Life Sciences Enterprise Project (LSEP) – 2006/2007...Recognising what EBL is and the support provided • Should have been lecture based (such as how to do a break even analysis)

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& Manchester Science Enterprise Centre

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Life Sciences Enterprise Project (LSEP) – 2006/2007

Evaluation & Evolution

Maggy Fostier (FLS)Martin Henery (MSEC)Tracey Speake (FLS)

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Presentation outline

• Presentation of the LSEP course unit• Students perceptions of an EBL-based

course unit

• Using reflection to support EBL, skill development and team work

• Students perception of reflective practice

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Presentation of LSEP

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Rationale

• Current final year research projects: lab, bioinformatics, CAL, education

Literature review in Semester 1, project work and report in Semester 2

• Employment profile changingOnly 40% of students progress to a career requiring lab skills60% need competencies necessary for business world,

Need transferable skills and business awareness

• Increasing student numbers, limiting factor: lab space & staff time

LSEP currently has 30 students, potential for 40.LSEP 5 students/staff equivalent to 3 students/staff

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Each team works on 5 different avenues on the same theme(e.g. theme: diabetes, avenue 1: islet separation)

Student 1Avenue 1

Literature review

Literature review

Literature review

Literature review

Literature review

Poster on feasibility

study


study


study


study


study

The team decides which project to carry forward to Semester 2 and write as a business plan. The team gives an oral presentation explaining the

rationale behind their decision.

The team writes the business plan.

The team pitches their business plan to a panel of professionals(“Dragon’s Den” event).

Student 2Avenue 2

Student 3Avenue 3

Student 4Avenue 4

Student 5Avenue 5

Semester1

Semester2

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Aims of the Unit

• Gain a deep understanding of the science area studied

• Understand knowledge / technology transfer process

Recognise the potential of university based research to solve commercially valuable problems in the market place

• Become competent in recognising, developing and exploiting an entrepreneurial opportunity

• Research, produce and present a business plan and a presentationto a panel

• Reflect on process of team working and managing a project

• Deep learning and personal development through application of knowledge on a real task

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Intended Learning Outcomes regarding soft skills

• Develop critical thinking• Develop, structure and communicate ideas effectively• Develop and utilise creative problem solving skills

• Plan and prioritise work load and work effectively in both teams and as an individual

• Reflect on individual and team performance as a basis for personal development

• Reflect upon personal and team strengths and weaknesses in the context of project work and be aware of how this information can be used

• Develop useful networks

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Preparation for EBL (S5)

• 6 interactive EBL enterprise workshops to provide a framework to help students evaluate commercial opportunities.

• 12 interactive soft skills tutorials to help students

engage with the EBL process effectively,

adapt/develop tools or procedures for effective team work, creative problem solving, and project management

develop communication skills

use reflection to support their personal and team development

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• Personal and group feedback on formative and summative assessment

• Regular meetings with supervisors• Business mentors • UMIP and MSEC seminars• Team mediation meetings if needed

• Next year additions: Case studies in the Biotech disciplineExamples for the course available for peer evaluation.

Support for EBL (S5-S6)

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Students perceptions of an EBL-based course unit

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Evaluation tools

• January 2007 questionnaire 5 out of 30 respondents

Course revision for 2007-2008

• May 2007 questionnaire 21 out of 30 respondents

Students perception on skill development and moduleCourse revision for 2007-2008

• Ongoing reflective portfolio (2006-07)excellent source of feedback on skills/processes development and activitiesinsight into how teams are working together

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Personal skills developed or acquired during LSEP

agreeneutraldisagreeMay 07, n=21

75%21%4%Decision making

71%29%Task management

54%46%Sense making

87%13%Using own initiative

58%42%Problem solving

71%29%Data mining

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January evaluation – EBL (n=5)

Key points made:• Did you find the teaching style appropriate?

“a little informal, more structure please”“sometimes felt that a lecture style would have been more useful”“I really enjoyed the interactive style of teaching. It’s the first time since school that I’ve been able to contribute and discuss things as a class”

• Have the workshops in Semester 5 prepared you for Semester 6?

“quite apprehensive”…………. lack confidence in abilities?

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•“After a series of meetings with staff we realised that our plan for producing the business plan would have to be very detailed and we would have to determine exactly what we wanted from it. It became apparent that we would have to set our own parameters for this project and define for ourselves when all our questions had been answered. (EBL process)

•I could tell from some of my team member’s reactions that this made them uneasy. They had been taken out of their comfort zone. At first I was slightly angered by their reactions but upon reflection I realised that the past few years of university, to our own detriment, have turned us into spoon fed sheep. We strive for good marks and not to learn valuable lessons. ……. we go to lectures, are told what we need to do and we do enough to pass.”Many students have not recognised they have used EBL before (at least Y2 dissertation and Y1 GBL)

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May evaluation (n=21)-Wrong emphasis in S5

• For certain areas, such as team work and tackling problems it was useful, however more information on business plan itself would have been useful

• Until the YOMP exercise, I didn’t know anything that would let me write a business plan

• YOMP activity should have been at start of taught lectures.

Need to clarify aims and ILOS for each semester. Need to remove excess emphasis (i.e. anxiety) on Business Plan in semester 5 and put more on EBL process.

