What is PLUS?
Peer Led Undergraduate Study (PLUS) is a required course for students dually enrolled in General Chemistry I (CHEM:1070) AND College Algebra (MATH:1005), which meets twice per week for 50 minutes throughout the semester and is organized and facilitated by an undergraduate student who has been successful in chemistry courses at the University of Iowa.
PLUS classes are small in size to enable students to connect with peers while working through collaborative activities to deepen understanding of challenging chemistry concepts and fine tune problem solving skills.
Who is the PLUS Leader and what is their role?
The PLUS Leader is an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa who has been successful in Chemistry courses and mastered the material. Their role during PLUS is to facilitate group discussions, activities, and create a welcoming learning environment for everyone. PLUS Leaders attend class lectures, take notes, and communicate with the professor to be able to develop PLUS classes tailored to where students are at in the course. PLUS Leaders participate in ongoing trainings each semester where they learn new ways to create a welcoming, fun, and interactive learning environment for PLUS.
Am I required to attend PLUS?
PLUS is a required course for students enrolled in both General Chemistry I (CHEM:1070) and College Algebra (MATH:1005). Because the course is discussion and activity based, attendance and active engagement is required and critical for learning in the course. Students enrolled in PLUS can check out their course syllabus for more information on attendance requirements.
What PLUS attendees are saying:
“I thought that my PLUS Leader’s use of group work and explaining things as a class was very helpful. I liked how she incorporated games to better understand the material and it made it more fun to learn, rather than just reading about it from our lecture notes or textbook.”
“This was the most helpful and beneficial class that I took this semester. If I didn't have this class, there is no way I would have the grade I do in Chemistry. Everyone should take this class!!!”
“I really liked how she gave us a problem, had us use our resources and understanding as much as we could before turning to her for help. She wanted to make sure that we were using our knowledge to the best of our abilities. What also helped and was very beneficial was after every problem, she asked "what questions do you have" to make sure we understood and to clear up any confusion we may have had.”
“I enjoyed this class and the activities we did as a group. I also enjoyed having time to create study plans and the way our instructor could relate to us after taking the course herself.”
“I found this class to be among the most helpful I have taken. The lectures were sometimes long and hard to focus in, but being able to come to PLUS right after and do problems that were directly related to what we learned that day really helped me understand certain concepts much better.”
Questions?
If you have a question that’s not answered above, please reach out to the Course Supervisor, Stephanie Huntington, at stephanie-huntington@uiowa.edu.