Girls into Engineering @UniNorthants

 A recent presentation on work done to encourage Girls into Engineering

To see more of the projects go to:  http://www.northampton.ac.uk/info/200284/widening-participation/1132/projects

NVision improves the student experience

A project has recently been completed (see http://apslandt.blogspot.com/2010/11/five-out-of-five-bidding-success-for.html and http://www.northampton.ac.uk/info/200284/widening-participation/1132/projects/14 for more details). Originally it was to run a one day workshop for Computing students in Further Education colleges to get a taster of computing in Higher Education, building on the previous events run over the last three years.

With approval the project developed during it’s lifetime. AimHigher ran a related event (AFactor) during the time of the project which met some of the goals of the project

•  Engaging FE students,
• Giving them a positive experience of computing,
• Providing a positive image of women in computing.

This enabled some new and exciting opportunities to be pursued.

1.   The activities

AFactor and the money from this project gave us an opportunity to use a resource unique in this region, NVision, to give the students (and later groups of students) a chance to ‘play’ in an immersive environment.

“NVision is a state-of-the-art technology centre designed to help businesses create better value propositions by developing and promoting products and services, using 3D immersive stereo visualisation and computational modelling. Our facilities include a 4m fully tracked ActiveWall, 512 Core High Performance Computational (HPC) Cluster and the UK’s most accessible 5 sided High Definition ActiveCube (CAVE).” NVision (2011)

Kelly Savage from NVision developed a small teaching / demonstration module that has been used in events for Widening Participation events, WISE (Women into Science and Engineering), Aim Higher, an individual Connexions event with Weston Favell, the post 16 sustainability  Conference on 14^th July.

The module is a hands on experience in groups of 3 – 4 people by creating a 3d presentation using a professional class design tool called Autodesk Showcase. The students are given a short design brief and shown how to import models, select materials, shots and backgrounds then set up an animation. Designs so far have included both a landscape  garden and a high performance sports car. The students then get to present their show back to the rest of the group on one of our excellent visualisation facilities.

The outcome for each students is that it enables them the opportunity  of working in a business environment, utilising the latest professional software and accessing high-end visualisation equipment. The module encourages them to think about how to promote the best features of a product by choosing, in their opinion, the most appropriate materials, textures, colours and presentation format to suite the design brief. Finally, they benefit from the experience of presenting a 3d show to their peers in a professional setting.

Around 90 students have been through the module. It has also enabled a widening the range of students that can be engaged.

5.   Summary

• A hands-on module has been developed that has lets students get experience with some high-end visualisation equipment that is only usually available in large companies.
• Combining the project money with money from other projects and sources has enabled a much richer experience for the participants.
• The range of subjects areas that this is applicable to, is wider than the original projects goals whilst still meeting those goals.
•  Feedback has been very positive about experience both from the students who took part and the accompanying staff.  “The Computer Day at Northampton University was brilliant.  All students thoroughly enjoyed the event and those who attended are looking in depth at the courses Northampton offer.” Caroline Freeman (IT Tutor, Tresham) as sent to AimHigher.

NVision was made possible thanks to £2.5m of funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)

NVision (2011) NVision Northampton [online]. Northampton: NVision. Available from: http://www.nvision-ipt.com/ [22^nd July 2011].

Best Engineering Event Award.

The school was received a national award by Engineering UK and the British Science Association for an event during National Science and Engineering week – Best Engineering Event Award. 

The event Girls can do it too on Wednesday 16th March, had more than girls from schools across the county spent a day at Avenue Campus exploring science and engineering  through 

• drama, 
• workshops
•  keynote speakers.

The credit goes to Tricia Goodchild,  Champion for Girls in Engineering.in the school who also recently won the WISE outreach award.

Some of these activities were supported by internal Widening Participation fund provided by DELTAE:

-Engineering and Science - You can do it too! For Primary 

School Children 8 year olds

- Girls into Engineering - During National Science Week

"It also illustrates how Widening Participation project funding can  support innovative activity   and enhance collaboration  between various WP projects  led by different Schools.( eg, the Girls into Engineering event and the Act Out theatre group) "- Rohini Corfield (Widening Participation Co-ordinator, DELTAE, University of Northampton)


This work forms part of the continued commitment from the School to Outreach activities.


