John Caradonna Department of Chemistry Boston University October 31, 2013

1. CEIT Teaching Talk“Facilitating the Transition from High School to First Year to Upper-Level Learning: Retention Issues in the Quantitative Natural Science Curriculum” John Caradonna Department of Chemistry Boston University October 31, 2013

2. Number of Freshman/Sophomore Undergraduate Final Grades

3. Number of Junior / Senior Undergraduates

4. CH Majors / Minors / Researchers

5. CH101/102 Student Population:Academic Interests / Common Backgrounds • Majority of students are Biology, Psychology, Environmental Sciences (CAS), and Human Physiology (Sargent College) majors • chemistry class only quantitative course during 1st term • Majority of students have had one year of high school chemistry (sophomore year) • < 20% studied high school physics • High School chemistry course was descriptive in nature

6. CH101/102 Student Population:Common Issues Mastered high school academic requirements but few have learned efficient study or time management skills necessary to reach their full academic potential • Still compartmentalize knowledge • Boom-bust study habits • Memorize rather than understand, i.e., do not yet know how to “own facts” • Do not readily understand meaning of algebraic equations/relationships, just want to plug in values • Many lack confidence to deal with challenging situations • New social/personal experiences • Do not want to be in class but are required to take subject

7. CH101/102 Student Population:Common Issues • Some students struggle in their first years in college because: • they don't know how to balance four classes • they don't understand what we want from them • they lack some fundamental skills taught in high school • they think that learning means showing up • they hold on to major misconceptions about learning

8. CH101/102 Student Population:Common Issues • Students are unsuccessful at preparing for class because they: • "read", but like it's a story • "do problems", but rarely connect it to the course material • don’t have a gauge for what is expected of them • don’t seek help when they run into problems • are afraid to make mistakes

9. Our students follow the passive mode • Students need to struggle to learn (research) • Students accustomed to working hard, but ineffectively • Highlighter • Flash cards • Rewriting notes • Looking at problem solutions • They interpret a lack of specific assigned work as an invitation to do little or no active work • Courses that penalize group success de-incentivize many important forms of active learning

10. CH101/102 Student Retention:Maintain Old Approach • In order to enhance student retention in chemistry, we need to expand problem and teach students how to learn at the University level • Common lectures, discussion section content, exams, homework • Weekly faculty/staff meetings maintain close course management • Continued use of Postdoctoral Faculty Fellows • Involved in lecture demonstrations • Lead most of the discussion sections • Laboratory component tightly coupled to course • Easy access to Teaching Fellow/PFF/Faculty Office hours

11. CH101/102 Student Retention:New Features • Use ALEKS-based software as part of summer algebra/math review • Use weekly/biweekly ALEKS assignments under “mastery mode” vs. “assessment mode” • Use weekly web-based graded homework assignments • Require “forward-based learning” from students • Daily in-lecture “clicker”-based quizzes • Discussion problems of enhanced sophistication • Exam equivalent questions • Use of undergraduate Learning Assistants to help PFF’s

12. Utilize a Hybrid Approach • Remediate for missing pre-requisite knowledge / skills • Engage students in active preparation for lecture • Increase students excitement over subject material by providing context to the material • Free-up lecture time for preconceptions, misconceptions, and deeper investigations

13. Utilize a Hybrid Approach • Prime students in lecture: • - Give context and guidance • - Set explicit expectations for learning outcomes (don’t come back unless…) • Students explore at home • - Guided activities • - Challenging homework problems • - Pair with Piazza or discussion board for great results • Quiz students on their learning from explorations at home • Develop and extend during next lecture • - Use class time to address confusion • - Extended concepts and discuss applications

14. Utilize the Just Approach • Just-in-Time: • - students focus on material that is immediately relevant • - avoid the atoms-first approach • - students appreciate their efforts more quickly • jUst (Unburden) • - one activity = one concept • - designed “confusion” occurs to direct students to next step • - students arrive at class having prepared for the next topic • juSt (Show, Try, Think) • - students explore, struggle, think about target questions and then come to class • jusT-in-Time (Transfer) • - transfer of skills from one activity to the next (vertical integration) • - early activities foreshadow later learning

15. Assessment of Success • Last two years have shown improvement in students mastering sophisticated problems • Performance levels on the national American Chemical Society standardized chemistry exam • versus other universities • versus BUCH109/110 students • Enhanced numbers of CH101/102 students entering honors Organic Chemistry (CH211/212) and mastering material • Enhanced GPA in all BU coursework • Learning how to learn and applying these methods to other courses

