reflective logbook - final submission
TRANSCRIPT
STEM VIRTICALLY INTEGRATED PROJECT
STEM Engagement Project with John Paul Academy
Kerrie Noble [email protected]
200948192
This reflective logbook details the activities processes undertaken
in relation to the STEM engagement activities conducted alongside
John Paul Academy as part of the initiative to improve awareness
of opportunities within STEM, and engineering in particular.
This project was conducted during the period of January to May
2014. The University of Strathclyde, in partnership with John Paul
Academy, wanted to improve STEM engagement between the
university and schools in the local area. The initiative saw
undergraduate university students developing and running a range
of activities aimed at students from S1 to S6 in the hope of
demonstrating and informing the students of opportunities available
throughout the range of STEM subject areas, with a particular
focus on engineering, and also helping to develop some of the
required skills and thought processes required for success in this
area.
The following sections of the logbook detail activities occurring
throughout the project, from planning and organisation to running
workshops, and includes reflection of key issues or learning points
occurring for the duration of the project.
INTRODUCTION STEM Engagement Project with John Paul Academy
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The initial meeting between John Paul Academy and Strathclyde students was held on Friday 7th February 2014. The aim of this meeting was to introduce the students to the school contact, Paul McGorry, outline the needs of the school, in terms of the activities they required or would like the students to participate in, and also for the students to familiarize themselves with the school environment. This meeting is summarized in the following meeting minutes;
STEM Vertically Integrated Project |MINUTES Meeting date | time [Date | time] | Meeting location [Location]
Meeting called by Paul McGorry
Type of meeting Introduction
Facilitator Paul McGorry
Note taker Callum Watson
Timekeeper Callum Watson
Jenni Stones Callum Watson Kerrie Noble David Packard Paul McGorry
AGENDA TOPICS
Time allotted | 15 minutes | Agenda topic Introduction | Presenter Paul McGorry
Discussion: Required timetables for school visits and interaction with pupils and staff. DMEM students to look at their timetables to find a suitable day and time for interaction.
Conclusion: Thursdays look like a good day for people, a time to be provided once discussed with teachers.
Action items Person responsible Deadline
Produce a combined timetable for DMEM students All Friday 14th 2014 Finding a suitable time for meeting departmental staff Paul McGorry Friday 14th 2014
Time allotted | 15 minutes | Agenda topic Activities Required | Presenter DMEM
Discussion: The list of suggested activities was presented to Paul by Kerrie. These are school based projects to encourage STEM topics to be covered in class. The school seems very well set up for homework clubs and supervised study groups, it was decided not to follow this route because the school seems well provided for these facilities
Conclusion: It was decided that the best use for the DMEM students in their visits, is to present to the students, to inspire and encourage students in different departments to take up STEM subjects.
Initial School Meeting
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Action items Person responsible Deadline
Set up a mailing list with a defined coordinator. Jenni Stones Friday 14th 2014
Time allotted | 30 minutes | Agenda topic Best Use of Visits | Presenter Paul McGorry
Discussion: It was accepted that the school was well set up with regards to school clubs and teaching staff. It was discussed the proposal of presentations and discussions with STEM outliers like PE, Business Management, Art to encourage students to take up engineering subjects. Suggested methods of delivery included; Media video presentation, year group assembly presentations, Guest speaker in lectures, university visits, school trips, producing a compilation video.
Conclusion: It was decided that a list of applicable activities was to be rounded up of the different activities to take place on each of the visits. It was required that this plan be discussed with the teachers of different subjects.
Action items Person responsible Deadline Compose List of Suitable Activities DMEM On Going… Arrange Liaison with Teachers Paul McGorry On Going…
The initial introduction for this meeting focused on discussing suitable times for meetings and activities. It was decided the best way to proceed with this aspect of the project would be to develop a shared timetable displaying all student availability. This would be forwarded to the school, via Paul, to allow further meetings to be scheduled at suitable times for everyone involved. In relation to communication between students and the school, it was decided that one person would be nominated as a point of contact. On this occasion it was felt that this would keep communication simple, effective and would avoid confusion. During this initial section of the first meeting the group also discussed the option of arranging another meeting and involving other members of teaching staff from throughout several departments of the school. This option arose as a result of discussing the experience and the broad range of subjects which were covered as part of the degree course and therefore illustrated the link between STEM and many other subjects, such as business and PE. This emerged as a key idea which the school were keen to demonstrate as there is often no apparent link between the key STEM subjects and the opportunities available to those school students who study these subjects within other fields and careers.
