...enhancing the student experience ISSN 1745-8447 (Print) in chemistry, physics, ISSN 1745-8455 (Online) astronomy and forensic science within the university sector Volume 5, Issue 1
Wavelength is the newsletter of the Higher Education Academy Physical Sciences Centre. It is issued twice yearly in Spring and Autumn. WavelengthWavelength
This issue...
In this issue we have a number of articles activities, specialist topics such as covering: java applets for physics and a database of inorganic compounds and The National Grid Service, or NGS as other resources such as experimental it is more commonly known, which simulations. provides ‘free at point of use’ access to an extensive distributed computing Development project reports from 3 of resource for UK researchers. the projects which recently completed their work; two covering computer An update on the progress with the based assessment and one looking at reviews of the Student Learning ways to support students with Experience undertaken by the Centre Asperger’s Syndrome. last year. The reports will provide a comprehensive snapshot of the Finally we include some news from learning experiences of full-time the Higher Education Academy; one chemistry and physics undergraduates detailing a seminar series which aims in UK universities in 2008. to support access and success for all students; the other looking at a recent Information about the new Science survey of academic staff with regard to Diploma. The Diploma aims to provide the rewards within institutions for learning in an applied and work- teaching. focused context. In the context of the Science Diploma this means the students will learn about what scientists do as well as about science.
Spring 2009 Spring 2009 Resources from development projects. The Centre has now built up a considerable bank of resources arising from nearly 70 projects. These projects cover a wide range of topics from assessment resources, outreach
The newsletter is free of Inside this issue... charge to academics in UK higher education institutions. Using the National Grid Service 2 Computer based assessment 10 The material is also published electronically on The Student Learning Experience 4 Students with Asperger’s Syndrome 12 our web site. Subscriptions are available for those Access and Success for All 14 outside the UKHE sector who The new Science Diploma 5 wish to receive the paper version. Contact the Centre Resources from development projects 6 Rewards for Teaching 15 for details. DUMP 2.0 8 Wavelength Page 2
Using the National Grid Service
Gillian Sinclair Would you like to give your students enquiries through email. Training is Liaison Officer access to resources for ‘blue sky’ available in conjunction with the Training, National Grid Service research? Do you need more compute Outreach and Education team (TOE) at the University of Manchester resource for your research? Would you like National e-Science Centre (NeSC). Research Computing your research group to take advantage of “Introduction to Grid Computing” courses Services recent advances in grid computing? are run regularly as well as courses for Rm 73 Devonshire House more advanced users. Training events can Precinct Centre If so have you thought about using the be organised at your institution on demand Oxford Road National Grid Service? for a specific group of users (ie research Manchester area) or by level of knowledge. All courses M13 9PL The National Grid Service, or NGS as it is are free of charge to attend. As well as the Email: gillian.sinclair@ more commonly known, provides ‘free at support services the NGS also provides a manchester.ac.uk point of use’ access to an extensive database service with a dedicated
If you would like to use NGS resources or have any queries about how your research could benefit from the NGS, then please contact the helpdesk (support@ grid-support.ac.uk).
