TEACHING CHEMISTRY UNDERGRADUATES TO SHARE THEIR SCIENCE WITH THE PUBLIC

The ability to communicate scientific concepts and new research to public audiences is a key skill for science graduates. Among the extensive science communication literature; chemistry as a discipline is underexplored and relatively few pedagogical examples of chemistry communication are found in the chemistry education literature. The current literature on chemistry communication in educational contexts was analysed to explore different pedagogical methods used by educators to teach chemistry communication to their students, and to highlight areas that invite further investigation. In this presentation, we will share insights from our review, including effective methods for teaching chemistry communication to students. Examples of teaching activities across different media of chemistry communication will also be explored, including visual, auditory, tactile, informal writing, social media, outreach activities, gamification and mixed media. Ultimately, we will build on this review to help chemical educators design better learning experiences for undergraduates and empower them to share our science effectively in informal settings

A 10 GHz Quasi-Optical Grid Amplifier Using Integrated HBT Differential Pairs

We report the fabrication and testing of a 10 GHz grid amplifier utilizing sixteen GaAs chips each containing an HBT differential pair plus integral bias/feedback resistors. The overall amplifier consists of a 4x4 array of unit cells on an RT Duroid™ board having a relative permittivity of 2.2. Each unit cell consists of an emitter-coupled differential pair at the center, an input antenna which extends horizontally in both directions from the two base leads, an output antenna which extends vertically in both directions from the two collector leads, and high inductance bias lines. In operation, the active grid array is placed between a pair of crossed polarizers. The horizontally polarized input wave passes through the input polarizer and couples to the input leads. An amplified current then flows on the vertical leads, which radiate a vertically polarized amplified signal through the output polarizer. The polarizers serve dual functions, providing both input-output isolation as well as independent impedance matching for the input and output ports. The grid thus functions essentially as a free-space beam amplifier. Calculations indicate that output powers of several watts per square centimeter of grid area should be attainable with optimized structures

Collaboration between researchers and educators enables an authentic and engaging learning experience

The use of authentic learning experiences and real-world problem solving is an effective means to increase student engagement with course content. Providing broader context of the application of chemistry can aid students in relating abstract chemical concepts to their own experiences of the world, and improve students’ willingness to learn and understand deeper concepts (King, 2012). In addition, there is increasing evidence that engaging in citizen science projects, wherein students work with peers and researchers towards a common goal, is a powerful motivator for students (Vitone et al., 2016).  The Breaking Good project is an ongoing citizen science program in which high school and undergraduate students work cooperatively with researchers to synthesise novel drug candidates that are screened against various neglected tropical diseases. We will discuss our experiences implementing this synthetic workshop program in both schools and universities and explore how different educational settings require and enable different levels of immersion and styles of learning. In particular, we examine the balance between providing authentic and immersive experiences while maintaining close alignment with learning outcomes. We suggest that co-creation between educators and researchers facilitates a more cohesive and enriching experience for students. REFERENCES King, D. (2012) New perspectives on context-based chemistry education: using a dialectical sociocultural approach to view teaching and learning. Studies in Science Education, 48(1), 51-87 Vitone, T., Stofer, K., Steininger, M. S., Hulcr, J., Dunn, R. and Lucky, A. (2016). School of Ants goes to college: integrating citizen science into the general education classroom increases engagement with science. Journal of Science Communication, 15(01), A0

Clergy work-related satisfactions in parochial ministry: the influence of personality and churchmanship

The aim of this study was to test several hypotheses that clergy work-related satisfaction could be better explained by a multidimensional rather than a unidimensional model. A sample of 1071 male stipendiary parochial clergy in the Church of England completed the Clergy Role Inventory, together with the short-form Revised Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. Factor analysis of the Clergy Role Inventory identified five separate clergy roles: Religious Instruction, Administration, Statutory Duties (conducting marriages and funerals), Pastoral Care, and Role Extension (including extra-parochial activities). Respondents also provided an indication of their predispositions on the catholic-evangelical and liberal-conservative dimensions. The significant associations of the satisfactions derived from each of the roles with the demographic, personality, and churchmanship variables were numerous, varied, and, with few exceptions, small in magnitude. Separate hierarchical regressions for each of the five roles indicated that the proportion of total variance explained by churchmanship was, in general, at least as great as that explained by personality, and was greater for three roles: Religious Instruction, Statutory Duties, and Role Extension. It was concluded that clergy satisfactions derived from different roles are not uniform and that churchmanship is at least as important as personality in accounting for clergy work satisfaction

