A series of laboratory themed simulations developed by Learning Science Ltd. were integrated into a first year laboratory module at the University of Leicester. These simulations allow students to attempt the experiments they will do in the laboratory in a risk-free way that provides the opportunity to make mistakes and learn how to correct them using the immediate feedback generated. High student engagement was observed during our pilot, and student end-of-module comments were very positive for this technological enhancement.

Students were asked to each create an infographic on the basis of one of their host department's research articles as a new exercise within the "science communication" training program of the University of Leicester's undergraduate chemistry degree. The use of local articles helped to connect students to the research of their lecturers, and the assignment helped to contextualize why certain lecturers had been chosen to teach their allocated subjects. Students also agreed that the activity helped them to recognize what research is associated with the traditional inorganic-, organic-, and physicalchemistry lecture themes. There was some benefit to this approach in helping students distill out key information.

Although having shown signs of closing in recent years, the Black attainment gap in UK Higher Education continues to be significant and, as such, has received considerable attention in the literature, media, and government. The reasons behind the attainment gap are complex, requiring further research in the area. On observing a possible trend in Black students’ lower attendance, the following research questions were postulated: Is there any evidence to suggest that Black students are overrepresented among those students who have a low attendance track record? If so, what are the reasons to explain this overrepresentation, and how can this be addressed? Quantitative attendance data analysis suggested that at one department Black students were indeed more likely to disengage from their course than non-Black students. With limited prior studies, particularly within STEM subjects, the exploration of Black students’ experiences in STEM departments at two UK universities of differing student ethnicity demographic, but similar staff ethnicity demographic, is reported herein, using a methodology that has not been used in STEM within higher education to our knowledge. The results reveal that Black students often do not feel represented or welcome at university, frequently turning to their university societies rather than their department/school for support where they feel more able to relate to others of similar ethnicity and discuss their experiences. Furthermore, they may benefit from a greater diversity of teaching and assessment approaches than is currently on offer, moving away from traditional lectures and with a greater emphasis on small group teaching. While some minor differences were observed between the students’ experiences at institutions of differing student ethnicity demographic, the findings show that the lack of representation in the staff body, the use of “traditional” teaching approaches ,and the practice of “spreading” Black (and other minority ethnic) students evenly across small teaching groups are very likely having a detrimental effect, with the knock-on consequences of reduced attendance, course engagement, and attainment.

The use of games in chemistry education is well-established and is known to have numerous benefits to participants. This contribution describes the student-led development of an introductory organic chemistry card game based on the classic party game Go Fish. The game has been designed to help students practice applying the rules of organic nomenclature, to recognize key functional groups, and to familiarize themselves with simple examples of reactivity of molecules containing these functional groups. The game was used as an organic chemistry revision activity at the end of a freshman introductory general chemistry module (that included a significant amount of introductory organic chemistry). Evaluation of the activity shows that students enjoyed playing the game, found it easy to play, and that they found it a useful learning experience.

We report a strategy for modulating the electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) response by integrating a boronic acid to the chemical structure of coreactants. Excellent selectivity for d-glucose was achieved by tuning the linker length of a bis-boronic acid amine coreactant.

Traditionally, there is often a shortfall in the ability of students to draw and visualize molecules in set orientations and assign their stereochemistry. We have created and evaluated a 3D printing workshop activity suitable, but not limited to, small-group undergraduate teaching of stereochemistry. The activity blends question and answer tasks with a complete workflow for students to draw a chiral molecule and prepare it for 3D printing as part of their class time. The majority of students enjoyed the activity and wished to see more 3D printing in their education, with the integration of steps that require students to draw the structures and prepare the printing files being found important and highly beneficial. Comparing data collected before and after the workshop highlights that this activity has led to improvements in student confidences in drawing chiral centers and increases in perceived competences in understanding, representing, and assigning chirality.

For an advanced-level module associated with designing drug syntheses, a set of homework tasks were created to help students prepare for their exam. Students were asked to solve the next case study as homework, effectively writing the next lecture’s notes in advance of the session using requisite knowledge and moderate instructor guidance. Students found these activities effective at preparing them for the exam, increasing their subject knowledge and confidence towards unseen synthesis problems.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Leicester introduced a blended teaching model to continue delivery of their undergraduate Chemistry courses in 2020/21. The transition from in-person to blended provided a good opportunity to investigate student engagement in the blended environment, along with the attitudes of faculty members adapting to this mode of delivery. Data from 94 undergraduate students and 13 staff members was collected using surveys, focus groups, and interviews and analyzed using the community of inquiry framework. Analysis of the collected data found that, while some students felt unable to always engage and focus with the remote material, they were pleased with the University’s response to the pandemic. Staff members commented on the challenges of gauging student engagement and understanding in synchronous contact sessions because students did not make use of cameras or microphones but praised the array of digital tools available that helped to facilitate some degree of student interaction. This study suggests there is scope for continuation and wider implementation of blended learning environments to provide additional contingency for further disruption to on-campus teaching and to provide new teaching opportunities, and it also presents recommendations as to how to reinforce the community of inquiry presences in blended learning.