CHEMISTRY ASSESSMENT Report November 4, 2009

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1 CHEMISTRY ASSESSMENT Report November 4, 2009 A. Learning outcomes to be assessed: In , we plan to assess goal III (Application of Quantitative Reasoning Skills and Critical Thinking to Problem Solving Outcomes 1-3). We are particularly interested in measuring our strengths and weaknesses in helping our students develop their problem-solving skills, both in the context of the lecture and laboratory portions of our courses. Goal III: Application of Quantitative Reasoning Skills and Critical Thinking to Problem Solving Outcome 1: Students will learn to organize relevant information for analysis. s: 1. Identification of critical data elements necessary to understand the problem 2. Identification of applicable theories and/or mathematical relationships Outcome 2: Students will calculate quantitative values and/or formulate an explanation of observations. s: 1. Application of theories to illustrate how observations can be understood 2. Application of equations to determine mathematical values with appropriate significant figures and units Outcome 3: Students will draw conclusions from quantitative values and/or experimental observations. : Correlation of quantitative results to chemical and/or physical properties of the system

2 s of assess these outcomes in the following courses took place as described in the following table: Outcomes (s) CHEM-C 105 CHEM-C 106 CHEM-C 125/126 Students will Students will Students will learn to calculate calculate organize quantitative quantitative relevant values and/or values and/or information for formulate an formulate an analysis. explanation of explanation of observations observations Identification of applicable theories and/or mathematical relationships Application of equations to determine mathematical values with appropriate significant figures and units Application of equations to determine mathematical values with appropriate significant figures and units CHEM-C 210 CHEM-C 211 CHEM-C342 CHEM-C 361 Students will calculate quantitative values and/or formulate an explanation of observations Calculate quantitative values and/or formulate an explanation of observations Students will draw conclusions from quantitative values and/or experimental observations Correlation of quantitative results to chemical and/or physical properties of the system. Students will learn to organize relevant information for analysis. Identification of critical data elements necessary to understand the problem Activity(ies) Performance characteristics Exam question(s) Exam question(s) Exam question Exam question(s) Laboratory practical exam Incorrect ACS exam Exam question(s) Description of Results Results for CHEM C105 and CHEM C106 : 2

3 Commentary regarding CHEM-C 105 and CHEM-C 106 Date: Data for the freshman chemistry courses, CHEM-C 105 and CHEM-C 106 were collected from the department approved comprehensive multiple choice final examination, and reflect the performance of all the students enrolled in the class at the time the examination was taken. Only a very few (3 students in each case) of the students had indicated upon enrollment that they wanted to major in chemistry. Performance on both questions selected from the C105 exam was markedly below the stated benchmark, indicating that students were not as proficient in the assessed skills as they needed to be, and certainly that they were not as proficient as we want them to be. To a large extent, the skills assessed in the second semester course, CHEM-C 106, subsume the skills tested in CHEM-C 105 and it is clear, from the performance of the students on the selected questions from the C106 department examination that, overall, they improved greatly in their problem-solving skills. The C106 cohort of students was, essentially, the same as in C105. We continue to emphasize the practice of problem solving as a means of strengthening our students ability to understand and apply the concepts they learn in these courses, not just so they can improve their scores on the department examination but so they will be well equipped to move forward to organic and other higher-level chemistry courses. The grade distribution in CHEM-C 105 and CHEM-C 106 was: CHEM-C 105: A: 7% B: 46% C:25% D: 7% F: 14% CHEM-C 106: A: 13% B: 30% C: 48% D: 0% F: 9% 3

4 CHEM-C 105 Fall, 2008 Outcome Question #1 Question #2 Students will learn to organize relevant information for analysis. Identification of applicable theories and/or mathematical relationships The percent yield of PI 3 when g of PI 3 is obtained from the reaction of g of I 2 with an excess of phosphorus according to the chemical reaction below is: 2P(s) + 3 I 2 (s) ----> 2 PI 3 (s) The approximate freezing point of a solution prepared by dissolving 10.0 g of naphthalene (C 10 H 8 ) in 300 g of cyclohexane is. Pure cyclohexane freezes at 6.6 o C. K f of cyclohexane = 20.0 o C/m. Sample Size (See Commentary Above)/ Results Number of students taking exam: 26 (3 of which were chemistry majors) Number of correct responses: 10 (2 of which were chemistry majors) Percent of correct responses: 38% Average score on department examination: 64% Range of scores on department examination: 30-96% Number of students taking exam: 26 (3 of which were chemistry majors) Number of correct responses: 10 (3 of which were chemistry majors) Percent of correct responses: 38% Average score on department examination: 64% Range of scores on department examination: 30-96% CHEM-C 106 Spring, 2009 Outcome Question #1 Students will calculate quantitative values and/or formulate an explanation of observations Application of equations to determine mathematical values with appropriate significant figures and units At 25 o C the rate constant for the first-order decomposition of a pesticide solution is 6.40 x 10-3 /min. If the starting concentration of pesticide is M, what concentration will remain after 62.0 min at 25 o C. 4 Sample Size (See Commentary Above)/ Results Number of students taking exam: 22 (3 of which were chemistry majors) Number of correct responses: 17 (2 of which were chemistry majors)