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Reflection Shared Timetable The shared timetable was an effective tool when trying to arrange meetings both with the school and simply arranging meetings between the students working on the project. This meant significantly less time was spent discussing the best time to hold a meeting every time a meeting was required and the effort was concentrated on discussing what the requirements or topics for the meeting were. In this project the shared timetable was possibly introduced too late and therefore the first meeting did not benefit from this tool and as a result the meeting was less structured and less thought was placed on the meeting agenda which resulted in the meeting ending without agreements on key criteria, such as a date and time for the next meeting. Arranging the Next Meeting At the end of the first meeting no exact agreement was reached as to the date for the next meeting. It was decided that the school would check available dates and respond to the students via email. This became a stumbling point in relation to arrangements for the remainder of the project as it became clear that at busy points of the year teaching staff so not necessarily respond via or use email on a regular basis, this is discussed further in the last section of this reflection. Consequently the remaining meetings and activities had to be organized via phone calls between the students and the school. This also had associated difficulties. Including Other Staff Members This meeting provided a suggestion that including other staff members from across different departments within the school may be beneficial. This did not occur throughout the duration of this project and may have been mainly due to communication problems encountered by the group. Communication Channels It was decided that one student within the group should act as the point of contact between the school and the group and an agreement was made that all communication should be dealt with via this 1 person. As the group began to struggle with communication it became apparent that this may not have been the best option when trying to maximize the communicative capability between the school and the students. However, when communication problems were addressed this approach proved to be a success as communication was clear, effective and was not duplicated due to having an appointed communication channel. Difficulties Encountered Before the Next Meeting Several difficulties arose before the second meeting due to poor communication and the lack of an agreed date and time for holding the next meeting. It became clear that there were several key reasons for this;
• A busy time of year with regards to exam coursework submission within the school
• Teaching staff are not as reliant on email as university students are • When trying to obtain contact by phone it is hard to find a good time of the day to
get through, generally lunch and during school hours it was impossible to make contact and phone calls relied on the teaching staff being available before and after the official school start and finish times.
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The following section of this meeting aimed to address the type and number of activities which would be held between the school and the university and which topics or activities would be involved. A list of pre-determined suggested activities was presented to Paul, these suggestions included several ideas from homework and after-school clubs to parent and staff information sessions surrounding opportunities available through studying and participating in STEM related activities. Through this discussion the group identified a strong provision of homework clubs and supervised study groups within all of the school’s main STEM related subject areas and therefore the school was keen for the university students to bring something a little different, in terms of activities and information and provided many suggestions which would be of interest to both students, staff and parents. These suggestions included;
• Producing a STEM information video which could be played on a loop through the school’s IT infrastructure, highlighted as a particularly useful tool as the screens constantly display useful school news within the canteen where the school students have lunch and therefore this would provide a good access point where information can be displayed for maximum impact.
• Preparing a STEM information stall for open evenings • Preparing an information event for staff • Preparing more imaginative and interactive lessons in the form of themed topics and
activities which could be run within a number of different subjects within the school As the school seemed particularly keen to avoid having another school club as these were well structured and supported already, it was decided to adapt the approach of running themed activities and events which could inspire the school students to consider a careers in STEM and provide relevant information for doing so, or running engaging activities which directly coincided with the school curriculum.
Reflection Range of Activities The pre-prepared list of possible activities provided a wide range of possible options and many of the school’s suggestions and preferred activity engagement options appeared on this list. However, one option which was not widely covered on the list was the use of a promotional video. The development of this type of resource could prove useful in presentations as well as for specific use via the school’s IT network to help promote STEM subjects. Combining the ideas provided on the pre-prepared list and the suggestions obtained from the school during this meeting it is difficult to anticipate activities which may lie out-with the range of activities currently listed. Direction and Approach In this instance the school seemed keen to take a more informative direction and approach rather than concentrating on running practical activities. This appeared to because this is a key area which tends to get overlooked but which has key significance in the wider understanding of STEM-based studying and career opportunities and prospects. Combining practical activities which help the student learning process within the school curriculum were also vitally important, however generating a deeper understanding of the opportunities presented by study within a STEM field is required by
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The final part of this initial meeting between the school and the university decided the approach which would be taken with regards to the activities and outlined the required next steps for the project. As previously identified, the school had well established homework and lunchtime STEM-related clubs which were successful and required little to no input or help at this stage. At this point it was decided to concentrate on developing resources for running activities as part of the curriculum within several key areas and departments, such as PE, Business Management, Art and Technology and Science as well as looking at the possibility of holding year assemblies, university visits, guest speakers and producing compilation videos for use across the school’s IT and audio-visual setup. This required the compilation of a more defined and detailed list of possible activity options which could be successfully implemented and run within the timescale given whilst also ensuring the key needs of the school were thoroughly addressed.
