How to Succeed in College Chemistry

Student Statistics It wasn’t necessary to study in high school 58.6% of 2013 entering first year students spent less than six hours per week doing homework in 12th grade 96.8% of these students said they graduated from high school with an A or B average Students’ confidence level is high 72.1 % believe their academic ability is above average or in the highest 10% among people their age *Eagan, Lozano, Hurtado, & Case, 2013

Make the Transition to College Chemistry Close “the gap” current behavior current grades productive behavior desired grades \

Why is College Level Chemistry Harder than High School Level Chemistry? Course moves a lot faster Material is conceptually more difficult and cumulative Problems are more involved Tests are less straightforward and require you to apply several concepts at one time

Metacognition The ability to: think about one’s own thinking be consciously aware of oneself as a problem solver monitor, plan, and control one’s mental processing Am I understanding this material, or just memorizing it? accurately judge one’s level of learning Flavell, J. H. (1976). Metacognitive aspects of problem solving. In L. B. Resnick (Ed.), The nature of intelligence (pp.231-236). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum

Reflection Questions What’s the difference, if any, between studying chemistry and learning chemistry?

Reflection Questions For which task would you work harder? A. Make an A on a test B. Teach the material to the class

What you need to do: Stay in learn mode, not study mode Study as if you have to teach the material, not just make an A on the test Become a more efficient learner by studying smarter, not necessarily harder

What We Know About Learning Active learning is more lasting than passive learning -- Passive learning is an oxymoron* Thinking about thinking is important Metacognition** The level at which learning occurs is important Bloom’s Taxonomy*** *Cross, Patricia, “Opening Windows on Learning” League for Innovation in the Community College, June 1998, p. 21. ** Flavell, John, “Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: A new area of cognitive–developmental inquiry.” American Psychologist, Vol 34(10), Oct 1979, 906-911. *** Bloom Benjamin. S. (1956). Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I: The Cognitive Domain. New York: David McKay Co Inc.

Effective Metacognitive Strategies Memorize everything you are told to memorize Always ask why, how, and what if questions Use SQ5R for reading assignments (survey, question, read, recite, review, write, reflect) Test understanding by giving “mini lectures” on concepts Always solve problems without looking at an example or the solution Use the Study Cycle with Intense Study Sessions

Example of how this works Reading Strategies Pre-Reading – Before attending lecture (and always attend lecture!), spend 5-10 minutes scanning the material to be covered. The objective is to see the major topic and how subtopics branch off from it. Doing this gives structure to the concepts and prepares you better for learning. Use a textbook even if it is not required. Example of how this works In 30 seconds, attempt to memorize as many of the words as you can on the next slide.

Dollar Bill Dice Tricycle Four-leaf Clover Hand Six-Pack Seven-Up Octopus Cat Lives Bowling Pins Football Team Dozen Eggs Unlucky Friday Valentine’s Day Quarter Hour

How many words or phrases do you remember? Write them down

Let’s look at the words again… How are they arranged? Look for a pattern or structure.

Dollar Bill Dice Tricycle Four-leaf Clover Hand Six-Pack Seven-Up Octopus Cat Lives Bowling Pins Football Team Dozen Eggs Unlucky Friday Valentine’s Day Quarter Hour

Now how many words or phrases do you remember? Write them down

Example 2 Memorize this narrative. First, arrange items into different groups. Of course, one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. It is important not to overdo things. It is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run this may not seem important, but complications may arise. At first, the procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become a natural part of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but one can never tell. After the procedure is completed, one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. Eventually they will have to be used once more and the procedure will have to be repeated.

Example 2 What do you remember about the previous narrative?

Example 2 What do you remember about the previous narrative? What if you were told ahead of time that this is about doing laundry?

Example 2 Examine this narrative again. First, arrange items into different groups. Of course, one pile may be sufficient depending on how much there is to do. It is important not to overdo things. It is better to do too few things at once than too many. In the short run this may not seem important, but complications may arise. At first, the procedure will seem complicated. Soon, however, it will become a natural part of life. It is difficult to foresee any end to the necessity for this task in the immediate future, but one can never tell. After the procedure is completed, one arranges the materials into different groups again. Then they can be put into their appropriate places. Eventually they will have to be used once more and the procedure will have to be repeated.

Example 2 Now what do you remember about the previous narrative?!

What were two major differences between the 1st and 2nd attempts for each example?

1. We knew what the task was 2 1. We knew what the task was 2. We knew how the information was organized If you can see the structure or organization of the material to be presented, it puts you in a better position to learn. Pre-reading serves this purpose.

Chapter Map to Organize Patterns Title of Chapter Primary Headings Subheadings Secondary Subheadings

Reading Strategies Pre-Reading – Discern pattern and organization. Prepare for Active Reading – 10-20 min Scan the chapter section headings. Look at highlighted words, figures, graphs, etc. Come up with questions to yourself to answer from the material (ex. You see the heading “Acids and Bases” You ask yourself “What is an acid and a base?”) Give yourself a purpose to read and learn

Reading Strategies Pre-Reading – Discern pattern and organization. Prepare for Active Reading – 10-20 min Go to lecture. (Always!) Active Reading – Quick Review after Lecture As soon as possible, re-visit your pre-reading again, this time after lecture. Cement the organization and structure. These three steps need not take a great deal of time. They show you the neighborhood and how it is laid out.

