Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit
Feedback from TQEF Discipline Based Curriculum
Development Projects 2007-2009
This report may be published by the LTEU and will also be forwarded to
School Learning & Teaching Committees
TQEF Project title: Enhanced support for students with common lab procedures and techniques
Name/s of staff involved: Alison Carlisle, Mary Mackenzie
Post/s held: Technician, Technical Manager
Telephone /email contact of lead applicant: 0208 392 3721, a.carlisle@roehampton.ac.uk
Funding granted from TQEF:
£1,500
Matched funding?
£310
from: HALS for training in video editing
(Final Cut Pro)
TOTAL funding required for your project:
Rationale / background to project: (150 words maximum)
This bid was developed to explore the possibility of filming common lab procedures and techniques commonly
used by undergraduate and postgraduate students. The aim was to pilot specific lab skills and disseminate the
material to the students via StudyZone or by referring students directly to them when they were beginning with
their dissertation for example. Academic involvement was sought as crucial in the dissemination, publication
and feedback of the material. For example in the Sport Science discipline, short film clips have been developed
of the technician demonstrating common procedures in biomechanics: navigating a camera and connecting to
computer, using Silicon Coach; correct marker placement for Nexus; electrogoniometry and electromyography
with Biometrics. In Bioscience and health key skills are: field techniques, demonstrating good bench techniques,
pipetting techniques, setting up microscopes, using analytical equipment and so on, but films have yet to be
developed.
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Overview of the project (500 words maximum)
The HALS technical team were consulted in a team meeting held in January 2009 as their input was deemed
crucial to the success of the project. The bid holders developed and organised a half day meeting in April 2009
to seek further ideas, and this was well attended and deemed a great success. Attendees were HALS
technicians, School of Arts Technicians, HALS academic representatives from the subject disciplines of Sport
Science, Bioscience and Psychology, and members of the LTEU. We presented alongside Phil Cheeseman (Head
of eLearning) and Bridget Middlemas (LTEU). The agenda was as follows:
Welcome, introductions and to the project (Mary Mackenzie).
Setting the scene, why bother? Learning and thinking styles; disability; SENDA (Bridget Middlemas).
Break out groups (lead by Alison Carlisle) What to film? Identifying opportunities on programmes.
Feedback from the break out groups (Alison Carlisle).
How to proceed? The available resources (Phil Cheeseman).
Concluding remarks and examples (Mary Mackenzie).
The lead bid holder is a laboratory based technician and decided that even though there are very good resources
available in the Green Room for video production, time availability spent away from the lab is very limited, so a
decision was made that the best way forward would be to buy a Macbook with Final Cut Express Video Editing
software. Further to this the lead bid holder (Alison) received training and development funding to attend a
Multimedia Award in Final Cut Pro from HALS which is on-going until June 2010.
The need for fellow technical and academic involvement remains central in the production, dissemination,
publication and feedback of the material and their input will continue to be sought as materials are developed.
The training in Final Cut video editing package has been invaluable as it enables the production of quality videos
in-house by the technician bringing very subject specific knowledge and experience to the final video.
What have been the main outcomes from your project?
Materials that have been developed. Short film clip: Measuring body fat using skin fold callipers, this was placed
on StudyZone for the year 1 module SES020C121Y Introduction to Physiology and Fitness Assessment. The
students were asked to compare the illustrated four-fold method with the seven-fold method they used in a lab
session.
An interactive Guide to Silicon Coach has been developed including a series of short video clips which are also
available separately. This was developed in conjunction with Dr Tina Smith who sought feedback from her
module SES020122Y the Biomechanical Analysis of Movement. The student feedback specifically requested
clearer guidance and more time on Silicon Coach Software.
A short film clip which illustrates how to set- up and use the Biometrics equipment for electrogoniometry and
electromyography. This was placed onto a computer in the laboratory where students could access it when
commencing dissertation work which may involve data collection using this equipment and methodology. Those
that saw it were enthusiastic and were then able to start using the equipment effectively.
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How have the results been disseminated or embedded in your department? Please include here:
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Details of any dissemination events that you have organised or attended
Details of any future events / away days that you are currently planning for 2010
Details of any resources that you have developed for staff or students (eg booklets, websites,
StudyZone materials, training packages etc). Please send us an electronic copy of these.
A number of short videos illustrating how to use silicon coach software. These videos have been incorporated
into an interactive guide and posted on StudyZone. Local machines in B047 also have copies of the videos for
student use. It was discovered that to include the videos in an interactive guide they must be in web format (i.e.
already video streamed), so links to the videos follow:
The camera and computer:
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=160304&title=biomechanics_filming&ref=Alisonjcarlisle
Capturing with Silicon Coach Software:
http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stWU9VR01IR19aR15dXFtcXldS
Trimming with Silicon Coach Software:
http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stWU9VR01IR19aR15eX1NbU1BV
Watch and review with Silicon Coach software
http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stWU9VR01IR19aR15fW1xRU1Nc
Analysing with Silicon Coach Software
http://www.screentoaster.com/watch/stWU9VR01IR19aR15fX1haVVBd
Using a tripod:
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=160307&title=tripods&ref=Alisonjcarlisle
A video for measuring skin folds has been developed and is in use by the lecturer. Again this has been placed on
StudyZone and local machines in B037 for student access.
