Summer PD Series - Study Habits in Post-Secondary General Chemistry with the COVID Cohort

General chemistry during the 2021-2022 academic year was an interesting and challenging time for post-secondary freshmen and sophomores. Many students had not had in-person classes for the last 12 months or more of their secondary or prior post-secondary education, which resulted in missed opportunities for developing studying and exam-taking skills critical for their success in the college classroom. Through a series of completely anonymous and voluntary pre- and post-exam surveys given over the course of the semester, student study habits and feedback about changes made throughout the duration of the course were collected and analyzed. This open feedback allows the instructor to adjust to student needs in real-time and focus efforts on the tools students are finding most helpful while also serving as a periodic reminder to the students of the types of support available to aid in success.

Presenter Bio:

Ashley S. McNeill (she/her pronouns) is an assistant professor of chemistry and the director of pre-health professions advising for Springfield College in Springfield, MA, where she spends her days teaching chemistry survey, general chemistry, and (occasionally) analytical chemistry to droves of future health professionals, none of whom are chemistry majors. Her research background is in computational physical chemistry, meaning that she prefers her chemistry virtual rather than on a bench.