Reading Strategies Pre-Reading – Discern Pattern and Organization. Prepare for Active Reading – 10-20 min Active Reading – Quick Review after Lecture Active Reading when Studying Read a paragraph at a time. Then pause and try the following strategies: Paraphrase what was read. Try to recite it in your words. Try to teach the material to your cat. Do a mini lecture.

Homework Strategies Homework is a self-assessment. Use it as such. Use text and lecture examples. See how they are done and then cover the book and practice them without looking until you can complete them. Find a similar homework problem and use it as a self-quiz. Do NOT consult the solutions and work backwards. Try to do them with the book and notes closed. You will fail often at first. Mistakes are okay. You learn from mistakes..how not to do the problem. You learn the concepts that lead to the correct answer. You self-correct and, hopefully, learn to not repeat the mistake. Mistakes when practicing costs you no points! Don’t spend hours beating against a problem. Consult the text, the notes and then your professor if you are stuck.

Study Strategies Studying is NOT learning. They are different Study to teach. Use the paraphrasing and teaching strategy discussed in the reading section. Plan your sessions: Decide what you will accomplish. Read, consult notes, paraphrase, teach, practice Take a break and then a short recap of your session. Assess your progress: Consult Bloom’s Taxonomy and ask yourself “At what level am I learning? Can I create from what I know or can I only recite what I memorized?” The next slide introduces Bloom’s Taxonomy

Bloom’s Taxonomy Creating Evaluating Analyzing Applying Understanding Graduate School Putting elements together to form a coherent or functional whole; reorganizing elements into a new pattern or structure through generating, planning, or producing. Making judgments based on criteria and standards through checking and critiquing. Evaluating Breaking material into constituent parts, determining how the parts relate to one another and to an overall structure . Analyzing Undergraduate Carrying out or using a procedure through executing, or implementing. Applying Constructing meaning from oral, written, and graphic messages through interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, and explaining. Understanding High School Retrieving, recognizing, and recalling relevant knowledge from long-term memory. Remembering http://www.odu.edu/educ/llschult/blooms_taxonomy.htm

Reflection Questions At what level of Bloom’s did you have to operate to make A’s or B’s in high school? At what level of Bloom’s do you think you’ll need to be to make an A in CHEMISTRY?

At what level of Bloom’s did you have to operate to make A’s or B’s in high school? Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

At what level of Bloom’s do you think you’ll need to be to make an A in CHEMISTRY? Knowledge Comprehension Application Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

SUMMARY: The Study Cycle 4 Reflect 3 Review 4 Reflect Preview Preview before class – Skim the chapter, note headings and boldface words, review summaries and chapter objectives, and come up with questions you’d like the lecture to answer for you. Attend Attend class – GO TO CLASS! Answer and ask questions and take meaningful notes. Review Review after class – As soon after class as possible, read notes, fill in gaps and note any questions. Study Study – Repetition is the key. Ask questions such as ‘why’, ‘how’, and ‘what if’. Intense Study Sessions* - 3-5 short study sessions per day Weekend Review – Read notes and material from the week to make connections Assess Assess your Learning – Periodically perform reality checks Am I using study methods that are effective? Do I understand the material enough to teach it to others? Intense Study Sessions 1 Set a Goal 1-2 min Decide what you want to accomplish in your study session 2 Study with Focus 30-50 min Interact with material- organize, concept map, summarize, process, re-read, fill-in notes, reflect, etc. 3 Reward Yourself 10-15 min Take a break– call a friend, play a short game, get a snack 4 Review 5 min Go over what you just studied

Top 5 Reasons Students Reported as Why they Did Not Do Well 1. Didn’t spend enough time on the material 2. Started the homework too late 3. Didn’t memorize the information I needed to memorize 4. Did not use the book 5. Assumed I understood information that I had read and re-read, but had not applied

Top 5 Reasons Students Report as Why they Made an A 1. Did preview-review for every class period 2. Did a little of the homework at a time 3. Used the book and did the suggested problems 4. Made flashcards of the information to be memorized 5. Practiced explaining the information to others

What strategy will you use for the next 2 ½ weeks? Do preview review Do homework differently Use the textbook more Do problems intelligently Practice teaching the material Another metacognitive technique that works for you None of the above If you don’t try it within the next 48 hours you probably never will!

Resources UCO Tutoring Central Useful Websites Professor Office Hours www.howtostudy.org http://www.uco.edu/academic-affairs/students/tutoring-central/index.asp Professor Office Hours Classmates Form study groups UCO Tutoring Central (Supports and Assists with the Strategies Discussed here) Web: TC.UCO.EDU Email: TC@uco.edu Phone: 974-2487

Acknowledgments Sandra Maguire, LSU Cheryl Frech, UCO