17 research outputs found
How Does Seating Arrangement Matter While Teaching in Small Groups?
A circular seating arrangement is best suited for small group discussions
Surface functionalities of nitric acid treated carbon – A density functional theory based vibrational analysis
352-356The appropriate combination of surface functionalities and their relative contribution to the total surface functionalities of oxidized carbon by nitric acid are evaluated by density functional theory calculations. Though the computed and experimental spec-tra do not exactly match in all respects, the methodology adopted has a definite role in understanding the complex surface function-alities of treated carbon
Teaching statistics to medical undergraduates using interactive and participatory sessions
Introduction: In India, medical undergraduates think that statistics is difficult
to understand. Often, it is taught just before final assessment examination
using didactic lectures, with little use of medical examples and less focus on
application. Hence, we prepared interactive, participatory sessions for teaching
biostatistics to medical undergraduate.
Methods: The sessions were delivered by a facilitator. It had clearly specified
objectives and teaching learning strategies. A needs assessment was done by
interviewing the students who had undergone traditional biostatistics teaching
methodology. Specific learning objectives for the sessions were finalized
using the Delphi technique and review of University syllabus. Two trained
Community Medicine faculties designed the lesson plans ‘backwards’ from
desired outcome to content, teaching/learning strategies, assessment and
evaluation process (Outcomes-based lesson planning). Forty, third-semester
(Para-clinical phase of the second year) medical undergraduates undertook
these seven teaching sessions. The session followed adult learning principles
and included group discussions, games and reflections. We evaluated the
impact of the sessions using in-depth interviews, retrospective post-then-preself-
assessment and a pre-announced written test.
Results: With traditional statistics teaching methodology, students perceived
it as a standalone subject and were not interested in statistics. Students
who underwent the sessions commented that the sessions were enjoyable,
interesting, and participatory and more than %90 of them felt they were
engaged throughout the session. They also narrated various instances where
they could apply the biostatistics learning. In the post-then-pre-assessment
median post-session scores for all the objectives were significantly higher
(p <0.050).
Conclusion: Use of interactive, participatory sessions for teaching biostatistics
to medical undergraduates resulted in a positive reaction and better learning.
They also applied these concepts while reading textbooks, listening to lectures
and during clinical postings
Titania based catalysts for photoreduction of carbon dioxide: Role of modifiers
1263-1283 Photocatalytic conversions on titania utilizing sunlight as the
energy source have been studied extensively for a variety of processes/
synthesis, like removal of pollutants in air and liquid streams, self-cleaning,
anti-fogging and anti-bacterial applications, splitting of water into hydrogen
and oxygen and photoreduction of CO2 by water to yield hydrocarbons.
These processes are receiving global attention as an off-shoot of the frantic
search for alternative energy sources. Though titania continues to be the
preferred catalyst in view of its low toxicity, ability to resist
photo-corrosion, versatility, and abundant availability at low cost, critical
limitations do exist in terms of its inability to get activated with visible
light and in achieving high conversion efficiency and quantum yield. Several techniques
of modifying titania to improve its performance have evolved over the years
resulting in correlations and concepts on structure-property-activity and the
role of preparation methods. Such modifications have lead to changes in light
absorption efficiency, electronic structure, energy levels, morphology, phase
composition and other photophysical properties with moderate improvements in
the performance. Efforts to understand the mode of action of the modifiers in
terms of the first principles, i.e., rationalization of the activity in terms
of electronic and structural properties and establishing theoretical basis for
the photocatalytic action, have met with only partial success, due to
conflicting observations/results.
The objectives
towards modifications, namely, extending the light absorption range, retarding
charge carrier
re-combination, facilitating their fast transport to the active sites on
titania surface and incorporation of active elements suitable for redox
reactions, have been achieved to a reasonable level. However, commensurate
improvement in activity/CO2 conversion has not been observed.
Maximization of selectivity (to methane or methanol) and arresting catalyst
deactivation are the two major issues yet to be understood in clear terms. An in-depth
study to understand the surface transformations at molecular level under
activation by light energy, is needed to achieve further improvements in the
activity of the catalysts and the process. This review brings forth an account
of the investigations on modified titania, capturing some significant and
selected contributions out of the vast literature available, with an emphasis
on application for photocatalytic reduction of CO2 with water.</sub