Targeted Inversion of the Tutorials in “Mathematics for Chemists”, A Case Study
Abstract: We present a case study for a new teaching concept mainly characterized by a “targeted inversion” of the tutorials that accompany the lecture in Mathematics for Chemists at TU Berlin. The framework of this new concept is a student reform project funded by TU Berlin, called ‘educationZEN’. Central points of the targeted inversion are: 1. Face-to-face meetings for active calculations where the students directly solve the exercises. 2. Example calculations and basic definitions offered as online videos. 3. A flexible time span to solve the exercises 4. Iterative correction cycles (finally 80 % of the exercises had to be correct for admission to the exam). 5. Peer assessment elements, especially peer marking of a mock exam. The students’ success in the final exam improved significantly. While generally about 50 % of all students failed to pass the final exam, this value dropped to 18 %. The average mark of the students passing the exam improved significantly from 2.7 to 1.7.