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Learning Through Enquiry

Learning Through Enquiry. Natalie Rowley, School of Chemistry 14 June 2012, Lectures without Lecturing workshop. Overview. Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL) Traditional Approach EBL Approach Assessment and Evaluation Useful Resources. Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL).

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Learning Through Enquiry

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  1. Learning Through Enquiry Natalie Rowley, School of Chemistry14 June 2012, Lectures without Lecturing workshop

  2. Overview • Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL) • Traditional Approach • EBL Approach • Assessment and Evaluation • Useful Resources

  3. Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL) • Broad umbrella term for learning approaches driven by a process of enquiry • Students are actively involved in the learning process

  4. Vision for Birmingham Learning • Creativity • Independence • Team-working • Goal-setting • Problem-solving

  5. 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

  6. First Year Spectroscopy

  7. 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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. 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)

  11. EBL Ice Breaker • General Science quiz • Group Rules • Establish levels of prior knowledge • Action plan for introductory task

  12. 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

  13. Down The Drain Scenario • Dead fish found in nearby river due to unknown chemical waste • Identify 8 compounds from spectra to determine the pollutants

  14. 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

  15. 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)

  16. Assessment Procedures: • 12.5% Continual Assessment:

  17. Evaluation (for pedagogic research) • Questionnaires • Likert scale questions • Short answer questions • Focus group with undergraduates • Interview with PG demonstrator • (Exam question results)

  18. 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”

  19. 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

  20. 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

  21. 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

  22. 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

  23. 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/

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