University Chemistry ›› 2025, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (6): 43-47.doi: 10.12461/PKU.DXHX202407083

Special Issue:

• Study and Reform of Chemical Education • Previous Articles     Next Articles

English Teaching in Organic Chemistry for Chemical Biology Majors: A Nanjing University Experience

Zhen Shen, Yi Wang, Chen Lin, Kin Shing Chan   

  1. School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
  • Received:2024-07-22 Accepted:2024-09-24 Published:2025-06-20
  • Contact: CHEN Jiancheng E-mail:kschan@nju.edu.cn

Abstract: This paper shares our experiences in teaching Organic Chemistry to undergraduate students in the Chemical Biology program at Nanjing University, focusing on four key aspects: (1) Students submit their learning goals and reflections for each lecture using the shared functionality of Tencent Documents; (2) We employ physical organic chemistry principles, incorporating body language, movement, games, and choreography to enhance interactive learning and deepen students’ understanding of organic molecular structures, reactivity, and functions; (3) We include flash presentations in which students express an organic chemistry theme, contributing to their course grades; (4) Students are encouraged to write popular science papers in Chinese on topics related to daily life, current events, or cutting-edge chemistry, which are submitted to the University Chemistry magazine to develop their scientific writing skills.

Key words: English teaching in organic chemistry, Interactive learning, Body language, Flash presentation, Drama