Continuous Feedback at Scale: Closing the Instruction–Response–Feedback Loop in a Large Physical Chemistry Laboratory Course

The classical structure of physical chemistry laboratory courses often relies on delayed, report- based assessment, which can hinder conceptual understanding and student engagement, particularly in large classes. In this study, we report the redesign of an undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory course aimed at closing the Instruction–Response–Feedback (I–R–F) loop through a scalable systematic implementation of continuous and structured feedback mechanisms. The course was offered to two cohorts of approximately 50 students each, one during the daytime and one during the evening, demonstrating the scalability of the approach. Key elements included short post-laboratory assessments, weekly collective discussion sessions, and a final project in which students designed their own experimental scripts. Student self-assessment surveys and qualitative feedback collected at the beginning and end of the course indicate improvements in engagement, conceptual understanding, and perceived learning. The results show that effective closure of the feedback loop is feasible even in large laboratory classes and can significantly enhance the educational value of experimental physical chemistry courses.

Reference

Matheus Wenzl Fernandes Martins, Elaine Andrade de Mattos, Leticia Almeida Souza, Danilo Silva Oliveira, Paulo Marques de Oliveira Filho, Rodrigo Iost Michellin, Vitor Leite Martins, and Thiago C. Correra, ChemRxiv, doi.org/10.26434/chemrxiv.15001763/v1