27 research outputs found
Recommended from our members
Assessing final-year practical work through group projects; A further study
The use of a group-based approach to project
working has been shown to provide significant
advantage to students in terms of project
outcomes, motivation and engagement. The
Department of Chemistry at the University of
Reading has recently explored the use of group
projects for final year practical work. In this
model, students are presented with a research
problem that they investigate within a team of
three to five students. Students are expected
to divide the work and share results in a
manner that closely resembles project working
in industry. This paper will report the
experiences and attitudes of final-year BSc
students towards this group-based approach,
and outline the self-identified skills
development of these students
Recommended from our members
A hydrazine-free Wolff–Kishner reaction suitable for an undergraduate laboratory
A Wolff–Kishner reaction that does not require hydrazine has been developed. The reaction sequence has two steps; formation of a carbomethoxyhydrazone from methyl hydrazinocarboxylate and acetophenone, then decomposition of this intermediate by treatment with potassium hydroxide in triethylene glycol. Purification is by filtration through a plug of silica encased in the barrel of a plastic syringe. The reaction sequence can be completed within a day-long laboratory class (8 hours)
Recommended from our members
Recent advances towards the inclusion of flow chemistry within the undergraduate practical class curriculum
The expansion of flow chemistry as a means for undertaking a chemical reaction has rapidly developed over recent years. When teaching chemistry to undergraduate students, one aspect that has to be addressed is the core subject-knowledge required to function as a chemist, usually taught through lectures. In addition, chemistry is a practical subject, therefore the laboratory-based skills that students learn and will require upon graduation also need consideration. Traditionally, batch chemistry has dominated the practical laboratory curriculum because, traditionally, when students transferred to an industrial setting completing a reaction using batch chemistry was the norm. However, in recent years flow chemistry has started to become more ubiquitous within the pharmaceutical industry and fine chemical production, therefore undergraduate programs have started to amend their practical provision to reflect this. In recent years there have been a number of practical classes designed that utilise continuous flow analysis and flow injection analysis procedures, as well as construction of cheap microfluidic chips for use both within the undergraduate curriculum and to engage high school students with chemistry. However, the number of experiments that can be used upon preparative scale are much smaller in number. Examples include Fischer esterification, methylation of 2-napthol, Hofmann rearrangement, Knoevenagel condensation, electrophilic aromatic substitution, Paal-Knorr pyrrole synthesis, Diels-Alder cycloaddition and synthesis of azo dyes and disulfides. Some examples showcasing more recently developed reactions are discussed further in this Spotlight but it should be noted that there may be other applications under development. This field is in its infancy therefore this Spotlight should not be considered exhaustive but a starting point for any practical class developer looking to include examples of flow chemistry. As this field develops, it is likely that more reactions that utilise flow chemistry and are suitable for an undergraduate laboratory will be disclosed over the coming years
Recommended from our members
Assessing final-year practical work through group projects
The final year project is a valuable research experience for undergraduates and can be one of the most rewarding aspects of their degree course. With increasing student numbers it is becoming more difficult to supervise students effectively, as truly independent enquiry-based working requires significant supervision, time and resource. To address this, the Department of Chemistry at the University of Reading has recently explored the use of group projects for final year practical work. Students work in teams of 3 to 5 and are presented with a research problem to investigate. These are genuine problems where the answer is unknown and the work open-ended. The students must work together to investigate the problem, dividing the work and sharing results in a manner that more closely resembles project working outside of academia. The students’ output is assessed through a variety of means including a group presentation and report. The projects were successful, with all students completing the work to a satisfactory level and developing strong team-working skills. This paper will outline some of the issues faced in the first year of delivery, and the steps taken to alleviate them
Recommended from our members
Methyl hydrazinocarboxylate as a practical alternative to hydrazine in the Wolff–Kishner reaction
Herein we describe a facile protocol for the reduction of aromatic ketones and aldehydes to the corresponding methylene unit. The procedure involves isolation of a carbomethoxyhydrazone intermediate that is easily decomposed to the reduced product without the requirement
