Search

Lecture capture videos were explored as beyond the classroom course materials in upper-level descriptive inorganic chemistry courses during Fall 2017, Fall 2018, and Fall 2020 semesters. Page views data from the learning management system (LMS) Canvas site served as a proxy for course content usage materials such as lecture capture videos. There was a significant increase in page views on the LMS site since lecture capture videos were introduced in the course. On the basis of the page views data, students were categorized as high-end users (HEU) and low-end users (LEU). Students in the HEU category used more resources in the course than the students in the LEU category. Also, students in the HEU category performed significantly better than students in the LEU category on the cumulative final exam in the course. The information processing model and cognitive load theory suggest that reviewing content helps in minimizing learning losses, thus promoting student learning. This study suggests that usage of course content materials such as lecture capture videos promoted self-paced learning and helped students with reviewing/learning content through auditory and visual channels as suggested by the cognitive theory of multimedia. Lessons learned from the current study prompted the author to explore makeshift HyFlex classrooms during the Fall 2021 semester, especially toward the later part of the semester. HyFlex classrooms enabled students to attend online classes via Zoom while the other students from the course attended in-person classes. This endeavor particularly helped those students who missed lectures due to a variety of unforeseen reasons.

This paper summarizes the author's experiences with transitioning from face-to-face to online General Chemistry Zoom sessions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The transition to online teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic was a Herculean task for instructors during Spring 2020. Instead of adapting completely new strategies for online teaching, the author modified past experiences with interactive chalkboards and videos to design synchronous sessions and asynchronous recorded videos for the General Chemistry course. Similarly, regular in-class exams were modified to design online assessments. Given the stressful situation, this paper also presents the author's experiences with compassionate teaching and learning scenarios that might have helped in sustaining a healthy environment during the pandemic.

In this study, customized videos and chapter handouts served as pre-class materials for semi-flipped General Chemistry II courses. Face-to-face class time involved engaging students in interactive problem-solving sessions on the board with the instructor and collaborative group activities. During the interactive problem-solving sessions, students guided the instructor with steps and any questions/concerns related to the topics of discussion were addressed. Students were in a position to participate during interactive sessions, as they had reviewed pre-class materials. Various components of semi-flipped classrooms are discussed in this article. The impact of homework completion and usage of course content through page views option on Canvas (Learning Management System) were investigated. Students who completed all the homework (all-HW) in the course performed significantly better on summative assessments than students who completed some of the homework (some-HW). Applying content from pre-class materials and face-to-face discussions to homework led to meaningful engagement of students. On the basis of the course content usage through page views on Canvas (LMS), students were categorized as high end users (HEU) or low end users (LEU). The performances of HEU students on summative assessments were comparable to LEU students in the course.

Explain Everything is an interactive, user-friendly, and easily accessible app for mobile devices. The interactive app-based teaching methods discussed here can be adopted in any STEM or non-STEM course. This app allows instructors to take advantage of both the chalkboard and PowerPoint slides on a single platform, create videos for lecture captures and flipped/online classrooms, and virtually assist upper-level students with the development of soft skills through personalized videos/PDFs. Feedback data from students highlight multiple benefits from the use of this app. This app aids better visualization of concepts, promotes ubiquitous learning opportunities for students, and provides personalized feedback on documents in seminar courses.

Videos are an integral part of online courses. In this study, customized YouTube videos were explored as teaching and learning materials in place of face-to-face discussion sessions in General Chemistry courses. The videos were created using a budget-friendly and interactive app on an iPad. The customized YouTube videos were available to students on a YouTube channel dedicated to the course. Use of videos enabled students to pause and rewatch the videos as required. Pedagogical benefits of using the videos included opportunities for 24/7 and self-paced learning. Beyond the classroom learning was documented using the analytics option through YouTube (method 1) and Learning Management System (method 2). Data mining shows the following: (a) learning throughout the semester, (b) around-the-clock learning activity right before the final exam, (c) comparable average final exam performance observed during semesters with face-to-face discussions versus customized YouTube videos, and (d) students continuing to watch these videos beyond the course while reviewing content for competitive exams and/or upper level courses.