Educational Research

We are committed to contributing to and supporting scientific educational research

We are actively involved in the analysis and research of digital learning in scientific education, and are dedicated to supporting our partners, helping them publish research, demonstrate their expertise and advance their careers.

We can offer:

  • Help identifying opportunities for group research and collaboration
  • Guidance in obtaining ethical approval from your institution
  • Support with data collection and analysis
  • Funding for educational research projects (for Digital Champions)
Two scientists in the lab, looking at a clipboard.

Featured Article

LabSims
Smart Worksheets

Smart Worksheets and Their Positive Impact on a Second-Year Chemical Kinetics Course

Published in:
Journal of Chemical Education, Vol 101, Issue 4, 2024
Authors:
Shallcross, D. et al.
Cohort & Subject:
Year 2, Chemistry

A series of Smart Worksheets were introduced to a second year chemical kinetics course at the University of Bristol. These supported students in workshop preparation while allowing staff to tailor these sessions based on areas of strength and misunderstanding revealed by the Smart Worksheets. Students responded very positively to the Smart Worksheets, and their introduction resulted in higher-order thinking within the workshops and a significant increase in subsequent examination performance on kinetics questions

Dedicated educational research experts to help you get your projects off the ground

Dudley Shallcross

Prof. Dudley Shallcross

School of Chemistry, University of Bristol.

Dudley is a UK National Teaching Fellow and has won several science education awards, most recently the Nyholm Prize from the Royal Society of Chemistry and the George C. Pimentel Award from the American Chemical Society.

Through the Bristol ChemLabS Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, over the last 17 years Dudley has pioneered the use of virtual learning environments in support of practical and mathematical skills in chemistry. Through study of Smart Worksheet data, he has uncovered evidence of development of higher order thinking skills. In an iterative process, he has been able to refine courses, even during the pandemic, to identify and remove misconceptions, and support students to build conceptual models that facilitate such higher order thinking. He is keen to collaborate with academic colleagues across the world to enhance the online student learning experience and enhance the huge potential for student cognition in the physical and natural sciences.

Emily Coyte

Emily Coyte, FHEA MSc

Pedagogy and Insights Lead

Emily has over a decade of experience with science education and learning technology. She gained a Distinction in MSc Educational Research at the University of Bristol, in which her dissertation was a mixed-methods study into staff perceptions of bioscience teaching labs. This work has since been adapted and published in FEBS Open Bio scientific journal. She is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), gained in a previous role while working in an undergraduate biochemistry teaching lab.

As Pedagogy and Insights Lead, Emily seeks to understand and share the impact LearnSci resources are having on students and staff around the world. She is able to offer support with planning research studies involving LearnSci resources, designing and analysing student feedback surveys or focus groups, or would like to informally discuss ideas and possibilities,

Published Research

Explore the latest peer-reviewed research on teaching and learning using LearnSci products.


LabSims
Smart Worksheets

Paired Online Laboratory Assessments: Formative Engagement and Summative Attainment

Published in:
Journal of Chemical Education, Vol 101, Issue 8, 2024
Authors:
Coyte, E & Lowry, R.
Cohort & Subject:
Foundation Year, Chemistry

This report describes the innovative use of formative–summative paired laboratory assessments in chemistry and demonstrates an association between student engagement with formative online assessments and summative attainment.  For both gravimetric analysis and titration pairs, students who engaged with the formative assessment scored significantly higher in the corresponding summative assessment. Additionally, students who engaged with both formative assessments scored significantly higher in mid-module and end-of-module tests than students who did not.

Read the publication
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LabSims
Smart Worksheets

Smart Worksheets and Their Positive Impact on a Second-Year Chemical Kinetics Course

Published in:
Journal of Chemical Education, Vol 101, Issue 4, 2024
Authors:
Shallcross, D. et al.
Cohort & Subject:
Year 2, Chemistry

A series of Smart Worksheets were introduced to a second year chemical kinetics course at the University of Bristol. These supported students in workshop preparation while allowing staff to tailor these sessions based on areas of strength and misunderstanding revealed by the Smart Worksheets. Students responded very positively to the Smart Worksheets, and their introduction resulted in higher-order thinking within the workshops and a significant increase in subsequent examination performance on kinetics questions

Read the publication
launch
LabSims
Smart Worksheets

Case study: Co-creating a flipped feed-in approach to a virtual biochemistry lab assessment: increasing student achievement and engagement in a large, diverse cohort.

