The use and evaluation of scaffolding, student centered-learning, behaviorism, and constructivism to teach nuclear magnetic resonance and IR spectroscopy in a two-semester organic chemistry course

摘要

Since 2002, infrared spectroscopy (IR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometry have been introduced at the beginning of the first-semester organic chemistry lab course at this university. Starting in 2008, each individual student was given 20 unique homework problems that consisted of multiple-choice ~1H NMR and IR problems during the first-semester course and a combination of ~1H NMR, ~(13)C NMR, and IR during the second-semester course. Using the four instructional techniques of scaffolding, student centered-learning, behaviorism, and constructivism, students were assisted in solving these homework problems by the instructor and a small group of upper-level students. A comparison was made of exam data from years in which students shared a small variety of homework assignments versus years in which each student had his or her own unique set of homework problems. The data indicate that solving the unique problems with assistance from tutors provides an effective way for the students to learn the difficult topics of NMR and IR spectroscopy.