Emphasizing Learning: The Impact of Student Surveys in the Reform of an Introductory Chemistry Course

Abstract This article discusses how a chemistry department paired the redesign of a required introductory-level chemistry sequence with assessment that privileged the understanding of how the course was functioning for students. The authors describe the development of this assessment and how results have been used to monitor student experience throughout the semester, inform teaching and curricular reform, reinforce course content for students, and engage students actively in reflecting on their own learning. Results suggest the assessment provided valuable insight into teaching strategies and techniques that improve student experience and engagement as well as future program and course curricula. This redesign serves as a case study showing how just-in-time formative assessment data can be collected in a relatively facile way and how resulting evidence can be used to inform efforts that improve the student experience in a course.