16. CH109/110 and CH111/112 Student Populations:Academic Interests / Common Backgrounds • Majority of students are Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (BMB) majors with Chemistry, SMED (CAS) and Human Physiology (Sargent College) majors • chemistry class one of several quantitative course during 1st term • Majority of students have had two years of high school chemistry (sophomore/junior year) • < 60% studied high school physics • High School chemistry course was descriptive in nature

17. CH109/110 and CH111/112 Student Populations:Common Issues All have clearly mastered high school academic requirements but few have learned efficient study or time management skills necessary to reach their full academic potential • Still compartmentalize knowledge • Boom-bust study habits • Memorize rather than understand, i.e., do not yet know how to “own facts” • Many still just manipulate algebraic equations/relationships, i.e., just want to plug in values, rather than understand linked relationships • Most place extreme pressure on themselves to succeed • Many lack confidence to deal with challenging situations • New social/personal experiences

18. CH109/110 and CH111/112 Student Populations:Common Issues • Students are unsuccessful at preparing for class because they: • "read", but memorize rather than internalize information • recognize problems as patterns, but rarely connect it to the course material • don’t have a gauge for what is expected of them • just want to hear “what they need to know” • are afraid to make mistakes or looking uninformed • are excellent at the “collecting points” approach • hide behind “I already know that from high school” • have a tendency to avoid acknowledging they need to change approach • are not invested in the course (“I don’t like subject, but need to get a grade of A. How can I do it easily?”)

19. CH109/110 and CH111/112 Student Retention:Maintain Old Approach • In order to enhance student retention in chemistry, we need to expand problem and teach students how to learn at the University level • Linked lectures, discussion section content, exams, homework • Lab experiments 2 weeks behind lecture presentations • Continued use of Postdoctoral Faculty Fellows/Lecturers • Involved in lecture demonstrations • Lead most of the discussion sections • Advanced laboratory component adds and enhances lectures • Easy access to Teaching Fellow/PFF/Faculty Office hours

20. CH109/110 and CH111/112 Student Retention:New Features • Use ALEKS-based software as part of summer algebra/math/chemistry review • Low-stakes pre-lecture Fermi problems • Use weekly web-based graded homework assignments • Require “forward-based learning” from students • Occasional use of in-lecture “clicker”-based presentations • Use of “Resurrection/Phoenix” exam grading policy • Discussion problems of enhanced sophistication • Build from simple to exam equivalent questions • Weekly quizzes with exam equivalent questions

21. Assessment of Quality: Strengths • Strong coverage of broad basic curriculum • Multiple levels of introductory courses • Cross-over friendly (end of term only) • Strongly connected laboratory component • Basic research opportunities/experiences available • Opportunity for involvement in graduate curriculum (CH195) • Advanced use of CIC/University instrumentation • Outstanding professional training experiences

22. Assessment of Quality: Weaknesses • Disproportionate time/resource sink for current Department regarding teaching/research needs • Numbers stress administrative, graduate teaching, research support staff, and faculty functions • At limits for undergraduate space and teaching requirements • Balancing orthogonal requirements for undergraduate and graduate program

23. Common Features Observed in Freshman Students • Need training to learn how to effectively study • Need to convince themselves that they can succeed at a high level and do indeed belong in a STEM major • Need patience (avoid “the spiral of doom”), that is, must learn to integrate over four years, not just one term, let alone from exam to exam • Need to break away from the “good grade = intelligent student” implication obtained from earlier schooling • Need to develop intellectual effort endurance • Need to develop an enjoyment of intellectual effort for its own sake

24. Possible Solutions/Pathways for Continued First Term/Year Student Success • Maintain efforts to introduce teaching innovations • Students must understand that they are not consumers or customers, but learners (with all its implications) • Utilize “Phoenix Policy” • Continue to show students the relevance of course content • Work to have students understand that learning is a “full contact intellectual pursuit” • Have students understand that the learning process is a long-term one • Have a freshman seminar (research discussions) leading to research opportunities • Give students a short-term, safe opportunity to experiment/learn how to study without external/internal pressures

25. Give students a short-term, safe opportunity to experiment/learn how to study without external/internal pressures • Pass/D/Fail Grading for CAS Introductory Courses Benefits: - allows students to learn how to learn - allows faculty to increase expectation - gives students an opportunity to adjust to both social and academic expectations during their first term - enhance retention of freshmen as well as upper level students Problems: - outside perception of academic standards - not taken seriously by students - post-graduate requirement for first term grades - CAS financial aid issues associated with greater student performance