Abstract Book of the 9th International Academic Conference on Education
Year: 2025
[PDF]
Teaching General Chemistry in a Diverse Classroom: Strategies from a Decade of Practice at a Minority-Serving Institution
Lei Wang
ABSTRACT:
General Chemistry is a foundational, first-year college course designed to introduce students to the core principles of chemistry. It is commonly required for science majors (such as Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Environmental Science), pre-health students (including pre-medical, pre-dental, and pre-pharmacy), and many engineering majors. As such, it is often one of the largest-enrollment and most academically demanding introductory science courses on a university campus.
Since 2012, I have taught the General Chemistry lecture series annually at Hawai‘i Pacific University (HPU), a private, primarily undergraduate institution located in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. HPU serves approximately 4,000 students with highly diverse backgrounds—not only in ethnicity, but also in life experience. The student population includes a significant number of first-generation college students, military-affiliated learners, student-parents, and individuals balancing academic responsibilities with part-time or full-time employment.
Given this wide range of learner profiles, my central teaching challenge has been: How can we effectively and equitably teach General Chemistry to such a diverse student body? Over the years, I have developed instructional and assessment strategies informed by personal experience, student feedback, and insights from colleagues. In this presentation, I will share methods and practices that have helped me create a more inclusive, responsive, and supportive learning environment in a gateway STEM course.
Keywords: general chemistry, undergraduate, teaching