Our work
We deliver products and services in all of the main STEM disciplines including chemistry, the bio-sciences, physics, engineering and mathematics. Examples are:
- Interactive web-based resources
- Dynamic lab manuals and online grade books supporting students, teachers and administrators
- Digital resources for publishers including e-books and websites
If you have a project you'd like to discuss, give Learning Science a call on +44 (0)117 9304505.
How can we help?
Advice
We can provide expert consultative support at the earliest stages of your project to identify where technology can add value.
Expertise
With the whole team at Learning Science working on your behalf, you’ll get a breadth and depth of expertise that cannot be matched.
Which technology?
We keep fully up-to-date with emerging technologies and will give you the right advice on which technologies to use, helping you make the most of your time and resources.
Funding
We can help you get funding for your project by demonstrating the benefits of our involvement within the proposal.
Partnerships
If you’d like to develop an idea into a commercial proposition, we can partner with you to successfully bring it to market.
Outcomes
You’ll benefit from innovative learning resources of the highest quality, which will enrich and enliven science for your target audience.
Learning Science has an outstanding track record working closely and collaboratively with leading academics across science disciplines. Our knowledge of the needs of students at different levels of education means that we can filter content to match the needs of learners, tailoring it to students of all ages.
With our expertise, projects have achieved tangible, lasting results that far exceeded initial expectations. As such, Learning Science is regularly written into proposals in order to successfully secure funding for future projects.
If your university or school is looking to invest in learning technology, give Learning Science a call on +44 (0)117 9304505.
The Department of Biochemistry has seen such fundamental improvements in student performance
that courses to support Physiology, Pharmacology, Microbiology and Pathology are currently
being deployed across the Faculty.
— Dr Gus Cameron
Project Manager, eBiolabs
School of Medical Sciences
University of Bristol
Learning Science will help you to develop and bring to market science learning resources that will support, enhance, or provide an alternative to your traditional texts.
Electronic publishing is a significant new market for publishers and new forms of next generation publishing are emerging all the time. Students' expectations about learning are changing, with a growing demand for active learning activities.
We'll transform traditional content into learning resources that will engage and inspire students. These include interactive science e-books and web-based e-learning such as activities, tests, videos and simulations.
If you are a publisher looking to stand out from your competitors, give Learning Science a call on +44 (0)117 9304505.
The Instrumental Techniques section on the Teacher Edition is particularly impressive. The
interactive exercises allowing students to match spectra with molecules are excellent. I have
no hesitation in recommending it to our centres.
— Global academic publisher
Science publishing
Digital resources
Whether you're looking to inspire the scientists of the future, or train your employees within the workplace, we can help. Learning Science works with leading organisations to develop and implement e-learning strategies for technical training. Our resources help both students and employees to become familiar with the laboratory environment and competent within the workplace.
With our unique mix of scientific knowledge, technical expertise and teaching experience, we'll create something that has real impact, providing value for money and measurable results.
If you are a professional body, science trust or educational charity and want to know more, give Learning Science a call on +44 (0)117 9304505.
With the help of Learning Science, we have created engaging activities designed to develop
problem-solving skills as well as to illustrate the link between academic courses and
real-world applications.
— Dr Lorna Thomson
Programme Manager,
Educational Resources
Royal Society of Chemistry
Interactive websites
RSC projects for schools
Bristol ChemLabS
The challenge
Bristol University's School of Chemistry recognised a need to improve the way in which students approached practical labs.
The solution
Learning Science worked closely with them to create an innovative online learning tool, transforming teaching and learning across the entire syllabus.
The outcome
The project has won the Times Higher Education Award for Outstanding ICT Initiative of the Year.
Bristol ChemLabS envisaged an online environment that students could access before carrying out a particular practical investigation. They decided to approach Learning Science to explore available technologies and establish what could be achieved.
The collaboration with Learning Science resulted in a dynamic partnership. Academics, students and educational staff had full input into the project, whilst different approaches highlighted by Learning Science sparked new ideas and generated a range of solutions that went far beyond initial expectations. The result was the Dynamic Lab Manual...
The ChemLabS DLM has transformed the laboratory experience for chemistry undergraduates
at Bristol.
— ChemLabS CEO, Professor Nick Norman.
Dynamic Lab Manuals
Dynamic Lab Manuals offer a virtual learning environment that allows students to explore, experiment and learn before and after lessons. Accessible from any computer with an internet connection, the DLM contains a complete video library of practical techniques, fully interactive simulations and virtual instruments, online pre-lab assessment and safety tests, and tutorial support.
The Dynamic Lab Manual is linked with software that allows academic staff and demonstrators to track and monitor how students perform in the prelab and safety tests.
The staff member can thus see at a glance which students need to be spoken to at the
start of the laboratory.
One of the main innovations has been to shift the balance of work done outside the
laboratory to before rather than after the practical class. Students are much better
prepared and therefore more confident.
— Bristol ChemLabS website
Such has been the success of this project that ChemLabS has become known as a pioneer for innovation and technology. University chemistry departments in the UK, North America, Asia and Australia and Africa are using a customised version of the DLM. The DLM methodology is also now spreading into other science disciplines and into secondary school science.
To find out more about the project, visit http://www.chemlabs.bris.ac.uk/.
eBioLabs
eBioLabs is a Dynamic Lab Manual for the Biosciences that has seen noticeable improvements in student performance.
