A Meta-cognitive Approach to Teaching Organic Chemistry from Fundamental Principles

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Over 70,000 students take organic chemistry each year in the USA with attrition rates approaching 50% at some institutions. The obstacles to success in organic chemistry are both the large amount of material that students are required to learn and more importantly the unfamiliar style of problem solving and assessment. The project has developed a method of instruction based on problem solving from fundamental principles (e.g., Lewis acid/base theory; retrosynthetic analysis). However, the present materials are passive (html and pdf files). Pilot studies show that although students think they are using these materials effectively, they are actually using ineffective methods. Their illusion is consistent with studies of meta-cognitive and self-regulated learning. The project develops and tests software (called a meta-cognitive coach) that closely monitors students' problem solving so that it can offer unsolicited advice at just the right moments to motivate students to use specific, more effective learning strategies. For instance, the coach might convince a student to study a problem 2 or 3 times deeply, rather than 20 or 30 times shallowly. The project will help learning scientists know how to build effective meta-cognitive coaches for knowledge-rich domains. The project will also yield an online practice system that may significantly improve organic chemistry students' learning, which may reduce attrition and ultimately increase the flow of a diversity of students through this critical scientific pipeline.