Case Study: Making Learning Relevant
The Challenge
In many classrooms, chemistry feels indirect and not important outside of completing homework assignments for a grade. Students struggle to see how chemistry shows up in their town and their day.
Project: “Is This Town Toxic?” Digital Exploration
Year: 2023
Audience: Higher education Chemistry students
Role: Lead Learning Designer
Tools: OLI Torus, Google Slides
Team: Melanie Narish; Katy Rico (SME and data); Chris Andert (UI/UX); REAL CHEM SMEs and stakeholders
The Solution
I storyboarded, designed, and built several adaptive lessons for REAL CHEM where learners do more than juggle abstract formulas. In one exploration, the learners choose a county, pull real local data, and apply core chemistry concepts to investigate drinking water risks in their area. The lesson runs in OLI Torus with variables tied to the chosen location and tailored feedback for each path.
Outcome
Several explorations to add interactivity in the REAL CHEM courseware package. Students using the relevant-focused REAL CHEM courseware have shown…
A 17% increase in student retention rates
A 19% increase in midterm scores
Next Steps
Extend accessibility testing and add transcripts for any media
Make the experience more mobile-friendly
Watch It! See a student's perspective on experiencing the exploration.