OWL_StudentHandout.doc
OWL is an Internet-based learning and testing environment. Your homework grade in this course is primarily earned by completing OWL homework assignments (additional types of assignments may be required). To use OWL you need access to the Internet and an OWL access code
(purchased separately or with the textbook).
Registration:
You will need the OWL access code you purchased. It will only need to be entered one time.
Thereafter, you will use the username and password you’ve created. To register:
1. Go to http://owl.cengage.com
2. Click “General” in the “Log In or Register Here” box.
3. Select your textbook ( Chemistry & Chemical Reactivity, 7th ed., Kotz, Treichel, Townsend )
4. Select your institution ( JCCC )
5. Find your department ( Chemistry Department )
6. Select “ Student Registration ” by clicking the blue arrow
7. Select the appropriate “ Section # ” for your class
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Make sure to register for an OWL section taught by your instructor.
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Follow instructions for completing the registration form.
To use OWL, repeat steps 1-5 above, select “ User Login Page” by clicking the red arrow, and then enter your username and password. It is a good idea to bookmark the OWL login page.
Types of OWL Assignments:
There are five types of assignments in OWL: active figure, tutor, exercise, simulation, and homework. The active figure, tutor, exercise, and simulation assignments are designed to explain concepts and help you learn. The homework assignments are designed to test your learning.
You receive credit for any REQUIRED OWL assignments you complete by the due date . If you answer a question incorrectly, you may repeat the assignment as many times as needed to get the question correct. To repeat a homework assignment, you must exit the module and start over from the beginning (you will get a new question/problem each time).
The advantage of this system is that you are not penalized for making a mistake; you can keep working on a question/topic until you achieve mastery.
You may work on assignments after the due date, but you will not get credit for them.
(Assignments that are past the due date are listed at the bottom of the assignment table in OWL).
Some OWL assignments are marked as optional. While these assignments will not contribute toward your homework score, they may help prepare you for the required OWL assignments.
Keys for Success:
Plan ahead.
Do not wait until the due date to begin an OWL assignment!
Read the appropriate textbook sections before working on OWL assignments.
Work numerical problems on paper before entering the answer in OWL.

Additional Comments:
The basic philosophy of the OWL homework system is mastery learning . The student may repeat a homework assignment as many times as needed in order to correctly answer the assignment. Once the student has correctly completed (“mastered”) the assignment by the specified due date, he/she will receive full credit for that assignment. When a student repeats an assignment, the question(s) may be the same or different depending on the type of assignment.
There are five categories of assignments in OWL.
(1) Homework assignments are parameterized. When a student repeats a homework assignment, a different (but similar) problem is presented.
(2) Tutor assignments are not parameterized. They are intended to lead the student through a concept or calculation. Usually a “roadmap” is given outlining a concept or calculation. If the student misses the main question, a series of questions are asked to lead the student to the correct answer.
(3) Exercise assignments are not parameterized. They are intended to provide the student with additional practice on a concept or calculation. The feedback and help is far less extensive in exercise assignments than what is found in the tutor assignments.
(4) Simulation assignments are not parameterized. They are designed to let the student explore a concept through a computer simulation that often involves computer generated graphics.
Students select different input values for parameters and then run the simulation. This allows the student to “experiment” to get a feeling for how the system will responds to changes in the independent variables.
(5) Active Figure assignments are not parameterized. The student views a short video clip or animation and then answers a series of related questions.
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Intro to OWL Assignments: These assignments are brief tutorial lessons that show the student how to navigate in OWL and how to enter data. Before using OWL for the first time, all students should work through the three Intro to OWL Assignments.
Intro to OWL 1: Navigation, Messages, and Browsers
Intro to OWL 2: Question Types in OWL
Intro to OWL 3: Chemical Formulas, Scientific Notation, and Tables
Chemical formulas may be entered using the subscript button and superscript button as needed. Alternatively, subscripts may be entered “manually” with the underscore character and superscripts with the carat character. For example, H
2
O may be entered as H_2_O and Fe
2+ is entered as Fe^2+^. Scientific notation is entered using a format similar to that found on many calculators. For example, 6.02
×
10
23
is entered as 6.02e23 (the letter “e” is used).
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