Teaching and Learning Fellowship Scheme 2005

Eilish McLoughlin

School
Physics

Previous TLF Awards
tlf/2004-2005/prj-0/05
tlf/2002-2003/travel/30
tlf/2002-2003/sml-prj-0/22
tlf/2001-2002/travel/29

Track Record
Since joining the staff of the School of Physical Sciences in 2000, I have taught on fifteen different undergraduate modules, developing and implementing new teaching strategies and methodologies.
As first year laboratory coordinator, I have endeavoured to modernize the methodology and transform the laboratories from a prescriptive to an exploratory learning environment for the 400 first year science and engineering students that attend each week. This transition has incorporated, surveying student’s attitudes and performances, introducing instrumented experiments with data loggers and rewriting all of the first year manuals and developing interactive worksheets to promote active learning and improve conceptual understanding. I have successfully obtained funding under the HEA retention scheme for the past four years for a First Year extended orientation programme that runs over the first six weeks of term. Here first year students are actively encouraged to integrate into their new environment and get the opportunity to meet with each other, students from other years, postgrads and staff in an informal setting. Activities include, guest lectures, information on course structure, careers and research opportunities, external trip, (e.g. W5, Birr Great Telescope), bowling and interclass soccer league. One of the key components of this programme is that I act a first year tutor, carrying out one-one interviews and have constant interaction (~ 8 hours/week) with the students. The results have been stunning with pre-examination retention up to 100% and this programme has been adopted by other schools in DCU and other institutions in Ireland following presentations at the HEA Retention Network Seminar in University of Limerick in 2002 and presentations to IASEL (Irish Association of Science Education Lecturers in Ireland). I am an active member a Peer Assisted Learning network, led by Dr. Michael Parkinson, since I adopted peer tutoring in mathematics with first year physics students four years ago. This methodology has been proved to have positive affects on the quality of student learning for both the tutor and tutee. I have succeeded in the establishment of a peer assisted learning resource room in physics, which fosters peer interaction and promotes student learning. The results of the longitudinal study have been accepted for an oral presentation at the ICPE (International Conference on Physics Education) New Delphi, India, in August 2005.

The first award I received from ODTL was a travel award (tlf/2001-2002/travel/29) to attend the 2002 Conference on Problem-Based Learning (PBL) in Baltimore, USA, which brought together approximately 200 presenters from more than 100 institutions and 20 countries. Since then I have participated in other PBL conferences and workshops and co-supervised a M.Sc. student, along with Dr. Paul van Kampen, for the development of a PBL module in Thermal Physics for first and second year students. This research has been disseminated through conference and workshops and peer reviewed publications, e.g. P. van Kampen et al, American Journal of Physics, 72 (6), June 2004. One important component in this module was the development of material to improve the modelling skills of the students and publications are in preparation. I have ongoing collaborations with Dr. Paul van Kampen, Prof. Martin Henry and others to promote PBL in Physics e.g. LEAP in the UK, DKIT and DIT, and science, e.g. Dr. Odilla Finlayson and Dr. Michael Parkison. I have implemented a problem/project based learning component to the first year physics laboratories. Students work in groups of three to develop and carry out experiments to investigate a posed problem. This has been received by students with great enthusiasm; students identify learning objectives and needs and develop a sense of an ownership with information, which they can communicate to peers.

The integration of technology into education has many forms. I have actively promoted the use and development of Moodle into my own modules and other modules in the school of Physical Sciences, inducting colleagues and students into the capabilities of VLEs. I have secured funding from ODTL (tlf/2002-2003/sml-prj-0/22) along with Dr. Dermot Brabazon in the School of Mechanical Engineering for LabVIEW Training and Implementation into undergraduate courses and postgraduate research across science and engineering. This allowed us to present training courses and disseminate the advantages of using graphical user interfaces (GUIs) in education and to obtain further support from the Training for Trainers' Programme, funded under the National Development Plan in 2003, the Schools of Physics and Mechanical Engineering and Industrial funding from National Instruments (~€50,000) to support further integration of LabView. We are working on the instrumentation of laboratory experiments to provide an attractive and effective learning environment for the student. At present we have one postgraduate student working on this project and we have two presentations and two publications pending for the PTEE (Physics Teaching in Engineering Education), Brno, Czech Republic in June 2005, a further two presentations and publications at EdTech (Annual Irish Educational Technology Users' Conference), IADT, Ireland in May 2005 and are invited speakers at the NI (National Instruments) Annual Conference, August 2005, Austin, USA.

