Group Problem Solving in General Chemistry Recitation to Promote Learning

The context of learning in the general chemistry course was a large number of students in each recitation section (e.g., 90) and contact-hour limits placed on faculty time. The challenge was to determine how to reduce the numbers in the recitation without increasing contact time. The solution was to increase the size in the lectures and increase the number of recitation sections.

Then consideration was given to the recitation structure, and key features included:

- mixed skill levels so students would learn from each other (Math SAT scores gave ability levels)
- requirement of student preparation for recitation through homework assignments
- teaching assistants for recitation and grading (undergraduate)
student participation and peer evaluation

WebAssign was used for online homework. The problems created were algorithmic, so students couldn’t mindlessly copy from each other.

In groups, students were given multi-step problems; answers were not obtainable from direct application of a formula, problems that encouraged discussion of ideas (estimation, qualitative answers).

Using a two-sample t-test to compare averages and a Mann-Whitney test to compare medians, results showed that test score averages before and after the group problem solving methodology, were not significantly different. But there was a 10% increase in A, B, C, and D grades that could not be attributed to differences in students’ SAT scores.

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Presenters: Madhu Mahalingam, Fred Schaefer, and Elisabeth Morlino, University of the Sciences in Philadelphia