Year
2016
Institution
University of Liverpool
The Central Teaching laboratory (CTL) is the UK's first shared teaching laboratory for physical, environmental and archaeological sciences and is internationally acknowledged for innovation in undergraduate science education. Key to its success is the recognition that successful teaching and operations in a shared facility requires multi-disciplinary academic support.
The CTL academic team comprises Lis Rushworth, a geologist with scholarship interests in internationalisation and interdisciplinary team work, Helen Vaughan, a physicist with scholarship interests in embedding employability skills through in-curriculum and co-curricular learning experience and Cate Cropper, a chemist who specialises in digital laboratories and engaging parents and children in STEM. Together they have developed and embedded the collaborative Educational Broker Model at Faculty level. As educational brokers they work with academic and technical staff in discipline specific departments to develop and support teaching and learning in CTL.
Impact of work
Their work impacts departments across the university, supporting new pedagogies in large group teaching, improved delivery of employability skills and the introduction of cross disciplinary modules and multi-disciplinary dissertation projects. Students have the opportunity to work with peers from other disciplines allowing them to develop the necessary skills to find meaningful employment in the modern STEM world.
"Collaboration is a unique selling point for the university, particularly since scientists often mix within industry."
The team's work has also impacted the Liverpool community where the Education Broker Model has encouraged the development of exciting outreach opportunities targeted at all sectors of the community.
"The Outreach module definitely helped my future career prospects. I went into primary teaching, completing a Schools Direct postgraduate programme and will be starting my first year as a primary school teacher in September." (Geology student).
Plans for the future
Many national and international higher education institutes have visited CTL. However, the focus of their visits is often the unique scenario presented by having a multi-million pound laboratory facility. The team plans to disseminate the importance of the educational broker model to the success of shared teaching laboratories and how they support efficient and sustainable pedagogic developments and opportunities for enhancement of employability skills for students, regardless of disciplines and laboratory space.
The CTL academic team comprises Lis Rushworth, a geologist with scholarship interests in internationalisation and interdisciplinary team work, Helen Vaughan, a physicist with scholarship interests in embedding employability skills through in-curriculum and co-curricular learning experience and Cate Cropper, a chemist who specialises in digital laboratories and engaging parents and children in STEM. Together they have developed and embedded the collaborative Educational Broker Model at Faculty level. As educational brokers they work with academic and technical staff in discipline specific departments to develop and support teaching and learning in CTL.
Impact of work
Their work impacts departments across the university, supporting new pedagogies in large group teaching, improved delivery of employability skills and the introduction of cross disciplinary modules and multi-disciplinary dissertation projects. Students have the opportunity to work with peers from other disciplines allowing them to develop the necessary skills to find meaningful employment in the modern STEM world.
"Collaboration is a unique selling point for the university, particularly since scientists often mix within industry."
The team's work has also impacted the Liverpool community where the Education Broker Model has encouraged the development of exciting outreach opportunities targeted at all sectors of the community.
"The Outreach module definitely helped my future career prospects. I went into primary teaching, completing a Schools Direct postgraduate programme and will be starting my first year as a primary school teacher in September." (Geology student).
Plans for the future
Many national and international higher education institutes have visited CTL. However, the focus of their visits is often the unique scenario presented by having a multi-million pound laboratory facility. The team plans to disseminate the importance of the educational broker model to the success of shared teaching laboratories and how they support efficient and sustainable pedagogic developments and opportunities for enhancement of employability skills for students, regardless of disciplines and laboratory space.