In this episode we talk to Associate Professor Andri Smith about how she brings organic chemistry to life at Quinnipiac University by using POGIL:  Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning. Students work in small groups, and discover scientific principles for themselves through guided exercises.

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Show Notes

0:00 ⏯ Intro

0:38 ⏯ Introducing our first guest from Quinnipiac University

6:01 ⏯ The O-chem course Andri took as an undergrad at Yale

9:17 ⏯ Andri’s Yale courses were mostly large lectures, not active learning.

13:52 ⏯ Learning how to do active learning.

19:02 ⏯ What happens when students abstract the wrong principle? Can you answer this question with a question?

21:24 ⏯ Reading after class instead of before: two to five hours using a workbook.

26:03 ⏯ The bad rap of worksheets in K-12.

27:54 ⏯ Choosing your own textbook to use with the workbook.

31:45 ⏯ Teaching organic chemistry using two different methods. Obstacles to comparisons.

36:19 ⏯ From lecturing to handouts to worksheets to POGIL. No regrets.

43:23 ⏯ Is POGIL better for some students than others? Does traditional lecturing privilege the already-privileged?

46:18 ⏯ Shocking how little we talk about technology on this show–and why that’s so.

48:16 ⏯ Other tools and media Andri’s students use. Sharing the resources students find.

51:53 ⏯ Advantages of peer instruction–and also of long teaching experience.

54:18 ⏯ Andri’s teaching fail: a chemical demonstration that went awry.

58:23 ⏯ Closing.