Teaching Organic Chemistry at the American University of Beirut Through the COVID-19 Pandemic

Bilal R. Kaafarani

doi:doi:10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11

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Teaching Organic Chemistry at the American University of Beirut Through the COVID-19 Pandemic

Bilal R. Kaafarani

Published in Science Journal of Education (Volume 8, Issue 6)

Received: 22 September 2020 Accepted: 9 October 2020 Published: 11 November 2020

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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has single-handedly overturned a traditional lecture-based educational system at universities on a global scale. The required abrupt move to an online platform for education has caused tremendous challenges for educational systems in general and specifically also in the chemical sciences. In Lebanon particularly, the COVID-19 pandemic raked havoc on a country entrenched in popular uprising and riddled by an economic collapse observing unprecedented devaluation of the national currency. In this situation, the move to online education had caused tremendous stress and burden for faculty and students raising the need to develop mitigation strategies by embracing reduction in material and a careful consideration of students’ mental health. This commentary presents the author’s experience of delivering undergraduate Organic Chemistry courses at the American University of Beirut (AUB) through the COVID-19 pandemic, during the spring and summer 2020 semesters. While the author’s pre-recorded lectures of Organic Chemistry I were vital to the online delivery of course material, this commentary particularly highlights the inclusion of supplementary online assignments that include: videos to illustrate a covered organic chemistry concept, instructional videos to explain a multiple choice question (MCQ) of their creation, a cartoon to exemplify an organic chemistry concept, a cartoon to reflect on studying organic chemistry during the COVID-19 pandemic and a group assignment that allowed students to assume social responsibility.

Published in	Science Journal of Education (Volume 8, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11
Page(s)	133-138
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2020. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

COVID-19 Pandemic, Organic Chemistry, Online Assignments, Cartoons, Transformative Education

References

[1]	Danjou, P.-E. Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 3168.
[2]	Fung, F. M.; Lam, Y. Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 2573.
[3]	Healy, E. F.; Blade, G. Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 3163.
[4]	Goodman, A. L. Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 3441.
[5]	Fontana, M. T. Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 3358.
[6]	Clark, T. M.; Callam, C. S.; Paul, N. M.; Stoltzfus, M. W.; Turner, D. Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 3413.
[7]	Crucho, C. I. C.; Avo, J.; Diniz, A. M.; Gomes, M. J. S. Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 3211.
[8]	Milligan, J. A. Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 3206.
[9]	Burnett, J. W.; Burke, K. A.; Stephens, N. M.; Bose, I.; Bonaccorsi, C.; Wade, A. M.; Awino, J. K. Journal of Chemical Education 2020, 2793.
[10]	Guglielmi, G. Nature 2020.
[11]	Khoury, P.; Azar, E.; Hitti, E. JAMA 2020, 324, 548.
[12]	Author's YouTube Channel: YouTube.com/bilalrkaafarani (accessed September 2020).
[13]	Achi, D. E.; Halabi, N. M.; Kaafarani, B. R. Science Journal of Education 2019, 7, 107.
[14]	Video of the chirality concept covered by Zeina Al-Khalil. https://youtu.be/hx1-CU6fm_s (accessed September 2020).
[15]	Video of a song by Amir Jaber Chehayeb covering IUPAC naming of alkanes. https://youtu.be/NErZ5JyAhdA (accessed September 2020).
[16]	Video of a song by Joanne Rita El- Haddad covering absolute configuration. https://youtu.be/5G0Z8rT5LE8 (accessed September 2020).
[17]	Roesky, H. W.; Kennepohl, D. Journal of Chemical Education 2008, 85, 1355.
[18]	Anon Science 2001, 292, 2223.
[19]	A comic collaboration between C&EN and ChemScrapes cartoonist Brendan Burket, thttps://cen.acs.org/sections/sketch-chemistry.html (accessed September 2020).
[20]	Video of selected cartoons illustrating organic chemistry I concepts covered in the Organic Chemistry I course at AUB through the COVID-19 pandemic during the spring 2020 semester. https://youtu.be/tmcQ-XLUVY4 (accessed September 2020).
[21]	Video of selected cartoons illustrating studying organic chemistry at AUB through the COVID-19 pandemic during the spring 2020 semester. https://youtu.be/NZhyW4CpjIM (accessed September 2020).
[22]	Elmer, T.; Mepham, K.; Stadtfeld, C. PLOS ONE 2020, 15, e0236337.
[23]	Group 1 video: https://youtu.be/pFA7HD2Gfc4. Group 2 video: https://youtu.be/R5FGa_Qlo1w. Group 3 video: https://youtu.be/fzDnKQgW1NY. Group 4 video: https://youtu.be/fSDpxa2vaLU (accessed September 2020).
[24]	Pienta, N. J. Journal of Chemical Education 2019, 96, 1053.

