Student success via the “Two Plus Two” workshop strategy

CHED 54

Yoon J. Kim, Walter E. Dickson, wedickson@utep.edu, Jeffrey E. Hernandez, jehernandez5@miners.utep.edu, Omar M. Khateeb, omkhateeb@utep.edu, Krissett A. Loya, kaloya@utep.edu, and James E. Becvar, jbecvar@utep.edu. Department of Chemistry, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 West University, El Paso, TX 79968
The Chemistry Peer Leader Program at UTEP was recently awarded a 2006 Star Award from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The “Two Plus Two” (TPT) curriculum innovation in first semester general chemistry has dramatically improved student success and retention in the science and engineering disciplines by substituting two hours of Workshop: small-group, active learning guided by an undergraduate STEM student (Peer Leader) for one hour of large section lecture per week in the three-credit-hour course. Since fall 2000, the C-or-better passing rate has improved from the historic average near 53% to the current rate near 74%, translating here into an additional 150 students successfully progressing each year into their science, engineering, and mathematics majors. The “free-style” TPT success strategy can be adapted for almost any large enrollment undergraduate “lecture” course to enhance learning for every student enrolled in course, not just a self-selected, highly motivated few.
 

Research in Chemical Education
1:30 PM-4:55 PM, Sunday, March 25, 2007 McCormick Place North -- Room N227A, Level 2, Oral

Division of Chemical Education

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