A suite of smart, online worksheets used as an assessment method in our second-year Physical Chemistry Lab Course have been shortlisted as finalists in LearnSci’s Teaching Innovation Awards 2025. The worksheets, developed by Laboratory Organiser Dr Ben Arenas and LearnSci, were introduced in academic year 2024-2025 to help students develop data analysis skills in a physical chemistry laboratory setting, and the bespoke worksheets are specific to the experiments students perform in our laboratory course.An evaluation of the first year of using the worksheets showed that students responded positively to them, finding them clear, easy to use, helpful in reducing stress, and improved their understanding of chemistry concepts and calculations. The worksheets also helped students to connect theoretical ideas with practical experiments and made it easier for them to manage their workload compared to the traditional weekly hand-in of formal lab reports. The results of the evaluation were presented throughout 2025, including at the University of Edinburgh’s Learning and Teaching Conference and at the Variety in Chemistry Education and Physics Higher Education Conference. They have also been highlighted on LearnSci’s Educational Research website. The assessments have continued to be used this past academic year, and the analysis of last year’s submissions have allowed us to tailor our teaching to include targeted interventions and better support students in their learning. In being shortlisted as a finalist in the Teaching Innovation Awards, Dr Ben Arenas and the worksheets were praised for their strategic approach in balancing extensive data analysis and student wellbeing. The judging panel were also impressed by the comprehensiveness of the project, the student-centred approach to data handling, the inclusion of competency-based assessments in the worksheets, and the commitment to continuous improvement. The project was recently showcased as part of the Teaching Innovation Awards Webinar Series run by LearnSci. The list of webinars being hosted throughout the summer months can be found on LearnSci’s Eventbrite page, and the recorded webinar sessions are available on the LearnSci YouTube channel. The list of winners of the TIA includes many outstanding projects, so it was great to be shortlisted alongside them as a finalist and for the teaching innovation in our School to be recognised in this way Dr Ben Arenas Physical Chemistry Lecturer in Education, School of Chemistry LearnSci online worksheets are also used as an assessment method in our Biological Chemistry 1 and Biological Chemistry 2 Laboratory Courses, and the Laboratory Simulations Package is used throughout our lecture and laboratory courses, showing the School of Chemistry’s commitment to embedding technology in our education practices.The LearnSci Teaching Innovation Awards were established in 2020 to recognise and support technology-enhanced learning innovation that positively impacts teaching quality and enhances student experiences. The list of shortlisted finalists, as well as the overall winners, can be found on LearnSci’s Teaching Innovation Awards website. Tags Prizes and Awards Teaching This article was published on Tuesday 16 June 2026