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APA Style

Bilal R. Kaafarani. (2020). Teaching Organic Chemistry at the American University of Beirut Through the COVID-19 Pandemic. Science Journal of Education, 8(6), 133-138. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11

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ACS Style

Bilal R. Kaafarani. Teaching Organic Chemistry at the American University of Beirut Through the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sci. J. Educ. 2020, 8(6), 133-138. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11

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AMA Style

Bilal R. Kaafarani. Teaching Organic Chemistry at the American University of Beirut Through the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sci J Educ. 2020;8(6):133-138. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11

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@article{10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11,
  author = {Bilal R. Kaafarani},
  title = {Teaching Organic Chemistry at the American University of Beirut Through the COVID-19 Pandemic},
  journal = {Science Journal of Education},
  volume = {8},
  number = {6},
  pages = {133-138},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjedu.20200806.11},
  abstract = {The COVID-19 pandemic has single-handedly overturned a traditional lecture-based educational system at universities on a global scale. The required abrupt move to an online platform for education has caused tremendous challenges for educational systems in general and specifically also in the chemical sciences. In Lebanon particularly, the COVID-19 pandemic raked havoc on a country entrenched in popular uprising and riddled by an economic collapse observing unprecedented devaluation of the national currency. In this situation, the move to online education had caused tremendous stress and burden for faculty and students raising the need to develop mitigation strategies by embracing reduction in material and a careful consideration of students’ mental health. This commentary presents the author’s experience of delivering undergraduate Organic Chemistry courses at the American University of Beirut (AUB) through the COVID-19 pandemic, during the spring and summer 2020 semesters. While the author’s pre-recorded lectures of Organic Chemistry I were vital to the online delivery of course material, this commentary particularly highlights the inclusion of supplementary online assignments that include: videos to illustrate a covered organic chemistry concept, instructional videos to explain a multiple choice question (MCQ) of their creation, a cartoon to exemplify an organic chemistry concept, a cartoon to reflect on studying organic chemistry during the COVID-19 pandemic and a group assignment that allowed students to assume social responsibility.},
 year = {2020}
}

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T1  - Teaching Organic Chemistry at the American University of Beirut Through the COVID-19 Pandemic
AU  - Bilal R. Kaafarani
Y1  - 2020/11/11
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N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11
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AB  - The COVID-19 pandemic has single-handedly overturned a traditional lecture-based educational system at universities on a global scale. The required abrupt move to an online platform for education has caused tremendous challenges for educational systems in general and specifically also in the chemical sciences. In Lebanon particularly, the COVID-19 pandemic raked havoc on a country entrenched in popular uprising and riddled by an economic collapse observing unprecedented devaluation of the national currency. In this situation, the move to online education had caused tremendous stress and burden for faculty and students raising the need to develop mitigation strategies by embracing reduction in material and a careful consideration of students’ mental health. This commentary presents the author’s experience of delivering undergraduate Organic Chemistry courses at the American University of Beirut (AUB) through the COVID-19 pandemic, during the spring and summer 2020 semesters. While the author’s pre-recorded lectures of Organic Chemistry I were vital to the online delivery of course material, this commentary particularly highlights the inclusion of supplementary online assignments that include: videos to illustrate a covered organic chemistry concept, instructional videos to explain a multiple choice question (MCQ) of their creation, a cartoon to exemplify an organic chemistry concept, a cartoon to reflect on studying organic chemistry during the COVID-19 pandemic and a group assignment that allowed students to assume social responsibility.
VL  - 8
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Author Information

