Variety in Chemistry Education and Physics Higher Education Conference ViCEPHEC21 (16-20 August 2021)

Session

Poster session

16 Aug 2021, 12:15

University of Glasgow (virtual)

Presentation materials

VP Poster Sesssion Allocations (FINAL)(MON&TUES)(16Aug21).pdf

42. A Chemist’s View on the Multidisciplinary Perspectives of Sustainable Development

Debbie Willison (University of Strathclyde), Anand Sengodan (University of Strathclyde)

Poster only

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...

61. A peer-mentoring programme for all students: PANDA

Nicolas Labrosse (University of Glasgow)

Poster only

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...

55. A self-determination theory approach to a stereochemistry educational escape activity utilising augmented reality

Daniel Elford (University of East Anglia)

Poster only

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...

62. A simulation to support experiment design in an open ended investigation of an enzyme-catalysed reaction

James Redman (Cardiff University)

Poster only

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...

59. A student-led approach to introducing the principles of Green Chemistry into undergraduate lab classes.

Jessica Gusthart (University of Reading)

Poster only

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...

93. Adaptable online Team-Based Learning in a capstone simulation “Hit-to-Lead” Drug Discovery exercise

Stephen Flower (University of Bath)

Poster only

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...

104. Adventures in alternative assessment

Dr Peter Henderson (University of Aberdeen)

Poster only

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...

99. An inquiry-based ‘at-home’ experiment to maximise the practical experience of undergraduate chemistry students during the COVID-19 pandemic

Izzy Barker (University of Birmingham)

Poster only

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...

49. Approaches to introductory coding in undergraduate physics degrees

Eilidh Hudson (University of Glasgow)

Poster only

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...

105. Assessing assessments: Initial reflections on a tool for analysing how effectively our assessments measure student understanding

Dr Daniel Cornwell (King's College London), Dr Helen Coulshed (King's College London), Dr James Harvey (King's College London), Dr Jeffrey Grube (King's College London)

Poster only

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...

46. Belonging and Engagement for a Successful Transition to Higher Education

Sophie McDougall

Poster only

Belonging and Engagement for a successful Transition to higher education, was a final year undergraduate physics project carried out at the University of Glasgow. This study aimed to identify factors impacting a student’s sense of belonging and engagement as they transition to higher education, as well as emphasizing any common trends identified from students. For undergraduate students, one...

65. Boosting student pre-lab engagement using LabBuddy

Joel Loveridge (Swansea University)

Poster only

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...

88. Bridging the Gap between DT and Physics: Stress Testing Materials

Ms Kate Baxter (University of Kent)

Poster only

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,...

95. Bringing Chemical Biology to First-Year Organic Chemistry: Adapting Workshops to Remote and Online Contexts

JL Kiappes (University College London)

Poster only

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...

82. Chemistry Is For Everyone – A Co-Created Website Showcasing the Work of First Year Undergraduate Chemistry Students

Dr Sarah Rawe (Technological University Dublin)

Poster only

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...

38. Comparing Student Use of Technology in Remote Teaching Activities

Dylan Williams (University of Leicester)

Poster only

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...

92. Developing Career Supports for Chemistry Students from Minority Ethnic Groups through Cocreation

Claire McDonnell (Technological University Dublin)

Poster only

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...

100. Developing Online Virtual Laboratory Kit

Peter Swift (Durham University)

Poster only

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...

36. Development of a 3D printing workshop to aid student comprehension of shape and isomerism

Richard Blackburn (University of Leicester)

Poster only

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...

48. Development of educational games to improve student engagement

Deborah Lowry

Poster only

Active learning puts students at the heart of their learning experience enabling them to become more engaged with their own learning building knowledge through their own experiences (Friedrich et al, 2019). Staff-student partnerships have been shown to enhance educational practice and have students taking a more active role in decision-making (Cook-Sather et al, 2014). To improve engagement of...

73. Effect of Language on the effectiveness of Peer Instruction in Physics

Mrs Rahma Al Harthi (School of Physics & Astronomy, University of Leeds)

Poster only

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...

113. Effect of Remote Learning on Academic Coursework Attainment in First Year Physics Students

Furqaan Yusaf (King's College London)

Poster only

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...

51. Engaging first year students in Biochemistry through co-design of module delivery

Heather Coleman

Poster only

As student cohorts become larger and more diverse, there is a need to comprehend how to engage students. This can be done by encouraging the ‘students as partners’ attitude, placing them in a more active role, considering them as ‘co-producers’. This study involves collaborating with students in co-designing of module delivery with the aim to make it more engaging and involves a first year...

111. Evaluating the impact of climate change CLPL (Primary & Secondary) under the overarching theme of COP26 to enable sustainable learning.

Stephen Hendry (Royal Society of Chemistry)

Poster only

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...

97. How do students prepare for assessment?

Hayley Wootton (King's College London)

Poster only

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...

