Temple College Chemistry Professor Completes Year-Long American Chemical Society Program, to Present Work Nationally

Lance English was one of 18 faculty throughout the nation chosen for inaugural cohort

Lance English, Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Temple College, recently completed a year-long commitment as an inaugural member of the American Chemical Society’s (ACS) Two-Year Community of Practice (CoP). This prestigious cohort, composed of 18 chemistry faculty from two-year colleges nationwide, was selected to develop open-access, active-learning resources for chemistry courses.

Throughout 2024, the inaugural CoP cohort met monthly to design and implement active-learning techniques tailored for community college students. The program began with five months of workshops featuring guest speakers who provided insights on evidence-based strategies. During this phase, each participant developed an active learning module for a course they currently teach. Over the summer, members focused on refining their modules, using peer collaboration to enhance their approaches. The final months were dedicated to peer reviews, project refinement and final submission of completed modules.

English, who has long incorporated active learning into his teaching, found the program transformative.

“I’ve used active-learning strategies throughout my career, but with little formal training,” he said. “This experience exposed me to a wide range of evidence-based techniques for college-level courses through a chemistry lens. This is helping me diversify my approach and improve student engagement.”

One of the most impactful strategies English implemented is the “Jigsaw” technique. In this method, students first work in expert teams to master a specific topic before regrouping into “home teams” – incorporating a member from each expert team – to solve a complex problem that requires their combined knowledge. English designed his CoP module around this strategy for his Organic Chemistry I course and has already seen positive feedback from students.

“Initial feedback and data show that my module is helping students master organic nomenclature, and I'm eager to apply the skills I've gained to improve student success in our General Chemistry courses,” English said. “The Jigsaw activity, in particular, has great potential for use by faculty across disciplines.”

The active-learning modules developed by the CoP cohort will be presented at the Two-Year College Chemistry Consortium (2YC3) Annual Meeting in Overland Park, Kansas, in May. Following the conference, these resources will be made freely available to the scientific community via the ACS website, ensuring broader access to innovative teaching tools.

English described the experience as the most valuable professional development opportunity of his career.

“It's rare for faculty to have the opportunity to collaborate closely with a talented group of peers from across the country who share the same field and instructional level. I'm incredibly grateful for the chance to be part of this program,” he said. “This program has significantly expanded my professional network and opened doors to new opportunities.”

His involvement with ACS continues as he mentors the 2025 CoP cohort and contributes to the society’s initiative to establish a recognition program for outstanding two-year college chemistry programs. English traveled to Washington, D.C., in February to assist in the program’s design.

ABOUT TEMPLE COLLEGE

Temple College is “Your Community’s College,” a dynamic and growing community college that equips thousands of Central Texas students with the knowledge and skills for 21st-century success. Temple College, which has campuses in Temple, Hutto, Taylor and Rockdale, offers more than 80 degree and certificate programs to students who seek to earn credits for transfer, graduate with an associate degree or complete a certificate for fast entry into the workforce.

Founded in 1926, Temple College has enjoyed a reputation for academic excellence for 99 years. It is nationally recognized for its exceptional programs, from visual and performing arts to competitive athletics. The College has become one of the state’s premiere institutions for healthcare providers’ education and training, advanced manufacturing, and workforce development programs. The faculty and staff are committed to providing exceptional quality instruction.