Figure 1: The evolution of the one-body density matrix given by the non-Markovian Boltzmann equation, giving the distribution of atomic kinetic energy as the system evolves
distributed computing resource for UK database team on hand to help you make researchers. This allows access to the most of your data. Supporting both resources perhaps not available at your Oracle and MySQL, the database team own institution such as Condor pools, and can help with tuning to improve your can considerably speed up your research database and complete administration of in many cases. your database. There is a secure back up system as well as data encryption so Funded by the EPSRC and JISC, the NGS security of your data is a priority. is a distributed service and has 4 core sites at the universities of Leeds, Manchester Ultracold Gases and Oxford and the STFC Rutherford Researchers at the University of Oxford Appleton Laboratory (RAL). Many other have used NGS resources to study the universities are also partner or affiliate dynamics of ultracold gases, in particular sites of the NGS and a full list of the the problem of molecule formation at such current sites can be found on the NGS low temperatures. Programs have been website
Using the National Grid Service
Large computations are required to model The provenance of a piece of data is of this process for a realistic set of extreme importance to the end user as parameters and it has only been made they need to be able to trace back from practical through the use of the NGS. The publication to the original data. The need kernel of the NMBE is parallelisable with for this information to be stored and easily calculation of the kernel previously taking available to researchers increases the up to 2 months on a single computer. difficulty of maintaining chemical Accessing resources through the NGS with databases. With the areas of up to 100 processors at a time has computational and combinatorial chemistry reduced the time taken to less than two pushing the rate at which chemical data is days. Using the kernel for dynamics produced, a ‘semantic web’ approach is requires 40 hours of processor time but being taken by researchers at using OpenMP can speed up this Southampton. computation to a single afternoon. They have created a Resource Description Ton Hanna, one of the researchers using Framework (RDF) triplestore for chemical the NGS at Oxford explained “The NGS data. With the help of expertise from the has made a huge difference to my NGS, they are now looking into whether research. I’ve been able to calculate the the use of the Oracle databases can kernel for a realistic ramp, and do 15 improve the speed of querying. They are dynamical simulations. It’s shown the also working together to demonstrate the method works and so I am working on possibility of querying multiple, distributed extending it. It’s one of those problems you RDF triplestores. The Oracle RDF couldn’t think about doing without access triplestore hosted on the NGS is being to a cluster!” used along with the RDF triplestore already developed at Southampton. The aim is to Chemistry Databases be able to dynamically combine data from … the NGS is a The explosion of data produced by both triplestores without needing to copy chemists since the invention of the periodic the entire databases over. distributed service and table in 1869 requires new methods of has 4 core sites at the dealing with it. The NGS has been working The RDF triplestore allows for more universities of Leeds, with researchers at the University of complex queries to be run on the data. Its Manchester and Southampton to develop methods of power is in its ability to use triples to Oxford and the STFC handling this large amount of data. represent a relationship between a subject and an object. Relationships between Rutherford Appleton Chemical data now needs multiple objects and subjects can be explicitly Laboratory. annotations and metadata associated with defined or implied by other relationships. it to make any real sense to the user. It’s Using the RDF triplestore avoids the need not enough anymore to just indicate the for a traditional relational database. These boiling point of a liquid as researchers often require long-term design and wanting to use that information also require maintenance that is not an option in the other details such as: academic world.
the pressure the measurement was The Oracle RDF data management taken at capabilities of high query performance and who did the experiment triple loading capabilities means storing when was the experiment performed databases with 100 million triples is not a where was the experiment performed. problem. Tools such as Oracle Jena are used for triple loading and storage.
Training events can be organised at your institution on demand for a specific group of users... or by level of knowledge. All courses are free of charge to attend. Wavelength Page 4
The Student Learning Experience
Tina Overton In 2007 the Higher Education Academy students. Students are overwhelmingly Physical Sciences Centre commissioned three Subject Centres to satisfied with their experience and perhaps Chemistry Dept produce National Subject Profiles in most surprisingly, the nature of the student University of Hull Materials, Microbiology, Biochemistry and experience differs very little across Hull Art, Design and Media. Although not part of different types of institution. The prospects HU6 7RX this pilot scheme the Physical Sciences for students entering a physical sciences Email: [email protected] Centre believed that the time was right to department in the UK are shown to be carry out a similar review of the sound, and we trust they will continue to undergraduate experience of teaching and improve. learning in chemistry and in physics. The outcomes of these two reviews will be We believe that the review reports will be published in Spring 2009. of value to all those involved in teaching undergraduate chemists and physicists The aim of the reviews was to provide a and to those in a position to influence snapshot view of the state of the student curriculum developments. They should experience in UK chemistry and physics provide useful information to supplement departments in 2008. We used online and the baseline information obtained from the paper questionnaires to determine the National Student Survey. views of undergraduate students and all levels of staff