For more details contact: Tricia Goodchild Champion for Girls into Engineering (Tricia.Goodchild@northampton.ac.uk) or for other Widening Participation activities Dr Scott Turner (scott.turner@northampton.ac.uk) Widening Participation Co-ordinator, School of Science and Technology).

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Mind the Gender Gap – Reflections on addressing gender diversity in Computing and Engineering

Members of the school are to present a paper at the Learning Global Conference, Northampton 11th May 2011 on the work done within the school on addressing the gender gap in engineering and computer-engineering.


Presenter: Tricia Goodchild, Rashmi Dravid and Scott Turner


Summary

Worldwide, many studies have shown that numbers of women choosing to study and work in the respective industries is low in  both Computing  (for example Wilson, 2003; Tillberg and McGrath 2005) and Engineering (only 9% of UK engineering professionals are women (IET 2010)). Figures from EngineeringUK (2010) show the UK lags behind the rest of Europe for the percentage of females students obtaining first degrees in Mathematics/Computer Science (UK [27%] compared with Europe [32%],and Engineering (UK[15%], compared with Europe [20%]). 

This presentation is a reflective account of the range of activities (including some which are award winning (see http://www.stemnet.org.uk/news/view/1232149)), which the School of Science and Technology  has put in places to raise the aspirations of potential future women engineers and computer scientists in  both primary and secondary education.  The work reported has been heavily supported by contributions from our own UK and overseas students.

References:

EngineeringUK (2010) Women in Engineering and Technology [online]. Available from: URL:http://www.engineeringuk.com/_db/_documents/Women_in_Engineering_and_Technology_FINAL.pdf [7/2/2011].

IET (2010) Mind the Gender Gap IET Member News 14^th June 2010.

Tillberg,HK, McGrath CJ (2005). Attaching Women to the CS Major Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies - Volume 26, Number 1, 2005, pp. 126-140

Wilson F (2003) New Technology, Work and Employment 18:2 ISSN 0268-107

Getting WISEr: The 'STEM' Factor

The School of Science and Technology, University of Northampton on the Wednesday 2nd February 2011  10.00 a.m.—4.00 p.m is running an event called The ‘S.T.E.M’ Factor.  A free event to GET THOSE GIRLS ENTHUSED

The aim of this event is to impart good practice, new ideas and address positive ways of getting the message to females everywhere that Engineering and Science “are” areas they can enter and succeed in. There is an untapped market out there with vital skills which our economy needs.

It will also provide opportunities to hear key speakers, network, discuss Women into STEM examples of good practice and opportunities to collaborate and make our campaign stronger. Talk with ex- perienced professional role models, people from Academia, Widening Participation and Careers Guidance Officers.

There will be approximately 7 breakout groups dealing with subjects e.g. Women in Industry

Equality and Diversity STEM Ambassadors—skilled women professionals at your finger 

Hosted by KATE BELLINGHAM,  National STEM Careers Co-ordinator

Profile: After studying Physics and gaining a BSc, Kate soon realised she was interested in Engineering and Computing Programming and joined the BBC when she was 24., presenting shows like Sound & Vision, Tomorrow’s World, The Big Bang and The Acid Test (Radio 5), gaining at the same time her BBC ETSI. Not satisfied with this Kate went on to obtain a Masters in Communication Systems & MSc in Electronic Communication Systems. She is a passionate believer in getting females into Science, Engineering and Technology and wants to share her experience and enthusiasm.

If you are interested in joining in to make cunning plans for the future generation of women to “go out there and take their place” or just for more details please contact Tricia Goodchild, Event Organiser:

By email: tricia.goodchild@northampton.ac.uk By phone: 01604 893005


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Brief Overview of Women in Engineering Event

The School of Science and Technology, University of Northampton, is hosting the Women in Engineering event on 14^th July 2010, at its impressive new facilities in the Newton Building at Avenue Campus.  The focus of the event is to promote, encourage and inspire young women, aged 13, to pursue careers in science, technology and engineering. Over 80 Year 8 girls and their teachers from local Northampton schools are invited to join female engineers from the University and local industry for a fun morning to explore the exciting world of engineering, computing and science.  The event will feature inspirational presentations from female engineers and scientists, providing a snapshot of their career highlights and successes, workshops to work alongside female role models on exciting hands-on activities, and opportunity to network with and be inspired by women working in the industry. 


A more detailed report of this event can be found at http://www.wisecampaign.org.uk/viewitem.cfm?cit_id=383525