Using audio for feedback on assessments: Tutor and student experiences

Recently we have been providing individual audio feedback to 1st and 2nd year undergraduate Chemistry students on a variety of assessments (posters, laboratory reports, laboratory diaries) with the aim of providing richer, more detailed and more comprehensible individual feedback than is possible within the same timeframe using written feedback. In this communication, various aspects of the use of audio for feedback are discussed including practical and technical aspects of the recording of audio files whilst viewing and assessing student work, the transmission of these files to individual students, our experiences as tutors of providing audio feedback and the experiences and views of students on audio feedback

Screencasting as a means of providing timely, general feedback on assessment

Feedback has been highlighted as a key area for improvement in teaching in higher education following recent National Student Survey results. While feedback may be provided in a variety of forms, both general and specific to individual students, there is often a need to provide general feedback to a whole class without consuming valuable and limited contact time.Screencasting involves recording a short video clip of a computer screen with narration. It can be used to demonstrate various computer programmes, how to perform data analysis and to provide feedback on assessment, both individually and to the class as a whole. Camtasia or other screencast facilities were used to produce short videos of solutions to problem based assessments, incorporating general feedback and addressing misconceptions that had arisen. The resulting video files can be made available through virtual learning environments or on external websites giving the students round the clock access to a „mini lecture‟ enabling them to use the feedback at a time and place of their choosing. We have experimented with screencast feedback in a number of chemistry modules, focussing on feedback for in-class tests and problem-solving activities.In this communication we will look at screencasting as a means of providing efficient and effective whole class feedback, highlighting the strengths and challenges of this technology. We will discuss the experiences of both students who receive screencast feedback and tutors who provide it, and finish with our suggestions for best practice in the area

10 years of curriculum change viewed through the lens of student workload

The past decade has seen significant changes to the Chemistry course at Keele including two curriculum reviews, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a more gradual evolution of how we teach, particularly including flipped classroom methods. Student workload provides a means of quantifying the impact of these changes and is also a valuable tool in ensuring that all learning and teaching activities have sufficient and equitable access to time. The longer-term impact of changes to curricula has not been studied significantly, and there are limited examples of workload models that incorporate flipped classroom methods in physical science subjects. The purpose of this study is to review 10 years of semester 1 level 6 chemistry modules through the perspective of objective workload (timetabled sessions and deadlines) and more closely through changes in one block of taught content. Workload has been selected as a metric because objective workload is within the control of teaching staff and links to attendance, engagement, and achievement. Assessment timetables and timetables were analysed and workload week maps and credit per week map visualisations devised to represent the data. A workload model was proposed. A series of recommendations are made for the use of these visualisation to both support student learning and ensure equity across modules. Further work is required to investigate this complex issue, particularly to incorporate the student voice and perceived workload

International Group Work for Sustainable Chemistry

As part of a transnational degree programme, students in the UK and China were linked together to carry out group work. This was enabled by having two versions of our FHEQ Level 4 Sustainable Chemistry module; in person for UK students, and by distance learning for Chinese students. Groups were instructed to discuss issues relating to the UN Sustainable Development Goals in their respective countries and report back individually. Students who found the assignment interesting were more likely to indicate they would keep in touch, while those students who had fewer interactions or found the assessment guidelines unclear found the assignment less interesting and were less likely to wish to remain in touch. This kind of assignment is an example of what can be done with links to other institutions around the world.</jats:p

Silsesquioxane dendrimers as catalysts: A bite-sized molecular dynamics study

A method of calculating the bite (P-M-P) angle for dendritic ligands is reported. Diphenylphosphine terminated dendritic ligands were modified with either a single rhodium or a rhodium complex [HRh(CO)(2)] and molecular dynamics techniques used to run simulations to determine the dynamic bite angle (beta(d)) as a time averaged property. The effects of changing the composition of the dendritic branches is investigated and comparison with experimental hydroformylation data reveals that the dendrimer with the highest linear: branched ratio also has a dynamic bite angle closest to the theoretical ideal value of 120 degrees.</p

Silsesquioxane dendrimers as catalysts: A bite-sized molecular dynamics study

A method of calculating the bite (P-M-P) angle for dendritic ligands is reported. Diphenylphosphine terminated dendritic ligands were modified with either a single rhodium or a rhodium complex [HRh(CO)(2)] and molecular dynamics techniques used to run simulations to determine the dynamic bite angle (beta(d)) as a time averaged property. The effects of changing the composition of the dendritic branches is investigated and comparison with experimental hydroformylation data reveals that the dendrimer with the highest linear: branched ratio also has a dynamic bite angle closest to the theoretical ideal value of 120 degrees.</p

Dendrimer Conjugate of [4-(Tetradecanoylamino)benzyl]phosphonic Acid (S32826) as an Autotaxin Inhibitor

Autotaxin is an extracellular phospholipase D that catalyzes the hydrolysis of lysophosphatidyl choline (LPC) to bioactive lipid lysophosphatidic acid (LPA). LPA has been implicated in many pathological processes relevant to cancer, including cell migration and invasion, proliferation, and survival. The most potent autotaxin inhibitor described to date is the LPA analogue S32826 (IC50 5.6 nM). S32826 and many other autotaxin inhibitors are notably lipophilic, creating a need to improve their physical properties. Polymers are becoming an increasingly useful tool in the delivery of drugs and have the potential to improve the properties of small molecules. Herein we report the synthesis of a S32826 dendrimer conjugate and its biological evaluation. The conjugate was found to inhibit autotaxin activity using two different substrates and to decrease the migration of an ovarian cancer cell line modified to overexpress autotaxin. Furthermore, the conjugate potentiated activation of caspase 3/7 induced by carboplatin

Thinglink and the Laboratory: Interactive Simulations of Analytical Instrumentation for HE Science Curricula

Access to laboratory facilities and associated instrumentation represents a major barrier to learning in physical science education, due to constraints introduced by limited time and financial resources, cost of acquisition, and health and safety requirements. Virtualized laboratories offer some mitigation of these problems but may also introduce further problems such as limiting discussion and collaboration, inhibiting development of physical skills, and reducing engagement. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual simulations of analytical instruments for applied science student learning and teaching. Two virtual instruments (X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (XRF) and an ion chromatography system (IC)) were assembled on the Thinglink online virtual platform, with background theory, detailed animated instructions, and simulated data collection capabilities. The two simulations were disseminated to teachers and learners, with subsequent feedback gathered via questionnaires and four one-to-one interviews. Results showed that feedback was extremely positive from all users, with many expressing excitement for the accessibility and inclusivity implications and the freedom to engage asynchronously. Users found them to be high quality, highly accessible, and inclusive resources but generally felt that their application as supporting information would have greater benefit than using them in a standalone fashion. The most prominent concern was the time required to create materials. Study implications suggest that the style of online virtual learning resource presented here is viewed as beneficial by learners and teachers alike, if planned to be as efficient as possible and delivered as a supplement to physical equipment learning. The application of additional online resources to broader groups should be the subject of further investigation, with the potential benefits for academic performance being of utmost importance