across a wide range of We hope the reports will be of interest to all institutions. This information has been stakeholders, which we anticipate will supplemented by detailed interviews with include Heads of Physical Sciences Directors of Teaching in several Departments, Directors of Teaching, institutions. Although these samples were academic staff engaged in teaching not statistically significant we are confident chemistry and physics and related that they do represent a cross section of disciplines, employers of chemistry and views. physics graduates, administrators, planners, members of the Royal Society of The reports provide a comprehensive Chemistry and Institute of Physics, snapshot of the learning experiences of teachers, careers advisors, parents, and full-time chemistry and physics current and potential students. We trust undergraduates in UK universities in 2008. that the information that it offers will They also provide a rich overview of many provide encouragement to all engaged with aspects of teaching and learning. If there is education in chemistry and physics at HE any surprise in the findings of the studies, it level, and incentives to develop further lies in the absence of unexpected what is already clearly seen to be a high revelations about the state of the discipline. quality product. The questionnaires and the interviews generally told us what we expected and All the supporting documents – the hoped to hear – that the teaching and questionnaires, the Staff and Student learning experience of chemistry and Survey Analyses, and the tabulated physics undergraduates in the UK is responses, will be made available through positive and effective. It is not static and is the HEA Physical Sciences Centre website building on a solid basis of educational at: experience. There is evidence that it is developing through the elaboration of the
The new Science Diploma
Tina Overton As part of the 14-19 reform programme, qualification. The nature of additional and Physical Sciences Centre the Department for Children, Schools and specialised learning, and how much this Chemistry Dept Families (DCSF) and the Qualifications can draw on existing AS/A levels has not University of Hull and Curriculum Authority (QCA) are yet been discussed. Hull developing a new qualification – the HU6 7RX Diploma. The last of the new Diplomas will The development of the Diploma is being Email: [email protected] be launched in September 2011 and will overseen by a Development partnership. include Science. The HE Working Group feed into this group. The HE Working Group is trying to The Diploma aims to provide learning in an ensure that the breadth delivered by the applied and work-focused context. In the interdisciplinary and applied nature of the context of the Science Diploma this means qualification is not at the expense of rigour the students will learn about what scientists and depth. do as well as about science. The Diploma will be offered at three levels; Foundation, Higher and Advanced and it is the aim of the Advanced level to provide access to Higher Education.
The structure of the Advanced Diploma is complex and students may take different routes to achieve it. Learning is split between Principal Learning (540 guided learning hours, or glh), generic learning (180 glh) and additional or specialised learning (360 glh). The development of the principal learning is currently underway and a draft ‘line of learning’ document has been available for widespread consultation. Currently this focuses on three themes which could be Figure 1: Summary of advanced topics in Principal Learning broadly identified as chemistry, physics and biology, and overlaps them to cover interdisciplinary areas (fig 1). For more information see:
The mathematical content of the Diploma
In... the Science Diploma... the students will learn about what scientists do as well as about science. Wavelength Page 6
Resources from development projects
Paul Chin The Centre has been providing project, developing a large database of Physical Sciences Centre development project funding for a number physical sciences questions. Another Chemistry Dept of years now and the success of this recent project on inclusion; ‘Supporting University of Hull initiative continues to grow from strength to students with Asperger's syndrome in the Hull strength. Each year a call goes out inviting physical sciences’ is reviewed in another HU6 7RX proposals for development projects that article in this Newsletter. Email: [email protected] support teaching and learning in the physical sciences. Applications are All projects funded to date can be found on reviewed by an independent panel and the Centre’s website. Here, a summary of each year the Centre can afford to fund the projects are provided as well as the about half a dozen projects. Whilst the final reports charting the outcomes and sums on offer are relatively modest, up to also relevant links to any resources which £5k, it is testament to the enthusiasm of may have been produced. Not all projects colleagues in the community that applications always exceed the funds available.
Projects typically run for one year, starting in September and completing the following year. With an increased focus on being able to record the success and impact of development projects, the Centre has introduced key meetings for development project holders in the last year or so which has proven to be a big hit for all involved. The idea of the meetings is to bring existing project holders together with newly funded projects and this has enabled both current and new projects to share ideas, experiences and tips for their projects with one another. It has been Figure 1: Example physics applet from Java applets for suggested that people Physics by John Reid at the University of Aberdeen considering applying for development project funding could come to one of these development produce resources since the focus of some project meetings to find out more about the projects will have been on reporting benefits of applying. This idea is actively findings of particular investigations. For being considered and further information example, the ‘Bridging the gap’ project will be available shortly, but if you feel you explores the effectiveness of a strategy for would like to attend a development project supporting students with diverse chemistry meeting then please contact the Centre. experiences.
