Utilizing active learning strategies to enhance learning in first year University Chemistry courses

Teaching chemistry to non-science majors can be a challenge in higher education owing to students’ perceptions of the subject’s difficulty, and of its usefulness. In order to address these challenges, the authors applied active learning techniques in a first year free-elective general chemistry course for non-science students at the American University of Sharjah. These techniques included group work activities, student-led discussions, and problem solving sessions. The students were surveyed at the end of the course to assess their perceptions of the usefulness of the techniques used in class, and their overall impressions were that the activities were useful for them and helped them to better understand the subject.