Enrichment of laboratory instructions with video tutorials
- Pedagogy
- LaboratoryExperiments ManualSkills
- Technology
- ResearchEquipment Video
- Context/Topic
- STEM-CPD@EUni
Justyna Ciejka
Faculty of Chemistry, Wroclaw University of Science and technology, Poland
Challenge and goal
Students enrolling in the university usually are not familiar with laboratory equipment and practical procedures (skills) because most of them are alumni from general but not technical secondary schools. Therefore, if they are given a textual description of the experiment, it is difficult for them to understand it and then put it into practice. On the other hand, the purpose of studying is to expand student’s knowledge on their own, but some constrains cannot be neglected: a limited time, and search skills to look for valuable and factually correct materials, or these materials are behind the pay-wall. The free-of-charge materials found on the web did not fully meet the needs or their quality is questionable. The similar problem also is related to laboratory instructions. Sometimes the information contained therein is not sufficient to understand the experiment and then put it in practice. Often theoretical part prevails over practical one, the latter one boils down to just listing activities without describing how, and what for, perform them. Academic teachers have noticed, that those students who have watched video tutorials before laboratory classes, worked better than the students who read the instructions. Their work on performing the given laboratory activities was more efficient and correct. They were able to anticipate possible problems, prevent or effectively solve them. Additionally, the laboratory work became more safe. However, not all lecturers are able and convinced to prepare appropriate video materials that match their (laboratory) activities needs.
Topic of the user case
Visual learning; experimental sciences
Local context (specific)
Many students entering the BSc Eng. Chemistry programme at the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology are not familiar with laboratory equipment and practical skills because most of them are alumni from general and not technical secondary schools. Usually they cope in their own way to perform experiments.
Local educational scope
The chemistry, organic chemistry, chemical technology
Pre-knowledge / Background of the participating local teaching staff
The local staff are engaged not only in didactic work but mainly in research. Their commitment to CPD is moderate or, in some cases, rather low. The PhD students attend to obligatory general pedagogy classes but it does not concern to teaching in particular at STEM faculties (i.e. Science, Technology Engineering and Mathematics). Thus, before they start teaching by their own, they have to assist senior lecturers during the laboratory classes. In turn, academic teachers are obliged to complete the University Education course in one semester (applies newly appointed teaching staff). They also participate in optional courses on ICT i.e. e-learning platforms, communicators etc., but they did not have courses focused on filming the experiments.
Thus, the goal is to encourage lecturers to reflect written instruction and to prepare video tutorials for laboratory classes to improve student’s knowledge about carrying out experiments. In particular, such video tutorials would be desirable for students who start higher education.
Local CPD goals
The lecturers will be motivated / able to:
- critically consider how to reshape their laboratory instructions, especially in the context of whether the practical part explains the necessity to perform a given laboratory activity
- evaluate the need to show laboratory work, equipment and activities in practice before the student self-experimentation and take actions about it
- record laboratory experiments carried out according to best laboratory practice
Needs defined in STEM-CPD Roadmap
Competences
Attitudes
Activities
CPD activities at the local university
The first activity is to carry out a survey among academic teachers who conduct laboratory classes in chemistry, in order to know what they want to learn and what skills do they lack to record professional video tutorials for students.
The second one is to conduct short training (online or onsite) focused on the needs indicated in the questionnaire.
The additional, third activity, will be focused on the encouragement academic teachers to share their video materials via Open Science Resource Atlas 2.0 (AZON, zasobynauki.pl). AZON2.0 project is led by the Wroclaw University of Science and Technology together with Polish academic partners. The online platform is focused on the increasing the accessibility, improvement the quality and extending the reusability of science resources. Among numerous advantages of sharing academic materials via AZON2.0 is the fact that the materials may be improved and adapted to the needs of disabled people before publication. Such materials would be very demand especially in the context that Wroclaw University of Science and Technology is focused on facilitating studying by persons with disabilities, therefore the project titled “Politechnika nowych szans” has been launched.
Teaching and learning materials
Instructions in the form of infographic presenting tools for recording and editing movies that would be used as video tutorials of laboratory work for students.
Sustainable implementation
Academic lecturers, who are engaged in preparing video tutorials for conducting laboratory experiments within chemistry, improve their technological skills that may share with junior teachers or PhD students. Therefore, the laboratory requirements can be standardized independently of the staff seniority.
Expected impact of the CPD User Case
- Reducing the frustration because of repeated mistakes by students during their laboratory work
- Raising awareness that practical skills may be developed more efficiently by careful observation the preceding presentation of laboratory work on video or in real life, instead of just verbal description
- Increased students’ effectiveness in laboratory work, which will result in better preparation of students for the profession and increase the prestige of the university
Plans for eventual continuation of the CPD within the same topic
Competence design interactive teaching, Engagement and motivation, facilitation discipline specific learning, Blended learning (type P1-2b, P1-3b, P1-4b)
This CPD scenario describes a User case in which lecturers develop their competence in designing interactive teaching and how to engage and motivate students and how to facilitate discipline specific thinking and how to use blended learning and develop attitudes in supporting student development and enabling students’ well-being in a learning process and inclusivity and knowledge sharing.
In this CPD scenario the participants professionalize in a close connection to their own teaching practice (at their workplace) and meet in person on location with the training staff and with other participants.
Competences
Learning environment
Time
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