Catching up in chemistry

Student preparedness is a widespread issue in first year chemistry at tertiary institutions and the implementation of remedial courses offer a potential solution (Schmid, Youl, George, & Read, 2012). CHEM 100 was created as a catch-up course covering BC grade 11 and 12 chemistry. The aim was to give students with an insufficient background an improved chance of success in first-year chemistry courses. To help inform course placement, a Basic Skills Test (BST) was developed and written by all students without a grade 12 chemistry background. Students in CHEM 100 were expected to have very diverse academic and chemistry backgrounds. This challenge was addressed in the course design by incorporating online homework to provide students with self-paced practice and immediate feedback. A variety of in-class activities allowed for continuous feedback on students’ progress and understanding, while supplemental instruction was also provided. “Interest snippet” activities and demonstrations were incorporated to promote student interest, establish connections to content and to foster motivation. Preliminary results indicate mathematical skills play an important role in student success and need to be assessed more carefully in the BST. Student surveys confirmed that students initially had very little or no interest in chemistry, but ultimately reported an increased interest after exposure to the course. Schmid, S., Youl, D. J., George, A. V., & Read, J. R. (2012). Effectiveness of a Short, Intense Bridging Course for Scaffolding Students Commencing University-level Study of Chemistry. International Journal of Science Education, 34(8), 1211–1234