Dynamic Lab Manuals were developed through a partnership between Learning Science and Bristol University's Chemistry Department. The project was so successful that the Department of Biochemistry asked Learning Science to help them develop their own Dynamic Lab Manual, completely tailored to their needs.
The delivery of laboratory-based courses has been transformed - they are now some of the most active, discovery-led sessions learners encounter in their university careers.
Because eBioLabs includes tools that automatically mark student assignments, and tools that allow academics to easily track student attendance and achievement, the marking and administrative burden associated with running practicals is very significantly reduced.
As well as the electronic assessment functionality, the DLM contains an individualised repository for learners to record and reflect on their achievements, as well as tools to allow learners to interact with each other and with their instructors.
The Department of Biochemistry has seen such fundamental improvements in student
performance that courses to support physiology, pharmacology, microbiology and pathology
are currently being deployed across the
Faculty.
— Dr Gus Cameron
Project Manager, eBiolabs
School of Medical Sciences
University of Bristol
The project has also sparked further innovation in learning. In Pharmacology units have been developed which strengthen the links between the experiment and the theory. In Physiology we have pioneered the use of automatic marking and analysis of complex data from variety of human subjects.
To find out more about the project, visit http://www.bristol.ac.uk/ebiolabs/.
LabSkills
http://www.labskills.co.uk/
Media-rich, interactive e-learning for Chemistry.
"A groundbreaking program" - Times Educational Supplement
LabSkills is used by thousands of schools and universities and in over 30 countries around the world. First published in 2008, the resource contains media rich e-learning tools that develop skills and build confidence in experimental science.
LabSkills:
- is easy to use, working on any learning platform
- encourages exploration and self-study
- contains support for all levels of ability
- is matched to exam board specifications
We used LabSkills in preparation for a coursework assessment involving
titration and all students found it easy to follow through the materials and complete the test
at the end. As a result of this more focused intervention strategy all students were able to
score highly on the assessment and unlike previous years none will have to repeat the
ordeal.
— Alan Francis
Head of Chemistry
Gordano School, North Somerset
With support from the Royal Society of Chemistry, the TDA (Training and Development Agency for Schools) and ASE (Association for Science Education), a version of LabSkills will soon be in every secondary school in the UK (more than 5000), and over 2000 trainee science teachers have been given access. Versions of LabSkills have been sold within Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and Australasia.
The program was incredibly easy to use and the students found it so refreshing to be
able to go at their own speed and do the interactive exercises multiple times if that's what
they needed. Compared with previous years in which I've taught the grades were significantly
better (ca. 8%) with most students achieving C+ or above.
— Dr. David Harding, University
Lecturer, Thailand
Interactive web-based resources
Learning Science has developed several educational web projects that engage and inspire students at Key Stage 4 and Post-16 level.
Projects such as Masterminding Molecules and Chemistry in your Cupboard for the Royal Society of Chemistry focus on a specific, targeted learning area. They encourage students to experiment, make decisions, and learn through doing, not just through reading instructions.
Masterminding Molecules: The Challenge
The Royal Society of Chemistry, in collaboration with Pfizer, asked us to deliver an engaging resource that introduced 14-16 year olds to real-life situations, inspiring them to consider a career in the industry.
The Solution
We developed, tested and launched Masterminding Molecules: a visually stimulating and accessible educational game that develops students' problem-solving and analytical skills. Our ability to understand and appreciate the science, and how it could be mirrored in the game, was a key factor in the project's success.
The Outcome
Masterminding Molecules is one of the centrepieces of the educational resources promoted by the RSC to schools in the UK and abroad.
Visit the Masterminding Molecules website.
Chemistry in your cupboard: The Challenge
The Royal Society of Chemistry asked Learning Science to deliver an interactive online resource that helped post-16 year old students to discover 'how science works'.
The Solution
We developed, tested and launched Chemistry in your Cupboard: a dynamic, interactive site that explores the chemistry of well-known household products - from painkillers to washing powder.
The Outcome
Chemistry in your Cupboard is a popular, widely-used tool that stimulates interest, and links to the curriculum. Questions are included throughout to encourage learning and test understanding.
Visit the Chemistry in your Cupboard website.
With the help of Learning Science, we have created engaging activities that are based
around the discovery of new medicines and are designed to develop problem-solving skills as well
as to illustrate the link between academic courses and real-world applications.
By introducing students to real-life problems and situations, the full breadth of
opportunities offered through chemistry
becomes apparent.
— Dr Lorna Thomson
Programme Manager, Educational Resources
Royal Society of Chemistry
Digital publishing
Learning Science enables publishers to be at the forefront of educational technology developments, so that they can deliver market leading publications that will be accessible and useable in the long term.
We help publishers introduce cutting edge technology into their traditional publications, delivering a personalised learning experience to students and a wealth of tools that support teaching staff.
Learning Science can develop resources across technology platforms that reach target audiences through new media, touch screen devices and apps.
How we can help
Learning Science has worked with publishers to develop interactive media that enriches and enlivens science for students of all ages. Projects include:
- Integrated, web-based solutions
- Interactive eTextbooks
- Multimedia resources and quizzes
- Flexible training options and customisable learning
- Online grade book and reporting systems
- Automatic marking of experimental data
- Online health and safety checks and competency tracking
Learning Science’s innovative learning solutions can help your publications stand out in new and growing markets.
Online learning - for students and for teachers - is one of the fastest growing trends in
educational uses of technology.
— US Department of Education, September 2010
