Innovative online learning support: OWLv2 as a resource for student learning

As CSU continues to push for more genuine online learning, rather than merely print resources on line,academics need to provide more engaging resources to help their students learn subject materials. First year chemistry worldwide is a content and concept rich experience for students. Multiplying the challenges students face in chemistry is that the subjects fundamentally use mathematics as a tool to explore 31 chemical processes and answer chemical questions. This means students are challenged not only by chemical models, concepts, and processes, but must use mathematics to competently understand and communicate chemistry. An outstanding online, self-paced, interactive chemistry learning resource is OWLv2 available through Cengage Learning; Cengage is the publisher of the textbook for the chemistry subjects, and OWLv2 is provided to all student free of charge. The OWLv2 site is customizable to provide hundreds of resources that allow students to delve into subject concepts and skills and get explanations, help, visual models, and practice in mastering the material necessary for their subjects.This year, with the CSU upgrade to I2 (Blackboard), a thorough integration of the OWLv2 site into chemistry I2 modules and learning resources is now possible.This talk will briefly explain the processes necessary to make the CSU site talk to the LTI of an outside 'tool provider', and quickly show a few of the types of learning resources chemistry students can use to help their mastery of the subject. Additionally, some analysis of student use of the resources in 201530 will be provided.