Published in:
Essays in Biochemistry (2022)
Authors:
Cassambai, S., et al (2022)
Cohort & Subject:
Year 1, Biochemistry

This case study describes an innovative and successful rework of a biochemistry lab assessment process at De Montfort University for a large, diverse student cohort. The new format had inclusivity, authenticity and student co-creation in mind throughout, and used various forms of dialogic and peer feedback in a flipped classroom. LearnSci LabSims were a key part of this approach, helping students learn and develop relevant scientific skills at their own pace ahead of formative and summative case study work.

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LabSims
Smart Worksheets

Prelaboratory Technique-Based Simulations: Exploring Student Perceptions of Their Impact on In-Class Ability, Preparedness, and Emotional State

Published in:
Journal of Chemical Education, Vol 99, Issue 3, 2022.
Authors:
George-Williams, Blackburn, Wilkinson & Williams, D.
Cohort & Subject:
Year 1, Chemistry

This collaboration between educators at the Universities of Sydney and Leicester asked a large Year 1 chemistry cohort whether and how students believed LearnSci LabSims impacted their laboratory experience. Through both quantitative (N=419) and free-text (N=373) survey responses, a firm majority of students expressed positive impacts which included motivation from feedback and help visualising the techniques and easing them into the lab.

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LabSims
Smart Worksheets

Using an Inclusive Curriculum Framework to Address an Awarding Gap in a First-Year Chemistry Module

Published in:
Journal of Chemical Education, Vol 99, Issue 1, 2022.
Authors:
Williams, N
Cohort & Subject:
Year 1, Chemistry

Neil Williams from Kingston University introduced LabSims and Smart Worksheets as a way of closing the BAME attainment gap his chemistry module was experiencing, by providing more opportunities to develop skills and confidence in students who had little previous lab experience before university.

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LabSims
Smart Worksheets

Unique Data Sets and Bespoke Laboratory Videos: Teaching and Assessing of Experimental Methods and Data Analysis in a Pandemic

Published in:
Journal of Chemical Education, Vol 98, Issue 12, 2021.
Authors:
Harmer, N., & Hill, A.
Cohort & Subject:
Year 2, Biochemistry

Nicholas Harmer and Alison Hill from the University of Exeter successfully used LearnSci resources as part of a drive to effectively teach and assess practical bioscience amidst COVID-19 lockdowns. The laboratory simulations (LabSims) helped consolidate theoretical and practical concepts, and were well-received by students. Smart Worksheet tasks which were originally created to address poor performance in a challenging part of a biochemistry course were shown to effectively support students when using historical datasets for those unable to attend lab sessions.

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LabSims
Smart Worksheets

Innovations in Pharmacy Education during the Pandemic: Using Learning Science to support laboratory-based practical skills

Published in:
South African Pharmaceutical Journal, Vol 88, No 4, 2021.
Authors:
McCartney, J. et al.
Cohort & Subject:
Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Pharmacy

J. McCartney and colleagues from the University of the Western Cape report on the benefits of rolling out LabSims and Smart Worksheets on their pharmacy students. They observed higher levels of student comfort in using the scientific equipment, allowing them to focus on the underlying scientific concepts rather than basic kit function when precious lab time was available to them.

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LabSims
Smart Worksheets

Preparing Students for Practical Sessions Using Laboratory Simulation Software

Published in:
Journal of Chemical Education, Vol 96, Issue 1, 2019.
Authors:
Blackburn, R., Villa-Marcos, B., & Williams, D.
Cohort & Subject:
Year 1, Chemistry

Richard Blackburn and colleagues from the University of Leicester integrated LabSims into a first year chemistry module to help students practice experiments, make mistakes and receive feedback before their lab sessions. Students were highly engaged with the simulations and provided very positive end-of-module feedback. They were also noticeably more confident, and achieved higher marks compared to a previous cohort.

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If you would like more information on how LearnSci can support your research projects in science education, get in touch.

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