Learning Through Enquiry Natalie Rowley, School of Chemistry 14 June 2012, Lectures without Lecturing workshop
Mar 28, 2015
Learning Through Enquiry
Natalie Rowley, School of Chemistry14 June 2012, Lectures without Lecturing workshop
Overview
Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL) Traditional Approach EBL Approach Assessment and Evaluation Useful Resources
Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL)
Broad umbrella term for learning approaches driven by a process of enquiry
Students are actively involved in the learning process
Vision for Birmingham Learning
Creativity Independence Team-working Goal-setting Problem-solving
QAA Benchmark Statement (Chemistry)
General skills:– Communication skills (written and oral)– Problem-solving skills– Information retrieval skills– IT skills– Interpersonal skills – Time management and organisational skills
First Year Spectroscopy
Cl
OH
Cl
Traditional Teaching Approach 6 x 1 hour lectures (how techniques work and
introduction to interpretation of their spectra)
6 x 2 hour workshops in parallel (practice interpreting spectra – whole class, ca. 4 PG demonstrators)
Assessed worksheet
End of year examination
EBL Approach
Groups of ~ 6 students (selected by us) Ice breaker 4 scenarios – online and PG / staff facilitation 5 lectures - explaining how theory underpins
interpretation of spectra End of year examination
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this course students should be able to: – Interpret simple mass, infrared, 13C and
1H NMR spectra – Understand how the spectroscopic
techniques work – Be independent learners – Work as a team member in a group
Facilitation and Location
141 students (24 groups) Use 2 adjacent rooms with tables and movable
seating 5 PG demonstrators, each assigned 4/5 groups
(fixed facilitators) Member of staff is floating facilitator during
sessions and online facilitator between sessions (each group has own discussion area in VLE)
EBL Ice Breaker General Science quiz
Group Rules
Establish levels of prior knowledge
Action plan for introductory task
Waste Disposal Scenario In role as team of graduate chemists in
fictional analytical department
Unlabelled chemical waste found in disused laboratories
Identify 6 compounds from spectra to enable safe disposal
Down The Drain Scenario Dead fish found in nearby river due to
unknown chemical waste
Identify 8 compounds from spectra to determine the pollutants
Carbonyl Conundrum Scenario Report discovered containing identity of
compounds recently analysed and their spectra, but accidentally mixed up paperwork
Assign 24 spectra to 6 compounds
Reaction Dilemma Scenario Email from fictional PG student (with authentic
spectra)
Carried out reaction but not sure if obtained correct product …
Wrong compound sent by supplier (different groups have different compounds, but all consistent with PG results)
Assessment Procedures:
12.5% Continual Assessment:
Down the Drain scenario
5% (Group report 4.5%, Group contribution 0.5%)
CarbonylConundrum
2.5% (Online group assessment)
Reaction Dilemma
5% (Group report 4.5%, Group contribution 0.5%)
Evaluation (for pedagogic research)
Questionnaires– Likert scale questions– Short answer questions
Focus group with undergraduates Interview with PG demonstrator (Exam question results)
Feedback “It gives you freedom to think for yourself and gives
you the opportunity to find the answers yourself”
“Helped build my confidence when working in groups. Other people help me on things I haven’t learned before”
“It introduced a new way of attacking problems and ‘learning on job’ style was nice”
“I like the idea of doing our own research to solve the identity of the compound”
Acknowledgements Tim Lucas (Chemistry, Birmingham) Liam Cox (Chemistry, Birmingham) Mike McLinden (Education, Birmingham) Tina Overton (Hull) Norman Reid (Glasgow, Emeritus) Derek Raine and Sarah Symons (Leicester) University of Birmingham for funding
Related links
“Enquiry-based learning: experiences of first year chemistry students learning spectroscopy” T. Lucas and N.M. Rowley, Chem. Educ. Res. Pract. 2011, 12, 478-486 http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2011/rp/c0rp90016h
HEA STEM LeAP PBL Workshop: “Sustaining PBL”
9th – 11th July 2012 University of Leicester http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/events/detail/
2012/09_11_July_HEA_STEM_PBL_Summer_School_Leicester
Useful Resources “PossiBiLities: a Practice Guide to Problem-
based Learning in Physics and Astronomy”- Derek Raine and Sarah Symons (2005)
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/ps/documents/practice_guides/ps0080_possibilities_problem_based_learning_in_physics_and_astronomy_mar_2005.pdf
C/PBL Resources
http://www.rsc.org/Education/HESTEM/CPBL/index.asp
Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning
http://www.ceebl.manchester.ac.uk/