LEARNING ABOUT THE COMPLEXITY OF SCIENCE THROUGH CITIZEN SCIENCE

Understanding the complexity and multifaceted nature of science is a key skill for engaging fruitfully in today’s scientifically and technologically enhanced society. Yet, these notions are often not taught in school or university contexts and thus are difficult for students and publics to conceive. One way to increase the understanding about the nature of science is by active participation in scientific research, through citizen science projects. This paper presents a novel approach to citizen science, applied in EENTIAL MEDICINE$ – a Breaking Good citizen science project – for exploring the world's most important medicines (Motion et al., 2020). Through hands-on engagement with the project, participants investigate the life cycles and accessibility of important medicines to people around the world, and learn about the social, political and financial variables which affect access to some medicines. Such learning opportunities provide a holistic understanding of the complexity of science, and will be discussed in this talk alongside the implications and implementation of EENTIAL MEDICINE$ in formal education. REFERENCE Motion, A. et al. “Breaking Good.” Breaking Good. Retrieved June 19, 2020 (https://www.breakinggoodproject.com)

CHEMISTRY IN THE TIME OF COVID-19: REFLECTIONS ON A VERY UNUSUAL SEMESTER

Educators around the world have been challenged to adapt their teaching and pastoral care rapidly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The academic members of the Chemistry Education and Communication Theme (CECR) from the School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney have reflected on the challenges and successes during this most unusual semester. As many would no doubt agree, the transition was rapid, and overwhelming with the sheer volume of shared resources and recommendations from our colleagues around the world. In this talk, we will discuss some of the specific tools and techniques employed across a range of teaching modes including lectures, tutorials, and the laboratory. Of particular note, we will explore the importance of communication and pastoral care that we found central to many of our teaching successes. While we recognise each classroom holds a unique context, we believe that the sharing and discussion of our communities’ journeys in navigating this time will hold valuable lessons to inform both our immediate practice and the long-term impact on our teaching

tert-Butyl­dimethyl­silanol hemihydrate

The crystal structure of the title compound, C6H16OSi·0.5H2O, reveals an asymmetric unit containing two mol­ecules of the silanol and a single water mol­ecule. There is evidence of hydrogen bonding between the three mol­ecules in the asymmetric unit. The H atoms of the silanol OH groups and the water H atoms are each disordered equally over two positions

Spectroscopic Discovery of the Broad-Lined Type Ic Supernova 2010bh Associated with the Low-Redshift GRB 100316D

We present the spectroscopic discovery of a broad-lined Type Ic supernova (SN 2010bh) associated with the nearby long-duration gamma-ray burst (GRB) 100316D. At z = 0.0593, this is the third-nearest GRB-SN. Nightly optical spectra obtained with the Magellan telescopes during the first week after explosion reveal the gradual emergence of very broad spectral features superposed on a blue continuum. The supernova features are typical of broad-lined SNe Ic and are generally consistent with previous supernovae associated with low-redshift GRBs. However, the inferred velocities of SN 2010bh at 21 days after explosion are a factor of ~2 times larger than those of the prototypical SN 1998bw at similar epochs, with v ~ 26,000 km/s, indicating a larger explosion energy or a different ejecta structure. A near-infrared spectrum taken 13.8 days after explosion shows no strong evidence for He I at 1.083 microns, implying that the progenitor was largely stripped of its helium envelope. The host galaxy is of low luminosity (M_R ~ -18.5 mag) and low metallicity (Z < 0.4 Z_solar), similar to the hosts of other low-redshift GRB-SNe.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, submitted to ApJ Letter