The Centre has now built up a One key feature of the outcomes of many considerable bank of resources arising development projects is the request from from nearly 70 projects (example screen institutions for development project holders shots from 2 projects are shown in figs 1 to come and talk to their departments and 2). These projects cover a wide range about their work. The Centre publicises the of topics from assessment resources, work of key development project outputs outreach activities, specialist topics such and project holders are regularly invited to as java applets for physics and a database give departmental seminars around the of inorganic compounds and other UK. This year alone the Centre had resources such as experimental requests for 20 seminars (at 20 different simulations. One recent project titled institutions) from 6 projects, demonstrating ‘Testing Your Organic Chemistry the high interest in the work produced by Knowledge to Reinforce Comprehension the project holders. and Understanding using Web-Based Multiple Choice Questions’ has produced a large number of questions which have proved so versatile that they have been included in the Centre’s Question Bank Volume 5, Issue 1 Page 7
Resources from development projects
We are always looking at ways we can Development projects have proved to be, improve the dissemination and uptake of and continue to be successful due to the resources, findings and other outputs of enthusiasm and broad ranging ideas projects. One stipulation we make for funded. Regrettably the limited funding funding is that project holders must make makes selection of projects a difficult their outputs freely available to the UK choice each year but the Centre fully Higher Education community. There is an increasing move that supports this ethos to formalise the availability of resources through a licensing system called open source. Open source licences retain copyright ownership for the author but allows users to take and use the resources for their own teaching purposes. The Centre and a number of consortium members have recently submitted a bid to the JISC/HEA (Joint Information Systems Committee/Higher Education Academy) to make resources publicly available via this route under a funding bid called Open Educational The Centre has now Resources (OER) which will built up a considerable make resources publicly available through open bank of resources source licences. The Centre arising from nearly 70 will include this approach for projects. future development projects to make future resources publicly available through Figure 2: Section of example screen from Industrially different outlets – including Sponsored Context Based Undergraduate Chemistry its existing website. One Practicals by Dave McGarvey at Keele University benefit of this is that the resources will be made available via a range of routes such as appreciates the time and effort people put JorumOpen (a JISC repository service) into their proposals and continue to look and various Web 2.0 technologies such as forward to the next round so that they can iTunes U and Flickr, which will be more fund more exciting and innovative projects. accessible for end users. If you would like to apply for funding or are simply interested in finding out more about the resources available then please visit the development project section of our website.
One key feature of the outcomes of many... projects is the request from institutions for development project holders to come and talk to their departments about their work. Wavelength Page 8
DUMP 2.0
Development Project This report describes and summarises the 2. Technical Developments Report achievements and deliverables of the The DUMP system now supports a far DUMP2.0 development project. This wider range of different export routes and DUMP 2.0: From successful project builds on the outputs of a operates on all ‘flavours’ of common development project to previously-funded Development Project in browsers (automatically detecting the ‘best’ sustainable community 2005-6 (for more details and publications display properties based on browser resource see
Probably the most significant part of the survey was to poll the users regarding their requirements for future develop- ment plans for the system, the responses to which are summarised in fig 1.
