U N I V E R S I T Y  O F  P I T T S B U R G H

October, 2001 

An Individualized, Interactive Internet System (3IS) to Enhance Learning in Large General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Lecture Classes

Joe Grabowski, chemistry, has long been interested in applying interactive Web-based technology to the teaching of organic chemistry. An Individualized, Interactive Internet System (3IS) to Enhance Learning in Large General Chemistry and Organic Chemistry Lecture Classes is the fruition of his specific interest in developing tools for students to assess their own learning. The project is being done in collaboration with Eugene Wagner, who also teaches general chemistry.

Grabowski has found that when textbook publishers provide practice questions, his organic chemistry students tend to turn to the answers before trying to solve the problems. Grabowski, however, wants students to have to generate correct answers, not just recognize them. Furthermore, the software and database will meet the needs of students who want additional practice problems beyond those in the textbook; who want instructor-designed practice problems (the database will be created primarily from old Pitt exams); or who are more motivated when working with a computer than with pencil and paper. In this Web-based format, students will be able to evaluate their comprehension whenever and wherever they wish. Quizzes will be created using different question formats (including multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, matching, calculations, and even essays), and students must record their answers before they access the key. Their responses will be automatically graded and a report generated on their performance. The software will provide records for instructor feedback, but will not initially be used for formal testing and grading.

Grabowski has been collecting materials related to quiz tools and student assessment for about five years. He and Wagner will organize the materials into databases with each database containing questions and answers organized by key words and by location in the textbook. For example, students will be able to query the database for a quiz on topics they have not mastered, or for a quiz on all material appearing on an upcoming exam. Faculty can also create quizzes specific to a topic being covered in lecture or topics assumed to have been learned in a previous course. Once the search engine is set up, it will be publicly accessible, available for use by faculty in any discipline, provided they are willing to create the database of questions for their courses. “We’re trying to make this generic,” Grabowski said. He also noted that the final project will be renamed “PittLearn,” and that they expect it to be ready for use with several fall 2001 chemistry classes.


 

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