Minimal Impact of Organic Chemistry Prerequisite on Student Performance in Introductory Biochemistry

Autor/inn/en	Wright, Robin; Cotner, Sehoya; Winkel, Amy
Titel	Minimal Impact of Organic Chemistry Prerequisite on Student Performance in Introductory Biochemistry
Quelle	In: CBE - Life Sciences Education, 8 (2009) 1, S.44-54 (11 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1931-7913
DOI	10.1187/cbe.07-10-0093
Schlagwörter	Curriculum Design; Grade Point Average; Prerequisites; Organic Chemistry; Biochemistry; Introductory Courses; Required Courses; Science Achievement; Undergraduate Students; College Science; Science Instruction; Minnesota + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Lehrplangestaltung; Voraussetzung; Organische Chemie; Biochemie; Einführungskurs; Pflichtkurs; Teaching of science; Science education; Natural sciences Lessons; Naturwissenschaftlicher Unterricht
Abstract	Curriculum design assumes that successful completion of prerequisite courses will have a positive impact on student performance in courses that require the prerequisite. We recently had the opportunity to test this assumption concerning the relationship between completion of the organic chemistry prerequisite and performance in introductory biochemistry. We found no statistically significant differences between average biochemistry grades or grade distribution among students with or without the organic chemistry prerequisite. However, students who had not completed the organic chemistry prerequisite before biochemistry were more likely to withdraw from the course than those who had completed the prerequisite. In contrast to the lack of correlation between performance in biochemistry and completion of organic chemistry, we observed a strong, highly significant positive relationship between cumulative GPA and the biochemistry grade. Our data suggest that excluding students without organic chemistry would have less positive impact on student success in biochemistry than would providing additional support for all students who enroll in biochemistry with a cumulative GPA below 2.5. (Contains 3 tables and 8 figures.) (As Provided).
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Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10