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What are my chances of getting an "A" in your class?
What if I have a question and my schedule does not allow me to take advantage of your office hours?
WHEW!! It seems like there is a lot to do. How tough is this course going to be?
In class, I focus on introducing the concepts, how they apply to each other and to everyday life. I spend a good bit of lecture time discussing concepts and working out an example or two. The lecture format is very interactive. I ask lots of questions and have students discuss answers in groups as well as with the class. The classroom is a safe place to make mistakes and talk about misconceptions.
What are my chances of getting an "A" in your class?
The fact that you are asking this question up front points to a higher priority placed on grades than on learning. If a student does enough to receive an "A" in their chemistry class without truly understanding and learning the material, this will come back to haunt them as they proceed towards their degree and career. For example, if a student who simply made an "A" without learning the material has a goal of getting into pharmacy school, they will not do well on the PCAT (Pharmacy College Aptitude Test). It would be better if the student had focused on learning the material, despite receiving a grade of "B" or even "C", and scored high on the PCAT.
I test for conceptual understanding rather than rote memorization. To that end, exam questions test the student’s ability to apply learned concepts, which is a sign of true understanding.
Recitation is a component of all Collin chemistry courses that is 50 minutes each week. For my classes, recitation is based on cooperative learning. Students work in groups on weekly assignments and projects. It is a time that I use for students to discuss, help, and learn from each other. The assignments are designed to bring everyday life to our classroom as well as take classroom information out into everyday life.
Curving is designed to make the class distribution fit a certain profile. This can result in some grades being raised, some remaining unaffected, and some lowering, which students don’t realize. I don’t curve grades.
Students have the opportunity to come to my office to take a look at their exam as well as work shown on scratch paper and discuss whether the work they’ve shown for multiple choice questions is worth any partial credit. If so, they could receive more points on their exam score. If not, the grade remains as is BUT they have learned what their mistakes were.
The final exam is different in that once the student takes the exam and it is scored there is no opportunity for partial credit. Only for the final exam I normalize the class grades based on overall class performance (e.g., class average and highest class grade).
What if I have a question and my schedule does not allow me to take advantage of your office hours?
Often times I can answer your questions by email or by phone. However, I encourage you to make an appointment that fits both your schedule and mine.
WHEW!! It seems like there is a lot to do. How tough is this course going to be?
Being successful requires a lot of studying. Simply attending class and recitation will not suffice. You need to read your textbook before coming to class, take notes in class, review your notes and work problems from the book after class, and complete the online homework assignments on time. Taking good class notes is probably one of the most important things you can do to help in studying. You are encouraged to ask questions as we go so that things don’t pile up right before an exam. Chemistry classes are not tough if you are disciplined in your studies. (I know, big IF !)
I frequently hear this comment. I tell my students that learning chemistry is like learning a foreign language. Chemistry, although a math-based science, is different in that conceptual understanding is critical. Some memorization is necessary (e.g., names of elements, ions, and polyatomic ions, common charges, geometric shapes, etc.), but the student must go well beyond simple memorization. They must be able to apply concepts in problem-solving. While not a difficult thing to do, most students have not been taught to think like this before.
Chemistry is a very exciting subject. It empowers you to think, analyze and UNDERSTAND things that happen in the natural world around you. With the right mindset, you will enjoy the subject. View it not as a hurdle that you must jump successfully but a great opportunity to become a more learned, analytical, positively critical citizen.