Design a Fireworks Show! Using Context and Problem Based Learning (CPBL)

1
Design a Fireworks Show!Using Context and
Problem Based Learning (CPBL)

• Dr Gan Shermer
• Emily M. MacCready

2
Introduction

• Why do we want to create a new resource?
• Why have we chosen the Context and Problem Based
  Learning (CPBL) style?
• How have we adapted past CPBL resources to
  Chemistry?
• What is our progress so far?

3
Why focus on transferable skills?

• Recent reports1,2 from the Higher Education
  Academy (HEA) and the Royal Society of Chemistry
  (RSC) show that new graduates and their employers
  did not feel that university degrees developed
  students transferable skills enough for the
  workplace.
• Top skills that students felt were lacking in
  their degrees
• Team-working
• Written and verbal communication skills
• Industrial knowledge
• Department of Chemistry student surveys also show
  that students would like more practice with
  transferable skills.

• Skills Required by New Chemistry Graduates and
  their Develeopment in Degreen Programmes, Higher
  Education Academy,
• UK Physical Sciences Centre, November 2010 see
  http//www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/ps/documents/gra
  duate_skills/chemistry.pdf
• (accessed Jan 2012)
• 2. The Chemical Skills Pipeline, Warwick
  Institute for Employment Research, June 2009
  http//www.rsc.org/Education/CFOF/CCT.asp
• (accessed Jan 2012)

4
Why CPBL?

• The RSC study also suggests using CPBL as an
  educational tool to incorporate transferable
  skills into the University curriculum.
• CPBL has been shown to be useful in teaching
  transferable skills while learning core science
  at the same time3.
• Team-work focused
• Open ended questions to encourage research skills
• Assessments are focused on real-life
  assessments, like presentations and reports
• CPBL questions try to mimic real-life as much as
  is reasonable

3. PossiBiLities A Practice Guide to Problem
Based Learning in Physics and Astronomy, Higher
Education Academy, Physical Sciences Center,
March 2005, see http//www.heacademy.ac.uk/asset
s/ps/documents/practice_guides/ ps0080_possibiliti
es_problem_based_learning_in_physics_and_astronomy
_mar_2005.pdf (accessed Jan 2012)
5
Ashfield Music Festival

• A-level Students work in groups with different
  roles, eg. Sound Engineer, Project Manager
• Students are asked to set up a stage for a
  fantasy festival, including a theme and budgeting
  for ticket costs
• Visiting volunteers are Experts and help judge
• Reports and deadlines
• Applies physics to a common aspect of life

6
How do we Adapt Ashfield to Chemistry?

• Undergraduates will be kept in groups, as in
  Ashfield, and allocated a role in the company
• PhD student demonstrators will facilitate the
  activity and act as the experts
• The students will be asked to set up an imaginary
  fireworks display and to research information on
  the manufacture of pyrotechnics
• This project will apply basic chemistry and some
  physics to a fun (not so) everyday aspect of life
• The project will incorporate reports and
  deadlines that would be found in the real
  industry.

7
Learning Objectives of Our Resource
Scientific Skills Emission spectra Combustion Idea
l Gas law Mechanics Risk Assessments/ Health and
Safety Costing chemicals Commercial/Industrial
Awareness
Transferable Skills Written and Verbal
Communication Teamwork Decision Making Analytical
and critical thinking Independent learning Time
management Budgeting Problem Solving
8
What have we done?

• CPBL workshop
• Developed links within the CPBL community
• Research on Fireworks Manufacturing and Chemistry
• Dr. Roy Lowry, Plymouth University
• Engaged with industry to further research
• Alchemy Fireworks, visit to warehouse
• Found Simulation Program
• Finale Fireworks

9
Where are we now?

• Resources are almost finished
• Expert briefs
• Question sheets
• Inventories
• Risk Assessments
• And plenty more!
• Project is timetabled and will be tested in March
  2012
• Year 2 chemistry students
• Recruitment of PhD student experts is in
  progress

10
How will we do it?

• Week 1 Introduce students to the project
• Week 2 Students start designing their show
• Week 3 Catch-up
• Week 4 Presentations and reports

11
Conclusions

• Employers and students feel that transferable
  skills are lacking in degree courses
• CPBL style has been shown to incorporate
  transferable skills while teaching the core
  science at the same time
• The Institute of Physics created a CPBL resource
  for A-level which we have been adapting for use
  in undergraduate chemistry key skills courses
• We have engaged with the pyrotechnics industry to
  garner information and interest in our project
• The resource will be trialled with our own
  students in March of this year