Improving Science Teaching through Peer-Supported Reflective Practice

Overview: Research in higher education has shown a link between an instructor’s reflective practice and student learning. However, reflection can fail when instructors have insufficient knowledge on what to reflect on or how to change. This highlights the importance of support for reflective practice. In this workshop, participants will learn about the existing teaching square model, which supports the development of reflective practice and self-assessment. In this model four participants form a ‘square’ and observe each other teaching, following a round of observations, participants meet and share how the observations impacted them. We will share our experience of forming and implementing a teaching square as well as how the experience impacted our teaching practices and beliefs. During the workshop, participants will plan a teaching square they can implement and will be shown how to document their learning. We will also explore ideas for how to evaluate the impact of a teaching square. Description and Rationale: We utilized the teaching square model of peer observation and self-reflection to help enhance our teaching practice. The model involves observing each other’s classes twice over the semester. After each observation, we shared what we learned about our own teaching by observing each other. As an interdisciplinary science group with different levels of teaching experience, our goals were diverse: receiving feedback on teaching practices, observing different teaching styles and strategies in action, and looking for ways to refresh our teaching practices and practice self-reflection. Outcomes: We all enhanced aspects of our teaching practices and gained transformative insights. Enhancements included embedding real world applications into lessons, developing opportunities for active learning, facilitating group discussions and using classroom technology more effectively. Transformative impacts included increased confidence, an increased ability to recognize strengths in our current teaching practices, and shifting beliefs about the role of the instructor in the classroom

Vibrational spectroscopic study of the hydrated platinum(II), palladium(II) and cis-diammineplatinum(II) ions in acidic aqueous solutions

Mid infrared, far-infrared and Raman spectroscopic studies, combined with force field analyses, were performed for the 1 hydrated platinum(II) and palladium(II) ions and cis-diammineplatinum(II) complex in acidic aqueous solutions. Simplified Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations were made for the equatorial plane of the platinum complexes. Careful subtraction of solvent spectra allowed a number of 'internal' modes of coordinated H(2)O and NH(3) to be determined as weak residual bands. The [Pt(OH(2))(6)](2+) and [cis-Pt(NH(3))(2)(OH(2))(4)](2+) complexes were found to be six-coordinated with four ligands strongly bound in an equatorial plane. The assignments of the vibrational modes in the equatorial plane could be performed on the basis of the experimental observations and by comparison with metal-ligand vibrations of square-planar complexes, aided by normal coordinate calculations. For the weakly coordinated axial aqua ligands, the low wavenumber range and the polarizibility properties allowed the assignments of the bands at about 365 and 325 cm(-1) to the stretching modes of one short and one longer Pt - O* bound to axial aqua ligands, respectively. A similar picture with even less strongly bound axial water molecules emerges from Raman spectroscopy data for the hydrated palladium(II) ion, [Pd(OH(2))(6)](2+). The results are consistent with a description of the [Pt(OH(2))(6)](2+) and [Pd(OH(2))(6)](2+) aqua ions in C(4v) symmetry, and with the [cis-Pt(NH(3))(2)(OH(2))(4)](2+) complex in the Cs point group, and also in qualitative agreement with the structures devised from previous extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) measurements

Structure of the Aqua Ions and Fluoride Complexes of Uranium(IV) and Thorium(IV) in Aqueous Solution an EXAFS Study

The structures of aqueous M4+ and MF3+, where M is uranium(IV) or thorium(IV), have been determined by LIII edge EXAFS. We find that both M(IV) aqua ions are 10-coordinate with M−O bond distances for U(IV) and Th(IV) of 2.42 ± 0.01 and 2.45 ± 0.01 Å, respectively. Changes in the first coordination spheres of both metals are measured when fluoride is bonded. The experimental data indicate an asymmetrical distribution of the distances