Collison, C. G., Kim, T., Cody, J., Anderson, J., Edelbach, B., Marmor, W., 鈥� Niziol, J. (2018). Transforming the Organic Chemistry Lab Experience: Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Reformed Experimental Activities--REActivities. Journal of Chemical Education, 95(1), 55鈥�61.
This example describes the conversion of a traditional organic laboratory by one infused with aspects of guided-inquiry using a structured teaching method (REActivities). The authors comprise a large collaboration among Chemistry professors from the Rochester Institute of Technology and Monroe Community College in New York State, USA. The method is described in the context of a curriculum example. Essentially, it involves linking lecture and lab material, using a communal pool of compounds, repeated techniques, and the requirement for students to use previous notebook entries. It excludes any pre-lab lecture by the instructor but rather incorporates contextually timed student partner work and reflection prompts in a student workbook. Evaluation comparing REActivities with expository delivery uses a teaching observation protocol correlated between different instructors and different institutions. Scores were appreciably higher for the REActivities method and fidelity of implementation was established.