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Addressing Equity Gaps in a General Chemistry Class for Non-STEM Majors by Instituting Active Learning and Career Relevance

Chem 6A: Introduction to General Chemistry

Participation, Engagement, Belonging

Reflection on Instructional Change for Equity-Minded Instruction:

Active learning in Chem 6A lecture was implemented by creating a semi-flipped classroom environment. Course components include pre-class assignments and an on-line in-class student response system. Content relevance for health and environmental science majors was substantially increased. These practices to increase participation and engagement with the course were included because studies have shown that increased participation fosters a sense of belonging which leads to improved academic performance in STEM classes.^1,2

Active learning was facilitated through the Aktiv on-line learning platform (TopHat), which has a feature specifically designed for in-class use. I designed the lecture to intersperse chunked lecture content with problem-solving during class using Aktiv. Problem-solving included multiple question styles such as polling and multiple choice response. Two pre-class activities that were due prior to most class meetings were implemented: hand-written Chapter Notes based on readings in an open source Chemistry LibreText, and pre-class problems completed in Aktiv. Content relevancy was increased by introducing relatable examples of how chemistry applies to health and environmental science careers. For example, Kussmaul respirations in Type I diabetes was introduced on day one of the course to illustrate the numerous chemical concepts underlying this phenomenon. I repeatedly returned to this example as we moved through chapters on chemical formulas, gases, solution chemistry, equilibrium (including Le Chatelier’s principle), and acid/base chemistry. In addition, chemical calculations employed clinically and environmentally relevant scenarios.

Student response to these pedagogical approaches was highly positive. Data obtained from course surveys showed that students in particular liked solving problems in class using Aktiv and felt the Chapter Notes assignments prepared them well for class. Students commented that the Chapter Notes assignments taught them how to study and that they planned to use this approach in other classes (Image 2). Data shown below are from Fall 2023. Similar data were obtained in Spring 2024.

histogram showing that over 90% of students agree or strongly agree they liked the overall format of the course with a mix of lecturing and in-class problem solving. Histogram showing that 84% of students said they liked using the Aktiv app during class time to solve problems. Histogram showing that 80% of students agree or strongly agree that the Chapter Notes pre-class assignment was helpful and should be retained as a course component.

Histogram showing that 86% of students agree or strongly agree that the instructor showed how chemistry relates to careers. Histogram showing that 87% of students agree or strongly agree that the instructor helped them feel welcome and included in the classroom.

Despite highly favorable student response, these pedagogical implementations have not yet manifested as significant reduction in DFW rates or equity gaps. The equity gap increased substantially in Spring 2024 compared to Fall 2023. This occurred despite instituting early intervention practices in Spring 2024 involving personalized outreach to students with poor performance on the first mid-term exam. More semesters and a fine-grained, multi-parameter analysis of performance data are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the current course design.

1) White, K.N. et al (2020). Equitable and Inclusive Practices Designed to Reduce Equity Gaps in Undergraduate Chemistry Courses. J. Chem Ed. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c01094

2) Freeman, S. et al (2013). Active Learning Increases Student Performance in Science, Engineering, and Mathematics. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 111: 8410-8415.

**Evidence of Instructional Change**
Increasing Content Relevance	Pre-class assignments in a semi-flipped class improves students study and academic skills that are transferable to other courses
The topic of Kussmaul respirations is introduced on day 1 of the course as an example of how chemistry underlies physiological function. This example also integrates the multiple content areas of the course. Other examples relevant to environmental chemistry majors are included throughout the semester.	Students submitted hand-written (paper or tablet) Chapter Notes 2-3 times/week based on readings from an open source Chemistry LibreText. These assignments (over 140 submissions for each assignment) were manually graded in Canvas using SpeedGrader.

Changes in Course Syllabus and Schedules:

Pre Minigrant - NOT APPLICABLE. My first time teaching Chem 6A incorporated the new pedagogical design.

Post Minigrant - Chem 6A syllabus Fall 2024.pdf

Minigrant Impact Data:

Pre Minigrant - DFW rate, Equity gap data NOT APPLICABLE. My first time teaching Chem 6A incorporated the new pedagogical design.

Post Minigrant - DFW rate, Equity gap data

**Faculty Bio**

	I have been teaching at Sac State since 1995. I love working with our diverse and amazing student population. I have taught at all levels (lower and upper division, graduate) and continue to develop curricula and improve my teaching every semester. I still run an active biochemistry research lab where we study high density lipoprotein (HDL), known as the “good cholesterol”. To date, I have mentored 117 Sac State students in my research lab. In my spare time, I spend a lot of time outside hiking, swimming, and biking. After a Fulbright supported sabbatical in Sweden in 2019, I was motivated to learn Swedish and am now fairly fluent. My goal is to return to Sweden for my last sabbatical to study participation of indigenous Sami in STEM.

STEM4Equity: US Dept. of Education STEMHSI P031C210012
*Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sacramento State.