Abstract:

The new Degree in Chemistry, adapted to the European Space for Higher Education, has been introduced in the Faculty of Chemistry of the University Rovira i Virgili this academic year 2009-2010. We have designed and developed several innovation activities for one of the courses of the first year of the Degree called “Chemical Complements” (6 ECTS) in order to achieve more active learning of students, and to favour their continuous evaluation, following the Bologna declaration philosophy.

The contents of the course “Chemical Complements” were adapted from those contained in several courses of the previous Chemistry degree (studies programme of 1992). These contents are related to the chemistry bonding in molecular and non-molecular compounds, as well as the study of their properties. It was organized in 48 hr of theory and 16 hr of problems, gave by 3 teachers with expertise in physical, organic and inorganic chemistry according to its multidisciplinary character. This course had 49 students registered in the academic year 2009-2010.

Moodle platform was used: a) to leave the material used in lectures (theory and problems) with the aim that students can work it before lectures; b) to perform two autoevaluating tests about the contents of the course. Students had five days, one try, and limited time to do it at home or at the computer room in the University; c) to facilitate to the students a series of solved problems for each subject favouring their autonomous work.

Also, we organized one debate to discuss about the benefits and disadvantages of the three main theories that explain the bonding and properties of molecules: Lewis, VSEPR, and molecular orbital theories. Six groups of five students were in charge of prepare a five-minutes Power-Point presentation showing the benefits or disadvantages of one of the three theories. Then, during ten minutes, these groups discussed about the contributions of the other groups to try to refute them while the rest of class thought about questions to ask. After that, half-an hour was dedicated to the free debate between all students. The debate was done in a different classroom that the usually used, and was recorder in video by the Educative Resource Services of our University. One of the students was the moderator of the debate basically to control the times of contributions, and to give the floor to its classmate. Other two students were in charge to write an acta of the debate.

With the financial aid of the University through an innovative teaching project, we bought different ionic crystalline structures models by pieces with the idea that students can assemble them in group working on concepts such as the coordination number or the unity formula number.

With all theses initiatives we pursued that students achieved the competences defined for this course following a more active learning process. The introduction of new more variety activities improved the implication of the students to the course and was considered positive from their point of view, although no better academic results were obtained when compared with the academic results achieved by students of the previous Degree for similar courses without these innovation activities.

Acknowledgments: The authors are grateful for the financial support through an innovative teaching project conceded by the Institute of Education Sciences of the University Rovira i Virgili.

Keywords:

Chemistry, European space for higher education, activities, debate, Moodle.