Digital badges are emerging as an approach to offer microaccreditation for student achievements obtained in ongoing course work. They act to offer a formal recognition and framework for multiple small components which together make a significant contribution to student learning. Badges are promoted as a way of highlighting these particular components. The process of awarding a badge relies on evidence, typically in digital form, such as video. In this article, we report on the implementation of digital badges in high school chemistry for the teaching and accrediting of achievement in laboratory skills. Pupils watched videos prior to the classroom to assist them in preparation for a demonstration activity. In the classroom, students demonstrated the laboratory technique to a peer while the peer videoed the demonstration on a mobile phone. This video was then used to review the demonstration by both peers and teacher, and once the technique was considered satisfactorily demonstrated, a badge was awarded. As well as development of laboratory technique, the badging process facilitated the formal incorporation of oracy into the classroom. Demonstration required narration, and review required discussion between peers as well as discussions arising out of the demonstration with the teachers. We report here how the activities were organized, along with perceptions from students and teachers regarding the value of this approach in the classroom.

The present paper reports upon the design and implementation of a novel practical work pedagogy that is shown to increase students’ retention of practical procedures. The chemistry exams, for 15 to 16-year olds in England, will be assessed entirely through terminal examination questions from 2018. Longer term retention of learning is critical if these students are to minimise any discrepancy in attainment that may arise from following curricula with a coursework component. The novel design, underpinned by Cognitive Load Theory and Social Constructivism, involves pre-laboratory preparation and employs oracy to promote thinking during practical work. Three equivalent chemistry groups within the same school undertook neutralisation and crystallisation practical tasks and their practical work exam question attainment data is analysed. The novel pedagogy is trialled as a neutralisation task with one group and affective outcomes are determined through Likert scale activity feedback questionnaire. Attainment data shows a statistically significant higher mark in practical exam question attainment for the intervention compared to the control group when tested ten weeks after the teaching episode.

This work applies a cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) framework to understand how the outcome of a high school laboratory task may be positively influenced without making changes to the...

This case study demonstrates teaching and learning activities in the school laboratory and employs talk moves for the direct assessment of practical task effectiveness. By adopting a sociocultural linguistic approach...