Evidence of Increasing Student Buy-In: Exploring Enrollment Patterns Across Active-Learning Based Organic Chemistry Sections
Oral Session Part of
Monday A: Professional Development for Undergrads, Grads and Faculty & Broadening Participation
Authors
Michael Ralph, University of Kansas Main Campus
Blair Schneider, University of Kansas Main Campus
David Benson, University of Kansas Main Campus
Research has shown that active learning strategies in STEM courses increase exam scores and reduce failure rates (Freeman et al., 2014). In addition, incorporating active learning strategies into STEM courses has shown an additional benefit for student success from under-represented groups (Roberts et al., 2018; Eddy and Hogan, 2014; Haak et al., 2011). Because of this, the University of Kansas has recently built several classroom spaces that are specifically designed to facilitate active learning.
Anecdotal interactions with chemistry professors revealed some possible course selection patterns that may influence or be influenced by both student attitude and student awareness of the benefits of the classrooms that are designed to facilitate active learning. In particular, a pattern of disproportionately higher female enrollment in a mid-level chemistry course has been noted for a section of the course that is taught in a classroom designed to facilitate active learning, as opposed to another section of the course that is taught in a traditional lecture auditorium. Our research utilized the Colorado Learning Attitudes toward Science Survey (Heredia 2012), as well as questions that address logistical factors that may have influenced student enrollment decisions. The information gathered from these questions was compared with the class setting/style, course success, and student subgroup effects.
The results from the attitudinal instrument reveal that students enrolled in the classroom designed to facilitate active learning express attitudes more in alignment with experts than the students enrolled in the lecture auditorium. In addition, the results of the clicker responses present supporting evidence that subgroups of students are self-selecting into the classroom spaces that are designed to facilitate active learning. This is important because it suggests that students, and in particular under-represented groups of students (i.e. women), are becoming aware of the benefits of these active learning spaces for their own success.
Anecdotal interactions with chemistry professors revealed some possible course selection patterns that may influence or be influenced by both student attitude and student awareness of the benefits of the classrooms that are designed to facilitate active learning. In particular, a pattern of disproportionately higher female enrollment in a mid-level chemistry course has been noted for a section of the course that is taught in a classroom designed to facilitate active learning, as opposed to another section of the course that is taught in a traditional lecture auditorium. Our research utilized the Colorado Learning Attitudes toward Science Survey (Heredia 2012), as well as questions that address logistical factors that may have influenced student enrollment decisions. The information gathered from these questions was compared with the class setting/style, course success, and student subgroup effects.
The results from the attitudinal instrument reveal that students enrolled in the classroom designed to facilitate active learning express attitudes more in alignment with experts than the students enrolled in the lecture auditorium. In addition, the results of the clicker responses present supporting evidence that subgroups of students are self-selecting into the classroom spaces that are designed to facilitate active learning. This is important because it suggests that students, and in particular under-represented groups of students (i.e. women), are becoming aware of the benefits of these active learning spaces for their own success.