Physical Chemistry

Pollutant, Detection and Remediation

Workshop 1: Module Induction

More detailed notes on preparing a PowerPoint Presentation are given in the appendix to the student guide but it may be useful to go through this to highlight the most important points.1Module OverviewThis slide can be used to provide an overview of the module content. 2Learning OutcomesUse a provided literature reference to write laboratory proceduresPrepare a short chemical risk assessment for experimental workPlan time in the laboratory effectivelyKeep an accurate and current record of experimental details and data in a laboratory notebook.Draw conclusions from experimental dataUse chemical databases to find relevant informationProduce a professional report that is supported by the relevant experimental data and a laboratory notebook.Prepare an oral presentation on the findings from the studyPrepare a short individual reflective statement on your experiences

On completion of the resource students should be able to do the items listed within the context provided.

3Transferable Skills DevelopedTeam work:work in groups to complete the tasksOrganisation and planning:preparing procedures and planning effective use of time in the laboratory. Communication skills:oral presentation and report writing.Drawing conclusions and recommendations:justifying decisions, assumptions and conclusions with reference to results from other groups and supporting literature.Numeracy:analysis of data obtained from experimental results.Professional role & responsibilities:adopting role of a professional chemist to consider the environmental impact and costing of the processesProblem solving:addressing the brief in the scenario presented.Information technology skills:use a wiki to collaborate and develop their ability to use word-processing, spreadsheet, presentation, chemical drawing and library database software.This slide can be covered in as much or little detail as you wish. Students may be directed to the guide for more detail. Tools to help youYou have or will be provided with a Student Guide for this project in which you will find:

An overview of each session and a list of tasks to be completed during and after it.

Appendices containing guidelines for various aspects of the work involved.

Details about how the project will be assessed.

Your first task is to read the guide carefully.

Assessment of ModuleActivity% mark allocationParticipation in lab and workshop sessions and contribution to group wikiIndividual15Lab notebookIndividual25Reflective pieceIndividual10Final report and group wikiGroup30PresentationGroup20Highlight assignment of marks to students.6Introduction to ProjectDevelopment of remediation strategies for a polluted water pondBased on real media reportsYou act as scientific consultants reporting to local County Scientific Officer. Brief is outlined in a letter from the council. You are required to: validate a method for quantifying the amount of malachite green in a sample develop methods for removal of malachite green from water To do this, you need to devise and run several laboratory experiments, including: Absorption spectroscopy to quantify the amount of malachite green present in the sample.Development and trialling of adsorption experiments for removal of malachite green from water.Development and trialling of photocatalytic degradation of malachite green. Work should be logged in a laboratory notebook.A report will be compiled on an on-going basis on a group wiki.A final presentation will cover the experiments you conducted and your recommendations to the County Scientific Officer.Briefing Letter

Direct students to the letter in their guide. 8Tools to help you: Using a wikiEach group will have their own wiki to allow effective collaboration. Guidelines on how to use a wiki are provided in the appendix of your guide and should be consulted. You will add information to the wiki and your group will need to meet face to face between workshops.At the end of the module, you will have the option to present your final team report directly from your wiki as an alternative to do PowerPoint presentation.Your tutor must have your email address by the end of Workshop 1 to allow you to start using it.

Introductory text from tutorPages created using project headingsLog of recent activity used to monitor student contributionsCreate new pages and upload files

Pages can be edited and linked to other pages throughout the wiki.Use this space to explain to group members reasoning for changes madeUsing Your WikiReminder:

Create pages in your wiki corresponding with the sections listed in the appendix to your guide. You will add information to the wiki during and after each workshop as you complete tasks.At the end of the module you may use your wiki as your final presentation.The wiki enables your tutor to track your progress and give you regular feedback .The wiki keeps a record of individual contributions to the group project. Remind the students to refer to the relevant section of the student guide for a list of tasks associated with the workshop.Tools to help you: Information Retrieval And Library ResourcesWeb:Journal subscriptionsGoogle searchesLibrary:Text booksJournals

Impact of choice of keywordsImportant to be critical of information sourceStudents are being provided with suggested references in the handbook, but they may need to do further research or simply need help finding the papers. This slide should be altered to cover resources available within your institution. Depending on the level of experience of the group it may be useful to include screen shots of recommended search engines. Students should be advised on the importance of choosing the correct search terms and possibility of narrowing results by including more carefully chosen words. They should also be reminded to minimise the use of websites as references and to be careful what sources of information they trust.13Tools to help you: Oral PresentationsWhen preparing a presentation content should:Suit your audience (for this presentation, the audience will be peers and academic staff)Be informative and interesting and a suitable length

In all cases, the presentation should be made as simple and visually engaging as possible.

