I have never encountered a student with strong opinions about whether they learn kinetics before or after thermodynamics, or which theory best explains expanded-octet structures, or whether quantum mechanics should occur early or late in the text. Fortunately, there are still many ways in which the viewpoints of instructors and students align perfectly. I’d like to share a few of those human-centric areas of agreement that can be supported by an effective textbook.
Category: Chemistry
What It Takes to Make Scientific Discoveries Happen
Dr. Elisabeth Adkins Marnik, PhD, is the Science Education & Outreach Director at MDI Biological Laboratory and the Chief Scientific Officer of Those Nerdy Girls.
Specifications Grading: A Before-and-After Tale in My Organic II Course
By replacing high-stakes exams with shorter, focused assessments emphasizing achievement instead of percentage grades, and allowing students to retake those assessments without penalty, I was confident I could reduce anxiety, promote a growth-mindset, and improve student engagement, all while keeping the bar high. So, I jumped in with both feet.
High-Frequency, Low-Stakes Assessments in Biochemistry
Roger L. Miesfeld is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Arizona where he has taught biochemistry both in person and online for 36 years to thousands of premed biochemistry students. Roger has integrated active learning modules and everyday biochemistry into his course, which helped earn him the University of Arizona Honors College Faculty Excellence …
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Using a Previewing Strategy to Help Students Get the Most Out of Reading
Grace Ferris is an assistant professor of chemistry at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, where she teaches General Chemistry I & II, Organic Chemistry I & II, Introductory Biochemistry, and Life Chemistry: Drugs in Our Lives. She earned her BA in chemistry with a minor in education from Mount Holyoke College in 2008 and her …
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Cultivating a Growth Mindset Using Online Assessment and Group Exams
Grace Ferris is an assistant professor of Chemistry at Lesley University in Cambridge, MA, where she teaches General Chemistry I & II, Organic Chemistry I & II, Introductory Biochemistry, and Life Chemistry: Drugs in Our Lives. She earned her BA in Chemistry with a minor in Education from Mount Holyoke College in 2008 and her …
Continue reading Cultivating a Growth Mindset Using Online Assessment and Group Exams