Teach the Mechanism is a platform for Joel Karty and organic chemistry educators to share their experiences and discuss the benefits of a mechanistically organized course. By inviting professors from a wide variety of schools to be guest bloggers, we accomplish an array of topics and unique perspectives. Please get to know Joel Karty and … Continue reading About
Like many other faculty, I’ve found myself with two days to switch my organic chemistry II course to an online format. Luckily, I have taught online classes before, although not this particular one, so I was familiar with many of the tools. Here are a few thoughts that I’m keeping central to how I teach … Continue reading Teaching Mechanistically Online
I have been teaching organic chemistry with a mechanistic approach for a long time. Unfortunately, the book that I used prior to Karty tried but ultimately dropped this approach midway through the second semester of topics. In Joel’s text, mechanisms and thinking through a different lens pervade, which has prompted a number of my students … Continue reading Mechanisms and Higher Order Cognitive Skills
If writing mechanisms is like giving good directions, then each elementary step is similar to saying “turn left at the stop sign.” You might have to turn right many times during one trip just as you might need multiple acid-base steps during one mechanistic pathway. Joel’s “Most Common Elementary Steps” chapter lays out each possible … Continue reading Chapter 7: Elementary Steps but Giant Conceptual Leaps