Poppy Bennetts
Having felt slightly hindered at times by some of my own assessment experiences during my undergraduate Physics degree, I decided to pursue a PhD researching ‘Meaningful and Inclusive Assessment in Physics and Astronomy’ to drive potential change stemming from my own experiences. My research focuses on investigating the skill development of students throughout their learning and assessment experiences in Physics and Astronomy degrees. Initially I started out by focusing on the cognitive skills developed through a range of assessment types which has since evolved further into exploring the more ‘traditional’ core skills too. Furthermore, I plan to also investigate the skills a student may develop in their own independent study time, through their own learning practices. With this I hope to form a more complete picture of the skills developed by students through their learning and assessment practices in Physics and Astronomy degree programmes. Alongside my analysis of assessment types, I have also spent time gathering staff and student testimonials on their learning, teaching, and assessment experiences throughout their time at the university. This includes their perceptions on skill development, which can then be evaluated against the skills we believe students are developing.
Alongside my core research, I have also spent the duration of my PhD working as a lab demonstrator in the Physics 1 labs to help support students in a range of Physics topics as well as helping them to develop skills such as Python and LaTeX. In the first year of my PhD, I also participated in the University’s Recognising Excellence in Teaching (RET) Scheme where I became an Associate Fellow (AFHEA).
