I implemented specifications grading (aka standards-based grading) for the first time in spring 2023, in my Organic Chemistry II course. Coming off a sabbatical that previous fall, I knew something drastic had to change from the last time I taught the course in spring 2022 ...
FAQ About Joel Karty’s Third Edition: Part 3
This is the third and final in a series of posts answering some frequently asked questions about the third edition of Joel Karty’s Organic Chemistry: Principles and Mechanisms. You can see the previous post in the series here. This section covers questions about using the textbook in alternative orders. If you have any unanswered questions please … Continue reading FAQ About Joel Karty’s Third Edition: Part 3
FAQ About Joel Karty’s Third Edition: Part 2
This is the second in a series of posts answering some frequently asked questions about the third edition of Joel Karty’s Organic Chemistry: Principles and Mechanisms. You can see the first post in the series here. This section covers questions from interchapter C through the end of the book. If you have any unanswered questions please … Continue reading FAQ About Joel Karty’s Third Edition: Part 2
FAQ About Joel Karty’s Third Edition: Part 1
This is the first in a series of posts answering some frequently asked questions about the third edition of Joel Karty's Organic Chemistry: Principles and Mechanisms. This section covers topics up to chapter 7, typically taught in the first semester. If you have any unanswered questions please ask them in the comments below. Why is … Continue reading FAQ About Joel Karty’s Third Edition: Part 1
Higher-impact Teaching of Mechanisms in Class: Next Level with Smartwork
Students learn most effectively when they engage earnestly in solving problems, and receive immediate assessment of their work while their thoughts are still fresh. That is why I moved to a flipped classroom years ago, where I have students prepare for each class by reading about a dozen assigned pages from the textbook. In class, … Continue reading Higher-impact Teaching of Mechanisms in Class: Next Level with Smartwork
New Sample Syllabi Available
Dear Instructors, To help you get the most out of the new third edition, we've enlisted the help of some incredible instructors from around the country to provide you with updated sample syllabi. We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to Andrew Morehead at East Carolina University, Vandana Bindra and Nanette Wachter at Hofstra University, … Continue reading New Sample Syllabi Available
A New Organic Lab Curriculum That Emphasizes Connections Among Chemistry, Biology, and Sustainability
Have you received your copy of Greg Friestad’s Techniques and Experiments in Organic Chemistry: Biological Perspectives and Sustainability? This new lab text motivates students with biological context and gets them thinking about sustainability, while reducing disposal costs to the department. Here’s an excerpt from Greg’s preface discussing how the project came together at the University … Continue reading A New Organic Lab Curriculum That Emphasizes Connections Among Chemistry, Biology, and Sustainability
Using a Previewing Strategy to Help Students Get the Most Out of Reading
When I was an undergraduate student, I hated reading my chemistry textbooks. Like many science faculty, my professors would assign sections of the textbook to read before class with little to no explanation or guidance. As a first-year college student who took my coursework seriously, I tried to do as I was told. Unfortunately, the … Continue reading Using a Previewing Strategy to Help Students Get the Most Out of Reading
How an Objective Becomes a Smartwork Question
Norton’s Smartwork is the online homework system that supports students using Karty’s Organic Chemistry. Within this system there are thousands of questions which can be used for homework assignments, quizzes or even exams. But this robust library of questions doesn’t just spring from nowhere. Behind every question, there are multiple people and hours of work. … Continue reading How an Objective Becomes a Smartwork Question
Consistency is Key
When I talk to other faculty who are using the Karty book I find that we share a love of Chapter 7. In this chapter, the most common elementary steps are presented, those being proton transfer, biomolecular nucleophilic substitution, coordination, heterolysis, nucleophilic addition, nucleophile elimination, biomolecular elimination, electrophilic addition, electrophile elimination, and carbocation rearrangements. Every … Continue reading Consistency is Key