COMPARING THE QUESTIONS IN ONLINE CHEMISTRY EXAMS TO PAPER-BASED EXAMS WITH THE USE OF BLOOMS TAXONOMY

Paper-based summative exams represent the main form of final assessment in many science courses worldwide and they are typically comprised of multi-choice questions (MCQs) and short-answer questions (SAQs). These SAQs can take the form of written explanations, drawings or calculations. However, this process was complicated in early 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced educators worldwide to switch to entirely open book electronic quizzes operated through a range of learning management systems. While online exams are not novel, their use on such a scale, with limited to no training for the teaching staff, was undeniably so. This study sought to investigate how the types of questions and the orders of thinking varied between 2019 (paper-based exams) and 2020 (online exams). The types of questions were generated prior to analysis through a process of individual categorisations and discussions to come to an agreement. The questions were also analysed through the lens of Bloom’s taxonomy to consider how the thinking processes, and by extension the order of thinking, may have changed. In addition, the potential relationships between the type of question and its order of thinking were also explored. This talk will cover these comparisons of exam questions in online and paper-based exams

INITIAL INVESTIGATIONS IN USING VIRTUAL REALITY TO TEACH CHEMISTRY

Virtual Reality (VR) has become a much more common household commodity thanks to the proliferation of more affordable VR devices. Whilst its use in the gaming industry is becoming widespread, its application in pedagogical environments has only just started, particularly in chemistry. As such, whether VR will aid or hinder the teaching and learning of chemistry is currently a topic of research and debate (Won, Mocerino, Tang, Treagust & Tasker, 2019). This project generated a range of VR materials designed to support students learning undergraduate chemistry. The topics included stereoisomers, VSEPR theory and introductory organic chemistry (namely addition and substitution reaction mechanisms). The VR materials were tested with both students and teaching staff, with all data audio recorded using a think-aloud protocol. Preliminary and follow-up interviews were also conducted with all participants. The students’ conceptual understanding was tested with common theoretical questions and concept inventories both before and after either a VR lesson or a paper-based version of the same theories covered in the VR lessons. The results of these trials will be discussed and their implications on the use of VR in the teaching and learning of chemistry considered

Virtual Reality, help or hindrance? A case study of two undergraduate student-generated chemistry lessons

Virtual Reality (VR) has become a much more common household commodity thanks to the proliferation of more affordable VR devices. While its use in the gaming industry is becoming widespread, its application in pedagogical environments has only just started, particularly in chemistry. As such, whether VR will aid or hinder the teaching and learning of chemistry is currently a topic of research and debate. This project sought to generate VR materials designed to support students learning undergraduate chemistry, with the specific topics decided by undergraduate student researchers. This work was undertaken in the X-reality (i.e. VR and other forms of augmented realities) laboratories at the The University of Sydney. Preliminary materials were generated, and pilot tested with student volunteers who undertook pre- and post-questionnaires followed by an exit interview. The results of these trials showed that the VR experience did enhance student engagement and understanding, but only for more complex examples. The trial volunteers felt that ball-and-stick models were adequate for simple molecular representations. Nausea was noted as a significant issue alongside concerns around the inadequate response of the hand-held controls. This same issue made movement throughout the virtual environment difficult for several students. Lastly, the student researchers found generating the VR lessons to be challenging, noting a steep learning curve with regards to creating the environments

EMBEDDING CREATIVE EXERCISES TO PROMOTE LEARNING-CENTRED EXPERIENCES IN CHEMISTRY TUTORIALS

An ongoing universal challenge for chemistry education is combatting the historical “silo-ing” of content into distinct topics. One approach towards addressing this challenge is the use of open-ended activities and assessments to prompt students to access prior knowledge and connect concepts through the use of Creative Exercises (CEs) (Trigwell & Sleet, 1990). This study has adapted the CEs as described by Ye and coworkers (2019) to operate as a formative learning activity in first-year chemistry tutorials. Preliminary testing in 2018 anecdotally indicated students persisted in struggling to access prior or interdisciplinary knowledge when confronted with open-ended CEs. Reflecting on this experience, a longitudinal approach has been taken by implementing a portfolio-style approach to encourage students to build upon this through a semester. In addition to the portfolio addition, limited scaffolding being built to support tutors and students when undertaking tutorial CE activities. In this presentation, we will focus on the student-generated artefacts by analyzing the identified connecting concepts and provide insight into the next iteration of this study design for 2021

