UK Centre for Materials Education
Working with you to enhance the student experience
Working with you to enhance the student experience
This project aimed to review existing laboratory practice at the Department of materials at Loughborough University in order to make it more up-to-date and relevant for Materials and Engineering students. This was part of a wider departmental overhaul of modules and course design in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of teaching. Modules were reorganised to avoid duplication, core modules were emphasised, and all labs were placed under a single heading ‘Experimentation’.
This project aimed at a complete overhaul of lab procedures, based on the initial review of existing lab handouts and assessment sheets. With the help of research assistants identified from amongst UG students, soft copies of lab sheets were created; it was ensured that SENDA regulations were met; and Computer Aided Assessment (CAA) tests were introduced in the module for Mechanical Engineering. These CAA tests were used as a mode of assessment after lab sessions, and for writing up lab reports. A safety test was also introduced as part of the CAA test for 1st and 2nd year undergraduates, which is now being rolled out to MSc courses as part of essential lab preparation.
