The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) is a widely disputed term, and an even wider disputed discipline within the field of education. As of today, there is no agreed definition yet. However, the sector does agree on some defining characteristics of SoTL. SoTL is concerned with matters of learning and teaching in higher education, SoTL is public, and SoTL is subject to a form of peer...
The approach that students take in their studies at university is critical not only for their academic success but is equally important in life-long learning for their career and professional development. Cognitive science has demonstrated that re-testing oneself on material when learning, enhances and promotes greater retention of knowledge compared to re-reading the material. Learning that...
In physics labs learning objectives tend to include ability for students to evaluate any difference between experimental data and theoretical models, then critique what those differences mean in terms of data collection and analysis method used, therefore developing students’ reasoning and metacognitive skills. However, due to the assessment structure of a typical lab report, students tend to...
A key point in fourth-year chemistry calendar is the Symposium for Advanced Research Projects in Chemistry (SARPIC), which comprises up to two days of seminars where final-year students present their work from the past six months. These presentations are marked by staff and provide credit for their project module. The unwelcome appearance of COVID-19 last year forced the remaining teaching of...
I will draw on my own experience and research of staff-student partnership projects to reflect upon whether the pandemic has put a greater emphasis on fundamental partnership principles in learning, such as shared ownership, students’ enhanced control of their own learning and inclusivity through flexibility. I will illustrate this with various examples in module design, delivery, and...
Driven by the context of distance learning (within the OU model of supported open learning) we have been getting to grips with the practicalities of remote experiments for several years. We are interested in their effectiveness in meeting QAA benchmarks and accreditation requirements relating to practical skills in experimental classwork and projects. We are interested therefore in their...
Previous studies in physics education have shown that perceptions of learning have a direct corre- lation on a student’s understanding of their subject, and consequently the quality of their learning outcome. Also, it follows that lecturers who conduct their teaching with the same aims as the stu- dents would have a higher overall satisfaction on average. But how well do the two perceptions...
As with many colleagues the pandemic necessitated a rapid shift to remote laboratory activities in Newcastle where we were in lockdown for almost the entire academic year. I will reflect on the experience of planning, developing and running remote first year physics labs this year. Students had already learned Matlab and had produced a portfolio with structured worksheets intended to build...
Synoptic Physics is a 10 credit Level 5 module which was introduced in 2013/14 and has been taught every year since. Over that period the original designer of the module has experimented with ad- justments to the basic design of a different problem every week, solved by teams in real time (3 hours), over 9 weeks. The module is consistently highly rated by the students and introduces op-...
The physics course at Sheffield Hallam accepts a range of mathematical expertise as a prerequisite. To enable this position, we deliver a dedicated maths module (as many courses do) which provides all the foundational knowledge students will need in order to complete the course. Despite this we have consistently encountered students struggling to put this maths into practice when they move on...
What is the best way to study or teach? Are we intuitively already using the most successful strategies? This talk provides an overview of the most successful strategies to enhance memory that resulted from years of rigorous research in Cognitive Psychology. Cognitive Psychology is a research area that investigates how we remember information, solve problems, transfer knowledge, and obtain...
Chemistry is often called the central science, one that enables further study across a wider range of disciplines. At the same time, chemistry can be exclusive. We don’t like to think of it in those terms, but the emphasis on hands-on practical work, rigid ideas about what must be taught in our degree programmes and how we must assess learning, and certain assumptions about what chemistry...
This talk will outline how, using a systems thinking theoretical framework, green and sustainable chemistry principles, activities and courses have been implemented at multiple levels by working with students as partners to drive innovative change in curricula. During the design stage, specific emphasis was placed on creating interventions that are internationally transferrable, which, as of...
Chemistry has a reputation of being one of the most difficult degree programmes on offer, resulting in comparatively high drop-out rates as students struggle to adapt to independent learning and expectations of being fully autonomous learners. I therefore focused my research on creating resources for first year chemists that would support them throughout the year, and that would encourage the...
Undergraduate research is one of the most powerful pedagogical tools to educate and inspire stu- dents, especially those from diverse backgrounds.[1] Course-based undergraduate research experi- ences (CUREs) are excellent examples of implementing research-type problems in undergraduate courses allowing students freedom to experiment and even fail while trying to answer interesting questions....
The transition from school to Higher Education is central to the student experience. Alterations to that experience are frequently missed in the organisation of HE, leading to missed opportunities and a loss of student confidence in their course design. With recent changes to the Chemistry A- level to favour independent lab working, I employed input from students and pedagogic research in...
