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/