Measuring the Effectiveness of an Open Ended Team-Based Induction Task

An evaluation of a new problem-based, open-ended induction activity for chemistry undergraduates at the University of Leicester was undertaken. Responses to the evaluation questionnaire (N=168) revealed that students appreciated the opportunity to make friends with their course mates (88.1% agreement), to discuss science with other students (76.8% agreement) and to learn how to develop a project plan (77.4% agreement).   A considerably smaller number of students agreed that the activity helped them develop their time management (59.5%) or develop their problem solving (45.8%) skills. This suggests that the social benefits (e.g. learning community building) of this activity may outweigh the development of other skills and abilities. Keywords: CBL; PBL; Active Learning; Chemistry; Induction; Year One; Learning Communities