The Role of Online Quizzes in Improving Students’ Preparedness for Flipped Classrooms in Gateway Chemistry Courses

High-enrollment, low-division gateway courses historically have a lower rate of student success. Redesigning gateway courses, in favor of evidence-based teaching practices, improves student performance and pass rates. Two versions of General Chemistry I and two versions of General Chemistry II courses (taught by the same instructor) were assessed for student success based on the final course grades. The control sections of the sample design included students enrolled in blended high-structure courses without prerequisite online quizzes as part of pre-class learning (spring 2023 and fall 2023), with an initial population of eighty-eight and fifty-three students, respectively. The experiment sections in current research included students enrolled in two blended high-structure courses with mandatory prerequisite quizzes included in pre-class learning (spring 2024 and fall 2024), with initial populations of sixty-six and seventy-two students, respectively. Both control and experiment sections utilized the flipped classroom teaching methodology. It was shown using the inferential analysis that the improved student learning outcomes in experiment sections versus control sections are attributed to prerequisite online quizzes in the pre-class learning phase due to improved students’ preparedness for the active learning sessions in flipped classroom settings and useful feedback to students about their mastery of learning objectives.