Investigating the shift to online delivery of final exams and how this impacted the student experience

A closed-book and paper-based final examination is the most common summative assessment administered in universities around the world (Williams & Wong, 2009). However, with the COVID-19 pandemic occurring in early 2020, educators were forced to transition to open-book online final exams operated through a range of learning management systems (Dicks et al., 2020). Although online exams are not novel, their use in chemistry courses on such a large scale was undeniably so, with many students and staff having limited experience with them (Nennig et al., 2020). This study aimed to examine the impact of the online delivery of chemistry final exams, driven by the rise of a pandemic, on both the exam questions and the experiences of academics and students at The University of Sydney. Semi-structured interviews were conducted involving students who had taken both paper-based and online chemistry exams, as well as those who had taken only online chemistry exams. They were asked about their experiences and strategies used to complete exam questions. To date, only students have been interviewed, but interviews with academics will also be conducted. Thematic analyses were conducted on these student interviews, by first using inductive coding on one interview to generate a codebook that was applied to the rest of the interviews. While the exam questions were also analysed for exams written in 2019 (paper-based exams), 2020 and 2021 (online exams) as part of the study, this talk will focus on the experiences of students as extracted from the interviews, such as the various origins of stress when taking online exams and unique exam strategies employed in online exams. REFERENCES Dicks, A. P., Morra, B., & Quinlan, K. B. (2020). Lessons learned from the CoviD-19 crisis: Adjusting assessment approaches within introductory organic courses. Journal of Chemical Education, 97(9). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00529 Nennig, H. T., Idárraga, K. L., Salzer, L. D., Bleske-Rechek, A., & Theisen, R. M. (2020). Comparison of student attitudes and performance in an online and a face-to-face inorganic chemistry course. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1039/c9rp00112c Williams, J. B., & Wong, A. (2009). The efficacy of final examinations: A comparative study of closed-book, invigilated exams and open-book, open-web exams. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8535.2008.00929.

