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 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 assigned teams using exam scores team reports time allowed Manager Recorder/Reflector Presenter 3 students Manager Recorder Presenter Reflector 4 students Presenter 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 MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday Morning Recitation A (2 hours) Mid-day Lecture (1 hour) Lecture (1 hour) Lecture (1 hour) Afternoon Lab A (3 hours) Lab B (3 hours) Recitation B (2 hours) 5 credits first time teaching course POGIL in Recitation sections ~ 45 students, per section

Activities Week 1The Nuclear Atom (1) Week 2Balanced Chemical Equations (28) Limiting Reagents (29) Week 3Molarity (33) Oxidation Numbers (49) Week 4The Ideal Gas Law (34) Week 5Enthalpy of Atom Combination (31) Enthalpy Changes in Chemical Reactions (32) Week 6The Shell Model I (4) The Shell Model II (5) Week 7Photoelectron Spectroscopy (7) The Shell Model III (8) Week 8Atomic Size (6) Week 9Bond Order and Bond Strength (13) Bond Length and Bond Strength (14) Week 10Lewis Structures II (15) Lewis Structures III (16) Week 11Dipole Moment (22) Hybrid Orbitals (18) Weeks 12 & 13Intermolecular 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 2 nd semester 6 vs drops n = 41 n = 140

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday Morning Mid-day Lecture (1 hour) Lecture (1 hour) Lecture (1 hour) Afternoon Lab A (3 hours) Lab B (3 hours) Lab A (3 hours) Lab B (3 hours) General Chemistry II 5 credits Used for Recitation taught course 4 years POGIL in Recitations (5) students, ~15 per section

Activities Week 1Rates of Chemical Reactions I (36) Rates of Chemical Reactions II (57) Week 2Equilibrium I (37) Equilibrium II (38) Week 7Relative Acid Strength (46) Acid/Base Strength of Conjugate Pairs (47) Week 9The Solubility Product (41) Week 12Redox Reactions (48)

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday Morning Mid-day Lecture (1 hour) Lecture (1 hour) Lecture (1 hour) Afternoon Lab (3 hours) Recitation (3 hours) Organic Chemistry I 5 credits taught course 7 years POGIL replaced traditional lectures & Recitations students

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 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) First 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) Activities Second Semester

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 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 Strengths Areas for Improvement emphasize process & roles requires more time Facilitation Insights student performance student attitudes interactivity communication skills

Plans for 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 courses POGIL Project personnel