81 13.5 0 0500 166 161 170 497 82.83333 75 88.23529509 172 113 59 344 57.33333 28.9 34579 116 101 105 322 53.66667 41.3 48.58824528 163 113 144 420 70 52.3 61.52941532 142 131 176 449 74.83333 44.9 52.82353566 132 101 233 38.83333 30 35.29412505 131 156 143 430 71.66667 81.2 95.52941518 145 127 155 427 71.16667 71.5 84.11765600 115 114 104 333 55.5 55.1 64.82353614 115 99 88 302 50.33333 12.2 14.35294

ResultsThe 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.

Formative surveys enables the professor to adjust his teaching and place emphasis specific topics. Enable students to engage in active learning in the

classroomGive 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

Conclusion

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 surveysThe survey project is still ongoing in the

organic chemistry class to improve the teaching practices and learning experience of the students and professors.

Dr. Folahan O. AyorindeUniversity of WisconsinShimelis HailuPogisego DinakeYakini BrandyCIRTL NetworkCIRTL-at-HowardNSF

Acknowledgments