edited by WALTERA. WOLF
chem ed compact/ Organic Nomenclature: Making it a More Exciting Teaching and Learning Experience Gordon F. Harnbly' John Abbon College P O . BOX 2000. Ste. Anne de Bellewe Quebec H9X 3L9 Canada
Eisenhower College Seneca Falls. NY 13148
each other and a shorter (about six questions), more difficult test is put on the front board or overhead. The opponents then exchange their answer sheets and the instructor goes over the answers and a marking scheme. The winners of each pair receive 1 point equivalent to one additional mark'for the lab and pass into the Islander group, named after the New York Islanders. Losers (1 point lost) pass into what I call the Argonaut group, named after a Canadian football team with an unprecedented losing record over most of the last 25 years. Ties both receive 0.5 point and lose 0.5 point and then move into the Araonaut arouu. '
Nomenclature is an important part of organic chemistry but many teachers feel that they cannot afford valuable lecture time covering this subject. For four semesters, I have used a game to test nomenclature and to prov~derapid feedhack. The game is basically a double-knockout tournament. Students are given references in the text to nomenclature and a few hints and are asked to learn the material on their own. We use about 1.5 hours in two ~
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students write a quiz (7 marks) with 14 questions: given the name, show the structure and vice versa. As far as possihle, these questions test only one important aspect of nomenclature (compounds with difunctional groups, for example, are omitted). The answers are taken up and students are then assigned a number, and round 1 opponents are drawn from a hat. The pairs of competitors sit side-hy-side to supervise 'Now at Bryan College. Dayton. TN 37321
fashion withipponents heing drawn within each group and losers always moving into the Argonaut group. Byes are given when there are an odd number of students. When a student s or she is out of the tournament and has lost 2 or more ~ o i n t he not directly affect the lab mark hut determine when the student is out of the competition. Normally, five or six rounds can be run in the allotted time, and students who have not yet been eliminated receive a bonus mark. The lab champion (only one person will be still undefeated and untied) is awarded a special prize. Occasionally, the system is unfair: theoretically the third hest student could he eliminated in the first two rounds, but the chance of this happening is small. The students' reaction to the game is overwhelmingly positive. Students are amazed a t how fast the time flies and a t how much they learned because of the rapid feedhackwhen the quiz and tests in each round are taken up, many questions are raised as to why a particular response was incorrect.
Volume 60
Number 7
July 1983
553
