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Tag: math and science

Visual Thinking in Organic Chemistry

Dr. Bonizzoni's organic chemistry class

Instructor: Marco Bonizzoni Course: Organic Chemistry (CH 231 & 232) Audience: Undergraduates Organic chemistry is the study of the properties and behavior of chemicals containing carbon as the key element. These compounds are both the basis of all life on earth (we are all made of organic compounds) and a large focus of the chemical industry (e.g., pharmaceuticals, plastics, advanced materials, fuels). This course aims to show the relevance of scientific and chemical knowledge in everyday life and to advocate […]

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Teaching Complex Topics in Large Courses

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by Kevin Shaughnessy, Department of Chemistry My large class assignments are organic chemistry, which is one of the more challenging lower-level courses that science and pre-health students will take. There is a large volume of material that is highly interconnected. My goals in the class are for them to not only know basic facts, but also be able to take what they’ve learned, evaluate problems, and come up with solutions based on concepts they’ve previously learned. They need to be able […]

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Active Learning in Large Math Courses

Students in a math class

by Brendan Ames, Department of Mathematics I try to involve my students in my lectures as much as possible. When “discovering” a new formula or method in class, I will usually begin by leading my students in a brief brainstorming session. This is typically in the form of a very informal call and response, where I ask leading questions, such as “What tools do we have to tackle this problem?,” “Why won’t [method we already know] work in this situation?,” or […]

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Favorite Strategies: A Lecture Formula

Students working math problems

by Brendan Ames I try to help my students develop their mathematical intuition and reasoning skills rather than simply teaching them how to make calculations. My lectures tend to follow a somewhat strict formula: Introduce a problem Discuss/investigate methods of solving the problem Arrive at a method for solving the problem Apply this method to a few illustrative examples In a lower level class, Step 2 most likely takes the form of a simple example that can be extrapolated to […]

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