Research Question

How well and for whom is active learning working in a revised General Chemistry I lecture?

Rationale

Within the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department at the University of Minnesota Duluth, it was anecdotally observed that students leaving the first-year General Chemistry series had poor retention of basic chemical knowledge. To directly address this shortcoming, we implemented a specifications-based grading system in General Chemistry II. Specifications-based grading involves defining minimum criteria that would represent sufficient proficiency on each assessment in the course. Moreover, the number of assessments required to demonstrate sufficient proficiency in the course to earn a given letter grade was also defined.

Hypothesis

We hypothesize that use of a specifications-based grading scheme will encourage students to review material more frequently AND will lead to better retention of knowledge, as evidenced by better performance in subsequent chemistry courses.

Approach

We developed minimum criteria for satisfactory work on each of the assignment types (pre-class videos, online homework, and in-class group work) and established the minimum number of satisfactory grades necessary to earn each letter grade. A similar method was developed for the exams; each question on the mid-term exams were graded as satisfactory or unsatisfactory, and a minimum of 8 out of 10 questions was considered a satisfactory exam performance. “Second-chance” exams were developed so students could prove their competency on any problems graded as unsatisfactory on the first attempt. The use of this specifications-based grading approach had two specific aims: First, we aimed to the standard for demonstrating competency in General Chemistry to include the correct answer, not just a correct approach to a problem. Second, we aimed to provide students with additional opportunities to prove their competency.