Benefits of a Partially Flipped Organic Chemistry Course to Student Perceptions and Learning

Many students view the organic chemistry course with trepidation due to the perceived challenging nature of the subject. Since the course provides an opportunity for substantial growth in student skills and ability, instructors continue to seek ways to improve student outcomes in the course. This chapter reports on a four year study of the impact of a partially flipped organic chemistry majors' course on grades and student perceptions at a comprehensive four-year private university with average chemistry class sizes of 25-35 students. As implemented in this study, even limited use of flipping the classroom led to improvements in the percent of students earning grades of A or B, and a decrease in the DFW rate. Students were better prepared for flipped classes and many felt more confident during class time. Students reported that the ability to work in groups while completing problem sets during flipped classes was beneficial to their learning. Students felt that they performed better on homework from flipped classes and took less time to complete it. 'Through their experience with the flipped classroom, students had statistically significant decreases in their perception of the level of challenge in the course. Students also showed a statistically significant decrease in the preference for lecture as an instructional style. Best practices and lessons learned are discussed, especially the value in assigning student groups and in using students who recently completed the course as "preceptors" during class time to assist in teaching.