Creating an Immersive Learning Experience for Teaching ICP-MS

The aim of this work was to develop a range of learning resources and experiences that students could engage with to varying degrees in order to create their own learning journey. This approach was used for a second year analytical science module included in chemistry, forensic, pharmaceutical and biochemistry degree pathways. The work presented here focuses on material developed for teaching ICP-MS.
In addition to the traditional lectures and class tutorials, we have augmented the learning experience by introducing active learning approaches into the classroom and by providing a range of online teaching resources. Screencasts were used to provide students with an introduction to the topic before lectures and to aid revision afterwards. Electronic voting pads were used to assess learning during lectures, to increase active learning and to provide instant feedback to students on their understanding of material presented. Online tutorials were used to complement in-class tutorials, drawing on the concept of assessment for learning. The online tutorials were designed to provide instant marks, feedback and model answers to students. They could also be undertaken over and over again, but with new questions presented each time. Badges were also awarded to students based on performance in the online tutorials, in order to introduce gamification of learning and its associated benefits. Further teaching and learning resources developed include Wikis (used to provide interactive e-notes), directed reading, learning objectives and case studies. Here we present an overall picture of how these resources and approaches come together to create an immersive learning experience.