A Post-Class Question Strategy That Provides Feedback and Connects In-and Out-of-Class Learning

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by awa

An instructional method is presented for large introductory organic chemistry courses that uses online, post-class questions to shape the next class. Student responses are reviewed before the following session to guide lesson design and learning activities. The approach aims to deliver prompt, regular, and relevant feedback, strengthen the value of time on task, and connect learning inside and outside the classroom. Formative project evaluation and preliminary educational evaluation results are reported.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryExam

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Background

Description of the Method

27 A Post-Class Question Strategy That Provides Feedback and Connects In-and Out-of-Class Learning Alison B. Flynn University of Ottawa An instructional method is described that was used in a large, introductory organic chemistry course to ask online, post-class questions and to use the students’ answers to design the lesson and learning activities for the following class. Additional goals of this method were to provide relevant, regular, and promptfeedback to students and the instructor, to emphasize the value of time on task (i.e., that learning takes time) and to connect in-and out-of-class learning. Herein, the results of formative project evaluation and preliminary results of an educational evaluation of the method are also described. Introduction M anyengastrgeaguieds haentsvbneleanrgdeevcellopasseesd to(Baoecthivmellyer & Smith, 2006; Caldwell, 2007; Cameron, 1999; Clouston & Kleinman, 1999; Cutts, Kennedy, Mitchell, & Draper, 2004; Harley, Maher, Henke,& Lawrence, 2003; Harpp, 1994; Lyon & Lagowski, 2008; Rutherford, 2004); however, it remains challenging to provide students with relevant, individualized feedback, to emphasize the value of time on task (Chickering & Gamson, 1987), and to connect in-and out-of-class learning. Recently, online organic chemistry homework programs (ACE Organic: Achieving Chemical Excellence; Connect: Teaching and Learning Program; OWL: Online Web Learning; Reaction Explorer: Organic Chemistry Tutorials; WileyPlus: Courses in Organic Chemistry) have been developed that provide some important advantages over other homework software. The programs have questions that ask students to draw their own answers (molecules), which provides a valuable addition to multiple choice, matching, ranking, and numeric questions. The software is capable of molecular recognition (i.e., of recognizing the molecule that the student has drawn and comparing it to the correct answer), which allows the program to give tailored feedback that is based on the student’s own answer. Using the gradebook, the instructor can review the answers provided by each student, thereby obtaining information with respect to the students’ level of understanding. Even though I assigned weekly quizzes from one of the aforementioned homework programs (ACE Organic: Achieving Chemical Excellence) and reviewed the more difficult questions in class, I felt that the quizzes were somewhat disconnected from the in-class work. This disconnection was especially evident when the difficult questions were reviewed long (up to two weeks) after the topic had been covered in class. Furthermore, and not surprisingly, discussion forum statistics (where students asked many quiz-related questions) peaked in the hours before the quiz was due. This surge in participation suggested that students were not reviewing the concepts discussed in-class immediately following the class, which would be ideal to cement their learning (Chickering & Gamson, 1987) . To address these concerns, I developed a post-class question method with the intent of satisfying the following objectives: 1) to encourage students to spend time on task; 2) to connect in-and out-of-class learning; 3) to provide prompt, regular, and relevant feedback to the students; and 4) to provide feedback to the instructor. This method is based on scaffolding learning theory, which involves supporting students through the learning process by appropriately sequencing content, tasks, and teacher and peer support until students can apply new skills and strategies independently (Larkin, 2002) . Herein, I have described the method and the initial results of the evaluation of the method’s effectiveness. Background The courses described herein, Organic Chemistry I and Organic Chemistry II, are large (250-420 students per section), first-and second-year organic chemistry courses at the University of Ottawa. They are generally considered to be challenging courses. Approximately 67% of stud

FAQs

What problem does the post-class question method address?

It addresses the challenge of providing relevant, individualized feedback and the difficulty of connecting learning in class with learning outside class, especially when support is delayed.

How are student answers used to design the next class?

Answers are reviewed prior to the following class, and the first segment of the next session is designed based on whether most students answered correctly or struggled.

What is the purpose of scaffolding in this method?

Scaffolding supports students through learning by sequencing content, tasks, and teacher/peer support until students can apply new skills independently.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by awa