Reflection Range of Activity Options The final range of activity options seemed to provide a good balance between the need for practical activities which could be linked and run in conjunction with the school curriculum, and also encompassed many subject areas to show the many opportunities available, across many different fields, by studying STEM-based subjects, and informative sessions covering ‘What is STEM?’ to university entry requirements and careers prospects. The ability to provide this is great and allows for a fully informed view of STEM to be given to the school students but the range of activities required for this cannot be covered by 4 students and requires careful planning and thought to be applied to which activities are provided to ensure a balance is kept. Key Needs of the School
teaching staff, parents and pupils and this is a point which was perhaps underestimated within this project and as a result the direction and approach maybe differed slightly from the school’s preferred option. Timing of Activities The timing of activities became a major issue as the project progressed. The school timetable between January and May becomes more focused on exams and coursework submission as time progresses and as the project didn’t really commence until the start of February with planning meetings, time for the activities and planning were severely restricted. Part of the communication problems experienced also stemmed from the busy time of the year with regards to external assessment and coursework submissions within the school. This was also an issue with the university students at this time of the year as the school were willing to hold events in May and June when the school schedule reduced however this was unsuitable as the university year finishes in mid-May to allow for marking before the final submission of marks. Some activity suggestions were also eliminated as events such as parents evenings and open evenings normally happen in the first school term and therefore meant that there were no up-coming school events where parents’ information sessions could be incorporated easily.
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The key needs of the school were in line with what was expected by the students undertaking the project and therefore this did not come as a surprise. It was a positive aspect that the school were also keen on involving several different school subjects and even suggested having a STEM theme throughout the school for the week as a possible activity. This only emerged as more detail was given about the courses each student studied at Strathclyde and highlighted the importance of ensuring the member of staff in charge of the project at the school knows enough information about what the students study before furthering discussion about potential activities. Arrangements for Next Steps As previously highlighted several issues were encountered in relation organizing the next meeting and the agenda to be covered. This mainly arose due to the lack of clarity which was reached with regards to this issue at the end of the first meeting.
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After clearly identifying the specific STEM needs of the school a list of appropriate activities was compiled using some of the generic suggestions from the available class list and the specific ideas provided by the school from the initial meeting. The age group and a rough estimation of the length of time required for each activity were also identified and these are shown in the list below;
Activity Ideas Age
Group Length of time for
activity
Target date for running activity
Materials Required
Person In Charge
Presentation on DMEM courses - showing what the department does and progression of projects and what is achievable after graduation, smaller companies which have emerged from the department
1st year to 5th year
1 hour (could possibly be split into 2, one presentation for students showing fun side of the course, and one aimed at students and parents at and information session, or split into 1st years to 3rd years and 4th and 5th years
PowerPoint slides, departmental marketing material, Prezi, past projects, prototypes, Jenni
Egg Design Activity (linked with product design activity)
1st year to 3rd year 2 - 3 hours
cotton wool, string, plastic bags, elastic bands, rubber, eggs, cello tape, scissors, David
Edible Cars - Competition
1st year to 3rd year 2 - 3 hours
lots of food, a ramp
Product Design Activity - Concept generation, selection and building (link it with the egg design activity)
1st year to 5th year 2 - 3 hours
paper, post-its, pens, David
Information session for parents (open evening)
parents of 1st year to 5th year 1 hour
PowerPoint slides, departmental marketing material, Prezi, past projects, prototypes,
Developing a List of Activities
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Activity Ideas Age
Group Length of time for
activity
Target date for running activity
Materials Required
Person In Charge
Information session for teachers
all teachers 1 hour
PowerPoint slides, departmental marketing material, Prezi, past projects, prototypes,
Rapid Prototyping Presentation and demonstration
4th year to 6th year 2 hours
presentation slides, examples of rapid prototyping objects, makerbot, Callum
University Visit - tie this in with the rapid prototyping presentation and demonstration
4th year to 6th year
half day visit to department
studio booking, Duncan, David Cunningham, more activities for duration of visit, visit M308, Lego mind storm activity, Dino, Barrie, Kerrie
