Enhancing STEM Public Engagement Skills

Ed Drewitt, know for his involvement with the Bristol Dinosaur Project, University of Bristol (www.thebristoldinosaurproject.org.uk) and Nicholas Garrick from Director of Lighting up Learning Limited (www.lightinguplearning.com ) facilitated a lively, interactive and very fun CPD session on Public Engagement with Primary schools at the school of Science and Technology, University of Northampton, UK on 8th February 2013.

The audience was made of undergraduates, research students and staff from across the The University of Northampton (and also a colleague from the Open University). All came together to look at how they could offer their ideas for activities or outcomes of their research (not matter what their research area) to schools in general . Feedback from talking to participants was very positive; with a great number of student-lead potential activities being discussed in groups and some staff considering how some of their research may be used as outreach activities.

For me the take home messages from the session was - 

• be aware of what is happening in schools and some of their needs; but do something you are interested in; 
• think about how that could be delivered in schools (possibly across a whole range of age groups);
• but DO NOT tell teachers how to use it in their curriculum, they can work that out for their own particular case.

Last year The University of Northampton (TUoN) took part in Ed and Nick's Enhancing STEM Academics' Public Engagement Skills adopter programme sponsored by HE STEM South West Spoke to take concepts from their earlier work and for these to be applied in the outreach activity of other Universities.  This involvement lead to Ed and Nick offering this half day session to the The University of Northampton and other Universities involved with the earlier adopter programme.  Details of TUoN's outputs from the adopter programme and links to activities can be found at http://junkbots.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/junkbot-project-case-study-and-session.html. 

More details can be found at: http://www.northampton.ac.uk/news/article/414/stem-workshop-on-public-engagement-with-added-dinosaurs

STEM networking event

Our next University STEM networking event will be a lively, interactive session given by Ed Drewitt, famous for his Bristol Dinosaur Project (www.thebristoldinosaurproject.org.uk) and Nicholas Garrick from Lighting up Learning Limited (www.lightinguplearning.com )

Both are trained practitioners and highly regarded in their field of expertise.

Friday 8 February 2013
Newton  Avenue Campus, University of Northampton, UK

• 1.15pm Tea and Coffee
• 1.30 start
• 5.00pm finish

The session builds on recognition that many scientists do not have the skills to interact effectively with school students (especially Key Stage 1 - 3 pupils). The aim of the session is: students, PhD students and STEM academics to be more involved with public engagement activities and to create and share a range of materials for workshops in primary schools.

This is a must for all STEM Ambassadors or those interested in improving their skills and techniques in public engagement and we encourage to you come to this free workshop.

More details can be found at: http://www.northampton.ac.uk/news/article/414/stem-workshop-on-public-engagement-with-added-dinosaurs

Junkbots with session plans

The results of a funding from HE STEM South West has enabled the junkbot project to go into primary schools and the material to be revised based on good practice in STEM public engagement in primary schools. 


The funding looked at adopted the ideas and practice developed previously to produce STEM activities in this case targeted at Primary schools.


Details of the work developed and a case study can be found at: http://www.hestem-sw.org.uk/project?id=16&pp=540







Details of the case study can be found at: http://projects.hestem-sw.org.uk/upload/Junkbot_june_northampton.pdf

Example session plans 


These were based on the seminars and tools from http://www.hestem-sw.org.uk/project?id=16&pp=453 and the published guide Guide to Delivering Effective STEM Public Engagement

• Details of an in-school session plan can be found at: http://projects.hestem-sw.org.uk/upload/Planning_Process_junkbots_KS3_4_longer.docx
• Details of an STEM club session plan can be found at: http://projects.hestem-sw.org.uk/upload/Planning_Process_junkbots_primary_short8.docx

Junkbots on Prezi

If you would like to know more about the Junkbots project contact scott.turner@northampton.ac.uk

More money for STEM

The School of Science and Technology and the School of Education both at the University of Northampton recently successfully bid to be part of a larger project: Enhancing STEM Public Engagement

Overview of our part

The University has, over a number of years, been very supportive of the STEM agenda with key staff across Schools and departments tasked with developing STEM activities.  The University is committed to providing local schools with high quality learning experiences that engender a love of STEM subjects and a desire to pursue these subjects at higher levels.

In order to ensure the success of our programmes we are keen to provide staff with appropriate training opportunities that enable them to deliver their subject to school children using age-specific pedagogies and taking into account the differences between teaching at HE and school levels.  This project coincides with the University making a greater investment in school engagement activities with local schools and would form a strand of a larger programme of training and development for all those engaged in school-based activity.