Thank you for the feedback from the first exam.

Suggestions which you have for me:

• ...a bit of confusion at the beginning of the exam
• Maybe give the exam out as soon as we arrive.
• A more efficient distribution of exams
• I didn't have enough time. ... I think the most important was more time
• I did not have sufficient space to work
  • These points are well taken and attempts are being made to make the next exam better administratively. As discussed in class, the choice of in-class exams places severe constraints on the administration of the exam. On the other hand, many students who work evenings, etc, (and also those who get tired by the end of a long day) have complained in the past about the difficulty of evening exams. You trade one set of problems for another and cannot please everyone...
  
  
• ...mistakes that appeared on the exam
  • Mea culpa. The next exam will be better. If you think taking an exam is hard, try writing one....
  
  
• I personally do not like the fact that our exams are in-class.
• I like the idea of the in-class exam. It makes it much easier to schedule.
  • You can't please everyone all of the time. Please note that the Final Exam, which is a substantial part of the overall grade, is out of class and longer.
  
  
• I think handing exams out at the door is a great idea..its easily done and a bonus for people like me who get there early.
  • However, those who have classes across campus just before ours will complain (rightly) that some people had an unfair advantage. For the next exam, we will try to have the starting time be right at (or slightly after) 1:25pm.
  
  
• I would like to see WORK SPACE provided
  • This will be improved on the next exam. Remember that you can tear off the periodic and other tables and use the backs of them.
  
  
• You could also put extra emphasis on areas which are building blocks for things in the future
  • I have tried reflect this on our "goals page"
  
  
• Give us better review of some sort of sample questions that will be on the exam.
  • Many of the questions came from or were inspired by questions at the back of the book. The point of this course is to learn chemistry, not to learn what Professor Martin's exams will be like. For this reason, I resist answering questions like "will you ask us this on the exam?" I will, however, answer questions asking what aspects of a chapter I think are more or less important. I try to give that sort of feedback in class.
  
  
• Professor Martin mentioned that a lot of the exam would be based on the owls. He then assigned owl units 1-4, which were very helpful, but did not prepare me for most of the questions on the exam.
  • Since the OWL system got off to a bit of a late start, I decided not to require too much too soon. However, you each can look at the topics of each module and decide for yourself whether working through a section will benefit you. You can always work ahead of deadlines on OWL. I was simply trying to avoid the added pressure of requiring you to pass too many modules in too short a time.
  
  
• I would like to see a few more questions on the exam because five points every question are a lot of points.
  • Understood. However, many of your colleagues will justifiably argue that the exam was long enough...
  
  
• Do more examples in class
• It may be a good idea to take YOUR time when explaing things on the board. There are times when you go too fast
• Have a review day *in class*
  • Time, of course, is a problem. If I go too slowly, we won't have time to cover everything which needs to be covered. Similarly, in-class review sessions take away from regular course time.
  
  
• A review sheet with possible questions on the exam
  • I am pedagogically opposed to my handing out a review sheet. After working lots of problems, the most valuable thing a student can do is to sit down and decide for him/herself what parts of each chapter are important. Indeed, a good study aid is to write your own review sheet.
  
  
• I also believe that the exam should be curved
  • I will not follow a strict curve (so many A's, so many B's, etc), as that pits student against student. Exactly where final grade cutoffs will be placed, however, will be decided at the end, and problems with exams, etc, will be considered. As I've said in class, I would love for everyone to get A's, but grades will reflect what I think people have learned. We're not here for exams, but to learn...
  
  
• Use same terminology in class that will be used on the test
  • This does become a problem. You will note that in class, I try to tow the line used by the book, even though as a practicing chemist, I might use a different nomenclature in my other work. Chemistry is a bit complicated in that there are multiple names for the same thing (reducing agent, reductant, etc.). Mostly, however, the nomenclature is similar enough that you can figure it out. If you think this is bad, try cell or molecular biology - names change all the time!

Suggestions which you have for yourselves:

• i am getting a tutor and i will be doing more problems at the end of the chapter.
• One thing that I didn't do was go to the CRC. I'm sure if I go a few times before the next exam I will see the result in my score.
• More CRC
• Read more in the book, do more examples on my own, and attend the help sessions.
• Go to the CRC. Spend more times looking over and solving problems
• One of my problems is that I wait until a couple of days before the exam to start preparing when I should be preparing for the exams throughout the semester. I learned that Chemistry is not something you can learn over the course of three days.
• I guess I can try to learn the problems better. I'll try to put in more time despite how frustrating I often find the exercises to be.
  • They get less frustrating the more you do
• I guess I could also do the workbook that accompanies the interactive cd and practice more problems.
• I will most likely find some sort of study group.
• I am also going to go and get help in the CRC and I am considering getting a tutor.