On-line Education to Develop Complex Reasoning Skills in Organic Chemistry
by Sloan-C
printer friendly version Chemistry 331 is an upper level organic chemistry course for students interested in health related careers with an enrollment of approximately 150 students per semester. It assumes that students have a basic knowledge of organic chemistry principles and concepts and it builds on this base with advanced concepts in organic synthesis, mechanism of reactions, and spectroscopy with a biological perspective. Three years ago we moved to an on-line format to better serve the needs of students with disparate backgrounds and to help them master the concepts and applications of organic chemistry at an advanced level. The course includes on-line lectures with embedded problems, computer-graded quizzes, and on-line discussion sections. The exams are in the standard format and are proctored on campus or in off campus testing centers. The format of the course increases flexibility for the students, increases interaction among students and between students and faculty, and improves student performance on examinations that require complex reasoning skills.