fundamental NMR spectroscopy concepts. Thus, students
who rely on algorithmic strategies to solve these types of
problems are often unsuccessful.16 Bodner identified successful
spectroscopy problem solvers as those students who adopted
more consistent approaches, which involved drawing molecular
fragments as they worked, more efficiently mining spectral data,
and checking their final answer against the spectra provided.16
Providing students with activities and learning strategies that
promote alternatives to rote memorization and algorithmic
heuristics11 is expected to help them develop more meaningful
problem solving skills.
Numerous studies have praised student-centered, cooperative
learning in which the course instructor plays the part of a
discussion facilitator.18−22 In this format, students tend to
engage in higher-order thinking, which promotes active
learning in the discussion space and results in higher student
satisfaction.23−26 Slavin defined cooperative learning as (ref 23,
p 160):
A set of educational strategies in which students work
together in small groups to help each other learn academic
content.
Cooperative learning is an instructional strategy that is
shown to improve students’ problem solving ability. Towns
reported that students who participate in cooperative learning