Improvement of students’ achievements in organic stereochemistry by active learning using information and communication technologies

Stereochemistry remains a challenging topic for undergraduate chemistry students, often leading to misconceptions and learning difficulties. To improve students' understanding, traditional teaching methods should be complemented by innovative strategies such as interactive learning tools, digital resources, and hands-on activities. This study aimed to identify the main difficulties students face when learning stereochemistry and to evaluate the effectiveness of different pedagogical interventions. A pre-test assessing key stereochemistry concepts was administered to 24 second-year students at the Institute of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Mathematics in Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. The results revealed significant challenges, particularly in identifying chiral centers, determining R/S configurations, recognizing meso compounds, and understanding E/Z isomerism. Students also struggled with the spatial representation of molecules and applying stereochemical rules to structural representations. Targeted teaching activities, including web-based tutorials, physical molecule models, and the HyperChem Professional computer program, were introduced to address there difficulties. A post-test was then conducted to measure learning gains. Statistical analysis using a pairedsamples t-test indicated a significant improvement in students' stereochemical knowledge (p < 0.001), with an average increase of 30.95% in test scores. These findings demonstrate the effectiveness of interactive and hands-on approaches and underscore the value of multifaceted teaching strategies that integrate digital tools, laboratory activities, and visualization techniques to reinforce student learning and bridge the gap between theoretical and practical aspects of stereochemistry.