Many students might argue that there is no easy transition from Organic Chemistry I to Organic Chemistry II, but Professor Michael Leonard aims to change minds – and outcomes. He’s designed a JayTerm course to help students with that transition.
Leonard recently published “Easing the Transition from Organic Chemistry I to II: A January-Term Bridge Course” in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Chemical Education about CHM 165: Easing the Transition from Organic Chemistry I to II. In the first week of JayTerm, the course revisits and reviews key topics from Organic Chemistry I, such as the naming of molecules, acid-base chemistry, the three-dimensionality of molecules, spectroscopy (the use of light to study matter), and simple organic transformations. In the second week, students are introduced to a selection of material they’ll encounter in Organic Chemistry II, namely the reactions of the fundamental classes of organic molecules.
“There’s no doubt that the yearlong sequence of organic chemistry is challenging, but this bridge course aims to facilitate success by giving students an opportunity to practice the problem-solving skills integral to mastering the material. The data suggest that the course may improve student outcomes overall,” says Leonard.
The article abstract is available online: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jchemed.9b00878