The course experience
The course has been very interesting and not as difficult as I had anticipated it would be. I have gotten an opportunity to learn and appreciate the basic principles of atomic structure, chemical reactions, analysis, and measurement of experimental data. The information and knowledge that I have acquired from this curse will be very beneficial in my future practice and career. The knowledge obtained will form the basis of my day to day operations in my future practice. The topic that I found very interesting was the atomic structure. This module enabled me to have a better understanding of the elements and components of an atom and how each contributes to the existence of an atom. This knowledge was of particular importance, given my desire to understand the principles of nuclear energy. Knowledge of atomic structure forms the basis of nuclear science and energy by extension (Durante & Paganetti, 2016).
Thoughts on the learning process
The course has been very informative, and the learning has been very relevant. This has been one of my best courses, given that most of the lessons and topics covered are practical and applicable. The mode of learning adopted for this course was particularly unique. The discussion posts allow students to easily learn from each other and comment on each other’s work. This allows students to learn and borrow knowledge from each other. The discussion made it so easy to comprehend the principle of measurements, a concept that is often very challenging. It is, however, important to note that the learning experience could be made better by incorporating more practical sessions and creating small group discussions where students would be expected to participate and contribute to tutorial processes. Research studies have shown that active learning with active participation makes learning more enjoyable and results in very high retention rates (Gerhart & Melton, 2016).
References
Durante, M., & Paganetti, H. (2016). Nuclear physics in particle therapy: a review. Reports on Progress in Physics, 79(9), 096702.
Gerhart, A. L., & Melton, D. E. (2016). Entrepreneurially Minded Learning: Incorporating Stakeholders, Discovery, Opportunity Identification, and Value Creation into Problem-Based Learning Modules with Examples and Assessment Specific to Fluid Mechanics. In Proc. 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition.
