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This paper presents a longitudinal design-based research study where a university organic chemistry course has changed teaching and learning focus, from more conventional teaching into flipped teaching. Engineering students have been followed with surveys, observations, interviews and analysis of how the teaching material was used; results on students’ perceived interest and value are discussed. The project shows that flipped learning with peer instruction is an applicable way to increase students’ interest in organic chemistry and perceived value of the problem-solving process and peer instruction when learning chemistry. Moreover, the paper also discusses the design-based aspect, and how researchers and practitioners can collaborate to develop university teaching with an aim to enhance students’ higher-order thinking and deep learning.

University chemistry courses have for a long time had a similar conventional approach to teaching, with chem- istry professors lecturing in a traditional manner. Today, flipped learning approaches have found their ways into higher education with positive results. In particular, US innovations in this area have made positive im- pressions on Swedish university chemistry educators, resulting in an interest and curiosity in integrating a flipped model into the course curricula. The rationale behind flipped learning is to incorporate an active learn- ing approach into lecture, thereby increasing both student engagement and learning outcomes. In this paper, an implementation project where an organic chemistry course has changed focus from traditional teaching to flipped learning, will be presented. The focus in this mixed-methods study will be on students’ cognitive and affective responses when meeting a new teaching and learning approach. Through following a project where a conventional approach to an organic chemistry course is changed into a more student-active focus, we elaborate on implications for course development of chemistry curricula.

In this paper, the roles of digital technologies as Virtual Reality (VR), and Augmented Reality (AR), are discussed to explore how biotechnology engineering students develop their spatial ability in organic chemistry. We have, through stereochemistry workshops, followed how students, in specific, visualise and rotate molecular representations and how the use of digital tools influences the students’ interest.

Flipped learning approaches have emerged since the beginning of the 21st century to make students’ learning environments more active and thereby improve learning outcomes as well as student engagement [1]. In the US, several flipped projects have focused on university chemistry courses, normally the student groups are large, from hundreds up to thousands of students [2], while some research also is found on smaller groups [3]. Here we study an organic chemistry university course both quantitatively and qualitatively during two years when changing from a more traditional teaching method to a new pedagogical approach (i.e., flipped learning), for empirical data see Table 1. In Sweden, flipped learning approaches are uncommon compared to the US and a Swedish university chemistry department had intentions improve students’ learning outcomes and increase students’ engagement in chemistry. The organic course has been perceived difficult and, according to previous course evaluations, also been ascribed as having bad quality in general. Therefore, a change was requested both from students and teachers.

From the empirical data we will elaborate on students’ opinions when meeting a new teaching and learning approach. Students’ challenges with the organic chemistry course are discussed relating to their opinions about chemistry in general and flipped learning in specific. How students used the different learning material and how they made use of each other through peer interaction when solving problems in class will be discussed according to both constructivist and socio-cultural perspectives. Furthermore, students’ own perception of how they used the course material related to an exact analysis of how the material actually was adapted will be presented together to explore how flipped learning have been applied within the course.

Graphite oxides synthesized by one and two step Brodie oxidation (BGO) and Hummers (HGO) methods were analyzed by a variety of characterization methods in order to evaluate the reasons behind the difference in their properties. It is found that the Brodie method results in a higher relative amount of hydroxyl groups and a more homogeneous overall distribution of functional groups over the planar surface of the graphene oxide flakes. The higher number of carbonyl and carboxyl groups in HGO, detected by several methods, including XPS, NMR and FTIR, unavoidably results in defects of the graphene "skeleton", holes and overall disruption of the carbon-carbon bond network, stronger deviation from planar flake shape and poor ordering of the graphene oxide layers. It is also suggested that functional groups in HGO are less homogeneously distributed over the flake surface, forming some nanometer-sized graphene areas. The presence of differently oxidized areas on the GO surface results in inhomogeneous solvation and hydration of HGO and effects of inter- and intra-stratification. The proposed interpretation of the data explains the higher mechanical strength of multi-layered BGO membranes/papers, which are also less affected by humidity changes, thus providing an example of a membrane property superior to that of HGO.

University chemistry courses have for a long time had a similar approach to teaching, with chemistry professors lecturing in a traditional manner. Today, flipped learning approaches have found their ways into higher education and positive results from for example the US have been spread and made Swedish university chemistry teachers interested and curious to develop their courses. The rationale of flipped learning is to incorporate an active learning approach in the lecture halls and thereby hopefully both increase student engagement and learning outcomes. In this study, an implementation project where an organic chemistry course has changed focus from traditional teaching to flipped learning will be presented. The focus will be on students’ experiences when meeting a new teaching and learning approach. 

University chemistry courses have had a similar approach to teaching for a long time, with chemistry professors lecturing in a traditional manner. Today, flipped learning approaches have found their ways into higher education and positive results from for example the US have been spread and made Swedish university chemistry teachers interested and curious to develop their courses. The rationale of flipped learning is to incorporate an active learning approach in the lecture halls and thereby hopefully both increase student engagement and learning outcomes. In this presentation, an implementation project where an organic chemistry course has changed focus from traditional teaching to flipped learning will be presented.