physics and astronomy

Covid-cohort study – a survey of student performance and requirements in physics and maths after lockdown

Fiona A Wilkie Leave a Comment
The team
Anasuya Aruliah and Mark Fuller (co-leads, academic and outreach respectively) Osnat Katz (PhD student); Francesca Waines (Y3 Astrophysics student); Rania Shafiq (Y3 Physics student)
Department
Physics and Astronomy
What happened?
UCL have a commitment to Widening Participation. The undergraduate cohorts entering UCL in 2020 and 2021 have experienced moderate to severe disruptions in their A level teaching due to the covid-19 pandemic. These are our current Year 2 and Year 1 undergraduates, respectively. Our small team is following these two cohorts to understand the consequences of this disruption by running staff and student surveys and focus groups. The goal is to advise the Department of Physics & Astronomy how to support and retain struggling students so that they achieve their true potential.
What advice or encouragement would you give to someone thinking of doing a ChangeMakers project?
Planning is important, and gathering a committed and enthusiastic team.

AstroSyndicate

Fiona A Wilkie Leave a Comment
The team

Students: Nancy Yang, Maurane Gisiger, Nasko Stefanov, Patrycja Lakomiec.

Staff: Prof. Giorgio Savini, Dr. Steve Fossey.

Department

Physics and Astronomy

What happened?
The goal of the AstroSyndicate was to bring together astrophysics students from across different years of study. Events were catered to our shared interests in astrophysics and were held around campus and at the observatory. Examples include astrophysics talks and observing nights.
What advice or encouragement would you give to someone thinking of doing a ChangeMakers project?
Starting something from scratch can be difficult but don’t give up on it. Take note of what works and what doesn’t and don’t be afraid to change your plans slightly as you go along.