OrganicBiochemistry Course Using POGIL Based Materials Colleen Conway

Organic/Biochemistry Course Using POGIL Based Materials Colleen Conway Mount Mary College Milwaukee, WI

Mount Mary College l l l Small Urban Women’s College About 1700 students Traditional and non-traditional students 90% of students on financial aid/scholarships

Organic/Biochemistry class l l l This is the second chemistry course for dietetics and nursing students 1 semester course l 3 hours lecture + 2 hours lab per week Material covered l l About ½ is organic chemistry About ½ is biochemistry These topics are interspersed Textbook was Denniston, Topping, and Caret, Principles and Applications of Organic and Biological Chemistry

My POGIL Journey l 2004 BCCE – POGIL Workshops l Year 2004 -2005 - Added some POGIL to Organic/Biochemistry Course § l Exercises mostly for the organic portion of the course Summer, 2005 – POGIL Workshop on Writing Materials l Year 2005 -2006 - No lecture – all POGIL in Organic/Biochemistry Course § Added POGIL exercises for all biochemistry

l POGIL method adopted due to challenge of nonchemistry students l One hour of lecture was given to POGIL in Year 2004 -2005 Last hour of lecture was given to POGIL in Year 2005 -2006 l l Tests and quizzes - same format and content l POGIL materials were NOT graded

POGIL materials l Topics covered in 2004 -2005 l l l Alkenes Alcohols Aldehydes and ketones Carboxylic acids Sugars Expansion of topics in metabolism in 2005 -2006 – glycolysis, gluconeogenesis, Citric Acid Cycle, Electron Transport System

Non-POGIL Year 2003 -2004 2 hours of lecture 1 hour of Problem Based Learning 2 hours of lab POGIL Year 2004 -2005 1 hour of lecture 1 hour of Problem Based Learning 1 hour of POGIL 2 hours of lab POGIL Year 2005 -2006 1 hour of Problem Based Learning 2 hours of POGIL 2 hours of lab

l Comparison of grade distributions with and without POGIL using Chi Square Test l Comparisons were l l Fall to fall for 2004 and 2005 Spring to spring for 2005 and 2006 Also for the whole year – fall and spring data combined Is there any significant difference in learning?

Comparison of Grade Distribution of Non-POGIL (Fall, 2003) and POGIL Classes in Fall, 2004 and 2005

Chi Square Results l There is a significant difference between the Non-POGIL and Fall, 2004 POGIL Classes l There is no significant difference between Non-POGIL and Fall, 2005 POGIL Classes l There is a significant difference between Non -POGIL and both Fall Classes Combined

Comparison of Non-POGIL (Spring, 2004) and POGIL Classes in Spring, 2005 and 2006

Chi Square Results l There is a significant difference between Non -POGIL and Spring, 2005 POGIL Class l There is a significant difference between Non -POGIL and Spring, 2006 POGIL Classes l There is a significant difference between Non -POGIL and both Spring POGIL Classes

Comparison of Grade Distribution for Non-POGIL (2003 -2004) and POGIL Classes 2004 -2005 and 2005 -2006

Conclusions l Grade distribution using POGIL shifted to higher grades l There is a significant difference using the Chi Square test between the Non. POGIL and the POGIL classes

Comments by students about POGIL based materials l l l “I liked this method of learning. ” “This helped me to understand the material. ” “They helped me apply what we were learning. ” “I honestly think this is the best way for me to understand material. ” “I could ask questions if I didn’t understand classmates helped. ”