The responses clearly demonstrated that interoperability and a greater range of questions and subject material were user priorities. The ability to submit questions via the Figure 1: User requirements for future development plans system was viewed as less important, and the establishment of community/social networking elements to some formative assessment questions the site were largely unimportant. but don't have any kind of assessment engine available. The web content uses This was then used to prioritise and inform MathML for displaying mathematics in the technical development of the project. browsers which support this, The remainder of this report details these automatically falling back to ‘maths as technical developments, followed by the images’ for other browsers as addition of a wider range of content types necessary. and education level of question. The Printed PDF Format: This is a simple project benefitted from a close collabora- PDF listing of your questions, with tion with the student employed by Physics options to have the correct answer and Astronomy on their companion highlighted and to show the feedback Development Project in this area. for each answer. There are also some Volume 5, Issue 1 Page 9
DUMP 2.0
limited customisation options available VLE system, we have also (eg title of questions, numbering implemented interoperability with scheme etc). Moodle and Sakai. QTI 2.1: We now support exporting a All existing questions (c 500) in DUMP bundle of Questions in the latest (draft) have now been passed to Dick Bacon version of the Question and Test in a suitable format for import into the Interoperability (QTI) specification. Physical Sciences Centre Question Each Question is exported as a Bank system. separate QTI document and bundled up as an IMS Content Package 3. Content development (v1.1.3). Options exist for including In collaboration with the St Andrews Mathematics as either (really nice) Development Project, the DUMP system MathML, (quite nice) transparent PNG has been used to author 200-300 new or (not at all nice) opaque GIF images, resources in the areas of quantum and feedback can be included or mechanics, electromagnetism, astronomy excluded as required. We decided to and astrophysics. All of these resources support multiple graphic formats in the are once again provided for import into the event that the questions are used in HEA PSC Question Bank. web-based systems on older versions of Microsoft Internet Explorer, which To accommodate a wider range of subject needs a ‘hack’ to support transparent material, content and education level, we PNGs that may not be feasible in some have implemented several modifications to assessment engines. We can also the way that users of the system can output the slightly older QTI 2.0 ‘discover’ and choose questions, including: specification as well. QTI 1.2: We also support exporting a Support for (and search filtering) by bundle of Questions in this older (but educational level. still very popular) version of QTI. Again, Ability for users to ‘tag’ questions with The DUMP system each Question is exported as a their own keywords, rather than being now supports a far separate QTI document and bundled fixed to a given taxonomy of keywords. wider range of up as an IMS Content Package. QTI 1.2 does not support MathML so all The final area of development is the different export routes mathematics is converted to images creation of a content editing interface, and operates on all (either transparent PNG or opaque which will provide the facility for users to ‘flavours’ of common GIF) on export. create their own questions, either from browsers... Respondus Import: it is now possible to scratch or by copying an existing question. export questions in a ZIP file that can This is currently undergoing final be subsequently imported into development (having been somewhat Respondus. Beneath the hood, this is delayed due to staff absence as a result of just a modified version of the QTI 1.2 sickness) but will be included in a future export but includes a number of tweaks release of the system. required for Respondus to handle it correctly. Once into Respondus, it is then easy to import the questions into other systems, such as WebCT, Blackboard etc, making it possible to use these questions for summative assessment with most popular VLE systems. Motivated by own our institution’s consideration of its next
In collaboration with... St Andrews,... the... system has been used to author 200-300 new resources in the areas of quantum mechanics, electromagnetism, astronomy and astrophysics. Wavelength Page 10
Computer based assessment
Development Project This final report is divided into two parts: There are a small number (32) of numeric Report the first part details the project outputs by entry and ranking questions. As these giving details of questions put into the question types are not supported by DUMP Development of learning DUMP and Centre’s question banks, the and by several virtual learning environment material for formative second part is a guide to using questions (VLE) targets in the Centre’s (PSC) computer based assessment to enhance physics teaching and learning. Question Bank, we have wherever possible in physics and astronomy created a multiple choice/multiple selection In this project, we had aimed to create 300 version of these questions and included Antje S Kohnle*, Bruce D questions covering a variety of physics and them in DUMP and in PSC format. Each Sinclair, C Tom A Brown, Aly astronomy topics over a range of question is only counted once in Table I; ie, Gillies, Jane S Greaves, educational levels. Table I shows the the same question as a ranking question Chris A Hooley, Steve Lee, modules and UK educational levels where and a multiple choice question, with two Graham M Smith questions were developed, giving the versions of feedback (see below) is School of Physics and number of questions for each of the counted as a single question. Astronomy University of St Andrews Table 1: shows the modules and UK educational levels where questions were developed The North Haugh St Andrews Module or Course UK educational level Total number of Fife questions KY16 9SS *Email: ak81@ Stars and Elementary Astrophysics 7 13 st-andrews.ac.uk Solar System 7 24