A framework for adaptation of Australian households to heat waves

AbstractClimate change is leading to an increased frequency and severity of heat waves. Spells of several consecutive days of unusually high temperatures have led to increased mortality rates for the more vulnerable in the community. The problem is compounded by the escalating energy costs and increasing peak electrical demand as people become more reliant on air conditioning. Domestic air conditioning is the primary determinant of peak power demand which has been a major driver of higher electricity costs. This report presents the findings of multidisciplinary research which develops a national framework to evaluate the potential impacts of heat waves. It presents a technical, social and economic approach to adapt Australian residential buildings to ameliorate the impact of heat waves in the community and reduce the risk of its adverse outcomes.Through the development of a methodology for estimating the impact of global warming on key weather parameters in 2030 and 2050, it is possible to re-evaluate the size and anticipated energy consumption of air conditioners in future years for various climate zones in Australia.  Over the coming decades it is likely that mainland Australia will require more cooling than heating.  While in some parts the total electricity usage for heating and cooling may remain unchanged, there is an overall significant increase in peak electricity demand, likely to further drive electricity prices.  Through monitoring groups of households in South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland, the impact of heat waves on both thermal comfort sensation and energy consumption for air conditioning has been evaluated. The results show that households are likely to be able to tolerate slightly increased temperature levels indoors during periods of high outside temperatures. The research identified that household electricity costs are likely to rise above what is currently projected due to the impact of climate change. Through a number of regulatory changes to both household design and air conditioners, this impact can be minimised.  A number of proposed retrofit and design measures are provided, which can readily reduce electricity usage for cooling at minimal cost to the household.  Using a number of social research instruments, it is evident that households are willing to change behaviour rather than to spend money. Those on lower income and elderly individuals are the least able to afford the use of air conditioning and should be a priority for interventions and assistance. Increasing community awareness of cost-effective strategies to manage comfort and health during heat waves is a high priority recommended action.Overall, the research showed that a combined approach including behaviour change, dwelling modification and improved air conditioner selection can readily adapt Australian households to the impact of heat waves, reducing the risk of heat related deaths and household energy costs.Climate change is leading to an increased frequency and severity of heat waves. Spells of several consecutive days of unusually high temperatures have led to increased mortality rates for the more vulnerable in the community. The problem is compounded by the escalating energy costs and increasing peak electrical demand as people become more reliant on air conditioning. Domestic air conditioning is the primary determinant of peak power demand which has been a major driver of higher electricity costs. This report presents the findings of multidisciplinary research which develops a national framework to evaluate the potential impacts of heat waves. It presents a technical, social and economic approach to adapt Australian residential buildings to ameliorate the impact of heat waves in the community and reduce the risk of its adverse outcomes.Through the development of a methodology for estimating the impact of global warming on key weather parameters in 2030 and 2050, it is possible to re-evaluate the size and anticipated energy consumption of air conditioners in future years for various climate zones in Australia.  Over the coming decades it is likely that mainland Australia will require more cooling than heating.  While in some parts the total electricity usage for heating and cooling may remain unchanged, there is an overall significant increase in peak electricity demand, likely to further drive electricity prices.  Through monitoring groups of households in South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland, the impact of heat waves on both thermal comfort sensation and energy consumption for air conditioning has been evaluated. The results show that households are likely to be able to tolerate slightly increased temperature levels indoors during periods of high outside temperatures. The research identified that household electricity costs are likely to rise above what is currently projected due to the impact of climate change. Through a number of regulatory changes to both household design and air conditioners, this impact can be minimised.  A number of proposed retrofit and design measures are provided, which can readily reduce electricity usage for cooling at minimal cost to the household.  Using a number of social research instruments, it is evident that households are willing to change behaviour rather than to spend money. Those on lower income and elderly individuals are the least able to afford the use of air conditioning and should be a priority for interventions and assistance. Increasing community awareness of cost-effective strategies to manage comfort and health during heat waves is a high priority recommended action.Overall, the research showed that a combined approach including behaviour change, dwelling modification and improved air conditioner selection can readily adapt Australian households to the impact of heat waves, reducing the risk of heat related deaths and household energy costs.Please cite this report as:Saman, W, Boland, J, Pullen, S, de Dear, R, Soebarto, V, Miller, W, Pocock, B, Belusko, M, Bruno, F, Whaley, D, Pockett, J, Bennetts, H, Ridley, B, Palmer, J, Zuo, J, Ma, T, Chileshe, N, Skinner, N, Chapman, J, Vujinovic, N, Walsh, M, Candido, C, Deuble, M 2013 A framework for adaptation of Australian households to heat waves, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, Gold Coast, pp. 242.&nbsp

Insights into Student Cognition: Creative Exercises as an Evaluation Tool in Undergraduate First-year Organic Chemistry

It is known that while students can be adept at recalling specific information, especially in end of semester summative exams, they can still often struggle to connect or link this information over different topic areas. In many cases, this issue is exacerbated by traditional assessments and teaching styles that focus on and reward students who have only interacted with the learning materials on a more surface level. Many attempts have been made over time to rectify this, with one such example shown in the use of Creative Exercises (CEs). CEs are open-ended tasks that allow students to connect as much prior knowledge as possible into one cohesive response, potentially developing a student’s ability to link and connect disparate topic areas and content. In this study, CEs were introduced into a large scale first-year course and focused on fundamental organic chemistry reactions for the first time (to the best of our knowledge). Students performed the CEs in groups, and the paper responses were collected over six weeks (N=945 in total). Analysis of these artefacts revealed that students did indeed struggle to connect information over subsequent teaching weeks. This inability to connect information was despite being encouraged to do so both by the tasks and the teaching staff. Additionally, while more ‘advanced’ students (as noted by prior performance) were noted to raise more topics in a given week, they were just as susceptible to ‘siloing’ the information as lower-performing students. Recommendations are made on the future use of CEs

