Maximizing Student Engagement Outside the Classroom with Organic Synthesis Videos

Abstract

A series of organic chemistry synthesis problem sets were provided to students. Potential solution pathways and strategies were recorded on video by the instructor and provided to students electronically via YouTube. Performance on the end-of-semester synthesis exam showed significant gains, with the average increasing by 13% after the introduction of the synthesis videos. Further studies were conducted to determine if students would benefit from video access through the augmented reality app Aurasma (HP Reveal) in comparison with access through the learning management system (LMS), but no significant increases in viewing habits or performance were found.