Communication pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Cite This: J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
Introducing Diversity through an Organic Approach Irosha N. Nawarathne* Mathematics and Science Division, Lyon College, 2300 Highland Road, Batesville, Arkansas 72501, United States
Downloaded via VOLUNTEER STATE COMMUNITY COLG on July 17, 2019 at 10:36:46 (UTC). See https://pubs.acs.org/sharingguidelines for options on how to legitimately share published articles.
S Supporting Information *
ABSTRACT: An introductory organic chemistry course is a gate keeper to the science pipeline. Instructors can improve student learning by making deliberate efforts to understand and accommodate the various levels of classroom diversity. The changes in the demographics of the United States and the national push to cultivate women and minorities in the sciences also necessitate the need for inclusive classrooms that enrich all types of student learning. Such an inclusive learning environment was promoted in an organic chemistry classroom at a four year college in rural Arkansas for the first time in Fall 2016 and was continued in the subsequent years; it took a unique approach involving comparing the diversity of carbon-based molecules to social diversity. Student responses were overwhelmingly positive and creative. They compared molecular and social diversity in outstanding ways. Also, the diversity assignment was very instrumental as an educational tool that accentuated the value of the versatility of carbon and its bonding in creating the basis of life, according to the results of the pre- and postsurveys incorporated to the assignment in Fall 2018. The assignment provides a stimulating platform to celebrate diversity and foster inclusion in the organic chemistry classrooms, while reinforcing teaching on the versatility of carbon and its bonding. KEYWORDS: Second-Year Undergraduate, Upper-Division Undergraduate, Organic Chemistry, Problem Solving/Decision Making, Collaborative/Cooperative Learning, Women in Chemistry, Minorities in Chemistry
■
NEED FOR AN INCLUSIVE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY CLASSROOM The two-semester sequence of introductory organic chemistry leads to many challenges, anxieties, sleepless nights, caffeine overdoses, and barriers on the career paths for many college students, in their opinion. This class has been a gate keeper to the science pipeline, creating an additional challenge for many undergraduate students completing degrees in science, engineering, and prehealth professional programs.1 Student performance in introductory organic chemistry is determined by various cognitive and noncognitive factors, such as cognitive ability, motivation, cultural capital, attitude and perception about the subject and the course achievements, prior knowledge and awareness of chemistry and STEM fields in general, introductory chemistry experiences, spatial visualization, gender, and other factors.1b,2 However, instructors can make deliberate efforts to minimize or eliminate the impacts of some of the aforementioned variables that suppress student learning in an organic chemistry class.1e,2c,3 Understanding the diversity of the classroom and building solid relationships among all members can facilitate student learning outcomes in any classroom, regardless of the discipline.4 Students experience diversity in three levels: structural diversity (demographics of the student body), classroom diversity (representations of human and cultural diversity in the curriculum), and interactional diversity (interactions among students from diverse backgrounds for educational purposes).5 Consequently, the changes in demographics of the United States such as “the majority of the population in the United States will be people of color by 2044”6 and “one of © XXXX American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.
every two students in the United States will be a person of color by 2020”7 must be reflected in education to create classrooms that encourage a diverse student population to develop their talents to the fullest.6b,8 Furthermore, despite nationwide initiatives to improve the retention of women and minorities in the sciences and engineering, the involvement of those categories in the science and engineering occupations is still low (Table 1).9 An inclusive classroom that accepts all Table 1. Distribution of Various Occupations in the United States Based on Gender and Racial Categoriesa People in These Occupations by Sex and Race, %
a
Occupation Category
Female
Male
White
Other
All occupations Science and engineering Physical and related sciences
47.0 28.4 27.8
53.0 71.6 72.2
70.5 66.6 70.4
29.5 33.4 29.6
Categories and data from ref 9b.
