Group work based assessmentin distance learning

Dr Clare Sansom, CDE Fellow

20 July 2015

Outline• The Open University MSc in Medicinal Chemistry• The Role of Group Work

–Guided group work–Independent (and examined) group work

• Technology• Challenges, Solutions and Tips• …• Discussion

OU MSc in Medicinal ChemistryFour Compulsory Modules

• S825 Research Skills in Science• S807 Molecules in Medicine• S827 Concept to Clinic• SXM810 Project Module

• 30 credits• 60 credits• 30 credits• 60 credits

This order is recommended but not prescribedProject topic must be linked to S807 or S827

The DrThe Drug Discovery Process:ug Discovery Process:10-15 years, > $1Bn10-15 years, > $1Bn

S807

S827

A Multi-Disciplinary, Multi-Skill Industry• Medicinal chemistry (the main focus of the MSc)• Structural biology• Bioinformatics and computational chemistry• Synthetic organic chemistry• Pharmacology• Toxicology• Clinical Medicine• Regulatory Affairs

• Teamwork is an essential skill for drug development professionals – hence we test it extensively in S827

Who are our students?• Many work in the pharmaceutical / biotech industry

– Graduate trainees– Technicians

• Sales reps• Senior nurses• Aspiring medics• People returning after career breaks• A few ‘just for interest’ but less since fee rises

– Retired GPs

S827 Concept to Clinic• An overview of the drug development pathway• Focusing on a single therapeutic area

– pain and inflammation• Teaches the skills required for selecting a drug target,

identifying a lead compound and modifying it into a candidate drug

• One multiple choice test (iCMA) and three extensive assessments (TMAs)

• Group work introduced in the third TMA• ‘Examinable component’ (EMA) is all group work

TMA03 Group Work: ‘Coxibs’• Students are allocated to groups of 4-7 students after

the first TMA• Each group is assigned a leader and deputy leader

based on students’ prior performance• Groups work together to research and present the

properties of a ‘coxib’ analgesic drug• Each student has a designated scientific role • 50% of the marks for the TMA are given for a group

presentation– With each student presenting their own section

Celecoxib

Role Allocations• Students are advised that the following topics must be

covered– Scientific rationale– Molecular modelling– Pharmacodynamics– Pharmacokinetics– Toxicology– Property predictions – Dropped for group of 5– Solubility and bioavailability

• Students can generally be allowed to choose

} Combined for group of 6

Technologies for Group Interaction• Provided by the university:

– An OU email account for each student– Discussion forums

• A separate thread for each group– OU Live

• A version of Blackboard Collaborate• Used by some groups:

– Google Drive– Dropbox– ‘Ordinary email’

OU Live

Participant list

Chat box

Audio / video

Whiteboard

Molecular Modelling

Structure of Naproxen docked in COX-1 calculated with www.dockingserver.com

Structure of Celecoxib docked in COX-1 calculated with www.dockingserver.com

•An important skill to learn – and a hard one•Only one or two students can be tested on it

Solving ‘the molecular modelling problem’

• Increase the proportion of modelling and computational chemistry in earlier TMAs– Students now answer a compulsory question on

‘docking’ a potential drug molecule into a protein receptor

• Decrease the weight given to group work in TMA03– From 75% to 50%

• Remove the ‘least scientific’ roles from the role allocations• Test all students’ understanding of modelling in the EMA

Independent Group Work: The EMA

• Groups are asked to design their own molecule and present it to the examiners as if to senior managers in a drug company– They have free choice of the drug types covered in

the course• Opioids• Steroids• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

– Groups are expected to stay the same, but roles may change

Assessing the Group Work:The Presentation• Once the drug has been designed each student

produces 4 slides covering their role• The group leader assembles the group’s slides into a

complete presentation• Groups select a time when they can all be ‘present’ in

OU Live• Each student gives the whole presentation and

answers wide-ranging questions …• … Followed by a short assessed group discussion

“MANGO-5” (2014)A novel opioid antagonist

Three Drugs Designed in 2015

• Group A’s Etodoprofen: A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug

• Group B’s Bericoxib: Another non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug

• Group C’s Nopriphine : A transdermal opioid

NH O H

O H

O H

OH O

O

O

C H 3

N

C H 3

Cl

O O

O

N

Assessing the Group Work:Reflection• Four weeks after the presentation cutoff each student

submits a ‘reflection document’ containing– An abstract of the whole presentation– Summaries of 5 references they used in their own

research– A critical account of the presentation session– A ‘peer assessment’ of their colleagues’ contributions

• Involving both scientific and personal qualities

Practical Challenges• Students MUST meet in OU Live at the same time for

the assessment– Across time zones and on slow connections

• One of my 2015 group leaders moved to Australia between assessments

• She was a conscientious student who had no objection to a very early exam

• Another student in the same group tried and failed from a UK hotel room

Assessment Challenges

• Students are assessed on their scientific knowledge and skills but also on contribution to the group

– Mark range is lower than for individual assessments– Can we completely prevent ‘free-loading’?

• Some (very good) students have resented weaker colleagues

– “S/he is preventing me from getting my Distinction…”• Nervous students have felt intimidated: one even

withdrew

Thanks for listeningAnd over to you….