The extension of a holistic or ‘systems thinking’ approach to chemical education is a recent advancement [1]. Enabling students to appreciate the broader interconnections that chemical science shares with societal issues and other disciplines of study is paramount for chemistry to be a ‘cen- tral science’, particularly in the context of the UN Sustainable Development Goals that will shape the...
What does innovation mean in STEM higher education? And how can we create space for reflection to encourage innovation? Drawing on the outcomes of a recent study of STEM educators’ characteristics and participation in developmental opportunities in relation to technology-enhanced learning and teaching (TELT), and examples of digital practice from chemistry and physics education, this keynote...
During the global pandemic, the University of Oxford co-ordinated and set up a multi-institution online open-access project promoting women working in the chemical sciences. The project pro- vides an opportunity for girls aged approx. 10-14 (Upper KS2-KS3 or equivalent) and their support- ers to engage in creative and enjoyable practical challenges linked to current chemical sciences research...
Coined ‘the social cure’, a strong sense of social support has been associated with greater health and well-being (Jetten, Haslam, & Alexander, 2012). However, recent research has suggested that women in physics undergraduate degrees report a lesser sense of belonging on their course, com- pared to men (Seyranian et al., 2018). Consequentially, we hypothesised that, as they are an under-...
Computing as a discipline suffers from a significant gender imbalance, with the imbalance in com- puter programming being particularly pronounced. I review the evolution of the way I have taught programming, from early courses which reinforced these biases, to my latest python programming course which is delivered in the first year of an undergraduate chemistry degree. In an already heavy...
In order to better support the diverse needs of all students, the School of Chemistry at the Univer- sity of Leicester has designed an inclusive induction programme which aims to develop a strong sense of community at the start of its undergraduate degree programmes. Developing strong learn- ing communities has numerous potential benefits including improved student retention, enhanced student...
This presentation will outline the development of an innovative module at the University of Strathclyde which is available to all students studying at Strathclyde. UNESCO has been promoting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) since 1991 and is now spearheading its follow-up, the Global Action Programme on ESD. Global issues urgently require a shift in our lifestyles and a...
PANDA is a new peer mentoring programme established at the start of the 2020 academic year for all students in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Glasgow. In this scheme, current students from Level 2 or above are matched up to new students to mentor, buddy-up with, or otherwise provide an additional layer of pastoral support to them. All new students who are either...
Engagement is frequently correlated with student success. However, this alone does not imply causation. The abiding educational challenge is to engage everyone in an effective and academically credible fashion. To this end, we have created a synergic combination of digital technologies in the form of a flexible escape activity hosting social problem-solving activities appealing to the...
COVID social distancing restrictions and absences due to self-isolation have caused significant issues for implementation and assessment of undergraduate laboratory classes. Here we describe a pre-laboratory simulation to support an open ended undergraduate chemistry practical class. The simulation also provides students who are unable to complete the laboratory work with personalised model...
Reducing our environmental impact and increasing sustainability are of ever increasing concern to society and these ideals are also important to many of our students. The principles of Green Chemistry1 provide guidance on how to make chemical processes more environmentally friendly and embedding these principles into undergraduate teaching will raise student awareness of how we can continue to...
Drug discovery, particularly at the early stages, involves an understanding of both the chemistry of the potential drug molecule and the biological environment with which it interacts. This exercise pulls together all these different components that they have been taught across their degree programme into one capstone coursework exercise over eight weeks. The simulation allows students to...
Two courses -General Chemistry in level 3, and Integrated Chemistry in level 4- have had new continuous assessments and reflective journals added to support students' revision and performance in our honour year General Chemistry exam paper and oral exam, and to improve engagement with assessment and feedback in general. Several new assignments were added this year in light of Covid-19...
During the COVID-19 pandemic, universities across the world have been forced to adapt their undergraduate degree courses. This has been particularly challenging with practical STEM subjects such as chemistry. Approaches have included the use of online videos, virtual reality or ‘dry’ laboratories and the reduction of teaching laboratory capacity to enable social distancing. The reduced ability...
Coding has become a highly sought-after skill in STEM careers over recent decades [1]. Consequently, the Institute of Physics recommends that undergraduate physics students enhance IT skills, such as coding and becoming familiar with a programming package [2]. While some undergraduate students will have encountered coding during their secondary school education, for many students, their first...
Higher education Science Departments aim to produce graduates that are comfortable with assessing multiple sources of information and applying their understanding to solve complex problems. This is reflected by graduate employers who often deem problem solving to be an essential skill. This Faculty funded collaborative project between the Departments of Chemistry and Physics aims to analyse...
