| Students taking General chemistry at the University of Florida are either well-prepared or under-prepared. To meet the needs of the under-prepared students, an introductory course (CHM 1025) was developed. An accurate method of placement into CHM 1025 or the mainstream course (CHM 2045) was needed. The Chemistry Readiness Assessment Exam was written and tested and students are advised to take either course based upon their scores. The accuracy of the cutoff scores was examined, with the minimum passing chemistry score lowered to six correct out of 18, and the math score raised to six correct out of eight.; Collaborative problem-solving sessions were held during every CHM 1025 class. These sessions were shown to increase student achievement in CHM 1025. Group placement was also shown to have an effect on student achievement in the course. Students placed randomly into collaborative groups had the highest average GPA, while students placed by achievement had the lowest average GPA.; The efficacy of CHM 1025 was examined to determine if the students who required the course do as well in CHM 2045 as those students who did not need it. Students who had taken CHM 1025 had a higher GPA in CHM 2045 than the students who went directly into CHM 2045.; Students in the spring semester of 2004 took collaborative exams. Achievement levels of students who had collaborative exams were compared to students who took traditional exams to determine if collaborative testing had an effect on student achievement and retention in CHM 1025. There was no significant difference in achievement although the collaborative exams were harder. Percentages of students taking each exam were also compared, with more students taking the collaborative exams.; Finally, undergraduate students called peer mentors, who had taken CHM 1025, were recruited to assist with the course. Mentors helped CHM 1025 students with the collaborative problems. The mentors' presence helped lower students' withdrawal rates in the class. The mentors also benefited from the program, as evidenced by their higher GPA in CHM 2045. |
