Reflective report on lead-learning in the open space learning sessions:
A) First year undergraduate chemistry students participating in a joint “periodic-table and famous chemists” workshop
B) Second year undergraduate chemistry students volunteering in a “chemistry in real world scenarios” workshop.
For part A)
1.
My role as a co-ordinator, prior to the workshop:
Supervising a total number of 150 first year students in preparing/designing t-shirts with the symbol of their assigned elements. Experience: some students were really creative with the information they had gathered beforehand, some just put the sole symbol on the t-shirt. My role was only to supervise them and to take pictures, no teaching involved
Preparing a collection of data sheets with facts on elements and famous chemists as a backup information for the workshops
2.
My role as a chemist and teacher, during the workshop:
Leading the workshop exercise on ionisation and salt-formation between the students, acting as their elements. Therein, learning how to teach without writing something on a chalkboard, getting the impression that by acting out what happens on atomic level, the students understood the process they would otherwise only read about and have to get only their head round. By actually getting their bodies and hands round it together with their brains seemed to work much better.
Thoughts on the student’s engagement:
The enthusiasm expressed in decorating their t-shirts was mostly also represented during the workshop. Most students were really engaging with the tasks and did not behave shy, what I would have expected from chemistry students. All of them stepped forward and talked loud in front of their peers, what made me think they were feeling not to uncomfortable in this situation. The fact that the workshop was taking place in the second week of term, where they did not know each other too well but were keen on changing that, might have been a major benefit.
Having participated in this workshop changed my view on teaching methods in chemistry slightly; I think this was a good experience for the students in the very beginning of their course which should have opened their minds to the versatility not only of chemistry but also learning about it.

For part B)
1.
Role of a chemist, prior to the sessions:
The involvement with planning the structure, helping with finding ideas for the workshop’s content was interesting and showed new ways to think about chemistry in our everyday live and also about how to translate this to the students.
2.
My role during the workshops was more supervisory in nature and a kind of transition element between the people conducting the sessions and the students, as our part-taking might have helped the students to get involved more easily as they saw that we just did the same and did not know what was expected of us.
Reflection on the student’s behaviour:
In the theory-building exercise they were really creative and engaging. The task to form a story out of pictures and telling it without speaking seemed challenging but they managed it very well and surprised me much with it, it was great fun to follow the process and the teamwork. It was clear that group-action was lead by usual group-structures with some students being more leading and others more executing.
During the session about body language we were simply participating and I had the chance to learn about how to improve confidence by straighten-up your body and “acting like a 9 even if you think you’re a 6”.
The question round with small groups of students, where they could ask chemistry questions related to their topics was not very helpful to them, as I recall it. That might have been due to the fact that they had not looked into it enough at that point.
The actual presentations were surprisingly good, worked wonderful without powerpoint and were convincing to the “board”. The students gave the impression of having really understood their topics, meaning the chemistry, the real world problem and the connection. To establish this connection is, I think, the greatest achievement of the workshop.
To have people from industry and the RSC and also a chemistry professor on that board was a good mixture and really motivating for the students, I think. At that point, I felt only of administrative use, although the feedback sessions got me involved again, giving the students tips on their body language and presentation performance.
This last session was one of the most important and should be improved in terms of organisation. The videos need to be better quality, and we have to prepare feedback beforehand and also individually. Furthermore, it has to be reflective on the whole workshop, to close the circle.