Student outcomes from a combined math and chemistry program: Ten year data

CHED 221

Jeong H. Hwang, jhwang8@uic.edu, Donald J. Wink, dwink@uic.edu, and Sharon F. Gislason. Department of Chemistry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 845 W. Taylor St. (mc-111), Chicago, IL 60607
Several programs that combine the mathematics and chemistry to support each other in the student learning have shown a positive effect in their learning. One of these, the UIC MATCH program, combined coursework in intermediate algebra and preparatory chemistry. Studies in the initial years of the programs showed statistically significant benefits in later chemistry courses in comparison with students in sections of these courses that were not linked. There were also indications that students the combined courses had higher retention rates in College. A further study has enabled these trends to be examined more extensively, including the effects of gender, ethnicity, mathematics, and when the course was taken relative to the entry into college. This information is useful in determining how to select students to be in programs like MATCH to increase the benefit to them.
 

Research in Chemical Education
8:30 AM-11:55 AM, Monday, March 26, 2007 McCormick Place North -- Room N227A, Level 2, Oral

Division of Chemical Education

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