Feedback from TFTB34

Anthony P.F. Turner

Biosensors and Bioelectronics Centre

2

General

• Would recommend course to others

• Course was very relevant for their education

• No complaints about the study environment

• The students felt that they all had the same opportunity in all aspects of the course

• Course evaluation completed by 7 students – 4.0

• 86% staisfied with their achievement on course and considered workload ”just right”

• 72% said assessment was good test of understanding

• Too much biology and not enough design

• ”Overall, I liked the course, but wanted more”

3

Study guide

• Patent litigation were set to U/G and not scaled grades

• "the focus would be on design, construction and manufacturing of biosensors, with an overview of the common and new materials and components used". The focus was rather the other way around.

4

Lectures

• Good coordination and little overlap (except lateral flow)

• Biochemistry content too basic, while nanomaterials and electrochemistry too complex; Edwin got it right with his microfluidics!

• Too much focus on glucose, would like wider selection of examples (e.g. QCM, SAW etc)

• Patent and commercialisation aspects very interesting and enjoyable.

• More engineering less analytical chemistry: if one would design a new sensor, what would you need to think about, what problems would you face?

• Karin was very, very good and deserves praise; Anthony was good but took too long to get to the point!

5

Labs

• SPR lab appreciated, but value of computer tutorial questioned; perhaps replace tutorial with QCM demo

• Lab assistants complimented, but would liked to have done much more for themselves

• Questions for lab report appreciated, but would like work graded and clearer instructions on how to write the laboratory report

• Could make their own solutions for enzyme electrode and could have been challenged with an unknown sample to try to estimate the glucose concentration

6

Group Project – Patent Litigation

• Original and fun

• Some found task daunting and briefing as to what is expected could be improved

• More preparation time requested

• More background material should be made available, suggest both sides make full disclosure in advance

• Everybody should be required to present

7

Online material

• Online material supplied was generally fine

• Use of slides instead of books worked well in this course

• Good to provide more in-depth articles for those interested

• Liked ”all electronic” provision

8

Tutorials

• Mostly an opportunity for the students to ask the examiner questions and get answers.

• When the students did not have any questions, the roles were flipped and the examiner asked the students questions. Some found this slightly unnerving, but since there was no pressure to give the right answers, no one felt that it was a problem.

• All the students thought that this approach was good and felt that they learned much by participating.

9

Examination

• Need to explain better how grade calculated for group project (50% group; 50% individual)

• Points for sub-sections of questions should be indicated on exam paper. Some questions should have carried more marks than others

• A lot of things taught not in exam e.g biosensors in general & lateral flow.

• Too many questions on chemical reactions and SPR

10

Thanks Everyone

www.ifm.liu.se/biosensors