Integrating supplemental instruction into freshman chemistry programs to support women in engineering

Abstract

The Connections Chemistry Review was developed at Northeastern University as part of a series of programs initially funded by the National Science Foundation to address the importance of success in introductory science and math courses for first-year engineering students. This program has provided supplemental instruction for General Chemistry for Engineers (CHEM 1151), a common required course in which freshmen have historically struggled during their first semester in the College of Engineering. In order to retain the interest of first-year women majoring in engineering and provide role models in this historically male-dominated field of study, review leaders have been selected from upper-class women majoring in chemical engineering. Recently, the Connections Chemistry Review was revamped to introduce several key features designed to increase student participation and success. These features include requiring review leaders to attend lectures, developing review sheets, holding review sessions in the early evening in a freshman residence hall, heavily advertising sessions, offering free pizza to motivate students to participate, and making concerted efforts to identify and assist struggling students with additional one-on-one tutoring. In addition, the course coordinator is incorporated into the program to promote further student participation and assure smooth integration and coupling of supplemental instruction with other facets of the course. With this redesign, the Connections Chemistry Review was made available to all students (male and female) taking CHEM 1151. Based on the results from pre- and post-surveys for freshmen enrolled in this firstyear chemistry course during the Fall 2011 semester, we found that students with weaker backgrounds in high-school chemistry were more likely to attend supplemental instruction provided by upper-class female tutors, students who felt less comfortable in their previous preparation were more likely to benefit from this program, and that female students were more likely to participate than male students. © 2012 American Society for Engineering Education.