Motivation and Sense of Belonging in the Large Enrollment Introductory General and Organic Chemistry Remote Courses

Prof. Cox’s research interest lie within the field of chemical education and focus predominantly upon general and organic chemistry. The first area of interest analyzes the longitudinal progression of students across the two year sequence and beyond. Specific research questions have probed central topics such as acid-base chemistry, thermodynamics, and kinetics to analyze alternate conceptions and challenges students face in general chemistry and how those challenges translate and impact performance in organic chemistry and beyond. The central goal is to identify deficiencies across the curriculum to inform evidence-based teaching practices in general chemistry. The second area of interest in the longitudinal study focuses upon safety training and students’ understanding not only of the policies but their abilities to recognize and address safety hazards. This research analyzes the safety training protocols from high school to industry. The central question focuses upon identifying the best practices for teaching and training students with respect to chemical safety. Finally, a recent project is in works to analyze practices for developing inclusive classrooms in chemistry with a specific interest in how can we better design course materials and formative assessments.