Engaging Organic Chemistry Students in Knowledge Building

Abstract

Organic chemistry is notorious for being difficult to learn. Herein we describe a two-pronged approach to engage students in the ability to afford successful knowledge building. We have drawn on focus group interviews with students to show that the approach is appreciated by the students. The two prongs comprise peer learning in small groups and the use of knowledge stratification. This stratification is achieved via the epistemic assessment framework and distinguishes between different kinds of knowledge that are operational in teaching chemistry. Formal assessments can be visually categorized with the EAF allowing students to judge their progress. In the small group tutorials, self-assessment of their contribution to the final submission also supports reflection on their own understanding.