Extending the use of Spectroscopy in a Suitcase

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Extending the use of Spectroscopy in a Suitcase

• Dr Gan Shermer and Ms Emily MacCready
• Department of Chemistry

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Background

• Part of RSC Chemistry for our Future project
• 4.9 million pilot, funded by HEFCE from
  September 2006 to July 2009
• The project aimed to help ensure that there is a
  sustainable chemical science base within higher
  education which will attract able students from
  all backgrounds and provide chemical science
  courses appropriate for students and employers in
  the 21st Century.

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Background

• SIAS initially in 4 regions
• North East (Durham), East Midlands (Leicester),
  South East (Surrey), London (UCL)
• One of the successful projects from the pilot
  phase now carried forward to National HE STEM  
• 21 million from HEFCE/HEFCW over 3 years
  focusing on
• Demand-raising and Widening Participation
• Higher-level skills employer engagement.     

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Aims of SIAS

• Spectroscopy in a Suitcase aims to provide
  hands-on experiences of spectroscopy for students
  and teachers, and to contextualise the use and
  relevance of spectroscopy in the real world, for
  example in forensics and product quality
  control.
• Evaluation of Spectroscopy in a Suitcase
  Final Report, National Foundation for Educational
  Research, June 2009
• http//www.rsc.org/images/SIASfinalreport_tcm18-1
  59342.pdf

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What is it?

• UV-Vis and FTIR
• Activities delivered in schools by ambassadors
• Loaned to trained teachers

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• Resource pack of example activities
• Spectra-school website
• Modern Instrumental Techniques for Schools DVD

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An example session
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What works well and room for improvement?

• Directly relevant to the curriculum
• Breaks down some of the barriers of engaging with
  outreach (for WP)
• See what scientists do
• Limited range of examples

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Our project

• Develop new resources
• Establish a Teacher Advisory Board
• Train Chemistry ambassadors

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Progress so far

• Contacts with schools used to set up TAB
• Feedback from teachers and students on some
  themes which may appeal
• Recruitment and training of over 20 Chemistry
  ambassadors

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Resources

• Drugs in sport (IR and UV Vis)
• Caffeine determination (UV Vis)
• Reaction monitoring (IR)

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Feedback

• Teachers The level of interest and engagement
  was great to see, especially since it covered
  some of the essential elements of the forthcoming
  January exam!
• Ambassadors The new context was much easier to
  run and the students seemed to think it was more
  interesting

Students It was more interesting because the
theory was put into context
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Future plans

• Trial and evaluation of revised resources
• Trial and evaluation by other institutions using
  SIAS
• Publication of resources
• Dissemination event