levels of diversity will ensure the full learning experience for all types of students and also facilitate the retention of more women and minorities in the sciences and engineering.10 It is reported that exposure to individuals different from oneself, who bring novel ideas and challenges to college, enhances cognitive skills such as critical thinking and problem-solving Received: September 15, 2018 Revised: May 29, 2019
A
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00646 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
Journal of Chemical Education
Communication
construction of knowledge and for the enterprise of science itself.”17 An incredible amount of work has been devoted to the development and promotion of innovative approaches to expand educational opportunities for all individuals through the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) on the basis of the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in various STEM related classrooms.18 These efforts are made to serve diverse learners, such as the students with disabilities, ones with the exceptional talents, those whose native language is not English, and others.19 Consequently, this creates a more inclusive classroom that accepts various levels of diversity. Our interest is to introduce the importance of human diversity to the advancement of society using an obvious (natural) connection to the class material so that the students get a novel yet effective perspective of diversity, which in turn gradually creates an inclusive classroom, as the members of the classroom identify the importance of classroom diversity to the advancement of their microcommunity. With these critical goals in mind, an inclusive environment was promoted in an organic chemistry classroom at this specific institution by recognizing and appreciating diversity through an authentic approach. To my knowledge, this is the first report of identifying and utilizing a natural point of entry in organic chemistry to emphasize the concepts of diversity and inclusion. This study was conducted at a selective, private, residential liberal arts institution for undergraduates located in a town of 10,000, with a county population that is 94.4% white.20 The demographic of the student body at the college is predominantly white as well, with only 21.6% of total domestic students and only 18.8% of domestic students enrolled in Spring 2018 majoring in math or science self-identifying as nonwhite (note that international students, students who did not make a selection, and students who selected “prefer not to answer” were omitted in this survey). An inclusive learning environment is crucial and will undoubtedly benefit the predominantly white Lyon student population, given that (on average) 43.5% of the overall Lyon student population and 33.7% of students pursuing majors in math and science are first-generation students.10−13 As described, an inclusive climate is instrumental in achieving student learning outcomes, such as the improvement of students’ creativity and problem solving skills and development of their collaborative skills (team work). Evidently, these are major student learning goals for an introductory organic chemistry class as well. For the first time, an inclusive climate was introduced to the Fall 2016 organic chemistry class, Organic Chemistry I (CHM 210), at this institution using a unique approach to stimulate student interest in diversity. Organic Chemistry I is a sophomore− junior level class that intends to introduce students to the fundamentals of organic chemistry and to connect those principles with everyday life, according to the syllabus. In that specific classroom, the instructor was female and an immigrant from South East Asia. The class was predominantly white with an equally distributed gender ratio; there were a few minority students in the classroom (two American Indians, a Hispanic American, an Indian American, and a Middle Easterner). Further diversity was observed through students’ sexual orientation, political views, dietary preferences, social class, prior knowledge and preparation in chemistry, and perceptionbased anxiety toward organic chemistry, among other characteristics, but is not reported here. The class continued to be predominantly white in the subsequent years; for
and improves student satisfaction and motivation, general knowledge, and intellectual self-confidence, leading to overall academic success.11 Students in a classroom that values and celebrates diversity become more open-minded and engaged in classroom conversations, which results in actual learning.11b,12 Moreover, “diverse college campuses and classrooms prepare students for life, work, and leadership in a more global economy by fostering leaders who are creative, collaborative, and able to navigate deftly in dynamic, multicultural environments.”11a Diversity benefits all students in higher education, both nonminority and minority groups, as it eliminates implicit and subconscious biases and includes divergent perspectives of various parties, leading to cognitive stimulation.11a,12a,13 Even the “privileged” students when they feel excluded from the full experience struggle to learn as well as those who feel included; therefore, creating an inclusive learning environment is immensely important in achieving student learning outcomes.10a,c,14 Increasing demand for “inclusive teaching in diverse classrooms” is apparent on the basis of the significant increase in the number of citations on the topic in the Web of Science database over the last 24 years (Figure 1, see the Supporting Information for the complete analysis of the Web of Science data).
Figure 1. Number of citations on the topic “inclusive teaching in diverse classrooms” in the Web of Science database over the last 24 years.
■
CREATING AN INCLUSIVE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY CLASSROOM BY EMBRACING DIVERSITY Depending on the emphasis, one could create stand-alone diversity or social-justice-focused courses or dedicate class sessions to diversity.15 When it is done as an isolated topic, the outcome may become a relegation of inclusivity rather than a promotion of it; therefore, the incorporation of diversity into the classroom needs to be done very systematically, possibly by finding natural points of entry for diversity.15a When the class content includes topics related to socioeconomic, cultural, psychological, or biological differences, finding a natural entry point for diversity concepts often becomes realistic.8,16 For example, educators in the fields of languages and arts tend to utilize literary and creative works that reflect the perspectives of experiences and values of all ethnic and cultural groups to create inclusive classrooms.8 Despite obvious challenges in the physical sciences in this regard, “attention to cultural membership and cultural practices is central to equity goals and national needs, but also equally important for the B
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00646 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
Journal of Chemical Education
Communication
diversity in an effective and creative manner, as recorded under category 1 of Table 2. Selected responses for category 1 are shown under Figure 2, and many other creative responses are provided in the Supporting Information. About one-fifth of the class in both years failed to submit their work by the assigned deadline (category 5 in Table 2). The rest came up with very creative ways to expand on chemical or social diversity without a clear and direct comparison of them (categories 2, 3, and 4 in Table 2). The selected responses for categories 2, 3, and 4 are shown in Figures 3−5, respectively, and further responses are provided in the Supporting Information. The student responses to the diversity assignment from the Fall 2016 class were posted outside of the organic chemistry laboratory to spread the message to the campus community and to showcase the creativity of the students. The student responses from the class of Fall 2018 were showcased at a 1 h long campus event that was not focused on diversity or inclusion. After the diversity assignment, each class opened up to talk about the importance of celebrating and practicing diversity and inclusion in day-to-day life whenever there was a chance. Students who failed to submit the diversity assignment were involved in these discussions, and they enjoyed the creativity of their peers. None of those students were opposed to the idea of creating inclusive classrooms and societies; they were not able to come up with a creative response to the assignment within the allocated time. Overall, the instructor observed a significant improvement in student participation in the classroom discussions, enthusiasm for team-work, instructor−student and peer−peer understanding and communication, and the number and frequency of instructor−student meetings outside of the classroom. However, measurable evidence for these factors was not collected at the time of the study. The author plans to develop a rubric in the future for measuring these factors before and after the diversity assignment and also to correlate these positive interactions among members of the organic chemistry classroom with student learning.
