A Comparison of 2018 vs 2021: “I.C.E. Breakers” Help Improve First-Year BSN Student Responses to a GOB Chemistry for Health Professions Course

Abstract

First-year undergraduate nursing students enrolled in a GOB (general, organic, biological) Chemistry for Health Professions course often exhibit an initial apprehension in their chemical education. Due to students’ varying backgrounds in chemistry, it becomes difficult to engage them in chemistry and gauge their comprehension of lecture concepts. To remedy these concerns, the author has found that a prelude to chemical education in the class—in the form of a joke, pun, meme, or video—has aided in the introduction and review of chapter topics, as well as assuaged the perceived intimidation of chemical education (I.C.E.) for first-year nonmajors. A qualitative survey highlighted the efficacy of “I.C.E. Breakers” as de-stressors and successful learning tools in the GOB Chemistry for Health Professions course offering in this Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) curriculum. A graphical analysis of collected survey data comparing fall 2018 and 2021 semesters highlights first-year BSN students’ feedback by asking them to rank their most difficult first-year science courses. The collective survey data illustrated a marked increase in students’ positive responses to the GOB Chemistry for Health Professions course, in comparison with several other curricular science courses in the 4-year program, following the adoption of lecture I.C.E. Breakers.

Keywords:

• Chemistry
• Health sciences
• Teaching strategies