for large quantities of pernicious hydrazine
Recommended from our members
Understanding the barriers faced by TNE-students when completing advanced-level laboratory-based practical classes
This study reports the barriers faced by Transnational Education (TNE)-students when completing practical work in the UK, having transferred to the UK for their final year of study as part of a chemistry degree. Self-identified barriers these students faced included: recall of information; difficulties writing the technical reports required for assessment; different educational cultural norms between China and the UK, especially in relation to health and safety; and a lack confidence using English, in particular with the technical language. It was noticed by both participants and researchers that there was minimal interaction with the domestic students and prevalent use of Chinese within the TNE-students’ social group, which may have created a ‘cultural enclave’. The results from this study have been used to derive a number of recommendations for practice for TNE-programmes that contain a significant practical element
Recommended from our members
Encouraging independent thought and learning in first year practical classes
The transition from A-level to degree-level
practical classes then to a research project,
hence from dependent learner to independent
researcher, is a hurdle that all students face
when studying for a chemistry degree. This can
be daunting so any innovations that aid this
transition are of great value. At the University
of Reading, the first year practical course has
been redesigned to facilitate this transition by
embedding independent thought and
experimentation across all chemistry
disciplines (introductory, organic, inorganic
and physical). Examples of experiments that
provide opportunities for independent student
investigation, along with student perceptions of
the experiments of the course, are given. Using
this model for practical-class delivery, student
engagement, confidence, independence and
ultimately preparedness for year 2 were
improved
IKT for Research Stage 6:Data Analysis
In 2020, the University of Dundee initiated the development of an Open Research strategy. As part of this initiative, in February 2021 the University’s Library and Learning Centre together with Open Research Champions from the Schools of Health Sciences and Dentistry, formed an Open Research Working group. To build on the University’s open research policy and infrastructure, the purpose of the group was to facilitate ongoing research and development of best practice approaches for our interdisciplinary environment to make outputs, data and other products of our research publicly available, building on University of Dundee’s Open Research policy and infrastructure.Through informal consultations with academic staff and students, the Open Research Working Group found that:→ access and reach of research findings can be amplified through effective knowledge mobilisation, and stakeholder and patient and public involvement; and→ there was a need for guidance and resources on how-to implement knowledge mobilisation activities with and for stakeholders throughout the entire research process – from proposal development to project completion.In June 2021, the Open Research working group, in partnership with Simon Fraser University’s Knowledge Mobilization Hub began the development of an Integrated Knowledge Translation (IKT) Toolkit, with funding support from the University of Dundee’s Doctoral Academy and Organisational Professional Development. IKT is an approach to knowledge translation that emphasises working in an engaged and collaborative partnership with stakeholders throughout the research cycle in order to have positive impact.The aim was to co-produce evidence-informed, best practice learning materials on how-to:→ maintain ongoing relationships between researchers, community stakeholders and decision-makers in research development and implementation; and→ facilitate an integrated, participatory way of knowledge production whereby researchers, practitioners and other knowledge users can collaborate to co-generate new and accessible knowledge that can be utilised in contexts ranging from supporting community development to policy guidance for practice.The IKT Toolkit was informed by a focused evidence review and synthesis of published peer-reviewed and grey literature and consists of 8 knowledge briefs and a slide deck co-produced for use in any discipline or sector. Each knowledge brief provides practical guidance and resources to support an IKT process in each of eight key research stages: (i) Partnership Building; (ii) Generating Priorities and Ideas; (iii) Proposal development; (iv) Study Design; (v) Data Collection; (vi) Data Analysis; (vii) Reporting and (viii) Dissemination.The current knowledge brief provides IKT guidance on Research Stage 6: Data Analysis
IKT for Research Stage 7:Reporting