A video on using the Biometrics equipment in laboratory B047 has been placed on the relevant computer in
B047. Students have been directed to it if they need to use the Biometrics equipment for their final year
dissertation or post-graduate research.
Due to file size these films are on CD to be sent separately.
Do you have any plans for the future development of your project? How the project might be
applied to other areas of the University?
The half day workshop generated in some very good ideas – a summary follows:
Summary of main points from TQEF project workshop held on 29th April 09. Ideas / proposals from the various
subject areas:
Bioscience Laboratory skills:
1. Titrations, measuring, weighing, using spectrophotometers, vortexing, water-baths and Pasteur pipettes
(Induction)
2. Pipetting – auto and glass: standard and reverse (Induction)
3. Good laboratory practice (induction)
4. Setting up a microscope (Induction)
5. Aseptic techniques (Induction)
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6. Dilutions (Induction and Undergraduate)
7. Steroid extraction, freeze drying (Post-graduate)
8. ELISA and plate reading (Undergraduate)
9. Videos of techniques not used but taught in theory
10. Associated material: Link techniques to self-test on study zone: blanks, controls, calibration curves,
haemocytometer, staining (microbiological techniques), chromatography, loading gels for
electrophoresis, centrifuges.
Field based skills:
SOILS
LEAF LITTER
WATER
testing (BDH kit), profiles, loss on ignition, Tullgren funnels
Tullgren funnels
water meters (flow / chemical composition / conductivity / hardness), kick sampling,
sweep netting, animals in white tray
SURVEY TECHNIQUES transects, GPS, quadrats, using keys, entomological (Dvac, sweep netting, pooters)
EXTRA
Recording animal behaviour observations using Observer software and Psions
Psychology skills
FILMING RESEARCH METHODS for VLE/video clips/Wiki:
QUALITATIVE
discourse analysis, conversation analysis, IPA
QUANTITATIVE
Data entry, correlations, T tests, descriptive stats, SPSS, dispersion
EXTRA
cognitive tasks (language, executive function) especially the Computerized version
(Cantab) and social cognition (project students – eye tracker, EEG)
Data extraction and processing (project students)
Diversity of participants (children)
Recruitment videos
Sport Science skills
BIOMECHANICS
PHYSIOLOGY
Vicon – placement of markers*, Level1 camera techniques and tripod*, EMG and
electromyography*, Brower timing gates
Blood pressure*, skin folds*, height and weight*, collection and analysis of expired air,
heart rate monitor, setting up a Monark cycle, blood sampling and pipetting (MSc), grip
dynamometer, vertical jump test, waist-hip ratio
* are the most important
OTHERS
1. How NOT to videos
2. FAQ document on make and model of commonly used equipment
3. Filming the masters students doing the Theory and Application assessment
4. Permissions from participants in the video – from developed / sourced from TVR
Drama set production skills
1. What to expect from people – what can the students expect from staff and vice versa, e.g. on set
building
2. Flame and fire proofing the theatre – how you do it and why
Other points
Don’t panic DVD
Evaluation: How have you evaluated your project? What are your main conclusions?
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Verbal feedback from colleagues and students has been encouraging. Formal evaluation from the modules is
on-going. Dr Tina Smith and I are actively working together and student feedback will be sought on the
interactive guides and videos we are producing for the students on module SES020122Y the Biomechanical
Analysis of Movement.
Can you pls provide us with a quick, informal overview of how the TQEF funding has helped
you personally to develop your own ideas? Max 200 words.
Using video to help students to understand and gain lab skills is a valuable method of imparting information and
is a tool that many of today’s students are very familiar with. Many of them have grown up with these
technologies and so they are very comfortable with them. The funding has motivated me into developing
materials for students utilising eLearning techniques and thereby incorporating blended learning. The project
has personally given me a much greater appreciation of the development and application of student centered
learning techniques. The Higher Education Academy in their Learning and Technology section states ‘We are
increasingly aware of how technology can enhance the student learning experience.’ Roehampton University’s
LTA strategy too highlights the use of technology in their first strategic goal ‘to enhance the quality of
teaching…. through development, research and scholarship, promoting creativity in curriculum design, and
creating flexible and effective modes of delivery which take advantage of the opportunities afforded by
technology and that inspire students to learn’.
I am not only creating videos and using the new skill I am learning in video editing, but I am using the other
eLearning techniques available to staff and hope to inspire and support my academic colleagues to incorporate
more technological approaches to their delivery of laboratory skills.
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