Bilal R. Kaafarani

Department of Chemistry, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Bilal R. Kaafarani. (2020). Teaching Organic Chemistry at the American University of Beirut Through the COVID-19 Pandemic. Science Journal of Education, 8(6), 133-138. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11

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ACS Style

Bilal R. Kaafarani. Teaching Organic Chemistry at the American University of Beirut Through the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sci. J. Educ. 2020, 8(6), 133-138. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11

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AMA Style

Bilal R. Kaafarani. Teaching Organic Chemistry at the American University of Beirut Through the COVID-19 Pandemic. Sci J Educ. 2020;8(6):133-138. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11

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@article{10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11,
  author = {Bilal R. Kaafarani},
  title = {Teaching Organic Chemistry at the American University of Beirut Through the COVID-19 Pandemic},
  journal = {Science Journal of Education},
  volume = {8},
  number = {6},
  pages = {133-138},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjedu.20200806.11},
  abstract = {The COVID-19 pandemic has single-handedly overturned a traditional lecture-based educational system at universities on a global scale. The required abrupt move to an online platform for education has caused tremendous challenges for educational systems in general and specifically also in the chemical sciences. In Lebanon particularly, the COVID-19 pandemic raked havoc on a country entrenched in popular uprising and riddled by an economic collapse observing unprecedented devaluation of the national currency. In this situation, the move to online education had caused tremendous stress and burden for faculty and students raising the need to develop mitigation strategies by embracing reduction in material and a careful consideration of students’ mental health. This commentary presents the author’s experience of delivering undergraduate Organic Chemistry courses at the American University of Beirut (AUB) through the COVID-19 pandemic, during the spring and summer 2020 semesters. While the author’s pre-recorded lectures of Organic Chemistry I were vital to the online delivery of course material, this commentary particularly highlights the inclusion of supplementary online assignments that include: videos to illustrate a covered organic chemistry concept, instructional videos to explain a multiple choice question (MCQ) of their creation, a cartoon to exemplify an organic chemistry concept, a cartoon to reflect on studying organic chemistry during the COVID-19 pandemic and a group assignment that allowed students to assume social responsibility.},
 year = {2020}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Teaching Organic Chemistry at the American University of Beirut Through the COVID-19 Pandemic
AU  - Bilal R. Kaafarani
Y1  - 2020/11/11
PY  - 2020
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11
T2  - Science Journal of Education
JF  - Science Journal of Education
JO  - Science Journal of Education
SP  - 133
EP  - 138
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2329-0897
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20200806.11
AB  - The COVID-19 pandemic has single-handedly overturned a traditional lecture-based educational system at universities on a global scale. The required abrupt move to an online platform for education has caused tremendous challenges for educational systems in general and specifically also in the chemical sciences. In Lebanon particularly, the COVID-19 pandemic raked havoc on a country entrenched in popular uprising and riddled by an economic collapse observing unprecedented devaluation of the national currency. In this situation, the move to online education had caused tremendous stress and burden for faculty and students raising the need to develop mitigation strategies by embracing reduction in material and a careful consideration of students’ mental health. This commentary presents the author’s experience of delivering undergraduate Organic Chemistry courses at the American University of Beirut (AUB) through the COVID-19 pandemic, during the spring and summer 2020 semesters. While the author’s pre-recorded lectures of Organic Chemistry I were vital to the online delivery of course material, this commentary particularly highlights the inclusion of supplementary online assignments that include: videos to illustrate a covered organic chemistry concept, instructional videos to explain a multiple choice question (MCQ) of their creation, a cartoon to exemplify an organic chemistry concept, a cartoon to reflect on studying organic chemistry during the COVID-19 pandemic and a group assignment that allowed students to assume social responsibility.
VL  - 8
IS  - 6
ER  -

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