Co-Lab offers a collaborative learning environment to support peer-to-peer success for students in the General Chemistry sequence.
Co-Lab is focused on improving academic achievement for STEM students in CHEM 0110/0120 and CHEM 0960/0970. Through weekly study sessions led by an Undergraduate Learning Guide, students work together to master course content, apply new study strategies to their learning process, and form a supportive group of peers to help you work through rigorous academics.
When you sign up to participate in Co-Lab, you are making a commitment not only to your own success, but the success of your peers. You will be expected to attend every week and actively participate in the study session. It is helpful to make sure you are up to date on course content and putting in the work outside of your weekly sessions to make the most effective use of your time. Weekly sessions will be a time for you to interact with course material in creative ways that help you to develop independent learning skills in a collaborative environment. Activities in Co-Lab sessions will enhance your deeper learning of course content.
- Why join Co-Lab?
By joining a Co-Lab group, you will be investing in your success not just in this course, but in future STEM courses. You will be learning the most effective and efficient strategies for approaching new material and best of all, you’ll be doing it with a community of like-minded peers who will act as an important part of your network for success.
- Who should join Co-Lab?
If you like working with others to solve problems, think through complex topics and gain deeper understanding of the material, Co-Lab is for you! Co-Lab is also great to add dedicated time into your weekly study routine. Students who feel that having a scheduled group study session each week would keep them more accountable to study have appreciated the weekly commitment. Co-Lab is particularly beneficial for students who may feel a bit less confident in chemistry and would benefit from working with others to boost your confidence and Chemistry knowledge. It is a collaboration between your peers and your upperclassmen Learning Guide to help you succeed in Chemistry.
- What might you do in a Co-Lab session?
Below is an example of a Co-Lab session for CHEM 0120. Most include a variety of activities to help you practice current content individually or in small groups. Before exams, you might have a game to review concepts. In the start of the term, you might talk a bit about study skills or note-taking techniques for your course structure. Each week, you will use active study techniques to conquer course content.
Co-Lab CHEM 0120 Week 10:
- Attendance/icebreaker
- Present the learning objective
- [individual] fill in the blank warm up questions
- [in pairs] illustrate a galvanic cell
- [in groups] compare and contrast galvanic and electrolytic cells with a Venn diagram
- [in groups] practice problems from LibreTexts and OpenStax
- Wrap up/questions
- Sounds like a great fit for me! How can I join Co-Lab?
Emails are sent in the second week of the term with a link to register. Groups fill on a first come, first serve basis. When you fill out the registration form, make sure to mark all of the group times that could fit your schedule to give you the best opportunity to be placed in a group. If you are not placed in a group when you sign up, you will be placed on a wait list and notified if/when a spot opens up in a group that fits your schedule. If you are placed on the wait list, consider other support resources available such as peer tutoring and your professor or TA's office hours.
