Testing, Grading, and Learning

Throughout this text we will include actual tests that have been given by the author either in a one semester course (CHEM 305) for forensic majors, CHEM 303-304 for chemistry majors at Virginia Commonwealth University, or CHEM 311-312 at Randolph Macon College. Copies of these tests are provided to all the smdents along with the answer keys and they are encouraged to add material to their quiz answers that may not be asked (at lower point value). In some courses, only a few students have access to old tests but here we provide old tests to the whole class to give them an equal smdy opportunity. Why not, if they actually leam from these old tests  

Thompson, B. (Count Rumford), Experiments upon heat, Phil. Trans. Rayol Soc., 48-80 (1792). 

On the existence of an equivalent relation between heat and the ordinary forms of mechanical power. Philos. Mag., 27(3), 205 (1M5). 

Denbigh, K., The Principles of Chemical Equilibrium, Cambridge University Press, New York, 1961, 

Diesel and High-Compression Gas Engines, Fundamentals, 2nd Edn., American Technical Society, Chicago, IL., 1965, 8th Printing 1966, p. 41. 

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An electronic version of Pharmacotherapy Principles Practice can be downloaded to a desktop or laptop computer using the access number that appears on the card inserted in the middle of this book. The Online Learning Center at www.ChisholmPharmacotherapy.com provides complete reference lists, self-assessment questions, a testing center that has the ability to grade and provide immediate feedback on the self-assessment questions as well as reporting capabilities, and other features designed to support learning. 

In going through my notes of the reaction rate theory course I found one of my test papers and was reminded forcefully of the learning pains of youth. The test consisted of three questions selected from a list of 21 given out in advance. At the end of my paper there is a plaintive note to the effect that one of the three was the one question out of the 21 that I was ill-prepared to answer (as the answer plainly shows). I was surprised to get a B -I- on the test. In retrospect, I suppose this grade was based more on my performance the previous three quarters than on that particular testi... 

Keep in mind that if you find yourself "cramming" for a chemistry test, it is likely that your test grade will reflect a lack of effort. Many of the concepts that you will be learning in this chemistry course will be unfamiliar and challenging. Embrace this challenge by organizing your approach to studying for this course. 

Labudde, R, Herzog, W., Neuenschwander, M. R, Violi, E., Gerber, C. (2000). Girls and physics teaching and learning strategies tested by classroom interventions in grade 11. InternationalJournal of Science Education, 22, 143-157. 

The educational system is designed to produce successful students. Most universities admit only those students whose high school grades and standardized test scores predict that they can achieve academic success. The faculty and staff of colleges and universities want their students to succeed—to learn, to... 

Signs of a low-grade deficiency in children are impaired learning capabihty, attention deficit, constipation, lethargy, and tired-ness.The same symptoms apply to adults. A laboratory blood test wiU show plasma iron of less than 40 micrograms per deciliter... 

The key to earning a successful grade on a chemistry test is to be actively involved in learning the content and to be well-prepared for every class. Chemistry is a cumulative subject, meaning that each section builds on the one before it. Preparation cannot begin the night before the test, but must be ongoing from the first day of class to the last day of class. 

MasteringChemistry is the most effective, widely used online tutorial, homework and assessment system for chemistry. It helps instructors maximize class time with customizable, easy-to-assign, and automatically graded assessments that motivate students to learn outside of class and arrive prepared for lecture. These assessments can easily be customized and personalized by instructors to suit their individual teaching style. The powerful gradebook provides unique insight into student and class performance even before the first test. As a result, instructors can spend class time where students need it most. 

NEW OWL Online Web-based Learning System Developed over the last several years at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and class-tested by thousands of students, OWL is a fully customizable and flexible web-based homework system and assessment tool with course management. With both numerical and chemical parameterization and useful, specific feedback built in, OWL produces thousands of chemistry questions correlated to the text. The OWL system also features a database of simulations, guided tutorials, and problems associated with the textbook content. Instructors are able to customize the OWL program, use the grade book feature and generate multiple reports to measure each student s performance... 

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