Change in structure: Understanding student attrition in a spiral organic chemistry curriculum

CHED 156

Nathaniel P. Grove, grovenp@muohio.edu, James W. Hershberger, hershbjw@muohio.edu, and Stacey Lowery Bretz, bretzsl@muohio.edu. Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Miami University, Oxford, OH 45056
The attrition rate in the year-long organic chemistry sequence for pre-medical majors can be high, typically ranging from 30-50%. In an effort to decrease high attrition rates, an innovative, spiral curriculum has been developed. Unlike a traditional organic chemistry course that works sequentially through the material, the spiral approach provides students with a broad, general overview of the discipline during the first semester, followed by exploration of important topics in more detail during the subsequent semester. The research study described herein seeks to better understand the factors that contribute to student attrition in the context of the spiral organic curriculum. A qualitative, case-study approach has been adopted to document the experiences of 19 students using interviews and reflective essays as they progress through the two-semester course sequence. This poster will present results from first-semester student essays and interviews.
 

General Posters
7:30 PM-9:30 PM, Sunday, March 25, 2007 Hyatt Regency Chicago -- Riverside Center, Poster

Division of Chemical Education

The 233rd ACS National Meeting, Chicago, IL, March 25-29, 2007