It has been a challenging year. The challenge gave rise to a unique way to provide exams in a multitude of platforms. Check it out and do not be afraid to share some ideas of your own!
ChemEd X Talks with Katy Dornbos about how she has transformed the way she is assessing her students - particularly on exams. Her new method of assessing was born from her desire to decrease student stress, minimize her grading time and keep the questions challenging enough to encourage deep thinking. You can watch the edited recording of Katy's Talk here.
Chad Husting presented in a ChemEd X Talk and spoke about how he has transitioned to standards based grading during a pandemic! He shared some tips that have solved many of the problems that teachers struggle with including having a mix of face to face and virtual students and keeping up with late work, make-up work and missing assignments! You can watch the edited recording of Chad's Talk here.
Some of the challenges associated with virtual instruction include connecting with students and checking for understanding in real time. On February 2nd, Michael Farabaugh presented a ChemEd X Talk about how he uses the interactive features of Nearpod to create formative assessment items that provide valuable feedback and facilitate student participation. You can watch the edited recording of Michael's Talk and access the lesson he shared during the presentation here.
The ability to provide meaningful feedback has been one of the most difficult aspects of hybrid and distance learning. Using the Chrome extension, Mote, allows teachers to attach an audio recording of their feedback to student work.
The December 2020 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online to subscribers. Topics featured in this issue include: teaching during COVID-19; examining models used by students; chemical structure; game-based learning; interdisciplinary courses; teaching chemistry using plants; laboratory instruction with real-world context; fluorescence; exploring spectroscopy; thermodynamics; chemical education research; from the archives: photography.
The ACS Exams Institute is pleased to announce that new tutorial practice exams are now available for General Chemistry, (first term) and Organic Chemistry (full year).
Free AP Chemistry prep exams are available for teachers. This is part of a research study occurring through the 2020-2021 year. Enroll today!
Some teachers do not like the idea of letting students do a "redo" on an assignment. It can, if done carefully, have a positive impact on students learning and the culture of the classroom.
"Google Forms" can be a powerful tool to assist both virtual and face to face students in chemistry.