In this session I will discuss the use of LabBuddy to prepare students for a second-year investigatory Chemistry practical, and how this fits with a programme of blended learning. LabBuddy allows a student to prepare their own script for a practical; effectively forcing them to think about what they will do at every step, including if unexpected outcomes are encountered.
Staff and student...
Design Technology, as a subject in secondary school, has a variety of scientific thinking, content and approaches that are not fully appreciated or successfully linked back to the more ‘academic’ subjects. As a somewhat early application of engineering at a pre-higher education level there are a significant amount of opportunities to cross link both maths and physics to the practical and,...
From the perspectives of students, introductory courses, focusing on core concepts and problem-solving approaches, can feel disconnected from the global challenges and fundamental questions that inspired them to pursue science generally, and chemistry more specifically. Particularly for those students majoring in the biological sciences, organic chemistry can seem tangentially related to their...
Positive attitudes and feelings towards chemistry have been shown to correlate with student persistence and performance[1-3]. Students who enthusiastically join the chemistry community when they enter Higher Education will understand and value its knowledge and practices. To do so, they should have the confidence to participate in its scientific discourse, which could include discussions with...
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant increase in the use of online teaching approaches as part of blended or entirely-remote learning strategies in Higher Education. This increased use of online approaches has resulted in some debate over how students engage with these remote activities and the technologies used to support them.
The Chemistry programmes at the University of...
It had been noted that our chemistry graduates from under represented ethnic groups often had greater difficulties gaining relevant employment. This observation is supported by national and international studies.(1,2) Increased diversity of backgrounds and ideas in the workplace is recommended as it brings a broader range of perspectives and expertise into play.
It was concluded that there...
Following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual versions of a number of the Durham University Level 1 Laboratories were developed during the course of the 2020-21 academic year using LabVIEW, a systems’ engineering software [1]. The kit that was developed focuses on some of the circuit laboratories undertaken by students at the start of the module, which have the dual purpose of...
Development of a 3D printing workshop to aid student comprehension of shape and isomerism
Molecules and reaction transition states aren’t 2D, yet we continually expose our students to 2D representations of these chemical concepts in textbooks, presentations and lecture notes. This can result in students experiencing difficulty in mentally “translating” these 2D representations into their...
Peer Instruction (PI) was first developed in the United States (Mazur, 1997). Although research shows that PI contributes to a positive learning gain (Fagen et al., 2002) and improves students' attitudes and beliefs about physics and learning physics (Zhang et al., 2017), little is known about the generalizability of its effectiveness in other countries. One cannot assume that such...
We examine the coursework attainment of two cohorts of around 170 first year physics students each: one group from before the pandemic and one who were taught remotely during the crisis. We compare like for like results on comparable weekly set work over a 20 week academic year, how engagement with coursework changed over the course of an academic term and fatigue set in, and how increasing...
The climate change CLPL session has been developed to discuss the implications and possible solutions to the climate emergency on a local & global scale, alongside easily accessible but effective supporting practical's to visualise and engage.
The session will reflect on the impact of delivering this CLPL to over 200 primary & secondary teachers with a discussion on the impact that this...
Learning strategies are techniques commonly used when attempting to understand, learn or retain material. Spanning a range of lower and higher order approaches, the learning strategies chosen by students within a single undergraduate cohort can vary significantly [1]. A variety of factors can affect the learning strategies an individual uses, with personal motivations being one such factor...
Since its emergence and spread across the globe, COVID-19 is continuing to impact higher education. As instructors, it has forced us to adapt, to accommodate national lockdown restrictions and diversify the way teaching can engage students. This has meant that the inclusion of online teaching methods and tools into undergraduate Chemistry modules has been necessary for content delivery and...
The research aims to explore the reasons why undergraduate Chemistry Students (studying Chemistry in 2021) within the School of Physical Sciences (SPS) at the University of Kent, Canterbury Campus (UKC) study Chemistry. The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) have reported that the number of Chemistry undergraduate applications have decreased in recent years (Turner, 2020). There is an assumption...
Extracurricular workshops were offered to undergraduate students at the University of Birmingham on modelling the spread of infectious diseases. The MATLAB-based exercise exploring the classic S-I-R epidemic model drew upon and extended the students’ knowledge of chemical kinetics. Rate equations of the Consecutive Reactions Scheme and the changes in the concentrations of the reactant,...
In chemistry and science in general, instructions are often presented with multiple external representations, such as texts and pictures in static or dynamic ways. Several well-established theories, for example, the Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning (Mayer, 2009), the Cognitive Load Theory (Chandler & Sweller, 1991), or the Design-Functions-Tasks Framework (Ainsworth, 2006) help...