(Note: see report on p8 of Waves and Optics 7 10 this newsletter for more information about the DUMP 7 10 project.) Properties of Matter Thermal Physics 8 23
Special Relativity 8 8
Oscillations 8 32
Electricity and Magnetism 8 48
Quantum Mechanics I 9 50
Quantum Mechanics II 9 14
Nuclear and Particle Physics 10 87
Total: 319
modules. From the table, one can see that We have put much effort into creating the aims of the project have been useful feedback for each question. All achieved. 319 questions in total have been questions have feedback, many of them created in a wide range of physics and have individual feedback for each possible astronomy areas, with 57 (18%) questions response. Table 2 shows the questions in 1st year (UK educational level 7), 111 split by difficulty and by domain. The (35%) in 2nd year (level 8), 64 (20%) in 3rd domain follows Bloom’s taxonomy, year (level 9) and 87 (27%) in 4th year whereby “analysis”, “synthesis” and (level 10). There are 282 (88%) physics “evaluation” are incorporated into and 37 (12%) astronomy questions. “application”. While the divisions of difficulty and domain are debatable The large majority of the questions are (depending on prior knowledge, the same multiple choice or multiple selection. This question can be simple or difficult, and the reflects the fact that a substantial fraction divisions between knowledge, comprehen- of the questions were developed to be sion and application are not always well used in lectures with electronic voting defined), Table 2 shows that most systems as well as the fact that multiple questions focus on higher-order cognitive choice/multiple selection questions are skills, and the fraction of simple questions supported by all assessment system is quite small. Physics is a visual subject, platforms. in which images and graphs can Volume 5, Issue 1 Page 11
Computer based assessment
substantially enhance the quality of feedback for all questions both for the questions. A substantial fraction of the formative and summative quiz. This questions (96 questions, 30%) contain scheme aims to give students an incentive images or graphs that were created as part to do the formative quizzes and to read the of the project. feedback carefully prior to the summative Table 2: shows the questions split by difficulty and by domain.
Domain/ simple intermediate difficult totals Difficulty knowledge 16 5 0 21
comprehension 23 79 1 103
application 38 142 15 195
totals 77 226 16 319
All questions have been scrutinised at St quiz, as well as giving them formative Andrews after editing prior to submission to feedback on their progress each week. As the PSC and DUMP question banks. In student performance statistics are order to ensure the usefulness of questions available, it is possible to close the loop by for a large variety of platforms, the discussing questions with poor results in questions in the PSC question bank have the lectures, and offering students to been created to be compatible with contact the lecturer if they do not WebCT. This implies that feedback understand the automated feedback. As contains no complicated formulas, each question has one or more correct In this project, we had uncommon symbols such as à and no answers, it is not possible for students to aimed to create 300 images. Where these features would get a good mark by random guessing, in questions covering a enhance the feedback, we have created a particular if negative points are awarded for second version of the question that is now incorrect answers. Students are allowed to variety of physics and in the DUMP question bank. In the future, it use notes and textbooks, and the low astronomy topics over is foreseen that questions will be in QTI2 stakes involved aim to avoid problems with a range of educational format in the PSC question bank. When system abuse. levels. this is the case, the enhanced versions of the questions in DUMP will be incorporated We are very grateful to David McKain at into the PSC question bank. the University of Edinburgh and Dick Bacon at the University of Surrey for their We plan to use the PSC question bank to excellent support in helping us to include enhance our teaching in the upcoming our questions in the DUMP and PSC academic year. As one example, we have question banks. We used their editors to modified the assessment of the nuclear input our questions. Martin Kennedy was and particle physics module so that 5% of an outstanding summer student, without the final mark will be awarded for weekly whose efforts this project would not have multiple choice quizzes incorporated into been completed. We particularly thank the WebCT. Each week, students first Higher Education Academy for their complete a formative quiz and are given financial support of this project, and for the feedback. They then complete a quiz with many helpful comments at development similar questions which is summatively project meetings in the course of this assessed. Students are given automated project.