example, the Organic Chemistry I class of Fall 2018 included only two minority students (a Chinese American and an African American). Aforementioned other subcategories of diversity were observed in this class as well but are not included in the content of this report.
■
ASSIGNMENT ON MOLECULAR AND SOCIAL DIVERSITY The topic of diversity was introduced to the class by reinforcing teaching on the diversity of organic molecules and the importance of diverse organic molecules in day-to-day life, using about 10 min of the class time. Organic chemistry is the chemistry of carbon, which is the chemical basis of life.21 Students were encouraged to think about how diverse organic molecules are formed as a result of the ability of carbon to form single and multiple bonds with other carbons, hydrogens, and heteroatoms. The slightest changes in the framework or the molecular geometry of organic molecules lead to significant variations in the chemical, physical, or biological properties of those molecules.22 In the context of the diversity of organic molecules, collaboration of carbon with other carbons and noncarbon atoms in creating diversity and the various uses of the resulting diverse organic molecules were discussed, using some basic examples of organic polymers and pharmaceuticals.23 The discussion was extended very briefly to reference the importance of human diversity in the society in which we live. After this class discussion, students were encouraged to demonstrate their perspectives on the significance of an inclusive learning and growing environment with regard to the diverse organic molecules as an extra-credit assignment (only 1−2% of the total class grade, if they chose to complete the extra-credit work). The time provided for the submission of the assignment was 6 days, including a weekend. Out of 28 students in the Fall 2016 class, 22 of them submitted their responses to this out-of-class assignment, and 21 students out of 27 in the Fall 2018 class submitted their responses to the same assignment. Student responses were overwhelmingly positive and creative in comparing social and molecular diversity. The responses were analyzed under five different categories to understand the effectiveness of this simple organic approach in introducing diversity and reinforcing inclusive classrooms and societies (Table 2). The majority of the classes in both years completed the assignment relating diversity in organic chemistry to social
■
UTILIZING A DIVERSITY ASSIGNMENT AS AN ORGANIC CHEMISTRY PEDAGOGICAL TOOL Organic chemistry is a major subfield of chemistry that studies comprehensive bonding patterns of carbon and the significance of diverse carbon-based molecules. It is the only subfield of chemistry that is essentially dedicated to a single element of the periodic table, which is likely due to the abundance and importance of diverse organic molecules and the organic reactions to the existence of life. As much as experts in the field value the logical and creative nature of organic chemistry, novices often find the subject to be overwhelming and intimidating. The majority of students in introductory organic chemistry take the class as a requirement of their major field of study or the professional field they intend to go into after graduation. Hence they, even the brightest, seldom focus on gaining the full experience of learning organic chemistry and rather focus on not falling behind with the material with the intention to get a good or passing grade for the course. Although this can be frustrating to passionate organic chemistry instructors at the college level, instructors can purposefully design opportunities to allow students to review the abundance of diverse organic molecules in day-to-day lives and the importance of diverse organic molecules for human existence. Although the primary focus of the diversity
Table 2. Analysis of Student Responses to the Diversity Assignment in Five Different Categories Submissions, 2016 (N = 28) Criteria Used in the Analysis of Student Work 1 2
3 4 5
Related diversity in organic chemistry to social diversity in an effective manner Related chemical diversity to social diversity; however, no organic chemistry was used or the comparison was not clear Emphasized social diversity; however, no mention of any chemical diversity Emphasized diversity in organic chemistry; however, no direct comparison to any social diversity Failed to submit the extra-credit assignment
Submissions, 2018 (N = 27)
N
%
N
%
17
61.0
16
59.0
1
3.5
1
3.7
3
11.0
2
7.4
1
3.5
2
7.4
6
21.0
6
22.0
C
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00646 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
Journal of Chemical Education
Communication
Figure 2. Four different representative student responses for category 1. The students related diversity in organic chemistry to social diversity in an effective manner.
