Advanced Spectroscopy
and Forensic Analysis
Enhancing Student Engagement, Skills
and Practical Experience Through
Project-based Learning
Dr Falko Drijfhout, Professor Mark Ormerod and Dr Vladimir Zholobenko
School of Physical and Geographical Sciences
Problem
Linking lecture material with
applications (e.g. Lab based work)
 Apply knowledge - especially in problem
solving situations
 Big gap between knowledge obtained in
lectures and “real life” scenarios

Project-Based Learning

What is it?
– Project-based learning is an individual or
group activity that goes on over a period of
time, resulting in a product, presentation,
or performance.
– Usually with the use of technical equipment
or an IT component
Project-Based Learning

Advantages?
– Ability to apply knowledge.
– Motivation to learn material when it is put in a
context in which they see its relevance (O’Hara et
al., 1999).
– Students often engage better when the outcome is
unknown.

Disadvantages?
– Carrying out project without enough knowledge.
– Unable to interpret results.
Does it work?

CHE-20011 as a case:
– Relative new module started in 2005-2006
– Several changes carried out over the years
– Main problem was the gap between lab mark
and exam mark
– Introduced Project-based learning in 20072008
– End of 2007-2008:

Average Lab mark: 70% vs. average exam mark
42%
Problems specific to this
module
Students engage very well in the
laboratory work
 Feedback from students is very positive

Some Feedback






Well organized, good scripts (6)
Labs related to lectures and helped my
understanding (5)
Helpful staff and demonstrators (6)
Easy to ask questions – got helpful answers
Labs were interesting, enjoyable (3)
Not enough information given, sometimes
confusing (mini-project) (6)
 Provide handouts on how to use equipment
Problems specific to this module
Students engage very well in the
laboratory work
 Feedback from students is very positive
 They all enjoy the lab work


BUT……

……. exam mark is always very low!
Possible solutions

Improve students’
– problem solving skills
– understanding of instruments used in the lab

 Project-Based learning …..

…… with some modifications
– Start with small exercises
– Use of simple data collection software (LoggerPro)
LoggerPro
“Logger Pro software provides an
inexpensive, user-friendly way for students to
collect and analyse data with computers.”
 “Logger Pro is the most popular datacollection program in science and math
education because students find our software
easier to learn than other data-collection
programs.”
 “Students can make copies to use at home
and not have to pay extra for that.”

Quotes from the LoggerPro Website: http://www.vernier.com/soft/lp.html
Vernier LabPro
Exercises

Experiment 1: Evaluation of the Gas
Chromatograph
 Experiment 2: Small internal competition
 Experiment 3: Chromatographic analysis of
Petroleum hydrocarbons in soil

Mini project
 Visit to Alcontrol (Quality control lab for
Environment and Food testing)
Mini-project

Analysis of wastewater for the presence of
pharmaceutical drugs
 Wastewater collected from Strongford
Sewage Treatment Works in Barlaston,
Stoke-on-Trent
 Several analytical techniques were used to
– concentrate sample (SPE) and
– analyse the chemicals (GC/MS)

Group lab report
Assessment

Formative assessment
– Oral presentation on method development
(competition)

Summative assessment:
– Exam, proforma, lab report, class tests
– BUT also peer assessment  students
assess their peers’ contribution to the lab
report
Peer assessment Form
Self Assessment Form
Feedback from students - Lab









Well organized (5)
Labs related to lectures and helped my
understanding (8)
Competition was really interesting/fun (4)
Helpful staff and demonstrators (5)
Easy to ask questions – got helpful answers
Labs were interesting, enjoyable (2)
Good step-by-step guidance for the labs, lab
scripts well detailed (4)
Practicals are always fun (2)
Liked using the GC’s
Feedback from students - Lectures








Good content and organisation (10)
Good lectures, high quality (5)
Very good teacher quality (2)
Detailed/good lecture notes (3)
Lots of information available giving wide
knowledge of forensic techniques (3)
Chromatography and microscopy were
interesting (5)
Developed on from previous knowledge/skills
Visiting the ALcontrol lab helped to get
perspective (4)
Assessment Summary
Year
Class
tests
Lab
report
Exam
Overall
mark
# 1st
class
2006/2007
82 students
63.5
67.7
46.1
54.1
11
(13.4%)
2007/2008
56 students
59.5
70.2
42.4
53.1
1
(1.8%)
2008/2009
53 students
67.0
70.2
50.4
57.9
13
(24.5%)
Assessment Summary
Year
Class
tests
Lab
report
Exam
Overall
mark
# 1st
class
2006/2007
82 students
63.5
67.7
46.1
54.1
11
(13.4%)
2007/2008
56 students
59.5
70.2
42.4
53.1
1
(1.8%)
2008/2009
53 students
67.0
70.2
50.4
57.9
13
(24.5%)
Evaluation

Very positive!
 Students were forced (but in a positive way)
to (a) think about and (b) discuss the
principles of chromatography
 Successful incorporation of Level I material in
Level II
– Developed on from previous knowledge/skills

Students enjoyed it!!
– Liked using the GC’s
– Good that we had peer assessment
Next Year??

Further close the gap between exam marks
and lab marks (in course assessment)
 Focus was on chromatography, next year we
will try to incorporate mass spectrometry
 Problem-based learning in addition to Projectbased learning???