Chemistry vote

[Warren Whitmore]

I got a rather odd request last October. The local community college called and asked me to teach an entry level Chemistry class. The teacher who had been teaching it quit part way into the term and they were desperate for a replacement.

I was a statistical chemist for 18 years and so knew the material but had zero teaching experiance. As with everything else I attempt I analyzed the heck out of it. Then I optimized the teaching throughout the semester to maximimize learning, minimize the time spent by the students, and minimize memorization of material.

I took a rather unorthodox approach. Open book tests, going over each problem any student got wrong with them idividually until they understood the underlying concepts etc.

On the student evaluations I got the highest rating the college ever had. They invited me back to teach the spring semester.

I have thought about some ways to increase thier learning while reducing thier studying even more. The college I am certain would not approve and could result in my not being invited back again.

The main thing the college would object to I believe is this. To have all of the exam questions
(1) real life.
(2) Allow colaberative effort for those who wish to take a 10% reduction in thier test grade for using that option. and
(3) After the exam having those problems which a student got wrong re taught to them until they got it and then be given half credit for it.

I noticed as a statistical chemist in a research and development department that the major error most of my co workers made was spending all of thier time at the development part. I spent 95% of my time on the research part and it made all of the difference.

The same thing with poker. Most people who fail it seems to me spend 5% of thier time researching current players stratagies and 95% of thier time on thier own ideas. I spend 95% of my time studying superior players and 5% improving upon them. That matters.

It is traditional teaching methods which I believe is the cause of this. I would like to change this. As an additional point I don't care if I get fired because I make more money doing other things. I only care if I get fired in the sense that if I do I will not be able to teach student with the optimizations I have made up to this point.

Opinions please!

I make no claim to proper spelling or punctuation expressed or implied.

[ClaytonN]

I'm going to be a freshman next fall, so here's my input:

I like options 1 and 2, but not 3.

3 seems to be rewarding students who didn't have the initiative to learn your concepts in the first place.

[Warren Whitmore]

This is true of course. Still it is a teachers basic function to teach. Therefor it seems it would be ideal for everyone in the class to learn everything before they left it. Not so much in the best students get the best grades sense more in the average amount of information that can be covered in a fixed amount of time sense.

[beernutz]

Why fix what's not broken?

[Leo99]

The purpose of the final exam is to show/prove that you're learned the material. Teaching after the final is pointless. Once you take the final, the class is over.

What is a statistical chemist? I majored in statistics and I worked as a chemist in an R&D analytical lab but I've never heard of a statistical chemist.

[Warren Whitmore]

To optimize systems is what I do. To quote Frank Zappa "without deviation from the norm progress is not possible."

[Warren Whitmore]

The purpose of the final exam is to make certain that everyone in the class understands all of the material that was covered. If any student does not fully understand all of the material before they leave than I have failed to that extent.

A statistical chemist in my case atleast moved products from the R & D stage to the production stage. Used statistical process control to find out where the system was. Then used Taguchi DOE to optimize the system.

[Zeno]

I think that you should try the 'unorthodox' approach to the fullest extent possible. Real-life experiments in teaching methods, like you are doing, need to be done more often. Especially in Science, where, unfortunately, many students get lost and lose interest etc. I would recommend keeping a journal of your experiences with this teaching method and also to contact, if possible, other teachers to gain other ideas and/or get feedback and comments that may help you with this 'experimental' teaching method(s). A journal would prove, I think, invaluable to you and to other teachers also to solidify thoughts and ideas and to track informal student feedback, which may be more useful than formal student evaluations. Good Luck and Kudos for your efforts.

-Zeno

[Ray Zee]

the only courses i ever learnt anything other than what i could just read in the book were taught by unorthodox instructors.
do whatever you feel you want to do. nothing else will eventually matter.

[uuDevil]

[ QUOTE ]
Used statistical process control to find out where the system was. Then used Taguchi DOE to optimize the system.

[/ QUOTE ]

W. Edwards Deming gave all his students A's. The standard methods fail too often. Do it your way.