Titration Teacher Challenge


Can you titrate as well as your students? Here’s your chance to find out!

The RACI invites all Chemistry educators, Chemistry teachers and school/university laboratory technicians to take part in the Titration Teacher Challenge. This is an opportunity to encourage and mentor less experienced / new graduate Chemistry teachers and laboratory technicians at your institution to develop their Titration skills in their own laboratory environment.

How the Challenge works

  • Register for the Challenge here. Cost $11 (incl. GST). 
  • We will send you two sample tubes to titrate.
  • Chemistry educators, teachers and laboratory technicians will participate as individuals rather than in teams.
  • The analysis should be completed within 3 hours. You complete the analysis in your own time at your place of employment.
  • Submit your Entry by 22 September 2023. Please email your answer to the Titration Teacher Challenge Coordinator - Elaine Bergmann FRACI CChem
  • Results for the best entrants will be announced on the RACI website (with the entrants' permission)
  • Plaques and Certificates will be awarded as shown below.
  • A Guide to the Titration Challenge can be found here 

 

Awards and Recognition

  • All entries will receive a Certificate of Participation
  • Entries obtaining a result of Excellent Standard will receive a certificate recognising their achievement.
  • A plaque will be awarded to each of the top 10% of participants, providing that each of these has submitted a result of Excellent Standard (see Section 6 of the Rules).

 

2022 Titration Teacher Challenge Results

The Challenge is a competition for teachers and scientific technicians from any educational institution. A total of 46 individuals entered, although not all were able to actually compete. 13 entrants achieved a result of an Excellent standard and are to be congratulated. Their rank order follows. It is pleasing to see so many of our educators succeeding in the competition. With mentors such as these, Chemistry students are in safe hands. 

"This was $11 well spent. What helped was patience while learning, and an excellent teacher at university. Cheang Khoo at the University of Western Sydney made sure we used the correct techniques right from the beginning – no shortcuts. It’s better to complete titrations slowly and accurately early on in the learning process because you will get quicker with time. It’s something that I repeat to my students ad nauseam."

"Remember – you only want the faintest of faint pink in your flask, not vivid ‘Oxford Street pink’. When you get close to your end point and the colour starts to last but then slowly fade, add your drops very slowly. An overlooked detail is the pH of your deionised water. Using acidic water will only end in frustration and tears. Universal indicator is helpful in this regard."

"Other than that, I just got in the zone and let my training take over. No thoughts – only titration." Rachel Czaban

Rachel’s final tip: Trust yourself and trust your training, stick to tried and tested methods.


2022 Final Results Leaderboard 

PLACE

ENTRANT

INSTITUTION

SCORE

1st

Rachel Czaban

Armidale Secondary College NSW

0

2nd

Dr Kate Slessor

Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology QLD

1

Equal 3rd

Annette Gregory

Ignatius Park College QLD

2

Equal 3rd

Benjamin Harding

Wanneroo Secondary College WA

2

5th

Greg Czaban

Armidale Secondary College NSW

3

6th

Sue Saunders

Hellyer College TAS

4

7th

Dom Cawood

Mount St Michael’s College QLD

6

8th

Seema Goel

Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology QLD

7

9th

Dr Kerry Pinchbeck

Aberfoyle Park High School SA

8

10th

Shona Schroeder

Queensland Academy for Science, Mathematics and Technology QLD

9

11th

Nadja Benkenstein

St Ursula’s College Toowoomba QLD

14

12th

Jeannie M O’Reilly

St Ursula’s College Toowoomba QLD

17

13th

Dr Vicky Barnett

Curtin University WA

20


Elaine Bergmann NTC Coordinator 

 

Titration Teacher Challenge

2023 Challenge registrations close 2 September 2023.  Register today.

Register here

 

A Guide to the Titration Challenge can be found here

Helpful Links

A Guide to the Titration Challenge: Click here to download 

 

Training Videos

Titration Training | Making a Standard Solution

Titration Training | Acid-base titration


Please note the RACI runs two Titration initiatives:

  • The Australian National Titration Competition for secondary/high school students, and
  • Titration Teacher Challenge for teachers, science technicians and all those involved in the secondary or tertiary teaching of chemistry to students.

This webpage contains information on the Titration Teacher Challenge.