Challenges in General Chemistry: The Effect of Moving Online in the Middle of the Semester

In this work we reflect on recent experiences in a large general chemistry lecture course while moving to online instruction right after spring break in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 at the University of Nevada, Reno. We analyze the average examination scores across three semesters and the percentages of students choosing the correct answers in multiple-choice (MC) questions in the face-to-face and online environments. In addition, we provide ideas for instructors on creating new MC questions and show the positive effect of an active learning assignment in an online teaching environment.