Chemistry (12). This project is adapting existing guided inquiry based materials for two preparatory courses: one preparatory to general chemistry and the other to allied health chemistry. All work in these guided inquiry courses is being done on Tablet PCs, submitted electronically to the instructors, and assessed using an electronic grading program called FastGrade. This program allows the instructors to grade and provide feedback to each of student groups quickly after each class period. The intellectual merit of this project is in the implementation of Tablet PCs and FastGrade into guided inquiry preparatory chemistry courses and a demonstration that guided inquiry can be used in classes of at least 80 students. Grading rubrics are being established and can transfer to other courses. Formative evaluation is promoting the revision of materials and improvements to the Fast Grade interface. The project is also comparing the success of students taught by guided inquiry with those taught by traditional lecture methods by tracking subsequent enrollments in classes for which these courses were preparatory. The broader impacts of this project include conversion of these preparatory chemistry courses to Tablet PC based guided inquiry as well as additional courses: Chemistry for Allied Health, General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, and Food Chemistry. Faculty members in the department using the Tablet PCs are attending a guided inquiry workshop and a workshop on use of Tablet PCs. Adoption of the FastGrade program is being tracked, both on campus and beyond to determine the impact this program has on the educational community. Workshops on the use of Tablet PCs, guided inquiry and FastGrade are being held on campus and at regional and national meetings.