For more than a decade, the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) of Argentina has been developing and promoting e-learning and blended-learning actions for students and professionals in Physics and Nuclear Engineering in the country and the Latin American and Caribbean region. In 2008, one of CNEA's academic institutions, the Balseiro Institute, received the Sadosky Prize in Educational...
This presentation will provide an overview of an ongoing project to introduce active learning to the undergraduate physics curriculum through blended learning and interactive demonstrations. Flipped classroom approaches and teaching resources have been developed and used for several physics courses and modules. In parallel, over the last three years a bank of experimental demonstrations have...
One of the main issues in the online delivery of modules during 2020/21 academic year was to create asynchronous materials that would keep students engaged. These materials were also supposed to be valuable for students, help them gain the necessary knowledge and grasp the syllabus.
On King’s International Foundation Programme, in Mathematics for Natural Sciences and Foundation Physics...
With increasing student numbers, limited lab space, and restricted access due to COVID-19, it has been more important than ever to make sure programmes that include core practical modules (such as Chemistry) are maximising the use of the lab time available to them. Inspired by the flipped classroom model, we aim to create a ‘flipped lab’ where students can use synchronous lab sessions most...
During the global pandemic, the University of Oxford set up and co-ordinated a multi-institution online open-access project promoting women working in the chemical sciences. The project provides an opportunity for girls aged approx. 10-14 (Upper KS2-KS3 or equivalent) and their supporters to engage in creative and enjoyable practical challenges linked to current chemical sciences research at...
This undergraduate student led project looked at student motivation in undergraduate chemistry during blended learning due to Covid-19.
A survey was developed using self-determination theory and the science motivation questionnaire (SMQ II).
The motivating factors studied were intrinsic motivation, self-determination, competence, autonomy, relatedness, and extrinsic motivation. In addition,...
Summer exam cancellations have meant that, in addition to the usual secondary-to-university transition challenges, students who started university last year have had little to no recent high-stakes exam experience. Future cohorts are also affected by the continued disruption to exams. This mixed-methods study investigates the experiences of undergraduate physics students when sitting...
We present a summary of work carried out principally as an undergraduate summer project in July – August 2020 to investigate the use of analogies in physics teaching in the undergraduate course at Imperial College London. As a background, we first compare and contrast methods for classification of analogies and provide literature review highlights relevant to practitioners of university level...
The benefits of a blended approach to learning are widely documented, where improvements in either student outcomes, understanding or engagement have been identified. In response to the current pandemic, most educators and students have had to adapt to an online blended learning approach. This presentation investigates the student experience and engagement observed by the academics...
In response to an institutional initiative aimed at Decolonising the Curriculum, a small research project was conducted to obtain the views of undergraduate students in Chemistry and Forensic Sciences (Chemical Sciences). This comprised a short survey and semi-structured interviews. The survey was circulated to all undergraduates in Chemical Sciences and three interviews were conducted.
In...
13-17% of students studying for a Life Science degree at university have a disability. Of these students, about 30% have a learning disability (AdvanceHE 2020). Inclusion across education contexts is critical to acknowledge and inspire the full potential of people with learning disabilities (Gilson, 2020). These group of students are given extra support by the University. However, how...
Our medicinal chemistry teaching involves two team-based assessment items: a Drug Design Exercise (level 5) and Drug Action Presentations (level 6). This poster explores how we adapted and delivered these in an online only environment during the COVID-19 era of 2020-21.
We discuss the decisions involved in which elements of teamwork to maintain, the practicalities of moving online, and...
The second year course Analytical Techniques in Biochemistry is a compulsory module for the biochemistry and chemistry students at the University of Exeter. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we decided to streamline the course to ensure the students were not overloaded and to embed Covid-19 into the module. One of us (AMS) had developed an antibody test for Covid-19, and ethics approval was...
Team Based Learning (TBL) is a structured, small group, collaborative form of learning where learners combine their knowledge to solve problems. TBL has been found to be highly effective at facilitating active learning as learners are required to prepare in advance of sessions and discuss potential solutions to problems with their peers. Despite being relatively underused in the physical...
We present a thermodynamics experiment suitable for first-year undergraduate students employing Stirling Engines to create a demonstration of energy transformation and to measure the mechanical efficiency of such engines. Using an inexpensive transparent chambered Stirling Engine, students can connect concepts such as the theoretical pressure-volume diagram with the physical movements of the...
In intensive undergraduate courses marred by Covid-19 the use of technology can aid delivery of effective laboratory demonstrations. Finding innovative ways to deliver laboratory content to a student cohort relying on remote access was a challenge and at the University of Birmingham we employed the use of ManyCam. ManyCam software can be used live in streaming platforms such as Zoom to allow...