Furthermore, students are frequently reminded, with interesting examples, of the prevalence of the aforementioned reactions occurring in both biological and synthetic settings and the significance of the resultant molecules to life, which make evident how the versatility of carbon creates the indispensable molecular diversity. However, because of the very challenging and overwhelming nature of organic chemistry and college life in general, students often fail to make this most vital connection of how the versatility of carbon and its
assignment was to incorporate concepts such as diversity and inclusion into the organic chemistry classroom using a natural point of entry, the instructor had the strong intention of utilizing the assignment as an educational tool to accentuate the value of the versatility of carbon and its bonding in creating the basis for life as well. In organic chemistry classes, students are constantly introduced to new reaction mechanisms specific to various functional groups of carbon-based molecules, which makes evident how versatile carbon is with respect to bonding. D
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00646 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
Journal of Chemical Education
Communication
and utility of diverse carbon-based molecules in human existence. Survey participation was encouraged by offering 5 extra credit points with each survey, a total of 2% of the class grade. Although every class member completed the presurvey, only 85% of the class completed the postsurvey. Four students participated in the postsurvey out of the six who failed to come up with a creative response to the diversity assignment within the allocated time. Only two students decided to not complete the postsurvey after submitting their creative response to the diversity assignment. The use of the diversity assignment as an effective and interactive teaching tool to reinforce the versatility of carbon and its bonding was evident in the results of the pre- and postsurveys (Table 3). Furthermore, the postsurvey had a section for student feedback on the effectiveness of the diversity assignment in comparing molecular and social diversity. The feedback received through the postsurvey suggests that the assignment has been very helpful in correlating the versatility of carbon and its chemistry to how human diversity advances society, in other words, why we should embrace diversity and promote inclusion. When students were asked to rate the diversity assignment on a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being extremely helpful in correlating the versatility of carbon and its chemistry to how human diversity advances society and 1 being extremely not helpful for that correlation), the average rating was 8. Several interesting student comments are quoted below from their postlab survey feedback, where they provided reasons for their ratings of the diversity assignment. Accordingly, a majority of the class mentioned that the assignment allowed a new perspective on social diversity and how diversity advances societies, as reflected by the average class rating of the assignment. They also found it to be a great learning opportunity to explore versatile carbon bonding and diverse organic molecules. • “It is really a perfect example. Life literally depends on carbon bonding with elements alike and different from itself. Human existence depends on our interactions with other people alike and different from ourselves.” • “I personally didn’t have time to do the longer project, but getting to see how others thought about it helped advance my ideas on diversity.” • “I did not realize how prevalent carbon is in everyday items before this assignment.” • “This assignment made me think about teamwork from a different view.” • “I really like how open the directions are. It allows students to be creative while forcing students to look up and research many cool facts about carbon’s bonding capabilities.” (Similar comments were received multiple times.) • “I had never considered the comparison between carbons versatility and society before so I bet many other people thought about it either. Only good things can really come out of this assignment.” (Similar comments were received multiple times.) One student mentioned that the assignment needs to be implemented in the freshmen level chemistry class as an eye opener: “The assignment should be given in general chemistry courses to foster the need to work with others and build community.” A few others in the class enjoyed the assignment; however, they felt that they were not able to get the full learning
Figure 3. Representative student response for category 2. The student related chemical diversity to social diversity; however, no organic chemistry is used or the comparison is not clear.
Figure 4. Representative student response for category 3. The student emphasized social diversity; however, no mention is made of any chemical diversity.
bonding create the basis for life. The diversity assignment was a great tool to intentionally reinforce student understanding of the versatility of carbon on the basis of its bonding and the prevalence of carbon-based molecules that we cannot live without. Students seemingly did not pause during their busy semesters to ponder these important factors before the diversity assignment; however, they made connections as they completed the assignment and participated in the related discussions. Pre- and postsurveys were deliberately incorporated into the diversity assignment in Fall 2018 to provide insight into the importance of the diversity assignment as a pedagogical tool on the versatility of carbon and its bonding, E
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00646 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
Journal of Chemical Education
Communication
Figure 5. Representative student response for category 4. The student emphasized diversity in organic chemistry; however, there is no direct comparison to any social diversity.
