Savita Ladage

Brief description of work

I am involved in chemistry education research and developmental activities for higher secondary and undergraduate level. I have been associated with Indian National Chemistry Olympiad (INChO) programme for almost for two decades. As part of INChO programme, my work involves designing context based problems (in analytical/physical chemistry) emphasising conceptual understanding, developing novel and unconventional chemistry experiments including their standardisation, and assessment for the same. 

The National Initiative on Undergraduate Science (NIUS) programme in chemistry at the centre is aimed at helping motivated undergraduate students to internalise expert epistemic knowledge and scientific practices through sustained mentoring along with conceptual gains. As a part of NIUS chemistry, I have been engaging first year undergraduate students in proto-research/ research-like activities in analytical, physical and organic chemistry. With interest in learning in chemistry laboratory, development of problem based/investigatory experimental modules at undergraduate level is yet another domain of my work. 

I interact with teachers at higher secondary and undergraduate level through workshops and teacher camps on continual basis. Problem based experimental modules and learning in chemistry laboratory pedagogical significance of context based problems and conceptual pitfalls in chemistry are some of the areas covered by me for the teacher participants. We also engage chemistry teachers with work done in domain of Chemistry Education Research (CER) and expose them to research based teaching-learning practices and inquiry based instructional material. 

• Chemistry Education

Honorary Positions

• Member, Editorial Advisory Board.  Journal of Chemical Education.(January 2017- December 2018).
• Convener, epiSTEME-7.

• Member of Scientific Committee, 48^th International Chemistry Olympiad, Tbilisi, Georgia, July 23-August 1, 2016

• Co-opted Member of International Steering Committee (ISC) for International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) (2016-2017) and (2011-2013). Ex-officio member of ISC in year 2000-2001 as India hosted 33^rd International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) in 2001.

• Co-opted member of Executive Council of Association of Chemistry Teachers (ACT) (2013-), Vice –President,  West zone, ACT (2007-2013) and member of Executive council of ACT (2001-2007).

• Accompanied the Indian Teams for IChOs as Mentor/Scientific observer on several occasions [Moscow (Russia)-2012, USA-2011, Ankara (Turkey)-2010, Cambridge (UK)-2009, Copenhagen (Denmark)-2000 and Bangkok (Thailand)-1999]

• Convener, First and second International Conference on Education in Chemistry (ICEC- 2010 and 2014), held at HBCSE, November 2010 and December 2014 respectively.

• Member of the National Scientific Committee and National Organising Committee for 33^rd International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO) hosted by India in year 2001.

• Academic coordinator for the experimental contest of the 33^rd IChO (2001). 

Publications

• Shridhar, G., Ladage, S., Singh, A., & Ravishankar, L., (2019). Anefficient and Green Synthesis of Substituted Piperidine Derivatives using Cerium Chloride Heptahydrate as Catalyst, Heterocyclic Letters, Vol. 9, No. 4, 437-44
• Carneiro, G., Parulekar, T., Shridhar, G., & Ladage, S., (2016). Experimenting with the teaching of organic chemistry - the process oriented guided inquiry learning way. Current Science, 111, (7), 1152-1155.
• Ravishankar, L., Ladage, S., & Shridhar, G. (2016). Is research mandatory for teaching undergraduate chemistry? Current Science,110(6),972-973.
• Ravishankar, L., Ladage, S., & Shridhar, G. (2015). Assessment and evaluation in tertiary chemistry education:are we bothered? Current Science. 109(01), 18-20.
• Ladage, S., & Ravishankar, L. (2013). Making learning in chemistry laboratory more meaningful. Current Science. 104(10), 1269-1270.
• Ravishankar, L., Ladage, S., & Shridhar, G. (2013). Exciting undergraduates towards organic chemistry: A study circle approach. Current Science. 105(9), 1227-1229.

• Ladage, S.  (1994). Study of Students' difficulties in balancing chemical equations, Chemistry Education, Jan-March 1994, 35-40.

• Ladage, S.  (1993). The Periodic Table: a preliminary study of students' understanding & Difficulties, Chemistry Education, July-Sept 1993, 23-29.

In Proceedings

•  Chunawala, S. & Ladage, S. Students' Ideas about Science and Scientists, Technical Report No. 38 (Jan 1998).
•  Srivastava, N. & Ladage, S. Models and activities for interactive chemistry, Technical Report No. 36 (April 1997).