Redesigning Curtin ChemistryDaniel Southam, Mark Buntine and Simon Lewis Department of Chemistry

VC Awards Video

Challenges• A decline in students majoring in chemistry • A growth in student numbers of 10% over the last five

years – Service taught – mostly first year

• Transnational learning environment • An institutional drive towards a “flipped classroom”

– 50% reduction in lectures by 2017 • A new Federal Government review framework

– Threshold Learning Outcomes

Why change?

The setting• Over the last five years we have been trialling a

number of active learning pedagogies – Teaching methods designed to get students actively

participating in their learning – Our implementation was motivated by an Australian

national project: Active Learning in University Science – Focus on first year science programs characterised by:

• large lectures • didactic teaching methods • monocultural learning environments

Existing curriculum• The existing curriculum was chaotic, unwieldy,

and duplicative – Before 2010: 23 first year chemistry units – 2010 – 2012: 14 first year chemistry units

• Enacting real change was difficult • Being agile to changes around us was

impossible • A new paradigm was needed

Chaotic curriculum

Chemistry 101 Chemistry 102 Chemistry 117

Chemistry 123 Chemistry 124

Chemistry 141 Chemistry 131

Chemistry 142

Chemistry 143

Chemistry 144

Chemistry 119

Chemistry 118

Analytical Chemistry 112

Chemistry 127 Chemistry 128

Chemistry 187

Engineering Chemistry 100

Mainstream Enabling

Chemistry 122Chemistry 121

Analytical Chemistry 114

Chemistry 027 Chemistry 028

Analytical Chemistry 111

Slight less chaotic curriculum

Chemistry 101 Chemistry 102 Chemistry 181

Chemistry 123 Chemistry 124

Chemistry 184Chemistry 142 Chemistry 144

Chemistry 182

Chemistry 187

Engineering Chemistry 100

Mainstream Enabling

Intro to Pharm Chemistry 121

We want to lose this boundary

Chemistry 027 Chemistry 028

to influence

uses

Transforming Learning @ Curtin

Strayer, Jeremy F. (2007), PhD Thesis, Ohio State

A flipped classroom...

...the learning environment

...and active learning......educational technology...

Process-oriented classroom• A classroom environment in which students are

– actively engaged in improving key processes in order to improve their mastery of content and to develop higher order thinking skills

• This describes the important aspects of our workshops

Model pedagogy

An exploration of a concept, application of

a theory or experimental data is presented in a model or series of models

Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning

The student is guided through the model by a set of questions

allowing them to construct their own knowledge and test the

knowledge in applications of the theory or concept

www.pogil.org

POGIL model

Moog, R. S. et al. In Chemists' Guide to Effective Teaching; Pienta, N. J., Cooper, M. M., Greenbowe, T. J., Eds.; Prentice Hall: Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2009; Vol. II, p 90.

Learning cycle

Karplus, K. & Thier., H.D. (1967). A New Look at Elementary School Science. Chicago: Rand McNally and Co. Piaget, J. (1964). Part I: Cognitive development in children: Piaget development and learning. J. Res. Sci. Teach., 2, 176-186.

Traditional v. inverted curriculum

Threshold Learning Outcomes• TLOs define the minimum outcomes all bachelor

degree graduates must have , which for science are: – Understanding Science – Scientific Knowledge – Inquiry and problem solving – Communication – Personal and professional responsibility

Jones, S., Yates, B.J., Kelder, J., (2011), Learning and Teaching Academic Standards for Science, Australian Government, Office for Learning and Teaching.

Curriculum design• Constructive alignment

– Informed by the TLOs • Multi-faceted

– Concept: What is the concept, and its depth and breadth? – Context: How is this concept relevant to the student? – Process: What processes will the student develop as a result

of attaining this learning outcome? • Aligned to a learning environment

– Workshop, lecture or lab

Biggs J. and Tang C., (2013), Teaching for Quality Learning at University: What the Student Does, Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.

Example Learning Outcome• Quantitative and qualitative chemical measurement,

including precision and accuracy of measurement – Concept: Employ the principles of chemical measurement to

both quantitatively and qualitatively determine chemical species in simple samples

– Context: The purpose and limitations of chemical measurement will be explored by highlighting its role in everyday life and the breadth of techniques, methodologies and instruments available to perform analyses of relevant species.

– Process: Selection of appropriate analytical tools, with an understanding of their role and limitations, to perform an investigation and interpret the results

Example Learning Outcome• Quantitative and qualitative chemical

measurement, including precision and accuracy of measurement – Science TLO: “…selecting and applying practical

and/or theoretical techniques or tools in order to conduct an investigation.”

– Engineering TLO: “"Apply problem-solving, design and decision-making methodologies to develop components, systems and/or processes to meet specified requirements…"

Example Learning Outcome• Quantitative and qualitative chemical

measurement, including precision and accuracy of measurement – Learning Environment:

• Laboratory – Quantitative analysis experiments • Workshop – Activities on quantitative analysis, theoretical

understanding (Beer’s Law) – Assessment:

• Practical test

New paradigm

Curriculum review framework

Treagust et al, eg: Mills and Treagust (2003) Aust J Eng Educ, 4 (3) 211

IntendedActive learning as a mechanism to engage

students in their learning in a supported workshop environment

ImplementedProcess Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL) adapted for this context and aligned to the learning

outcomes

Perceived Affective domain gains in motivation and attitude as a consequence of a social learning environment

Achieved Cognitive domain gains in conceptual understanding as a consequence of engagement

Emerging evidence• Participation:

– Both the F2F and online learning experiences are heavily utilised

• Performance: – Average marks: increased by 6 – 15% – Failure rates: decreased to 3 – 10%

• Perception: – Meeting or managing diverse expectations during

major change is proving challenging

Acknowledgements

Developing leaders of change in the teaching of large university chemistry classes, Leadership for

Excellence in Learning and Teaching (2008–2010)

Dr Danny Bedgood, Charles Sturt

A/Prof Mario Zadnik, Curtin

A/Prof Kieran Lim, Deakin

Dr Gayle Morris, Deakin

A/Prof Simon Pyke, Adelaide

A/Prof Adam Bridgeman, Sydney

Prof Brian Yates, Tasmania

Dr Michael Gardiner, Tasmania

!Prof Renee Cole, Iowa

Prof Vicky Minderhout, Seattle

Prof Rick Moog, Franklin and Marshall

Prof Suzanne Ruder, Virginia Commonwealth

Academic, Sessional and Professional Staff!

Department of Chemistry Prof David Treagust!

Venkat Vishnumolakala!Science and Mathematics

Education Centre