Enhancing the first-year learning
experience: a case study from
Biomedical Sciences
Stephen McClean and Paul Hagan
School of Biomedical Sciences
University of Ulster
s.mcclean@ulster.ac.uk
wp.hagan@ulster.ac.uk
BMS105 Introductory Chemistry
Chemistry ‘service teaching’ module
Provides foundational chemistry for further study in biochemistry, clinical
biochemistry, molecular biology etc.
Taken by students in Biomedical Sciences, Pharmacology, Human
Nutrition, Food and Nutrition, Dietetics & Biology
176 students in 2005/06; 123 in 2006/07; 140 in 2007/08; 138 in 2008/09
The Problem…
 Historically - high failure rate
 Student dissatisfaction with the module as evidenced
through module evaluation
 Negative Impact on Student Retention
“For the little things that
make the big things happen.”
Providing Support
 Enhancement of our support measures – know your
audience!
 Implementing a compulsory tutorial support programme
based on cohort group
 Supplementary tutorials in chemistry and mathematics
 Introduction of online support material / assessment
delivered by Perception software & QuizTest CGI script
Building an Online Support Resource
Easy to remember address (PlanetChemistry.com)
Hosted on a University of Ulster web server
Single login for all students
Used to host module notes, links to other support material
Used as a method for enhancing communication
May be accessed via WebCT Vista
Using Email Effectively
Personalised “How’s it going?” emails sent out to students
early in semester
“Follow Up” email distribution list kept for those with no prior
chemistry experience or those failing class tests
Stephen McClean (2008) Excel Yourself with Personalised Emails, Bioscience Educatio
E-journal, in press
SMS Text Messaging
Opt-in system for students on module
Used to communicate reminders about class tests etc.
Useful if a rapid response is required
Can be expensive!
Online Self-Assessment
 Self-assessment questions delivered using
Perception Software
 Banks of questions available to complement the
lecture material
Online Assessment
 4 x online class tests at 2-weekly intervals
 1 x open-book assessment (organic chemistry)
 Delivered using the Tesol QuizTest CGI Script
(www.tesol.net/scripts/QuizTest)
Pitt, SJ and Gunn, A (2004) The value of computer based formative assessment in
undergraduate biological science teaching Bioscience Education e-Journal 3
Maintaining Cohort Identity
Regular, Compulsory Tutorials
Practicals
Exam Preparation
Class Test in the Diamond during week
11 under exam conditionss
‘Mock’ paper set over the Christmas
vacation period
Pre-exam tutorials in January
Student Engagement in the Lab
I hope he has read the
protocol before lab
because I haven’t!
I hope she has read
the protocol before lab
because I haven’t!
Student Engagement in the Lab
Students often come to lab poorly prepared for
experiments – solution – pre-practical assessment
They sometimes do not see the relevance of
practical sessions
Social interaction was recently highlighted by
students as one of the better features of university
laboratory classes
Collis et al 2007 Report: The Student View of 1st Year Laboratory Work in
Biosciences. Centre for Bioscience.
Collis et al 2008 Bioscience Education electronic Journal, volume 11.
YouTestTube.com
Reflective video sharing website for first-year
chemistry practicals
Students cover the following things in their videos:
YouTestTube.com
What is this practical all about?
What skills have I developed?
How does this practical tie-in with the lectures?
How will this be important for other parts of my
course?
What parts of the practical were difficult?
YouTestTube.com
What was most enjoyable about the practical?
What was least enjoyable about the practical?
 If someone else was about to conduct this
experiment again; what advice (about the practical)
would I give them?
Evaluation
Students’ performance in examinations has
also improved. Exam failure rates as follows
2003/04
36%
2004/05
27%
2005/06
9%
2006/07
4%
2007/08
9%
}
All support measures in
place
Acknowledgements
Olivier Riche (Computing Officer)