ConfChem Conference on Flipped Classroom: Improving Student Engagement in Organic Chemistry Using the Inverted Classroom Model

Improving student engagement in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses generally, and organic chemistry specifically, has long been a goal for educators. Recently educators at all academic levels have been exploring the “inverted classroom” or “flipped classroom” pedagogical model for improving student engagement in subjects spanning the fields from liberal arts to business studies to science and technology. This learner-centered pedagogy, in which course content is delivered outside the classroom, allows class time to be more productively used for higher-level engaging activities, such as collaborative and problem-based learning through instructor-led applications of the material delivered outside of class. The techniques used and the technology employed to deliver an inverted two-semester organic chemistry classroom at Rowan College at Gloucester County along with preliminary student performance data versus the traditional lecture classroom format are presented. This communication summarizes one of the invited papers to the ConfChem online conference Flipped Classroom, held from May 9 to June 12, 2014, and hosted by the ACS DivCHED Committee on Computers in Chemical Education (CCCE).