I have also obtaining funding under the Training for Trainers' Programme, funded under the National Development Plan 2004, for a Matlab training course in May 2005. Matlab is a user friendly programming language which lends itself very well to problem solving in theoretical modules and laboratory work. To be most effective it is required that all physics staff become familiar with Matlab so that they can integrate it into their modules and thereby ensure a uniform approach to student instruction. This methodology will build real strengths in terms of student expertise and the cross linkages between different modules will add to student understanding and their ability to problem solve in a wide variety of circumstances.

In September 2004, I was conference secretary for two very successful back-to-back conferences which were held in DCU. The first, a Science and Mathematics Education marked the launch of the centre for the advancement of teaching and learning (CASTeL) in DCU and brought together over 120 of the key thinkers and practitioners in this area to develop outline proposals for bringing the fruits of science education research into effect in our classrooms. The second conference, was a one-day physics teacher’s meeting which brought together over 60 teachers, for a range of activities, to showcase some of the exciting and innovative work at the frontiers of physics that is being carried out in Ireland, provide teachers with examples of simple and inexpensive physics demonstrations and inform teachers of the latest developments and resources available for ICT in physics. This conference was run under the auspices of the National Committee of Teaching Physics (NCTP) of which I am secretary. The NCTP was setup in the 1980s to bring together physics educators of all levels to coordinate and promote physics at all levels.

I am involved in a range of other activities involving physics teaching and learning at all educational levels and have been the first contact to thousands of potential physics students and their teachers through a range of outreach and school liaison activities. I have organized visits to and from schools, careers talks, school, science days, national science week activities, teachers’ summer schools, summer camps for senior and junior students, teachers clubs, co-coordinated transition years student placements, roadshows, demonstration lectures, discovery-based labs and Leaving Certificate curriculum experiments with specialized tutoring. I regularly contribute to DCU Open Days, Higher Options Exhibition, Young Scientist exhibition and other exhibitions. I have been the Chairperson of the Irish Physics Olympiad and leader of the Irish team since 2000, along with Irish Country co-ordinator and Physics Mentor for the European Union Science Olympiad since 2003 and more recently Physics Mentor for the International Junior Science Olympiad. I was treasurer of the Irish Physics on Stage (POS) committee 2003-2005 and Irish representative at POS3, developing exhibits and co-author of a dedicated demonstration resource handbook for teachers. I have recently been elected as the Chairperson of the Science on Stage Committee that will represent Ireland in Cern in November 2005. I am a moderator and promoter of the Rolls Royce Science Teachers Award in Ireland and I was appointed Science leader for DCU in the Discover Science and Engineering National Discover Science Programme for primary pupils and teachers. I am also a member of the Irish Science Centres Awareness Network (ISCAN), which was set up in 1997 to promote co-operation and collaboration between organisations and individuals that share the common aim of fostering the public understanding of science and technology in Ireland. I am an active member of the Institute of Physics in Ireland and I have represented the IOP in promoting physics at many events nationwide. I will travel to the IUPAP (International Conference of Women in Physics) in Rio de Janerio, Brazil in May 2005 as the Irish representative to discuss the importance of attracting girls into physics.

I have successfully obtained funding (~€150,000) to introduce a new pilot Internship Scheme, supported by ICT Ireland and the HEA, which allows students to work two days a week in paid employment in a company, carrying out projects related to your studies, during the final two years of the B.Sc. Applied Physics. This programme is expected to have significant benefits for students: appreciating the relevance of theoretical knowledge, offering extended work experience and improving employment prospects, and substituting the need for casual work.
I am at present supervising a M.Sc. student to develop a physics module for Transition year students, delivered through learning by guided inquiry. This project offers a challenge to the method of transmission of knowledge and directly compares the methodologies employing the mantra “guide on the side” and a class instructed by the “sage on the stage”. This pilot project has demonstrated very positive outcomes and findings were presented at the SPIE Education in Optical Engineering Conference, Dublin in April 2005 and have been accepted for oral presentation at ESERA (European Science Education Research Association) Barcelona, Spain in August 2005.

I have been very involved with the B.Sc. Science Education and in developing the M.Sc. in Science Education, delivering modules and supervising School Based Work Experience. This year I have solely supervised fourteen SE4 electronics and physics education projects, encouraging them to play an active role in developing effective methodologies in physics teaching. Throughout my time in DCU I have always been very interested in teaching and learning and I have been nominated for the Presidents Award for Teaching and Learning in 2004 and 2005.
Summary Future Plans in T&L Experienced instructors recognize that in spite of their best efforts many students emerge from their study of physics with serious gaps in their understanding of important topics. In the last two decades, physicists have begun to approach this problem from a scientific perspective by conducting detailed systematic studies on the learning and teaching of physics. Over the next two years I will continue with my interests in teaching and learning:
- active learning
- project- and problem-based learning
- teaching large classes
- using ICT in teaching and learning
- evaluation and assessment

