General Chemistry, The City College of The City University of New York, Professor David Gosser

This document provides course descriptions for general chemistry courses at three universities that utilize workshop models: 1) City College of New York's general chemistry course includes weekly workshops where students work in groups of 8 facilitated by leaders. Student surveys found most agreed the workshops increased their chemistry knowledge and appreciation of teamwork. Success rates increased from 38% to 48%. 2) The University of Rochester's organic chemistry workshops saw half the class opt to attend, and those students saw a 0.3 GPA and 10% retention increase compared to traditional recitation. 3) New York City Technical College integrated workshops into their general chemistry course, with positive results including high completion rates over two semesters. Workshop leaders received training to

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General Chemistry, The City College of The City University of New York, Professor David Gosser

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1 / VOL. 1, NO.

1 ISSN 1430-4171
THE CHEMICAL EDUCATOR http://journals.springer-ny.com/chedr
°c 1996 SPRINGER-VERLAG NEW YORK, INC. S 1430-4171 (96) 01002-3

Course Descriptions

General Chemistry, The City College of The City University of New York,
Professor David Gosser

The Workshop Chemistry course at City College of the City University of New York
has evolved over the past several years. This section of the first semester of general
chemistry for science and engineering majors had an enrollment of 96 students. The
course includes two lecture classes of 75 minutes each and a 2-hour workshop each
week. In the workshops, the leaders facilitate groups of about eight students in problem-
solving discussions and model building. At the end of most workshops, students take
a 15-minute quiz that accounts for 15% of the grade. In the lecture, the student groups
are asked to sit together; often the instructor takes time from the lecture and directs the
groups to work together on problems related to the lecture.

Several leadership training workshops were held in the summer previous to the course
and again during the semester. In these workshops, the leaders learned methods to help
facilitate group interaction, and practiced specific materials, such as the round robin
solution of Lewis Dot structures.

Three student surveys were administered during the course. They showed consistent
approval of the workshop concept: 84% agreed that interacting with the workshop leaders
increased their knowledge of chemistry, 82% agreed that interacting with other students
increased their knowledge of chemistry, 66% said that they regularly explain problems
to other students in the workshop, and 80% agreed that the workshops gave them new
appreciation about how to do academic work as part of a team.

Baseline statistics of success rate (students obtaining an A, B, or C as a percentage of the

initial class roster) in previous fall sections of chemistry offered before the introduction
of workshops showed a success rate of 38%. The success rate in the workshop class of
fall 1995, offered with a common final developed in cooperation with two other instruc-
tors, resulted in a success rate of 48%. This is consistent with success rates observed in
workshop classes in previous semesters. For a class of 500 students, this translates into
50 more students succeeding in first semester general chemistry.
2 / VOL. 1, NO. 1 ISSN 1430-4171
THE CHEMICAL EDUCATOR http://journals.springer-ny.com/chedr
°c 1996 SPRINGER-VERLAG NEW YORK, INC. S 1430-4171 (96) 01002-3

Organic Chemistry, The University of Rochester, Professor Jack Kampmeier

The University of Rochester initiated the organic chemistry component of this program
in Fall, 1995. The project, a collaboration between the Department of Chemistry and
Learning Assistance Services (LAS), began during Spring Semester, 1995, when potential
workshop leaders, successful completers of the previous semester’s Chemistry class,
were invited to apply for the positions. The organic chemistry professor and staff from
LAS interviewed and selected the workshop leaders from the pool of applicants. All
of the new hires were informed that the responsibilities of being a workshop leader
included the completion of a training course. This two-credit course, taught by the director
of LAS, provides both instruction and support for the workshop leaders. The course
includes practical information (e.g., managing time, dealing with dominating students), a
foundation in learning theory (e.g., the work of Perry, Treisman, Belenky), and guidance
about the specific components of the workshop lessons. Course requirements include
keeping a weekly log or response journal, and completing an oral and written report on a
topic of special interest to the students. For instance, one leader has examined the special
considerations of nontraditional students in the study of science. Another looked into the
impact of different learning styles on the study of organic chemistry.

During the last 30 minutes of each training class session, the chemistry professor reviews
and clarifies the materials of the next workshop session. The materials they have developed
for the workshop program focus on fundamental ideas and the consequences of those
ideas.

In the organic chemistry course itself, a large class with a typical enrollment of about 300,
students were asked to choose between the traditional recitation format (review sessions
led by graduate teaching assistants) and the workshop program. It is important to note that
the workshop materials were made available to all students, regardless of their choice.
Interestingly, the class divided itself down the middle, with about one half choosing each
option.

