This is a set of resources which are available for students studying organic chemistry, particularly at AS and A Level in the UK. You will complete a problem set at the appropriate level, and will then mark your own work with reference to 'Talking Mark Schemes', videos produced by expert who talks through the answers to the questions. During the research project which created these resources, we found that >85% of students stated that completing the self-assessment process was beneficial to their understanding of organic reaction mechanisms. Click on the link to the briefing video in the window to the left to get full information on this activity. These activities are based on teaching innovations we have developed for use with Chemistry students here at the University of Southampton, and we would welcome your feedback if you find them useful.

This is a set of resources aimed at promoting the development of the skills required to successfully identify and generate organic mechanisms in order to demonstrate a good understanding of the underlying chemical principles. Students complete a task independently, and then mark their own work as they watch talking mark scheme videos where an expert explains how to get to the correct answers. Our research has shown that engagement with these resources is perceived to be highly beneficial by students, and leads to an increase in their confidence to tackle mechanistic problems. If you are a non-UK (or non-A-level) teacher, the terms AS and A2 may be meaningless to you, but the resources should still be useful for anyone studying organic reaction mechanisms. The worksheets are available in Word format, and you should feel free to edit these to meet the needs of your students and the course you are teaching. You can download the files individually by selecting them on the left and clicking download. Please watch the short briefing video on You Tube and read the teachers' notes carefully. Contact me on d.read@soton.ac.uk if you have and questions or comments. Additionally, I would like to thank Henry Pearson for suggesting the format of the alternative self-assessment proformas which you may choose to use with your students.

Abstract submission form. More information available on conference website.

ITEM DESCRIPTION After producing reviews of A-level Chemistry content in 2007 and 2010, we have updated the document to reflect the changes which have been introduced for first teaching in September 2015. We will be working with our network of teachers locally to monitor the impacts of the changes on teaching and the student experience with a view to releasing an updated version in the summer of 2017. This will aim to provide insights for university staff regarding the experiences of incoming students who will have been in the first cohort to have studied the new specifications. We are grateful to the Royal Society of Chemistry for support for the final stages of compiling this report. If you spot any errors or omissions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Please read the guidance document first for details on how to interact with the online resources.

The script used in the 2015 January Twilight sessions for chemistry.

The full script and worksheet for the 6th form outreach event where the practical extraction of trimyristin is undertaken.The PDF also contains a detailed NMR spectrum

Presentation

This is the final report outlining the findings of our evaluation of a Widening Participation initiative involving young members of the Somali community in Brent, London.

Investigating the use of Virtual Learning Environments by teachers in schools and colleges

This is a video resource to support the teaching of catalysis at A-level. It features explanations of the underlying theory, coupled with an outline of cutting research in this area of Chemistry at the University of Southampton, which relates to the A-level topic. The video files are in the .zip folder, and instructions for how to access them can be found in the attached document. You will also find a Word document called 'Skeleton notes', which is designed to be printed out by students and completed as they watch the video. We will be seeking feedback from students who use the resource, to find out their views about its effectiveness in educational terms. If you have any comments, or if you spot any errors, please contact Dr David Read (d.read@soton.ac.uk).

A video markscheme was created using a combination of Camtasia screen capture (on a Tablet PC) and 'live action' video taken with a camcorder. The resulting video supported students in the self-assessment of an organic chemistry exercise which had been set over the Easter vacation break. Feedback was collected from the students after the exercise and was overwhelmingly positive. The video won the 2010 award for 'Most Effective Use of Video in an Educational Context' from the Assocation for Learning Technology. DOWNLOAD THE ZIP FOLDER AND EXTRACT THE FILES TO ACCESS THEM.

This document is a review of the content of the A-level Chemistry specifications from the main UK exam boards (Scottish highers not included - sorry!). These A-level specifications commenced teaching in September 2008. Students entering university in 2010 will have studied the new A-levels, and this document is intended to help academics to identify what students will have covered. The document also contains a summary of discussions which took place between teachers and academics at our annual Post-16 teachers' day in June 2010 regarding the nature of the 2010 intake and their capabilities in chemistry. Please inform us of any errors or typos that you spot and we'll update the document. LAST UPDATE at 13:15 on Aug 27th 2010.

These documents show the outcomes of surveys conducted by David Read in the School of Chemistry to find out about our students' expectations and perceptions of feedback, with a view to enhancing our provision and ensuring that student learning is maximised.

Questions used to revise A-level periodicity

Quiz on A-level chemistry used during induction

A lecture on Acids and Bases incorporating zapper questions

Questions regarding experiences asked of students during Induction

A few survey questions asked during Week 8 (Semester 1) 2007/08

Powerpoint quiz for use with zappers on Shapes of Molecules (A-level revision).