What does empathy look like to you? Investigating student and staff opinions

Empathy is a key factor in successful human interaction. Many contemporary issues can be linked to a lack of ability for individuals to truly understand the perspectives of those that they interact with. In the context of teaching and learning, if teaching staff cannot truly understand the complex lives of their students, it is likely that students will be unable to reach their full potential and proceed into society as fully realised members of their respective communities (Levin et al., 2012; Robertson et al., 2015; Tudor, 1993). As such, any intervention that increases the ability of teaching staff to connect to the students, benefits not only the student but also the workforce they go on to contribute to (Haertel et al., 1981). What is unknown, however, is how teaching staff perceive their role in this empathic relationship, especially in the sciences (chemistry, biology, physics, etc.). It is additionally unclear how these perceptions are affected by either subject area or the teaching staff’s previous teaching and life experience. This project would seek to interview teaching staff across a range of disciplines in order to unpack their views around empathy and how best to employ it in their teaching practices. Largescale questionaries undertaken with undergraduate students would allow a comparison between the perceptions of students with the teaching staff. Ideally, the results of this project would allow for a better understanding of how empathy can best be supported and embedded into the practices of teaching staff both within a university context but also into all teaching practices across society. REFERENCES Haertel, G. D., Walberg, H. J., & Haertel, E. H. (1981). Socio-psychological environments and learning: A quantitative synthesis. British Educational Research Journal, 7(1), 27-36. Levin, D., Hammer, D., Elby, A., & Coffey, J. (2012). Becoming a responsive science teacher: Focusing on student thinking in secondary science. National Science Teachers Association Arlington, VA. Robertson, A. D., Scherr, R., & Hammer, D. (2015). Responsive teaching in science and mathematics. Routledge. Tudor, I. (1993). Teacher roles in the learner-centred classroom. ELT Journal, 47(1), 22-31.

CHEMISTRY LABORATORY INSTRUCTIONAL MODELS, HOW DO YOU CHOOSE?

How do you decide how to structure your laboratory experiments or programs? Amidst significant workloads, it can often be daunting to effect meaningful change across a single experiment, let alone a laboratory program. In this study, we have synthesised the chemistry education literature base to identify five common chemistry laboratory instructional models (CLIMs) with defined steps or characteristics: Argument Driven Inquiry (ADI), Course-Based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs), Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL), Predict-Observe-Explain (POE), and the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH). The intention of this analysis was to offer a concise summary, including published examples, for an instructor to choose between when considering the design of their teaching laboratory activities. Further value has been added by analysing each CLIM through the lens of three different theoretical frameworks (cognitive load theory, communities of practice and constructivism). This presentation will offer brief summaries of each CLIM and will explore the potential benefits and challenges identified in each as per the theoretical frameworks raised

Advanced organic chemistry laboratory curricula in Australian universities: Investigating the major topics and approaches to learning

A key goal of tertiary education is to prepare graduates with the training, skills, and knowledge necessary to thrive in the workforce. In chemistry, 50% of undergraduate students from Australia, New Zealand and the UK plan to pursue a career that uses chemistry (Ogunde et al., 2017). However, it has also been noted that there is a mismatch in the skills desired by industry when compared with what is taught to undergraduates (Martin et al., 2011; Yasin & Yueying, 2017). Laboratory work is an essential part of undergraduate programs with the objective of developing practical and interpersonal skills with ‘real world’ engagement in chemistry. It is therefore concerning to note the perception among industry stakeholders that the laboratory skills of high-achieving chemistry graduates do not meet the desired standard (Kirton et al., 2014). To extend our understanding regarding the importance and value of undergraduate laboratory skills, techniques, and equipment usage; semi-structured interviews were conducted with key external stakeholders, academics, and post-graduate teaching staff. This presentation will discuss the key findings from our perspectives analysis interviews with various organic chemistry experts across the country from both industry and academia. Key findings include the belief: the purpose of second-year laboratory courses is to teach and developing competency with laboratory skills, whilst third-year laboratory courses should build on this with student application of learned skills whether through lab project design or problem-solving tasks/challenges. REFERENCES Kirton, S. B., Al-Ahmad, A., & Fergus, S. (2014). Using Structured Chemistry Examinations (SChemEs) As an Assessment Method To Improve Undergraduate Students’ Generic, Practical, and Laboratory-Based Skills. Journal of Chemical Education, 91(5), 648-654. Martin, C. B., Schmidt, M., & Soniat, M. (2011). A Survey of the Practices, Procedures, and Techniques in Undergraduate Organic Chemistry Teaching Laboratories. Journal of Chemical Education, 88(12), 1630-1638. Ogunde, J. C., Overton, T. L., Thompson, C. D., Mewis, R., & Boniface, S. (2017). Beyond graduation: motivations and career aspirations of undergraduate chemistry students [10.1039/C6RP00248J]. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 18(3), 457-471. Yasin, N. Y. B. M., & Yueying, O. (2017). Evaluating the Relevance of the Chemistry Curriculum to the Workplace: Keeping Tertiary Education Relevant. Journal of Chemical Education, 94(10), 1443-1449