The response to the workshop program has been very positive to date. Both students and
leaders report that the workshops have been beneficial, and the semester’s final grade
roster reflected a significant increase in grades (about a 0.3 grade point improvement) and
in retention (a 10% improvement) for workshop attenders compared to their peers who
chose the more traditional recitation format. The cycle is now ready to be repeated; new
workshop leaders will be selected from the fall 1995 semester’s most successful students.
3 / VOL. 1, NO. 1 ISSN 1430-4171
THE CHEMICAL EDUCATOR http://journals.springer-ny.com/chedr
°c 1996 SPRINGER-VERLAG NEW YORK, INC. S 1430-4171 (96) 01002-3

General Chemistry, New York City Technical School, Professor Victor Strozak
The Chemistry Department at New York City Technical College (City Tech) implemented
a pilot workshop course in CH110, General Chemistry I, for Spring, 1995. After a suc-
cessful experience with the pilot course, a full-scale workshop course was offered for
Fall, 1995. The City Tech program goal is to integrate the workshop approach into the
traditional three-hour lecture, three-hour lab format that is currently used in General
Chemistry I and II. The two-hour pilot workshop that was part of one section of General
Chemistry for Spring, 1995 was added to the three lecture hours and three lab hours.
Thirty-eight students enrolled in this course, and all but two completed it. The Fall, 1995
workshop section of General Chemistry also included three lecture hours, two workshop
hours, and three lab hours. Forty-nine students enrolled in this course, and all but five
completed it. The department has charged the professor with revising both the lecture and
laboratory components of the general chemistry course so that lecture, workshop, and
laboratory activities will be coordinated and integrated.

The CUNY Workshop Chemistry Manual was used in the spring semester. A revised
version of the manual was used in the subsequent fall semester. We plan to continue
to use this material and revise both the manual and the curriculum until we achieve a
complete integration of lecture, workshop and lab.

In each semester, a required two-hour workshop was added to the regular course hours.
In the first semester, the class was divided into six groups comprised of six or seven
students. However, only three workshop leaders were recruited, so it was not possible for
each student group to have its own workshop leader. As a result, the professor and the
three workshop leaders circulated among the groups and assisted them as needed. In each
workshop session, students worked on group workshop activities or problem sets chosen
form the CUNY manual. In the following semester, the course followed a format similar
to that of the previous term, but with sufficient workshop leaders to provide each group
with its own leader. Group size was relatively constant at seven students per group.

During both semesters, the workshop leaders met with the professor once per week, for
one hour, to learn how to manage and direct a group as well as to prepare for the following
week’s workshop. These meetings usually followed the workshop so that the leaders could
discuss problems they were experiencing with the workshop groups, exchange ideas on
how to best manage their group and have an opportunity to plan for the following week’s
workshop. Leaders were trained in the round robin method of promoting group interaction,
4 / VOL. 1, NO. 1 ISSN 1430-4171
THE CHEMICAL EDUCATOR http://journals.springer-ny.com/chedr
°c 1996 SPRINGER-VERLAG NEW YORK, INC. S 1430-4171 (96) 01002-3

and they frequently practiced this method by working as a group on one of the problems
for the following workshop. The professor served as the group leader for these sessions.

Bridge to Chemistry, The City College of The City University of New York,
Professor Stanley Radel
Bridge-to-Chemistry has been offered at City College and the Borough of Manhattan
Community College as part of the CCNY Chemistry Workshop Program. This module-
based course, which is designed to provide a jump-start for students intending to take
first-year chemistry in the future, consists of 15 three-hour team workshops that include
problem solving, model building, graphing, and other skills. Each workshop consists of no
more than 10 students divided into two subgroups and guided by a peer leader. Workshop
leaders are experienced undergraduate students who have been chosen on the basis of
their previous workshop performance, their command of the English language, and their
ability to get along well with other students. Bridge-to-Chemistry has been offered during
intersessions and during the regular semester, and has been taken by about 150 students
since January, 1995. Performance data show that the passing rate of Bridge students in
first-year chemistry is greater than that of the class as a whole.

Principles of Organic and Biochemistry, St. Xavier University, Professor

Pratibha Varma-Nelson
Principles of Organic and Biochemistry, a course primarily for St. Xavier University
students pursuing a nursing degree, consists of four 50-minute lectures and a two-hour
lab each week. During Fall, 1995, two sections of this course included workshops, with
three students and the instructor leading the groups for the 76 students enrolled. The
fourth lecture each week was usually converted into workshop time. The workshop ma-
terials, prepared by the instructor, require that the students read the text and complete
assigned problems beforehand. The problems used for the workshops are ones that previ-
ous semesters’ students found difficult. When appropriate, topics not covered in lecture
are introduced in the workshops.

Attendance at tutoring sessions outside the class has been consistently higher for the
workshop students. In fact, the demand for help following a workshop session has been
so high that leaders have donated two additional hours of their time per week to conduct
5 / VOL. 1, NO. 1 ISSN 1430-4171
THE CHEMICAL EDUCATOR http://journals.springer-ny.com/chedr
°c 1996 SPRINGER-VERLAG NEW YORK, INC. S 1430-4171 (96) 01002-3

help sessions. In the past, tutors often spent the entire hour doing their own homework
because students did not come for help. In the workshops themselves, students definitely
preferred to work with the student leaders, rather than the instructor. It is surmised that
students felt more comfortable asking for help from a peer.