Table 3. Comparative Pre- and Postsurvey Results Statistic
Presurvey
Postsurvey
Mean, % (N = 27) Median, % (N = 23)
72.7 72.3
89.1 92.3
However, it was helpful in showing a new perspective on diversity.” Additionally, all the students in both the 2016 and 2018 organic chemistry classrooms were encouraged to appreciate diversity by the awarding of bonus points for any of their small but creative acts of kindness around campus throughout the span of the classes. The majority of the students from Fall 2016 organic classroom are currently the senior class at the institution, and they are taking leadership roles in many of the community-service-based projects. There was no further evidence collected systematically to prove or disprove how or if the diversity assignment changes student actions on the basis of their perspectives on social diversity and inclusion over a longer term. The diversity assignment has been adapted to be utilized in introduction to chemistry, advanced inorganic chemistry, and instrumental analysis classes at Lyon with some preliminary success.
experience from the assignment because of various reasons. One student found it to be more or less busy work. • “The assignment was helpful in learning about the diversity of carbon but didn’t really cover how human diversity helps advance society.” • “The fact that diversity produces advances seems selfevident, but I am not sure if anything in this activity helps solidify that.” • “I don’t feel like I had enough prior introduction into this topic specifically to get the full benefit of it.” • “I already believed that diversity is important. So doing this assignment was more or less just busy work. F
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00646 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
Journal of Chemical Education
■
Communication
2014, 15 (4), 501−515. (e) Pienta, N. J. The Role of Chemistry Education for Medical Preprofessionals. J. Chem. Educ. 2017, 94 (8), 981−982. (2) (a) Austin, A. C.; Ben-Daat, H.; Zhu, M.; Atkinson, R.; Barrows, N.; Gould, I. R. Measuring student performance in general organic chemistry. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 2015, 16 (1), 168−178. (b) Grove, N. P.; Cooper, M. M.; Cox, E. L. Does Mechanistic Thinking Improve Student Success in Organic Chemistry? J. Chem. Educ. 2012, 89 (7), 850−853. (c) Steiner, R.; Sullivan, J. Variables correlating with student success in organic chemistry. J. Chem. Educ. 1984, 61 (12), 1072. (d) Wamser, C. C. Peer-Led Team Learning in Organic Chemistry: Effects on Student Performance, Success, and Persistence in the Course. J. Chem. Educ. 2006, 83 (10), 1562. (e) Spector, T. I. The Nuts and Bolts of Organic Chemistry: A Student’s Guide to Success (Karty, Joel). J. Chem. Educ. 2006, 83 (11), 1603. (f) O’ Dwyer, A.; Childs, P. Organic Chemistry in Action! Developing an Intervention Program for Introductory Organic Chemistry To Improve Learners’ Understanding, Interest, and Attitudes. J. Chem. Educ. 2014, 91 (7), 987−993. (3) (a) Flynn, A. B.; Ogilvie, W. W. Mechanisms before Reactions: A Mechanistic Approach to the Organic Chemistry Curriculum Based on Patterns of Electron Flow. J. Chem. Educ. 2015, 92 (5), 803−810. (b) Crimmins, M. T.; Midkiff, B. High Structure Active Learning Pedagogy for the Teaching of Organic Chemistry: Assessing the Impact on Academic Outcomes. J. Chem. Educ. 2017, 94 (4), 429− 438. (c) Halford, B. Is there a crisis in organic chemistry education? Chem. Eng. News 2016, 94 (13), 24−25. (4) Powell, M. Celebrating Diversity, Building Successful Classrooms. Education Week Teacher, Sept 7, 2016. https://www.edweek. org/tm/articles/2016/09/02/celebrating-diversity-buildingsuccessful-classrooms.html (accessed May 22, 2019). (5) (a) Hu, S.; Kuh, G. D. Diversity Experiences and College Student Learning and Personal Development. J. Coll. Stud. Dev. 2003, 44 (3), 320−334. (b) Gurin, P. Selections from The Compelling Need for Diversity in Higher Education, Expert Reports in Defense of the University of Michigan. Equity Excellence Educ. 1999, 32 (2), 36− 62. (c) Terenzini, P. T.; Cabrera, A. F.; Colbeck, C. L.; Bjorklund, S. A.; Parente, J. M. Racial and Ethnic Diversity in the Classroom: Does It Promote Student Learning? J. Higher Educ. 2001, 72 (5), 509−531. (6) (a) Progress 2050. Demographic Growth of People of Color; Center for American Progress, 2015. https://cdn.americanprogress. org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/05075256/PeopleOfColorDemocracy-FS.pdf (accessed May 22, 2019). (b) Wilson, V. People of color will be a majority of the American working class in 2032; Economic Policy Institute, 2016. https://www.epi.org/publication/thechanging-demographics-of-americas-working-class/ (accessed May 22, 2019). (7) Banks, J. Multicultural education: For freedom’s sake. Educ. Leadership 1991, 49 (4), 32−36. (8) Dietrich, D.; Ralph, K. S. Crossing Borders: Multicultural Literature in the Classroom. J. Educ. Issue Lang. Minority Stud. 1995, 15, 1−8. (9) (a) Collins, S. N. Critical Mass Takes Courage: Diversity in the Chemical Sciences. In Diversity in the Scientific Community Vol. 2: Perspectives and Exemplary Programs; Nelson, D. J., Cheng, H. N., Eds.; American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, 2017; Vol. 1256, pp 165−177. (b) Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering: 2017 Special Report; NSF 17-310; National Science Foundation, National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics: Arlington, VA, 2017. (10) (a) Nelson Laird, T. F. Reconsidering the inclusion of diversity in the curriculum. Diversity Democracy 2014, 27 (4), 12−14. (b) Armstrong, M. A. Small world: Crafting an inclusive classroom (no matter what you teach). Thought Action 2011, 51−61. (c) Hurtado, S.; Milem, J.; Clayton-Pedersen, A.; Allen, W. Enacting Diverse Learning Environments: Improving the Climate for Racial/Ethnic Diversity in Higher Education; ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report; George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development: Washington, DC, 1999; Vol. 26, No. 8.