In 2020, the University of Dundee initiated the development of an Open Research strategy. As part of this initiative, in February 2021 the University’s Library and Learning Centre together with Open Research Champions from the Schools of Health Sciences and Dentistry, formed an Open Research Working group. To build on the University’s open research policy and infrastructure, the purpose of the group was to facilitate ongoing research and development of best practice approaches for our interdisciplinary environment to make outputs, data and other products of our research publicly available, building on University of Dundee’s Open Research policy and infrastructure.Through informal consultations with academic staff and students, the Open Research Working Group found that:→ access and reach of research findings can be amplified through effective knowledge mobilisation, and stakeholder and patient and public involvement; and→ there was a need for guidance and resources on how-to implement knowledge mobilisation activities with and for stakeholders throughout the entire research process – from proposal development to project completion.In June 2021, the Open Research working group, in partnership with Simon Fraser University’s Knowledge Mobilization Hub began the development of an Integrated Knowledge Translation (IKT) Toolkit, with funding support from the University of Dundee’s Doctoral Academy and Organisational Professional Development. IKT is an approach to knowledge translation that emphasises working in an engaged and collaborative partnership with stakeholders throughout the research cycle in order to have positive impact.The aim was to co-produce evidence-informed, best practice learning materials on how-to:→ maintain ongoing relationships between researchers, community stakeholders and decision-makers in research development and implementation; and→ facilitate an integrated, participatory way of knowledge production whereby researchers, practitioners and other knowledge users can collaborate to co-generate new and accessible knowledge that can be utilised in contexts ranging from supporting community development to policy guidance for practice.The IKT Toolkit was informed by a focused evidence review and synthesis of published peer-reviewed and grey literature and consists of 8 knowledge briefs and a slide deck co-produced for use in any discipline or sector. Each knowledge brief provides practical guidance and resources to support an IKT process in each of eight key research stages: (i) Partnership Building; (ii) Generating Priorities and Ideas; (iii) Proposal development; (iv) Study Design; (v) Data Collection; (vi) Data Analysis; (vii) Reporting and (viii) Dissemination.The current knowledge brief provides IKT guidance on Research Stage 7: Reporting
IKT for Research Stage 1:Partnership Building
In 2020, the University of Dundee initiated the development of an Open Research strategy. As part of this initiative, in February 2021 the University’s Library and Learning Centre together with Open Research Champions from the Schools of Health Sciences and Dentistry, formed an Open Research Working group. To build on the University’s Open Research policy and infrastructure, the purpose of the group was to facilitate ongoing research and development of best practice approaches for our interdisciplinary environment to make outputs, data and other products of our research publicly available.Through informal consultations with academic staff and students, the Open Research Working Group found that:→ access and reach of research findings can be amplified through effective knowledge mobilisation, and stakeholder and patient and public involvement; and→ there was a need for guidance and resources on how-to implement knowledge mobilisation activities with and for stakeholders throughout the entire research process – from proposaldevelopment to project completion.In June 2021, the Open Research working group, in partnership with Simon Fraser University’s Knowledge Mobilization Hub began the development of an Integrated Knowledge Translation (IKT) Toolkit, with funding support from the University of Dundee’s Doctoral Academy and Organisational Professional Development. IKT is an approach to knowledge translation that emphasises working in an engaged and collaborative partnership with stakeholders throughout the research cycle in order to have positive impact.The aim was to co-produce evidence-informed, best practice learning materials on how-to:→ maintain ongoing relationships between researchers, community stakeholders and decisionmakers in research development and implementation; and→ facilitate an integrated, participatory way of knowledge production whereby researchers, practitioners and other knowledge users can collaborate to co-generate new and accessible knowledge that can be utilised in contexts ranging from supporting community development to policy guidance for practice.The IKT Toolkit was informed by a focused evidence review and synthesis of published peer-reviewed and grey literature and consists of eight knowledge briefs and a slide deck co-produced for use in any discipline or sector. Each knowledge brief provides practical guidance and resources to support an IKT process in each of eight key research stages: (i) Partnership Building; (ii) Generating Priorities and Ideas; (iii) Proposal development; (iv) Study Design; (v) Data Collection; (vi) Data Analysis; (vii) Reporting and (viii) Dissemination.The current knowledge brief provides IKT guidance on Research Stage 1: Partnership Building