Some people and personalities of organic chemistry: a teaching hook for mid-level university students
Organic chemistry often represents a key impasse for students during their third level science education. Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors contribute to perceived difficulties in learning the subject. Moreover, the teaching of multi-step organic synthesis at third level has well-documented chall...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
De Gruyter
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Chemistry Teacher International |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2021-0037 |
| _version_ | 1797947613011509248 |
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| author | Mackey Katrina McHugh Martin McGlacken Gerard P. |
| author_facet | Mackey Katrina McHugh Martin McGlacken Gerard P. |
| author_sort | Mackey Katrina |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Organic chemistry often represents a key impasse for students during their third level science education. Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors contribute to perceived difficulties in learning the subject. Moreover, the teaching of multi-step organic synthesis at third level has well-documented challenges. At University College Cork (UCC), we have adopted a strategy to engage students at the mid to late degree stage using an innovative teaching hook, to inspire interest and engagement. The approach was taken to outline chronologically some of the seminal breakthroughs in synthesis, and organic chemistry more generally, from the 1950 s to a few of the current leaders of today. Importantly the focus is on the people, the circumstance and the stories surrounding them. As a relevance-based hooking strategy grounded in a storytelling pedagogy, the goal was to inform students of the potential in organic chemistry and thus spark their interest for the subsequent lectures. Over multiple interventions, feedback from students has been highly positive. We posit that the design framework behind the ‘The People and Personalities’ could be adapted to many disciplines in a similarly successful manner. Overall, this approach proved inspirational for students, and was a most timely intervention in their degree program. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T21:29:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-880ba0b819b049aca26fa65abff995af |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2569-3263 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T21:29:40Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | De Gruyter |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Chemistry Teacher International |
| spelling | doaj.art-880ba0b819b049aca26fa65abff995af2023-01-19T13:51:14ZengDe GruyterChemistry Teacher International2569-32632022-09-014432733810.1515/cti-2021-0037Some people and personalities of organic chemistry: a teaching hook for mid-level university studentsMackey Katrina0McHugh Martin1McGlacken Gerard P.2School of Chemistry and Analytical and Biological Chemistry Research Facility, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandSSPC, The SFI Centre for Pharmaceuticals, Chemical Sciences, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, IrelandSchool of Chemistry and Analytical and Biological Chemistry Research Facility, University College Cork, Cork, IrelandOrganic chemistry often represents a key impasse for students during their third level science education. Both intrinsic and extrinsic factors contribute to perceived difficulties in learning the subject. Moreover, the teaching of multi-step organic synthesis at third level has well-documented challenges. At University College Cork (UCC), we have adopted a strategy to engage students at the mid to late degree stage using an innovative teaching hook, to inspire interest and engagement. The approach was taken to outline chronologically some of the seminal breakthroughs in synthesis, and organic chemistry more generally, from the 1950 s to a few of the current leaders of today. Importantly the focus is on the people, the circumstance and the stories surrounding them. As a relevance-based hooking strategy grounded in a storytelling pedagogy, the goal was to inform students of the potential in organic chemistry and thus spark their interest for the subsequent lectures. Over multiple interventions, feedback from students has been highly positive. We posit that the design framework behind the ‘The People and Personalities’ could be adapted to many disciplines in a similarly successful manner. Overall, this approach proved inspirational for students, and was a most timely intervention in their degree program.https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2021-0037engagementhooksinterestorganic chemistryrelevancy |
| spellingShingle | Mackey Katrina McHugh Martin McGlacken Gerard P. Some people and personalities of organic chemistry: a teaching hook for mid-level university students Chemistry Teacher International engagement hooks interest organic chemistry relevancy |
| title | Some people and personalities of organic chemistry: a teaching hook for mid-level university students |
| title_full | Some people and personalities of organic chemistry: a teaching hook for mid-level university students |
| title_fullStr | Some people and personalities of organic chemistry: a teaching hook for mid-level university students |
| title_full_unstemmed | Some people and personalities of organic chemistry: a teaching hook for mid-level university students |
| title_short | Some people and personalities of organic chemistry: a teaching hook for mid-level university students |
| title_sort | some people and personalities of organic chemistry a teaching hook for mid level university students |
| topic | engagement hooks interest organic chemistry relevancy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1515/cti-2021-0037 |
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