Keep slides simple - too much text turns your audience offA picture speaks a thousand wordsUse simple colours, large font where possibleDont (over) animateCheck that the slide can be read in the environment where you are going to speak

Credit the source that a diagram or image comes from and include references at the end.Face your audience and try not to read from cards

GuidelinesStructure of PresentationBeginning - introduce topic generally, remember your audienceCore - longest section containing key findingsEnd - briefly summarise results, emphasising main point and reflecting on theme

Tell the audience what you're going to say, say it; then tell them what you've said. Dale Carnegie (1888-1955) American writer. Plagiarism Plagiarism is not acknowledging the work of others. Important things to remember:Make sure to acknowledge any information that you obtain by including a reference. Do not reproduce information word for word from a reference.Failure to meet these requirements means you have plagiarised work and marks will be deducted. References should be formatted according guidelines provided.

Useful reference: Chapter 10 in Study and Communication Skills for the Chemical Sciences; Overton, T., Johnson, S., Scott, J.; Oxford University Press (2011)Plagiarism is not acknowledging the work of others. Therefore, all work which is not of your own creation must be accompanied by a reference which gives a detailed description of the item from which you have obtained information (e.g. article, website, book).Important things to remember:Make sure that you acknowledge any information that you obtain from a particular source by including a reference. You should not reproduce information word for word from a reference even when you have acknowledged the source. The only exception is for a direct quotation; however these should be used sparingly. You are expected to communicate the information in your own words. Failure to meet these requirements means you have plagiarised work. This is the same as stealing someone elses work. If you are found to have plagiarised material, marks will be deducted. References should be formatted according to the Royal Society of Chemistry Publishing author guidelines format. (See page eleven of the document at this link: http://tinyurl.com/nanochem40) Useful resources:Study and Communication Skills for the Chemical Sciences, Tina Overton, Stuart Johnson, and Jon Scott, Oxford University Press, 2011 (Chapter 10)

17Getting Started in Your GroupKeep an open mind and be prepared to listen.Avoid being dismissive or judgementalBe aware of your body language avoid being negative

Getting Started in Your GroupGet to know each otherEstablish ground rulesBrainstormAgree tasksPlan your timelineKeep goingThe final product

Useful reference: Chapter 3 in Study and Communication Skills for the Chemical Sciences; Overton, T., Johnson, S., Scott, J.; Oxford University Press (2011)Get to know each other: Even if you know everybody in the group they may not all know each other, so take time in your first meeting to get to know everybody and what they are studying.Establish ground rules: Figure out if you need a group leader, should records of meetings be kept, would formal agendas help for smooth running of meetings, how much time should each member be sending on the project, what action should be taken if a member isnt making a fair contribution.Brainstorm: Go through project brief, identify tasks and discuss peoples alternative approachesAgree tasks: Once an approach has been agreed, identify and assign tasks to be completed before next workshop/lab.Plan your timeline: The handbook gives you a clear milestones which must be met each week. It may be useful to assign dates to these milestones and agree any timelines needed for individual contributions to ensure successful completion of shared tasks.Keep going: Ensure that you maintain momentum and enthusiasm throughout the task by having regular group meetings, keeping a check on progress and making sure nobody falls behind.The final product: The quality of the end result depends on how well you have worked throughout the project so do your best to stick with timelines and complete all tasks assigned to the best of your ability.

If you need further information on working in groups, please refer to Chapter 3 of Study and Communication Skills for the Chemical Sciences; Overton, T., Johnson, S., Scott, J.; Oxford University Press (2011)

19Preparing Laboratory ProceduresGive the title and source of the experimental procedure.Include information on the reagents to be used (amount, concentration, equivalents, density and quality or purity). List the apparatus needed and any instruments to be used.Write procedure to be followed in the present tense.Structure the procedure so that it is clear and easy to follow.Include details of any analysis to be performed at the end of the procedure.You must also consider the equipment and glassware available in your laboratory so that the procedure can be completed.

Further guidance in appendix to student guide.20Keeping a Laboratory NotebookThe notebook should have an overall organised structure.Should be clear and legible so somebody else can repeat your work.The pages should be numbered. You should write in permanent ink (never pencil), and date each page. Write on both left and right pages, with a clear consistent formatting throughout the book. Do not remove pages from the notebook and do not use correcting fluid. If you make a mistake, draw a thin line through the work. Keep your lab book with you as you go around the lab to record observations and measurements.Further guidance in appendix to student guide.21Tasks to Complete Before Session 2 TaskIndividual/ GroupRead the guidelines for How to use a Wiki in the Appendix and post a piece of information and a comment to the sample Wiki.IndividualRead the guidelines for Preparing a Laboratory Procedure and Preparing Chemical Safety Data and Writing up your laboratory notebook in the Appendix 2, 3 & 4. IndividualPrepare a laboratory procedure for week 2 Lab session, using the reading material belowGroup