CONCLUSION The organic (less self-conscious) approach stimulated student interest in the diversity topic within the organic chemistry class, without initiating any uneasiness. Consequently, the students compared social and molecular diversity in many creative ways. The pre- and postsurveys conducted in 2018 clearly show that the diversity assignment improved students’ knowledge and awareness of versatile carbon bonding, molecular diversity, and social diversity. The utilization of the assignment as a pedagogical tool to refocus on the value of the versatility of carbon and its bonding in creating the basis for life was successful according to the survey results. Furthermore, the assignment led to a comfortable learning and teaching environment and an inclusive classroom on the basis of the instructor’s observations and reflections. We are in the process of strategically extending this approach to other levels of chemistry classes at our institution and systematically recording student responses and feedback on the assignment. We also plan to study whether student perspectives on the diversity assignment propel them to take actions to embrace diversity and promote inclusion long after the organic chemistry class has ended.
■
ASSOCIATED CONTENT
S Supporting Information *
The Supporting Information is available on the ACS Publications website at DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00646. Additional information on generating Figure 1, additional student responses to the diversity assignment, and pre- and postsurveys (PDF, DOCX)
■
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
*E-mail:
[email protected]. ORCID
Irosha N. Nawarathne: 0000-0002-7104-3556 Notes
The author declares no competing financial interest.
■
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author would like to thank Tharanga M. K. Wijetunge, Kristi Price, and LaShawna Miller for their assistance with proofreading and editing the manuscript, as well as the students in her Fall 2016 and Fall 2018 organic chemistry classes for their efforts to complete the diversity assignment and the pre- and postsurveys. The author would also like to extend her gratitude to Renée Cole, Associate Editor, and the professional staff of the Journal of Chemical Education for their guidance.
■
REFERENCES
(1) (a) Seymour, E.; Hewitt, N. M. Talking about leaving: Why undergraduates leave the sciences; Westview Press: Boulder, CO, 1997. (b) Turner, R. C.; Lindsay, H. A. Gender Differences in Cognitive and Noncognitive Factors Related to Achievement in Organic Chemistry. J. Chem. Educ. 2003, 80 (5), 563. (c) Lopez, E. J.; Shavelson, R. J.; Nandagopal, K.; Szu, E.; Penn, J. Ethnically diverse students’ knowledge structures in first semester organic chemistry. J. Res. Sci. Teach. 2014, 51 (6), 741−758. (d) Cruz-Ramirez de Arellano, D.; Towns, M. H. Students’ understanding of alkyl halide reactions in undergraduate organic chemistry. Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. G
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00646 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
Journal of Chemical Education
Communication
