COVID-19 posed new challenges to undergraduate medical biochemistry instructors, providing an opportunity of exploring novel approaches online through methods such as case-based learning curriculum. In this study, an entire curriculum was created for medical biochemistry teaching online using case-based learning including the standards, time for…

In an ongoing effort to increase student retention and success in the undergraduate general chemistry course sequence, a fully online preparatory chemistry course was developed and implemented at a large public research university. To gain insight about the efficacy of the online course, an observational study was carried out in which student…

This study explores the importance of general chemistry as a prerequisite for organic chemistry lecture courses. The students taking organic chemistry were categorized into three groups: (1) those who had finished the prerequisite before starting organic chemistry, (2) those who had not finished the prerequisite before starting organic chemistry,…

This communication reports the curriculum changes and how they worked when an upper-level experimental physical chemistry course had to switch from face-to-face to online teaching within a matter of days. Although several of the learning goals of the laboratory-based course could still be met in the online environment, others required…

The aim of this work was to design, deliver, and evaluate group case studies focused on the integration of analytical and medicinal chemistry with pharmacy practice. A patient-centered beta-blocker workshop was developed and delivered to year two MPharm and BSc students. Students were tasked with reviewing patient clinical data along with…

Dropout and low academic performance at university level constitute a big current challenge. In this work, materials comprising different interactive tools were developed following instructional design, rooted in the cognitive load theory. They were applied in a first-year lecture chemistry course to tackle low academic performance and high…

For years, hybridization in chemistry has been taught using static pictures and model kits. We decided to reimagine how students learn hybridization through the development of a mobile learning tool. The tool contains gamification features, such as achievements and progressive leveling that keep students engaged, while the mobile platform allows…

This paper addresses the incorporation of a scaffolded infographic project into a majors' organic chemistry laboratory. Students were given the freedom to choose their topic with the stipulation that it must be relevant to both organic and green chemistry. This scaffolded project consisted of the following eight phases: (1) summarizing and…

Educational Scaffolding was first mentioned in 1976 by Wood et al. Several examples for scaffolding in chemistry are also known from the literature. As written scaffolds, stepped supporting tools to support students while solving problems in organic chemistry were developed, applied, and evaluated. Although the students rated the tool as very…

The course design "Training OC" for training the application of basic concepts consists of four topics: formula language, structure-property relations, reaction mechanisms, and complex tasks that the students should solve with the conceptual knowledge they acquired in the first three topics. A main goal of the course was to enable the…

Due to the COVID pandemic, the introductory course on organic chemistry was developed and conducted as an online course. To ensure methodical variety in this course, educational games and quizzes have been developed, used, and evaluated. The attendance of the course, and therefore also the use of the quizzes and games, was voluntary. The quizzes'…

A semester-long research project for second-semester organic chemistry lab sections was developed. Student projects were based on preliminary data from faculty research that suggested the natural product neurolenin B to be a treatment for lymphatic filariasis. Students isolated neurolenins from the Central American plant "Neurolaena…

The social distancing measures introduced to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have led to the rapid redesign of chemistry instruction in higher education from face-to-face to online delivery. The design, implementation, and evaluation of a redeveloped undergraduate level course on catalysis which was delivered to 188 students (including 22 natural…

Graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) play an essential role in the teaching of introductory chemistry courses at many higher education institutions. On the basis of best practices suggested by the literature, we developed our GTA training course to focus on modeling best practices in the classroom, providing opportunities for incoming GTAs to try…

"Manga" are graphic novels that are considered to have the potential to effectively convey concepts and engage readers. The efficacy of "manga" has been validated for chemical safety education to students in three universities in Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand. Students were asked to examine a photo to identify hazards and…