Advanced Spectroscopy and Forensic Analysis

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Advanced Spectroscopy and Forensic Analysis

• Enhancing Student Engagement, Skills and
  Practical Experience Through Project-based
  Learning

Dr Falko Drijfhout, Professor Mark Ormerod and Dr
Vladimir Zholobenko School of Physical and
Geographical Sciences
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Problem

• Linking lecture material with applications (e.g.
  Lab based work)
• Apply knowledge - especially in problem solving
  situations
• Big gap between knowledge obtained in lectures
  and real life scenarios

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Project-Based Learning

• What is it?
• Project-based learning is an individual or group
  activity that goes on over a period of time,
  resulting in a product, presentation, or
  performance.
• Usually with the use of technical equipment or an
  IT component

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Project-Based Learning

• Advantages?
• Ability to apply knowledge.
• Motivation to learn material when it is put in a
  context in which they see its relevance (OHara
  et al., 1999).
• Students often engage better when the outcome is
  unknown.
• Disadvantages?
• Carrying out project without enough knowledge.
• Unable to interpret results.

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Does it work?

• CHE-20011 as a case
• Relative new module started in 2005-2006
• Several changes carried out over the years
• Main problem was the gap between lab mark and
  exam mark
• Introduced Project-based learning in 2007-2008
• End of 2007-2008
• Average Lab mark 70 vs. average exam mark 42

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Problems specific to this module

• Students engage very well in the laboratory work
• Feedback from students is very positive

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Some Feedback

• Well organized, good scripts (6)
• Labs related to lectures and helped my
  understanding (5)
• Helpful staff and demonstrators (6)
• Easy to ask questions got helpful answers
• Labs were interesting, enjoyable (3)

• Not enough information given, sometimes
  confusing
  (mini-project) (6)
• Provide handouts on how to use equipment

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Problems specific to this module

• Students engage very well in the laboratory work
• Feedback from students is very positive
• They all enjoy the lab work
• BUT
• . exam mark is always very low!

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Possible solutions

• Improve students
• problem solving skills
• understanding of instruments used in the lab
• ? Project-Based learning ..
• with some modifications
• Start with small exercises
• Use of simple data collection software (LoggerPro)

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LoggerPro

• Logger Pro software provides an inexpensive,
  user-friendly way for students to collect and
  analyse data with computers.
• Logger Pro is the most popular data-collection
  program in science and math education because
  students find our software easier to learn than
  other data-collection programs.
• Students can make copies to use at home and not
  have to pay extra for that.

Quotes from the LoggerPro Website
http//www.vernier.com/soft/lp.html
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Vernier LabPro
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Exercises

• Experiment 1 Evaluation of the Gas
  Chromatograph
• Experiment 2 Small internal competition
• Experiment 3 Chromatographic analysis of
  Petroleum hydrocarbons in soil
• Mini project
• Visit to Alcontrol (Quality control lab for
  Environment and Food testing)

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Mini-project

• Analysis of wastewater for the presence of
  pharmaceutical drugs
• Wastewater collected from Strongford Sewage
  Treatment Works in Barlaston, Stoke-on-Trent
• Several analytical techniques were used to
• concentrate sample (SPE) and
• analyse the chemicals (GC/MS)
• Group lab report

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Assessment

• Formative assessment
• Oral presentation on method development
  (competition)
• Summative assessment
• Exam, proforma, lab report, class tests
• BUT also peer assessment ? students assess their
  peers contribution to the lab report

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Peer assessment Form
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Self Assessment Form
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Feedback from students - Lab

• Well organized (5)
• Labs related to lectures and helped my
  understanding (8)
• Competition was really interesting/fun (4)
• Helpful staff and demonstrators (5)
• Easy to ask questions got helpful answers
• Labs were interesting, enjoyable (2)
• Good step-by-step guidance for the labs, lab
  scripts well detailed (4)
• Practicals are always fun (2)
• Liked using the GCs

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Feedback from students - Lectures

• Good content and organisation (10)
• Good lectures, high quality (5)
• Very good teacher quality (2)
• Detailed/good lecture notes (3)
• Lots of information available giving wide
  knowledge of forensic techniques (3)
• Chromatography and microscopy were interesting
  (5)
• Developed on from previous knowledge/skills
• Visiting the ALcontrol lab helped to get
  perspective (4)

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Assessment Summary
Year Class tests Lab report Exam Overall mark 1st class
2006/2007 82 students 63.5 67.7 46.1 54.1 11 (13.4)
2007/2008 56 students 59.5 70.2 42.4 53.1 1 (1.8)
2008/2009 53 students 67.0 70.2 50.4 57.9 13 (24.5)
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Assessment Summary
Year Class tests Lab report Exam Overall mark 1st class
2006/2007 82 students 63.5 67.7 46.1 54.1 11 (13.4)
2007/2008 56 students 59.5 70.2 42.4 53.1 1 (1.8)
2008/2009 53 students 67.0 70.2 50.4 57.9 13 (24.5)
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Evaluation

• Very positive!
• Students were forced (but in a positive way) to
  (a) think about and (b) discuss the principles of
  chromatography
• Successful incorporation of Level I material in
  Level II
• Developed on from previous knowledge/skills
• Students enjoyed it!!
• Liked using the GCs
• Good that we had peer assessment

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Next Year??

• Further close the gap between exam marks and lab
  marks (in course assessment)
• Focus was on chromatography, next year we will
  try to incorporate mass spectrometry
• Problem-based learning in addition to
  Project-based learning???