practice, 3rd ed.; Allyn and Bacon: Boston, MA, 1994. (c) 88 Ways to Celebrate Appreciate Diversity Month; ProGroup, Inc., 2004. http:// www.sbhihelp.org/files/Diversity88Ways.pdf (accessed May 22, 2019). (d) Gorski, P. C. What we’re teaching teachers: An analysis of multicultural teacher education coursework syllabi. Teaching Teacher Educ. 2009, 25 (2), 309−318. (e) Ladson-Billings, G. It’s Not the Culture of Poverty, It’s the Poverty of Culture: The Problem with Teacher Education. Anthropol. Educ. Q. 2006, 37 (2), 104−109. (17) Medin, D. L.; Lee, C. D., Diversity Makes Better Science. Observer 2012, 25 (5). (18) (a) CAST Homepage. http://www.cast.org/ (accessed May 22, 2019). (b) Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. CAST, Inc. http://udlguidelines.cast.org (accessed May 22, 2019). (c) Meyer, A.; Rose, D. H.; Gordon, D. Universal design for learning: Theory and Practice; CAST Professional Publishing: Wakefield, MA, 2014. (d) About Our Founding Partners: CAST. Understood.org. https://www.understood.org/en/about/our-founding-partners/cast (accessed May 22, 2019). (19) (a) Hitchcock, C.; Meyer, A.; Rose, D.; Jackson, R. Providing New Access to the General Curriculum:Universal Design for Learning. Teach. Exceptional Child. 2002, 35 (2), 8−17. (b) Izzo, M. V. Universal Design for Learning: Enhancing Achievement of Students with Disabilities. Procedia Comput. Sci. 2012, 14, 343−350. (c) Hwang, J.; Taylor, J. C. Stemming on STEM: A STEM Education Framework for Students with Disabilities. J. Sci. Educ. Stud. Disabil. 2016, 19 (1), 39. (d) McGuire, J. Universally accessible instruction: Oxymoron or Opportunity? J. Postsecondary Educ. Disabil. 2014, 27 (4), 387−398. (e) Shmulsky, S.; Gobbo, K.; Donahue, A. Groundwork for Success: A College Transition Program for Students with ASD. J. Postsecondary Educ. Disabil. 2015, 28 (2), 235−241. (f) Armstrong, T. First, Discover Their Strengths. Educ. Leadership 2012, 70 (2), 10−16. (g) Ralabate, P. K. Universal Design for Learning: Meeting the Needs of All Students. ASHA Leader 2011, 16 (10), 14−17. (h) Basham, J. D.; Marino, M. T. Understanding STEM Education and Supporting Students through Universal Design for Learning. Teach. Exceptional Child. 2013, 45 (4), 8−15. (i) Izzo, M. V.; Bauer, W. M. Universal design for learning: enhancing achievement and employment of STEM students with disabilities. Univers. Access Inf. Soc. 2015, 14 (1), 17−27. (j) Basham, J. D.; Israel, M.; Maynard, K. An Ecological Model of STEM Education: Operationalizing STEM for All. J. Special Educ. Technol. 2010, 25 (3), 9−19. (20) (a) Institutional Profile. Lyon College. https://www.lyon.edu/ institutional-profile (accessed May 22, 2019). (b) United States Census Bureau homepage. https://www.census.gov (accessed May 22, 2019). (21) Bernal, J. D. The physical basis of life. Proc. Phys. Soc., London, Sect. A 1949, 62 (9), 537. (22) (a) Speck-Planche, A.; Tulius Scotti, M.; de PauloEmerenciano, V. Current pharmaceutical design of antituberculosis drugs: future perspectives. Curr. Pharm. Des. 2010, 16 (24), 2656− 2665. (b) Fang, W.-S.; Fang, Q.-C.; Liang, X.-T. Structure Modifications and Their Influences on Antitumor and Other Related Activities of Taxol and Its Analogs; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, NJ, 2006; pp 73−141. (23) (a) Livingston, H. K.; Fox, R. B. Nomenclature of Organic Polymers. J. Chem. Doc. 1969, 9 (4), 232−234. (b) The Vinyl Type Polymers. Chem. Eng. News 1953, 31 (44), 4516−4520. (c) Davenport, M. A Safer, Swallowable Polymer. Chem. Eng. News Archive 2015, 93 (33), 9. (d) Waldron, C. J.; Poisal, J. A. MCBS Highlights: Five Most Commonly Used Types of Pharmaceuticals. Health Care Financ. Rev. 1999, 20 (3), 119−123.
