The impact of technology on student learning and staff practice in undergraduate chemistry laboratories

Evans, JR, 2023. The impact of technology on student learning and staff practice in undergraduate chemistry laboratories. PhD, Nottingham Trent University.

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Abstract

This study investigates staff practice and student learning in large-scale multidisciplinary technology enhanced teaching laboratory at Nottingham Trent University. This complex environment is anticipated to result in a high cognitive load on students which could make learning challenging. Digital experiences are investigated using quantitative methods to characterize the students' experiences with technology and in the laboratory: these include the custom designed Digital History Survey and probing student attitudes to the laboratory using a modified form of the Student Laboratory Environment Inventory (Fraser and Wilkinson 1993). This longitudinal study involved students from across a range of sciences – the data presented here focuses on experiences of undergraduate chemistry and forensic students.

The research question for this study is “What is the impact of introducing technology into the chemistry laboratory teaching environment on student experience and staff practice?” However, to explore this, one must first gain an understanding of the laboratory environment more broadly, therefore this study also covers some underpinning elements of laboratory learning more broadly within the Nottingham Trent University context.

To look more deeply at the impact of technology on learning in the lab a series of semi structured interviews were undertaken with staff members teaching in the laboratory and undergraduate student participants from chemistry courses to explore the aims, purpose, and motivations of stakeholders within the teaching laboratory environment. Although there is some agreement between staff and students regarding the purpose of and aims for laboratory sessions, there are some noticeable differences. Key themes arising from student participants’ discussion of the technology enhanced laboratory environment are peer influences; the importance of preparation and the challenge of the laboratory is a stressful environment.

This study concludes that students within this environment do not perceive an impact on their learning by the technology around them but focus rather on the challenges of being within a laboratory environment more generally. In contrast, staff participants indicated an impact of the technology on some of the laboratory-specific skills developed within the teaching laboratory environment, particularly in relation to the recording of data and solutions were proposed to resolve these issues.

Item Type:	Thesis
Creators:	Evans, J.R.
Contributors:	Name Role NTU ID ORCID Moss, K. Thesis supervisor CHP3MOSSK https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1863-3415 Coffey, M. Thesis supervisor CHP3COFFEM UNSPECIFIED Sivasubramaniam, S. Thesis supervisor LIF3SIVASSD https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7014-5000
Date:	July 2023
Rights:	The copyright in this work is held by the author. You may copy up to 5% of this work for private study, or personal, non-commercial research. Any re-use of the information contained within this document should be fully referenced, quoting the author, title, university, degree level and pagination. Queries or requests for any other use, or if a more substantial copy is required, should be directed to the author.
Divisions:	Schools > School of Science and Technology
Record created by:	Jeremy Silvester
Date Added:	23 Jan 2026 15:43
Last Modified:	23 Jan 2026 15:43
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/55114

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