Bridging the GapBeing a Teaching Fellow in Two Departments

Dylan P. Williamsdylan.williams@le.ac.uk

Bridging the GapBeing a Teaching Fellow in Two Departments

Dylan P. Williamsdylan.williams@le.ac.uk

Department of ChemistryDepartment of Chemistry

TIMELINETIMELINE

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Joined Department of Chemistry as ‘Educational Developer’

Appointed Teaching Fellow in Chemistry and IScience

Awarded University Teaching Fellowship

End of ‘Chemistry for our Future’

Start of RSC C/PBL and ‘Chemistry Clips’ projects

CHEMISTRY AND ISCIENCECHEMISTRY AND ISCIENCE

• Two very different degree courses:

• Chemistry – mostly lecture, tutorial and lab based with some C/PBL (≈110 students per year)

• IScience – mostly C/PBL based with few lectures. Paperless degree, student work marked on tablets (≈15-20 students per year)

CHEMISTRY AND ISCIENCECHEMISTRY AND ISCIENCE

• The teaching teams:

• Chemistry – approx. 20 academics with a range of backgrounds

• IScience – a small core team of teaching fellows with ‘expert sessions’ given by guest academics from other departments (chemistry, biological sciences, physics and astronomy and geology)

SHARING GOOD PRACTICESHARING GOOD PRACTICE

• Introduction of C/PBL in chemistry was guided by the IScience experience

• Introduction of wikis in IScience course based on chemistry experience

• ‘Chemistry Clips’, ‘Maths Miniatures’ and ‘Physics Pieces’ projects run in parallel by DPW and Professor Derek Raine

• RSC C/PBL project (2011-12) – 4 resources authored by 3 IScience teaching fellows

• Since 2012 we have run a joint Science Communication module

PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIESPRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES

• Both departments operate an independent timetable

• First semester contact hours are up to 30 hours per week

• Significant administrative implications (e.g. writing exam questions)

• In reality adds up to more than 70% chemistry + 30% IScience

• Future challenges include growing IScience to 30-40 students per year

MORE INFORMATIONMORE INFORMATION

www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry/collections/higher-education/he-resources/context-and-problem-based-learning

www.le.ac.uk/departments/chemistry/people/academic-staff/dr-dylan-p-williams