Students are given automated feedback for all questions both for the formative and summative quiz. Wavelength Page 12
Students with Asperger’s Syndrome
Development Project “Our aim is to enable students to reach that we were not in fact re-inventing, but Report their full potential.” It sounds a bit rather inventing the wheel. This eventually clichéd, but for an intelligent, academically developed into a desire to find out what Supporting Students with capable student with Asperger’s support students with AS are actually Asperger’s Syndrome in the Syndrome, getting the degree that getting in the physical sciences in the UK, Physical Sciences genuinely befits their true intellectual indeed how much do staff know about capabilities can seem like an up-hill Asperger’s Syndrome? Mark Hughes struggle. Asperger’s Syndrome (AS) is a School of Physics & condition on the autistic spectrum The initial phase of project involved Astronomy characterised by difficulties with flexibility surveying UK physical science University of Manchester of thought, social interaction and departments to find out how many students Oxford Road communication. People with AS may find it with AS they had, what they knew about Manchester difficult to empathise or to know what the condition and what support was M13 9PL others are thinking, finding other people available. It soon became clear from the Email: Mark.Hughes@ unpredictable and confusing. They are responses that many departments were manchester.ac.uk likely to experience difficulties functioning very keen to get more information about in ‘our world’, which relies heavily on non- how best to support their students with AS. Victoria Milne, Alan McCall, verbal communication and the unwritten As a result of the desire to improve the Sylvia Pepper rules which guide our behaviour. Life can situation of students with AS, and the staff University of Hertfordshire be hard for people with AS; it affects every supporting them, we have produced a Hatfield Hertfordshire AL10 9AB
Figure 1: The elements of the Resource Pack
aspect of their lives. Anxiety and resource pack suitable for physical science depression are common experiences. Yet departments (see fig1). Its aim is to provide people with AS may also become very the academic who has little or no focused on an activity that they enjoy. This experience of AS, with a helping hand. It can lead to significant productivity if the should not be taken as the final answer, activity is related to their studies. and indeed we hope that one day someone will see fit to expand, revise and replace A Resource Pack to help Staff Support the pack with a more up-to-date and Students with AS. comprehensive version. This project grew from a chance conversation. After struggling to find the What is in the Resource Pack? best support strategy for a particular This project was principally developed by 2 student with AS, one of the authors asked physical science academics (Hughes & the student’s mother what information was McCall) and 2 disability professionals out there to avoid us having to ‘re-invent (Milne & Pepper). The resource pack is the wheel’. The student’s mother replied designed to be flexible so that each Volume 5, Issue 1 Page 13
Students with Asperger’s Syndrome
department can use the various The text part of the pack will be available in components in a way that best fits their both print form and pdf, and you will be staff/student support strategy. able to order additional components to distribute within your department. The 3 components of the pack are: Our resource pack is designed to help 1. A booklet that contains background members of a typical physical science information, typical scenarios you department, who may know little about might encounter and advice to help Asperger’s Syndrome, to provide the best you support students with AS. The opportunities they can for their students booklet is designed to be a ‘dip in’ with AS. We don’t claim to have all the resource so that you can jump to the answers, and undoubtedly new ideas will section that interests you. emerge about best practice. But we hope that this resource pack will provide a 2. A set of Quick Guides tailored to starting point, to enable academics to help individual roles within a typical students with AS achieve the degree that physical science department (Head of genuinely befits their intellectual department, lecturer, tutor, lab capabilities, rather than one that simply demonstrator, admin staff etc). reflects the difficulties faced by their condition. The Quick Guide for each staff role has 3 sections:
What is Asperger’s Syndrome. What it might mean for you. What you can do to support students with AS. The... pack is These easy-to-read guides can be designed to be flexible distributed to staff in your department to so that each increase awareness about AS, and department can use provide useful guidance as quickly as the... components in a possible. way that best fits their 3. A DVD containing an interview with a staff/student support former successful physical science strategy. student (who has AS) and his mother. An edited version of the interview on the DVD (~15 min) should be short enough to show in a typical staff meeting. The interview explores the impact that AS had on the student’s experience of university, covering core topics such as lectures, labs, registration, exams, etc. The DVD is designed to provide a personal window into the experience of one particular student with Asperger’s Syndrome, and should provide useful background to staff members with little knowledge of the condition. Our resource pack is designed to help members of a typical... department, who may know little about Asperger’s Syndrome, to provide the best opportunities... for their students... Wavelength Page 14
Access and Success for All
News from the Higher Higher Education Academy launches Mike Wray, Senior Policy Adviser from Education Academy, Research Seminar Series 2009 Action on Access, said: “This series is an adapted from: excellent opportunity for staff in higher The Higher Education Academy has now education institutions to share their
As a requirement of participation, host institutions will produce a briefing paper which will be made available through the Academy’s widening participation research service (WPRS). This service offers support to all staff in higher education with a widening participation or inclusion remit and provides access to research information, services and resources to support success throughout the student lifecycle.
