Using Class Responses Systems to Promote Engagement and Feedback in Maths for Chemists Lectures

Docherty, F. (2018) Using Class Responses Systems to Promote Engagement and Feedback in Maths for Chemists Lectures. CETL-MSOR Conference 2018, Glasgow, UK, 5-6 Sept 2018.

Abstract

Third year students in the School of Chemistry at the University of Glasgow are required to undertake Maths for Chemists lectures to ensure they have adequate mathematical skills for the physical chemistry component of their degree. This cohort of around one hundred students has a wide range of backgrounds and abilities and includes pure chemists, medicinal chemists and those studying for joint honours degrees in chemical physics and chemistry and maths. On-line voting was introduced to the lectures in a traditional way to allow students to attempt worked examples in the lectures. In addition, the voting system was used to ask students about their maths background and experience in specific topics. This allowed teaching to be tailored to areas where most students were weakest. The exercise also uncovered that the highest level of maths students had ranged from GCSE to 2nd Year University maths. This was surprising and gave the opportunity to create a support system for those with the most basic maths. Students gave a very positive evaluation of the use of on-line voting in lectures and recommended it be used in subsequent years.

• Item Type: Conference or Workshop Item
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Docherty, Dr Frances
• Authors: Docherty, F.
• Subjects: L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Chemistry

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