54. How student confidence has been impacted by online learning in a first-year undergraduate Chemistry course.

Mr Chiran Mistry (King's College London)

Poster only

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...

81. Investigating the reasons why students within the University of Kent study Chemistry

Shaianne Murray (University of Kent)

Poster only

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...

34. Mind your language! An investigation into the semantic gravity and semantic density in GCSE, A-level and university-level textbooks.

P Cranwell

Poster only

Chemistry has a hierarchical knowledge structure, where the basics much be learnt before higher-level concepts can be mastered. Accordingly, the language used within the chemistry classroom increases in complexity as a student progresses.

Legitimation Code Theory (LCT) is a tool used to separate abstraction from complexity in oral discourse. Semantic gravity is related to how abstract a...

64. Modelling Epidemics Using the Toolkit of Chemical Kinetics

Tamas Bansagi (University of Birmingham)

Poster only

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,...

103. Moving Forensic Science online, how did it go?

Anna Kirkham (UCLan)

Poster only

Due to the covid pandemic our Forensic Science courses moved to blended delivery with some face to face teaching of practical classes when permitted. For the online delivery we used a range of approaches, lectures were live via MS Teams or pre-recorded and shared via MS Teams or Blackboard. Practical classes were delivered live via MS Teams, via a data set exercise or via use of simulations....

31. Multimedia design in chemistry teacher training – a new teaching concept on evaluating one’s own teaching material trough eye-tracking

Mr Axel Langner (Institute of Chemistry Education, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany)

Poster only

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...

45. Online Teaching, Education and Outreach of Nuclear Physics and Engineering in Argentina and the Latin American Region

RAUL OSCAR BARRACHINA (National Atomic Energy Commission)

Poster only

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...

78. Opportunities for Active Learning

Stefano Vezzoli (Imperial College London), Dr Vijay Tymms (Imperial College London)

Poster only

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...

84. Quiz and Workshop Moodle Activities As Tools of Learner Engagement

Bozidar Butorac (King's College London), Dr Eva Philippaki (King's College London)

Poster only

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...

67. Reviewing the use of bespoke lab skill videos – stage 1 of creating a flipped lab

Dr James Harvey (King's College London)

Poster only

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...

90. RSC Women in Chemistry: Making the Difference

Saskia O'Sullivan (University of Oxford)

Poster only

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...

107. Self-determination theory and motivation in chemistry during blended learning

Peter Henderson (University of Aberdeen)

Poster only

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,...

71. Self-efficacy, test anxiety, and cancelled school exam experience in first year physics students.

Ms Amy Smith (Imperial College London), Dr Jessie Durk (Imperial College London), Ms Nabihah Rahman (Imperial College London), Ms Rebekah Christie (Imperial College London)

Poster only

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...

70. Some observations on the use of analogies in teaching of undergraduate physics

Ms Michèle Redmond (Imperial College ), Vijay Tymms (Imperial College)

Poster only

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...

33. Student perceptions of, and engagement with, a pandemic enforced blended approach to learning

Beverley Allan (University of Nottingham), Dr Charlotte Clark (University of Nottingham)

Poster only

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...

83. Student views of Decolonising the Chemical Sciences Curriculum at Keele University

Iulia Iftimie (Keele University)

Poster only

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...

75. Survey of Life Science degree students’ perception of how disability influences scientific skills

Dr Bunmi Ibrahim (De Montfort University)

Poster only

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...

53. Taking Teamwork Online: A tale of two assessment items

Tess Phillips (Keele University)

Poster only

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...

86. Teaching and assessing experimental methods and data analysis in a pandemic

Alison Hill (University of Exeter)

Poster only

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...

60. Team Based Learning: in-person or online collaborative active learning that enhances problem solving skills

Dr Laura Hancock (Keele University)

Poster only

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...

101. The factors that affect the retention of BAME and female students in postgraduate Chemistry

Deon Nzou (University of Kent)

Poster only

Despite best efforts of initiatives that seek to increase participation within Chemistry and its related fields, BAME and female students are seen to be less present at the more elite stages of study and career. The Aspires 2 research project acted as a launchpad into the educational and wider experiences of BAME and female students aged 10-19, within the context of STEM. The research suggests...

108. Thermodynamics education for energy transformation: a Stirling Engine experiment

William George Yeadon (University of Sheffield (GB)), Dr Mark Quinn (The University of Sheffield)

Poster only

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...

98. Use of ManyCam in delivering high quality remote laboratory demonstration

Ms Charlotte Farrow (University of Birmingham), Ms Isobel Barker (University of Birmingham)

Poster only

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...

44. ‘Narrowing the Gap’ – Supplementary Chemistry Tutorials for non A-level students of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Bioscience

Heather Coleman

Poster only

As student cohorts become larger and more diverse, there is a need to comprehend how to engage and support all students. MPharm and MSci students entering on the non-traditional route of A levels, i.e. Leaving certificate, Access Courses, BTEC or an international qualification can struggle with the Chemistry content in the first semester of first year. This has been reflected in the exam...