I have worked with three final year H1.1 students to submit proposals to IRCHSS in January 2005 and IRCSET in April 2005 for postgraduate scholarships in Physics Education. This is a very competitive scheme and we have no guarantees of success. This fellowship will allow me to fund to a final year H1.1 student in Applied Physics to carry out a M.Sc. project to develop, implement and assess the impact of a PBL physics laboratory module that is based on real-life engineering problems. Problem Based Learning (PBL) is an educational paradigm that can be defined as "… a pedagogical strategy for posing significant, contextualized, real world situations, and providing resources, guidance, and instruction to learners as they develop content knowledge and problem solving skills". By using the PBL approach, students not only gain understanding of the subject being taught; they also learn how to learn in an entirely new way and become motivated self-directed learners. Although they will only be taking one PBL module, the change in the student’s learning style as a result of this methodology has been shown to have long term benefits; it is usual for their results to improve across the board and not only in the module in question. Not only this, but their problem solving, communication and presentation skills, as well as their ability to work as part of a team will be nurtured and developed through PBL. As these qualities are becoming increasingly important in the world of work, potential employers will see graduates who have learnt through PBL as well rounded and highly employable. In general, there is little published evidence of PBL implemented in a practical physics laboratory. As I will be working with a large engineering cohort, I will be able to assess in detail the advantages of using PBL as a teaching method in the physics laboratory as opposed to in lectures. The students will work on these projects in groups of four to six, guided by tutors who facilitate the learning process by asking questions and monitoring the problem-solving process. One third of the first year engineering population (usually >100) will act as a control group, and will complete the traditional experiments rather than the PBL laboratory module. I will assess the progress and success of the model by surveying, and holding focus groups with, the students and tutors, and by comparing the two groups’ work and performance.

This project will be complemented by a recently shared ODTL award (tlf/2004-2005/prj-0/05) for the Development of a flexible learning strategy using problem-based learning along with my colleagues Dr. Michael Parkinson and Dr. Odilla Finlayson. This project will use cross-faculty coordinated development of problem based learning (PBL) in modules in physics/engineering, biology and chemistry to develop a range of generic materials and resources for supporting the development, dissemination and evaluation of PBL, and will integrate the expertise and experience within the Faculty of Science and Health in PBL and student facilitation of learning. Anticipated outcomes are: development of an integrated team in the Faculty of Science with representation from the Schools of Physics, Chemistry and Biotechnology which can act as a support group for development of PBL; a generic learning manual on how to implement PBL in a module; a generic training course in facilitation of PBL; a centralised Faculty facility for evaluation of quality of learning; conversion of one module to PBL in each of the three participating schools.

I will also continue to investigate the concept of using interactive virtual instruments and the development of these through Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) and Data Acquisition systems (DAQs) to stimulate the students in a new visual and interactive way that normal laboratory methods simply cannot. However, in order to design effective software to teach through CBL there is a need to ascertain what factors contribute to its effectiveness on students’ understanding, interest levels and memory retention. Effective computer aided instruction tools depend upon a fundamental understanding of the learning process and the ways in which current technology can uphold them. LabView has the capability of performing experiments remotely or creating a virtual experimental environment, which allows for the development of e-learning and enabling technology, of distance education and the challenge of lifelong learning. When this system is employed in conjunction with Problem Based Learning (PBL) methods the benefits that may be achieved are only starting to be realised. I aim to research this technology to allow for broader access to education, in particular through the means of internet based distance learning tools which addresses one of the aims DCU Strategic plan in Education and learning.

Other projects that I am currently pursuing include:
• An EU Comenius Project with partners in DIT, Edgehill in the UK and Sofia in Bulgaria, for the integration of effective simulations in science teaching.
• A pilot project with Qwizdom Personal Response System (PRS), which are keypads that transmit student responses to a receiver connected to the computer in the classroom. This allows the instructor to ask a variety of different question types, record and graphically-display the students’ responses in real time, which can then serve as the basis for further discussion of the topic. This technology has the capability to involve every student by posing objective and subjective questions, receive instant feedback during the learning process, and motivate all the class and track performances over time. These are especially effective in large lecture halls and can be incorporated with Powerpoint and Moodle.