5 Question #2 Will a precipitate of magnesium fluoride form when 200. ml of 1.9 x 10-3 M MgCl 2 are added to 300. ml of 1.4 x 10-2 M NaF? (K sp of MgF 2 = 6.9 x 10-9 ). Yes, Q > K sp ; No, Q < K sp ; No, Q = K sp ;Yes, Q < K sp ;No, Q > K sp Percent of correct responses: 77% Average score on department examination: 60% Range of scores on department examination: 31-93% Number of students taking exam: 22 (3 of which were chemistry majors) Number of correct responses: 16 (3 of which were chemistry majors) Percent of correct responses: 73% Average score on department examination: 60% Range of scores on department examination: 31-93% Results for CHEM C125/CHEM C126 C125/126 Fall08/Sp09 Outcome Question 1 (from test given in C126, Spring 09) Question 2 (from test given in C126, Spring 09) Students will calculate quantitative values and/or formulate an explanation of observations. Application of equations to determine mathematical values with appropriate significant figures and units. The pka of a weak acid was determined by the method you used in the laboratory. Data for one of the determinations is given below. Note that some of the calculations have been done for you. Calculate the Ka for the acid. Students were given a titration curve to interpret and use the results to answer the following: If the NaOH was M and the volume of acid was ml, calculate the original concentration of the acid. You can assume the acid is monoprotic. Sample Size/ Results # students taking test:21 average # points earned out of 10:8.9 % of points earned 89% average score on exam: 117/150 (77.4%) # students taking test:21 average # points earned out of 5:2.5 % of points earned: 50% average score on exam: 117/150 (77.4%) The grade distribution in C125/C126 was: 5

6 C125: A 31% B 50% C 12% D 4% F 4% C126 A 43% B 48% C 5% D 0% F 5% Results for CHEM 210 (2007/2008)* [Outcomes] C 210 Intro Analytical Organize relevant information for analysis 6 7% Calculate quantitative values and/or formulate an explanation of observations 6 75% Draw conclusions from quantitative values and/or experimental observations 5 63% in CHEM C210 was performed when these course were taught. was done using data from the majors students only who completed the courses. Some students did not complete the courses because of job or family affair, health problems. The grade distribution in CHEM C210 was: A 0.0 % B 50% C 25 % I/W 25% Results for CHEM. C211 Commentary regarding CHEM-C 211 Data: This class is very small, ranging in size from one to seven students in the past six years. Students taking this class have not all been chemistry majors. Several biology majors have taken the course as part of a chemistry minor. Others were secondary education majors intending to teach high school chemistry. One student is currently attending veterinary school. Because the sample size from a particular year is so small, we have provided a six-year profile of assessment information based on this examination. 6

7 CHEM-C 211 Outcome Questions Students will draw conclusions from quantitative values and/or experimental observations Correlation of quantitative results to chemical and/or physical properties of the system. For their final examination, students are given the scenario that they are opening an analytical laboratory equipped with the same equipment and reagents they used in class. Two clients present specific (and different) analytical requests, both related to the work the students did in the laboratory course. Each student must prepare a procedure for the client s analysis. Once approved by the instructor, the student is given data for the samples analyzed by the proposed procedure. Students use the data to calculate the results and then prepare a memo describing those results to the clients. Sample Size (See Commentary Above)/ Results 2003: Number of students taking exam: 7; Average score: 81% Range of scores: % 2004: Number of students taking exam: 3; Average score: 96% Range of scores: 95-97% 2005: Number of students taking exam: 1; Average score: 100% Range of scores: 100% 2006: Number of students taking exam: 3; Average score: 92% Range of scores: 85-98% 2007: Number of students taking exam: 4; Average score: 97% Range of scores: % 2008: Number of students taking exam: 4; Average score: 72% Range of scores: 25-97% 7

8 Results for CHEM-C342 Data for the organic chemistry course, CHEM-C 342 were collected from the American Chemical Society (ACS) multiple choice examination, and reflect the performance of all the students enrolled in the class at the time the examination was taken. Only 2 students had indicated upon enrollment that they majored in chemistry. The grade distribution was: CHEM-C 342: A: 9% B: 27% C: 45% D: 18% CHEM-C 342 Spring, 2009 Outcome Question #1 Question #2 Students will learn to organize relevant information for analysis. Identification of critical data elements necessary to understand the problem. Arrange the compounds in order of acidity: 1, phenol; 2, p- chlorophenol; 3, p-nitrophenol; 4, cyclohexanol. What is the major product of the reaction when 1-bromo-1- methylcyclohexane is treated with sodium methoxide in methanol? Sample Size (See Commentary Above)/ Results Number of students taking exam: 11 Number of correct responses: 8 Percent of correct responses: 73% Average score on ACS examination: 54% Range of scores on ACS examination: 31-89% Number of students taking exam: 11 Number of correct responses: 4 Percent of correct responses: 36% Average score on ACS examination: 54% Range of scores on ACS examination: 31-89% 8

9 Results for CHEM C361 (2008)** [Outcomes] C 361 Calculate quantitative values and/or formulate an explanation of observations 2 67% Draw conclusions from quantitative values and/or experimental observations 2 67% The grade distribution in CHEM C361 was: A 0.0 % B 67% C 33 % ** Because of the small number of chemistry majors in most courses, percentages cannot be easily used for one academic year. For example, there may only be 2 or 3 chemistry majors in some classes and yearly aggregate data would not be meaningful. Therefore, we will report raw data on an annual basis and aggregate data as percentages every 2 to 4 years. 9