A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Enhancing academic and Practice

Experimental sciences
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within defined institutions, while giving unrestricted access to other users at
times of low demand.
Although the aim was initially to provide an updated experiment for our own
course, there is much to be gained by the creation of a network of many different
web-based experiments shared among institutions. Advantages of such an
arrangement include reduced cost, broadening of the curriculum, access to real
(as opposed to simulated) experiments for those who suffer from disabilities or
who are pursuing a remote-learning course and access to expensive or unusual
equipment.
The web was not designed as a medium for running experiments, so practical
difficulties remain. However, the advantages of the creation of a pool of
experiments, widely accessible through the internet, are very substantial.
(Dr Hugh Cartwright, Oxford University)
WHERE TO FIND MORE SUPPORT
Some of the most useful support can be obtained from colleagues in the same discipline
and many professional bodies and learned societies have considerable teaching resources
available from their websites.
The Higher Education Academy Subject Centres provide discipline-specific support for
all teachers in higher education. Their services are free and many also provide services
specifically for new academics.
• The Higher Education Academy, http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/
• Centre for Bioscience, http://www.bioscience.heacademy.ac.uk/
• Engineering Subject Centre, http://www.engsc.ac.uk/
• Geography, Environmental and Earth Science (GEES), http://www.gees.ac.uk/
• Maths, Stats and OR Network, http://www.mathstore.ac.uk/
• UK Centre for Materials Education, http://www.materials.ac.uk/
• Physical Sciences Centre, http://www.physsci.heacademy.ac.uk/
There are approximately 70 CETLs, many directly or indirectly engaged with
experimental science education. A full listing of links to CETLs may be found at
http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/3591.htm.
REFERENCES
Athanassoulis, N (2007) An Introduction to Ethical Thinking. Available online at http://
www.idea.leeds.ac.uk/EthicalThinking/ (accessed 5 November 2007).