The series aims to support access and success for all students... Volume 5, Issue 1 Page 15
Rewards for Teaching
News from the Higher Teaching should be important in There are differences in perceptions of Education Academy, promotions, say majority of HE staff the importance of teaching in adapted from: promotions by type of appointment - the Major new research published by the more junior the staff member the more
Key findings from the survey of staff
Over 90% of academic staff think that on the Academy’s web site. teaching should be important in promotions Most academics feel that the status of teaching is low in comparison with research. They also say that research is important, and that it is by and large given appropriate status and suitable emphasis in appointments and promotions Academics in more research-focused universities are less likely to be satisfied with the importance their institution attaches to teaching in promotion decisions
Over 90% of academic staff surveyed... think that teaching should be important in promotions, but only a minority of staff think that it actually is. Physical Sciences Centre Work Higher Project Department of Chemistry University of Hull The Centre is pleased to announce that we have been successful in a Hull HU6 7RX bid to HEFCE for an Employer engagement project called ‘Work Higher’. The funding is awarded for a collaborative venture between the Director: Centre, Cogent Sector Skills Council and the University of Hull. Prof Tina Overton Phone: 01482 465453 The aim of the project is to develop a suite of Foundation Degrees for Administrator: the Nuclear, Polymer, Petroleum, Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Liz Pickering Bioscience industries. Cogent and SEMTA Sector Skills Councils have Phone: 01482 465418 identified higher level skills gaps in these sectors which could be filled by work force development through this framework of flexible Fax: 01482 465418 Foundation Degrees. Email: [email protected] Web: The Foundation Degrees will be delivered by a consortium of HEIs and www.heacademy.ac.uk/physsci would attract co-funded Additional Student Numbers. The Physical Sciences Centre is funded by The development of the new programmes will be supported by the Higher Education Academy secondment of academic staff in each HEI and secondment of Industry (www.heacademy.ac.uk) and is part of Champions from each of the sectors who will provide specialised input. the Academy’s Subject Network. The This three year programme commences in April 2009. Centre is supported by the Universities of Hull, Liverpool and Surrey .
One of the first responsibilities for the project team will be to identify the Offers to contribute to the newsletter are partner HEIs. Opportunities to be involved as a consortium member will welcomed. Please contact the Centre. be advertised soon. Anyone interested in being involved with the project further should contact the Centre.
Events —2009—
Publications Update Development Projects Meeting, Currently the Centre is active in updating These are being updated by the Centre to 29th April, York a number of our publications; ie: ensure the currency of the information Departmental Representatives contained within them and in some cases Meeting, 12/13th May, Warwick Briefing papers they are being withdrawn or replaced as E/PBL Workshop, 20th May , designed to provide a condensed they are no longer applicable. Leicester discussion on issues and topics related to Follow up workshop for New and teaching and learning in the physical At the same time we are redesigning the Aspiring Lecturers, 10th June, sciences. layout, within our overall design schema, York to ensure that each in a publication set is Lowering the Drawbridges: Legal Primers readily recognisable as a part of that & Forensic Science Education for designed to provide practical advice and series but that each is distinct from others the 21st Century, 27th May, Leeds guidance on aspects of teaching and in the same series. Science, Learning and Teaching learning in the physical sciences. Conference, 16/17th June, Heriot The new versions will be published initially Watt University Toolkits on our web site as Acrobat files and some FORREST, 30th June/1st July, bring together and provide links to reports, will also be distributed through the normal Liverpool information, resources and downloads for mailing system. GIREP-EPEC and PHEC, 17th/21st a particular topic. August, Leicester Variety in Chemistry Education 2009 and Eurovariety 2009 , 2/3/4th September, Manchester
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