(d) Brand, B. R.; Glasson, G. E. Crossing cultural borders into science teaching: Early life experiences, racial and ethnic identities, and beliefs about diversity. J. Res. Sci. Teach. 2004, 41 (2), 119−141. (e) Gay, G. Teaching to and through cultural diversity. Curric. Inquiry 2013, 43 (1), 48−70. (f) Widener, A. Few gains for minority faculty. C&EN Global Enterprise 2017, 95 (44), 18−20. (g) Widener, A. Cultural connection important for retaining minority science students. C&EN Global Enterprise 2016, 94 (34), 17. (h) Jackson, M. C.; Galvez, G.; Landa, I.; Buonora, P.; Thoman, D. B. Science That Matters: The Importance of a Cultural Connection in Underrepresented Students’ Science Pursuit. CBELife Sci. Educ. 2016, 15 (3), ar42. (11) (a) Wells, A. S.; Fox, L.; Cordova-Cobo, D. How Racially Diverse Schools and Classrooms Can Benefit All Students; The Century Foundation, 2016. https://tcf.org/content/report/how-raciallydiverse-schools-and-classrooms-can-benefit-all-students (accessed May 22, 2019). (b) Bollinger, L. C. The Need for Diversity in Higher Education. Acad. Med. 2003, 78 (5), 431−436. (c) Ortiz, A. M. The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions 51(1), 68−71. Retrieved June 17, 2018, from Project MUSE database. J. Gen. Educ. 2002, 51 (1), 68−71. (d) Chang, M. J. Preservation or Transformation: Where’s the Real Educational Discourse on Diversity? Rev. Higher Educ. 2002, 25 (2), 125−140. (e) Gurin, P.; Dey, E. L.; Hurtado, S.; Gurin, G. Diversity and Higher Education: Theory and Impact on Educational Outcomes. Havard Educ. Rev. 2002, 72, 330−366. (f) Milem, J. The educational benefits of diversity: Evidence from multiple sectors. In Compelling Interest: Examining the Evidence on Racial Dynamics in Colleges and Universities; Chang, M. J., Witt, D., Jone, J., Hakuta, K., Eds.; Stanford University Press: Stanford, CA, 2003; pp 126−169. (g) Chang, M. J. Does Racial Diversity Matter?: The Educational Impact of a Racially Diverse Undergraduate Population. J. Coll. Stud. Dev. 1999, 4, 377−395. (12) (a) Antonio, A. L.; Chang, M. J.; Hakuta, K.; Kenny, D. A.; Levin, S.; Milem, J. F. Effects of Racial Diversity on Complex Thinking in College Students. Psychol. Sci. 2004, 15 (8), 507−510. (b) Deo, M. E. The Promise of Grutter: Diverse Interactions at the University of Michigan Law School. Michigan J. Race Law 2011, 17 (1), 63−118. (c) Smith, D. G.; Gerbick, G. L.; Figueroa, M. A.; Watkins, G. H.; Levitan, T.; Moore, L. C.; Merchant, P. A.; Beliak, H. D.; Figueroa, B. Diversity Works: The Emerging Picture of How Students Benefit; Association of American Colleges and Universities: Washington, DC, 1997. (d) Phillips, K. W. How diversity works. Sci. Am. 2014, 311 (4), 42−47. (e) Blimling, G. S. Diversity makes you smarter. J. Coll. Stud. Dev. 2001, 42 (6), 517−519. (13) (a) Richeson, J. A.; Trawalter, S.; Shelton, J. N. Shelton, African Americans’ Implicit Racial Attitudes and the Depletion of Executive Function After Interracial Interactions. Soc. Cognit. 2005, 23 (4), 336−352. (b) Sommers, S. R.; Warp, L. S.; Mahoney, C. C. Cognitive effects of racial diversity: White individuals’ information processing in heterogeneous groups. J. Exp. Soc. Psychol. 2008, 44 (4), 1129−1136. (c) Pitt, R. N.; Packard, J. Activating Diversity: The Impact of Student Race on Contributions to Course Discussions. Sociol. Q. 2012, 53 (2), 295−320. (14) Albert, J.; Anderson, M.; Anderson, M.; Austin, D.; Barrett, M.; Benedik, S.; Bewley, A.; Brown, K.; Caraway, J.; Das, N.; Denton, G.; Duffield, P.; Fawaz, A.; Followell, J.; Green, J.; Hester, A.; Kenny, H.; Miller, L.; Milligan, N.; Smith, S.; Stipp, T.; Trant, J.; Vasquez, N.; Waugh, K.; Nawarathne, N. Introducing Diversity Through an Organic Approach. Proceedings of the Global Conference on Education and Research (GLOCER), Sarasota, FL, May 22−25, 2017; James, W. B., Cobanoglu, C., Eds.; ANAHEI Publishing, 2017; pp 173−175. (15) (a) Lasorsa, D. L. Diversity in mass communication theory courses. Journalism Mass Commun. Educ. 2002, 57 (3), 244−259. (b) Deruy, E. The Complicated Process of Adding Diversity to the College Syllabus. The Atlantic, July 29, 2016. (16) (a) Parsons, C. J.; Salaita, M. K.; Hughes, C. H.; Lynn, D. G.; Fristoe, A.; Fristoe, A.; Grover, M. A. Group Intelligence: An Active Learning Exploration of Diversity in Evolution. J. Chem. Educ. 2017, 94 (6), 717−721. (b) Banks, J. A. Multiethnic education: Theory and H
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.8b00646 J. Chem. Educ. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX