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May evaluation (n=21)-Recognising what EBL is and the support provided

• Should have been lecture based (such as how to do a break even analysis). I know we have to EBL, and we did, as we worked out how to do a break even analysis, etc. If MSEC did not run taster courses, it would have been harder

• Seminars should have been compulsory

• Yes, although more talks along the way from people like Richard Walmsley [tailored talk by business mentor], as his talk was incredibly useful for the elevator pitch. Business plan talk would be invaluable

Now that we are aware of additional support available to our students, we will integrate it into a more coherent and tailored programme

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May evaluation (n=21)-Recognising what EBL is and the support provided

• WebCT sources were useful but lots of stuff (overwhelming) with no description

• Lots of handouts given and difficult to see what is relevant

Semester 1 preparation activities need to mimic EBL more closely: e.g. ask students to find information rather than provide informationmake students share info and rate info quality and purpose

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May evaluation (n=21)-Pbs with transferring skills/processes

• Would have liked to spend more time applying activities to project, i.e. applying creativity to the use of the technology

• Creative skills are of course important but shouldn’t have dominated the majority of the workshops

• Too much time was spent on reflection rather than learning

Need to encourage students to constantly consider how skills/processes developed from workshop/tutorial activities are relevant to their future activities (e.g. putting together a business plan).

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Using reflection to support EBL, skill development and

team work

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Need for reflective practice

• Students do not always recognise the transferable skills they have developed

• A personal development portfolio specifically for this course

relate to professional development: progress appraisal“stepping stone” to future careers

• To assist the students with self- and skills development

• To support team work and project management• To support the EBL approach

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Reflective Portfolio: Components

• Ongoing reflective log (weekly)

• SWOT analysis, competency form

• Reflecting upon the team planning process

• Reflecting upon the execution and outcome of the team plan

• Reflecting on LSEP achievements

did I achieve the ILOs of the course?

how has the course prepared me for my future career?

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How do you explain what reflective practice is to students?

• Use example of analysis of experimental success: science of reflection

• Capture students thought processes• Question-based practice

• E.g. reflection in action upon the poster presentation:

How successful was I in the activity? Why (or why not)? If applicable, any prior evidence/experience to compare with? Did I achieve what I wanted to? What are the criteria for success in this activity?

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‘I feel that I let myself down during the poster presentation. My poster did not meet the requirements that it should have. I realised that when I designed the poster, I did not think of why I was designing it. What was its purpose? Who was I designing it for and what were they going to use it for?’

Reflection in action

What will I do differently next time?: need for reflection FOR ACTION

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Reflection for action

‘I think that part of the problem is my style of writing [discussing literature review]. I tend to be quite descriptive and I waffle, which isn’t very good for scientific writing.

When reading scientific papers I much prefer the short and pithy articles as I find that they get the point across in a direct but comprehensive fashion.

I need to learn to mimic this style to be more concise and succinct.

I have found reading my work aloud helps with this, and I’ve also printed off my first draft and attacked it with red pen as I found it much easier to be ruthless on paper.’

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Students perception of reflective practice

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Evaluation – Reflective Portfolio

ResponsesComment

0/21Have done it for a long time now and recognise how useful this activity is

3/21Feel quite confident that I am good at it and get what I am supposed to out of it

6/21Can see myself becoming better at it and I am getting more and more from it

8/21Have to force myself to do it, but I can see a point in doing it

4/21Do it because I have to, but do not see any point in doing it

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Students Perceptions

• “One of the most valuable transferable skills I have learnt from this project is my new ability to reflect.”

• “Towards the end of the course I not only found it easier to find a topic to write on [weekly] but I also found that the practice made it easier to make links between different parts of the course and realise what effects my actions might have.”

• “By identifying my weaknesses I have consequently come up with strategies of how to improve my skills. I am more comfortable at asking for feedback and advice on how I can improve my work; I now take a more active role in my own learning and development.”

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•“Self-reflection! Not only can I point out areas of weaknesses, strengths etc. I can successfully identify them and actually constructively act on them.”

•“As a side note, I am continuing to gain so much more from this course than just knowledge ….. The self development and understanding that I have gained, and continue to gain, from the course materials and these personal reflective logsis what I now feel are going to be the true rewards of this course and not just the mark contribution to my final degree.”

•“reflective practice very useful, especially for careers/job applications”

Benefits to students-1

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Benefits to students-2

• It has also been found that by reflecting on the skills required for activities these skills can then be transferred and utilised in other circumstances.

• Weekly reflective logs helped me identify and evaluate what I expect of myself and my team and what they expect of me.

• By reflecting on my performance each week, I have been able to chart my development as a learner and note the things I need to work on a lot quicker and make the necessary changes in my plans and habits.

• Through reflecting, I found that problems were never as big as they seemed at the time.

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Benefits to staff

• Real time feedback on courseassists in planning next year’s course

• Monitoring students, team progress and dynamics

useful for staff and students

• Development of rapport between staff and students

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Summary: introduction is key

60-70% of students engaged with EBL and reflection and others did not (wanted to be taught and probably wanted an easy ride):

• Need for clarification of our expectations when we recruit students amendment of application process

• Need for clarification of aims and ILOs of the course per semester to place the correct emphasis on the structured part of the course

• Need to clarify what the EBL process entails and use a a more EBL approach in our S5 activities.

• Need a more integrated support programme.

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“Don’t be put off if you are shy. I came in like a lily and I am

leaving as a tiger – so if I can do it, so can you!”

Any questions?

Documents

Life Sciences Enterprise Project (LSEP) – 2006/2007...Recognising what EBL is and the support provided • Should have been lecture based (such as how to do a break even analysis)