A Variation on the Use of Interactive Anonymous Quizzes in the Chemistry Classroom

IAQs are a valuable tool for promoting active learning in the university (or high school) science classroom. They are simple to design, prepare, and implement and do not take up much class time. They represent a low-risk active-learning strategy from the perspective of both the students (anonymity of the individual answers increases the comfort level) and the instructor (ease and time-efficiency of implementation). In the main variation proposed in this article, IAQs provide a unique way to introduce a new topic in class, while providing the instructor with an indication of the pre-existing knowledge level of the students on the topic of interest. These proposed IAQs introduce new material to the students and they promote critical thinking and spark discussion (and sometimes debate) by the students. The pedagogical value of using IAQs to introduce a new topic lies in the promotion of active learning within a traditional-lecture approach; the promotion and facilitation of group discussion and peer learning of a new topic; and the opportunity provided to students to make connections between various concepts and ideas of which they may have prior knowledge. With the guidance of the instructor (once the correct answer is revealed), further discussions and thought-provoking conversations can then ensue. It is suggested that this new variation of IAQs be used sporadically throughout a course (perhaps three or four times in a semester) as an interactive alternative to pre-assigned readings (or even as a pre-cursor exercise to inform and guide the selection for a subsequent reading assignment). In this way, IAQs can be effectively used to help promote an engaged and interactive chemistry classroom environment.