Simon Faulkner

I am a passionate chemistry educator whose pedagogical knowledge is used to equip students with the transferable skills and knowledge that they need to start the next phase of their working life, whether that is in research, medical school, or another unrelated career . My core educational philosophy is centered around critical thinking. Content is content, whether it is needed as units as part of a Biological Sciences degree, or as a science requirement for another degree major. I believe getting students to critically think, self-evaluate and reflect on their learning should be at the cornerstone of their university educational experience. So, how do I approach this? I am heavily invested in using the flipped classroom model to ensure that time spent in a lab course, or lecture course is spent with students participating in active learning.

I work primarily with freshmen and sophomore students, teaching general chemistry and organic chemistry through lecture and lab courses. Often students wonder how the content being taught relates to their degree major? The answer to this is provided through giving real-world contexts, whether through a lab, or lecture course. One of my goals is to also try and promote contextual learning. As a member of the EcoCampus committee, I realise there exists an opportunity to embed the UN Sustainable Development Goals within my syllabi and use my courses as a platform to advocate for sustainability. This is also accomplished through how I conduct undergraduate research, working on developing antibiotic adjuvant therapies to combat antimicrobial resistance.