PowerPoint Presentation

1Josephine McNallyCommunications and Marketing Manager CPD & Public Engagement, Biosciences

CASE STUDY 1 Outreach Project

2

V3 Using evidence-informed approached . . .In 2011 I successfully applied for a grant from UCL Outreach to: invite a group of hearing-impaired young teenagers to visit the labs in the Department of Structural & Molecular Biology

A Story of Science DNA, RNA, Protein

2

3V2 Promote participation in higher education and equality of opportunities for learners

One of the biggest challenges for academic staff is to reappraise the ways they teach and support learning when working with a wider range of students, with different experiences and academic backgrounds1Objective: to encourage students with disabilities to apply to University to study science and confirm that UCL will provide the necessary support

3

Professor Bencie Woll

I contacted Benci Woll Director of DCAL (Deafness Cognition and Language Research Centre) who gave me contacts of schools and advised me in general.

I engaged with the UCL Disability Unit

I contacted RNID

I talked extensively with Abdi Gas a UCL graduate who is profoundly deaf and who is supported by a hearing assistant

PreparationK1 The subject material K2 Appropriate methods for teaching and learning . . .V1 - V4

Although I had worked for a deaf professor, I wanted to speak to a recent student to hear their experiences and so I met Abdi and he made me aware of a number of things isolation being one of them.4

5How did I approach the design of the day?I wanted to make the science interesting as I would for all pupils who visit the labsI wanted the participants to leave UCL with the confidence to apply to university and feel they could succeed thereI used my previous experience and skills from working in film at the BBC to design the day and film itA1 Design and plan learning activities . . .A2 Teach and /or learning support

5

A tour of a lab is meaningless unless there is an emphasis on a particular problem, and that is why I created a storyline. so that this would make the lab machinery and processes meaningful to them.As we moved through the day the story was built up by talks and visuals. Visuals being very important for the hearing-impaired1a.A1 design and plan learning activities

6

In developing my story and programme I needed to: Understand the needs and limitations in concentration of the hearing-impaired1b.The strategy of simplifying science by using Frame Analysis 2

K3 how students learn, both generally and within their subjectV3 Use evidence-informed approaches and the outcomes from research . . .Using this method the students were not overwhelmed and were able to concentrate and assimilate information and ask questions.Frames, in other words, become invaluable tools for presenting relatively complex issues, such as stem cell research, efficiently and in a way that makes them accessible to lay audiences because they play to existing cognitive schemas3

Emphasis frames provide meaning through selective simplification so that they provide a field of vision when one is trying to understand complex information. In fact, if I did this project again, I would have started out with a film of Parkinsons Disease patients and then gone on to the labs.7

www.ucl.ac.uk/biosciences/public-engagement

Click on the image to view the film (only in slide show view)I made a video of the day, which can be viewed atwww.ucl.ac.uk/biosciences/public-engagement

OutcomesK4 The use and value of appropriate learning technologies

8

Outcomes continued

Professor Shephard and I compiled a report to UCL Outreach about the project - as they were very interested in the outcomes.

UCL Outreach subsequently set up a Summer School for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students in 2014. In 2015 they won a HELOA award for best practice and Innovation A4 Develop effective learning environments and approaches to student support and guidanceV1 V4

9

CASE STUDY 2 - Continuing Professional Development Lab Techniques in Mammalian Cell Biology

I have supported Ivan Gout, Professor of Cancer Biochemistry since the inception of this CPD course, which is aimed at teaching advanced skills in mammalian cell biology, providing a framework for further experiments

It is a three-day laboratory-based course entitled Lab Techniques in Mammalian Cell Biology

The course has now run for 3 years and In 2015 I was a member of the team of 3 who was awarded a SLMS team teaching award in recognition of our achievements in CPD.Objective: to teach techniques in mammalian cell biology and provide a framework for further experiments

10

11

Website building and design http://www.ucl.ac.uk/cell-biol-cpd

Marketing

First point of contact with applicants continuing through to selection and end of course

Organising and planning

Drafting the course questionnaire

Collecting feedback and instigating change to improve the experienceA1 the design and planning learning activities/programmes of studyA2 - Teach and/or support learningMy Role in supporting the course

11

12V4 Acknowledge the wider context in which higher education operates, recognising the implications for professional practiceParticipants come from a variety of educational levels 2013,2014,2015(I have adjusted support to meet participant needs)

12

13V2 Promoting participation in higher education and equality of opportunities for learnersThe proportion of non-UCL participants has increased over 3 years

13

14Questionnaire: Participants are asked to give feedbackK2 Appropriate methods for teaching and learning in the subject area . . .K3 How students learn, both generally and within their subjectV3 using evidence-informed approaches and the outcomes from research . . .The feedback was discussed by our CPD team and based on the literature we considered both explicit and implicit knowledge 3 and how we could bridge the gap to improve understanding 4,5

Responses indicated:

Participants needed more explanation of background to the methodologies

Wanted to learn about how the methods were used in real-life science

14

15Students are led to believe that the activity is the learning itself instead of the connection to a larger focus within the content. In short, the activity-oriented sin is hands on without being minds-on5

yearhigh qualityGoodqualityAveragequalityPoorqualitySample feedback201326%69%5%0Hands-on experience with tissue culture and lectures from experienced scientists. Social interaction with a group of individuals from diverse backgrounds201433%60%7%0I thought all the instructors were all very available to answer questions and engage in discourse on the topics presented in the lectures. I liked that there was a combination of practical, tutorial and lecture sessions.201567%33%00The practical sessions and the short presentations before each practical were the most relevant to why I chose to take part in the course. They were very informative and were made simple for those who were inexperienced . . .. . . The lecturers focused on discussing their thought process and methodology behind their research rather than just state what results were obtained.

K5 methods of evaluating the effectiveness of teachingTable 1: Comparison of feedback and evidence of improvement in response to participant needs Additional feedback comments are given in the appendix slide

16

17

Post-doctoral researchers assist on the practicals giving them an opportunity to teach V4 acknowledging the wider context in which higher education operates (i.e. for the post docs) recognising the implications for professional practice

2015 saw the introduction of a bursary, which in future will be used to support someone who could not otherwise afford to attend.V2 promote participation in higher education and equality of opportunities for learnersFurther additions that I have suggested and facilitated to improveteaching and learning through the CPD course

17

18OutcomesReview of course by CPD team respond to participant feedbackSatisfaction improved as we have tackled implicit and explicit understanding and bridged the gapThe course is now over-subscribedSLMS Team Teaching Award to Ivan Gout, Josephine McNally, Snezana Djordjevic

18

19Bibliography 1. Allen L & Storan J (2005), Widening Participation, Action on Access p21

1.a NDCS Handbook, Supporting the achievement of hearing impaired children In special schools (www.ndcs.org.uk).

Goffman E (1974) Frame Analysis: an essay on the organisation of experience

Scheufele DA & Tewksbury D (2007) Framing, Agenda Setting, and Priming: The Evolution of Three Media Effects Models, Journal of Communication p12 https://www.unc.edu/~fbaum/teaching/articles/J-Communication-2007-1.pdf

4. Berry DC and Broadbent DE (1984) On the relationship between task performance and associated verbalizable knowledge, The Quarterly Report of Experimental Psychology. 36A, Experiment 1,215218 http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14640748408402156

5. Carlson DL and Marshall PA (2009) Learning the science of research, Learning the art of teaching:Planning backwards in a college genetics course. Bioscience Education p2-6 https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/beej.13.e.pdf

6. Healey M and Jenkins A (2009) Developing undergraduate research and inquiry. The Higher Education Academy P28 https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/developingundergraduate_final.pdf

19