Over the coming years I will continue to develop teaching strategies for modules in DCU. As in the past I will present this work to others within DCU and to the wider academic community. In order to provide as wide an impact as possible, I will organise hands on seminars across as many disciplines as possible, and also deliver presentations on experience gained. I will continue to disseminate results at national and international conferences and publish in peer reviewed journals, and build on our growing reputation to establish DCU and CASTeL as a centre for excellence in science education and research.
Referree #1
Dr. John Costello
Referree #1 position
Head of School
Referee #1 affliation
School of Physical Sciences
Referee #1 email
john.costello@dcu.ie
Referee #1 letter
It gives me great pleasure to support Dr. Eilish McLoughlin's application for an ODTL Fellowship. Since joining the staff more than four years ago, Eilish has developed into a key member of staff, leading many T&L activities from physics promotion and student recruitment to learning innovations and the adoption of best practice in laboratory and classroom teaching. The breadth of her activities and their very positive impact on the student learning experience are simply impossible to encapsulate in a short endorsement. Suffice to say that her name is now considered synonymous with the development, management and integration of e.g. Physics Olympiad, data logging for Year 1 laboratories, peer tutoring, physics year long orientation programme and much, much more. She plays leading roles in all such activities, e.g., chair and leader of the Irish Physics Olympiad team, Irish coordinator/physics mentor for the EU Science Olympiad (EUSO) and Int’l Junior Science Olympiad, Treasurer Physics on Stage, organiser of an international conference (SMEC) attracting many high level speakers including Leon Lederman NL, organiser of the ‘Frontiers’ physics teaching conference, and the list just goes on and on. Her energy, enthusiasm and sheer ability to deliver consistent success in all aspects of teaching and learning innovations never ceases to amaze her colleagues.

Covering the gamut of the public understanding of science, the promotion of physics to school children, the training of professional educators, the development and integration of learning technologies into physics laboratories, publication in physics/education literature, promoting best practice in pastoral care, teaching and learning within the school and developing physics education research, Eilish is a most valued member of staff and important ambassador for the School, Faculty and University. Eilish is clearly an excellent candidate for this Fellowship. I strongly endorse this application and urge the review panel to make the award to her.

Referee #2 name
Dr. Dermot Brabazon
Referee #2 position
Lecturer
Referee #2 affiliation
School of Mechanical Engineering
Referee #2 email
dermot.brabazon@dcu.ie
Referee #2 letter
I am writing to support Eilish McLoughlin application for the Teaching and Learning fellowship Award. I believe she deserves this award due to her continuous enthusiasm and advancement of the quality of the teaching at DCU. This relates to her activities over the last few years and over the last year in particular. During this period Eilish published four international conference papers on Computer Based Learning (CBL), developed and published on Problem Based Learning (PBL), commenced co-supervision of postgraduate research into the effectiveness of CBL, and continued her energetically engaging teaching to a wide audience of Physics, Chemical Science, Sports Science and Health, and Engineering students.

The DCU strategy document places an importance on the development of technology to support student learning, both as a way of enhancing learning for our current students, and of increasing our potential for distance education and life long learning. To this end, Eilish has actively engaged in the introduction and integration of instrumented laboratory experiments across the faculties of engineering and science. This CBL work enables the integrated learning of theory and practical visualisation of basic scientific concepts that are fundamental to technologies.

As co-supervisor with Eilish on research into the effectiveness of CBL, I can testify as to her genuine interest in developing these technologies to enhance learning. It has been suggested that CBL makes subject content easier to implement, visualise, and investigate making it exciting and attractive to young people. Nowadays, students entering at first year level are computer literate and are comfortable interacting with a computer interface as an aid to the learning process. This can be seen quantitatively in the results generated to date and allows for further directed improvements in Teaching methodology. Eilish’s input into these methodologies can be seen from the independent reviewing of her national and international / journal and conference papers which are testimony to the quality of her research in the area of Teaching and Learning.

Eilish is also keen to develop this technology to allow for broader access to education, in particular through the means of internet based distance learning tools. In addition to the numerous degree modules that Eilish has helped to deliver, she has also developed modules for external DCU teaching activities.

Eilish has successfully obtained support for her Teaching and Learning work from several sources:
• ODTL "LabVIEW Training and Implementation into undergrad courses and postgraduate research across Science and Engineering." (Ref: tlf/2002-2003/sml-prj-0/22).
• Training for Trainers' Programme, funded under the National Development Plan in 2003.
• Industrial funding from National Instruments to support further integration of LabView.
• Schools of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and Physical Sciences.
• Internship programme, ICT Ireland and HEA – to aid better linkage of theoretical and practical learning methodologies.

I have personally worked with Eilish on some of the numerous workshops that she has delivered to promote and integrate new methodologies among staff and postgraduate students across the University. On the basis of the above and seeing her work interest, enthusiasm, hard work, innovation and success first hand I have no hesitation in supporting her for the Teaching and Learning Fellowship award.