Each of the listed activities are described in more detail in the following paragraphs; Presentation on DMEM – The aim of a DMEM presentation was to present information on fields of engineering which are less prominent than the main engineering disciplines, such as Mechanical and Electrical Engineering. The idea of having two versions of this presentation also emerged, with one aimed at showing younger pupils the fun and innovative aspects of the courses offered by DMEM through an interactive presentation, showcasing student projects and assignments completed within the department. The other version would be aimed at older students and parents and would involve outlining the key skills obtained through taking a course at DMEM, the success achieved by past and present students and also providing important information such as subjects and grades required to gain a place on one of the courses. Egg Design Activity – The aim of this activity was to develop the thought process required for several engineering disciplines through the completion of one problem solving activity. The activity needed to be simple and achievable within a small amount of time and should be linked with engineering through information provided within a presentation to help the students identify the key principals, skills and approach required for a majority of STEM-based careers. The activity which provided most of the required learning outcomes was the
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egg design activity, where participants have to design a tower which can hold an egg 1m above the ground. This activity would be age appropriate for the younger students from years 1 and 2. Edible Cars – An interactive activity, similar to the egg design activity discussed above, was also identified. This differed from the egg design activity as it used unexpected materials for construction of a car to be raced down a slope upon completion. This was included in the list as it actively encouraged innovation and creativity as well as introducing an element of competition which would appeal to the students completing the activity. Product Design-based Activity – As the students taking part in this project are all students within DMEM, and their strengths lie in the use of the design process to produce innovative engineering product solutions, one activity suggested revolved around constructing a workshop to teach the students how to use this process to develop an idea into a ‘real life’ product through the use of brainstorming, sketching and prototyping. The main aim behind this workshop was to illustrate the skills required to become a design engineer and also illustrate what a design engineer does in a practical and interactive manner. This is an activity which could be adapted for use with every year within the school setting. Parents Info Session – This activity would be provided in the form of an information stall setup at one of the school’s open evenings to help provide parents with detailed information on the requirements and opportunities available through studying STEM subjects and illustrating successes within the field using former Strathclyde engineering students as examples. This would also provide the opportunity to allay some misconceptions surrounding the role of engineers and the potential for progression and earnings within a career as an engineer in an industrial setting. Teachers’ Info Session – The teachers’ info session was suggested for similar reasons to the parents’ info session. It is recognized that careers information surrounding STEM subjects is lacking and knowledge about progression and opportunities available through studying in this area are not widely known by students, parents or teaching staff. Therefore, to try and address this area the idea of running an information session addressing issues such as key skills required, subjects required for admission to university, types of careers available through studying STEM, funding available for students to study STEM and the number of STEM university courses available was developed to cater for specific teaching staff requirements to address knowledge gaps in relation to STEM careers and courses available for students. Rapid Prototyping Presentation and Demonstration – Rapid prototyping is one of the key developing technologies within the STEM field and is widely covered on the news. The idea of developing this activity for students was to introduce them to some of the key technological developments within STEM so they can gain knowledge and skills which will be beneficial should they progress to studying in a STEM field or within a career in a STEM-related field. This also exposes the students to the high-tech aspects of STEM and illustrates the exciting opportunities available to them. University Visit – The university visit was suggested as a way of introducing older students, in 4th or 5th year, to the opportunities and the wide range of STEM-related courses available to them and outline some of the key entry requirements to allow them to make an informed choice with regards to school subject selection and an informed decision with regards to their plans after school. To ensure the impact was maximized it was decided that this activity should encompass a visit to numerous departments within the engineering faculty to showcase the variety of courses available and illustrate the different skills and disciplines within engineering in general. It was also hoped that this type of visit would inspire and
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excite the students by showing them some of the facilities available and showcasing some of the main activities associated with different fields of engineering.
Reflection Presentation on DMEM The initial suggestion of providing a presentation primarily focused on the DMEM courses was too narrow in focus and therefore would not have provided a significant insight into opportunities available within STEM and therefore this activity was rebranded as an Introduction to Engineering presentation. Engineering is only one area associated with STEM however this is the area the students involved in the project had the most knowledge about and this is perhaps a shortcoming of this activity. However considering the amount of time provided for running this type of information session it is unachievable to try and incorporate all STEM areas within one talk. One point which emerged from this project was the willingness of teaching staff to concentrate on a more science-based approach, this was particularly apparent through the suggestion which emerged to develop innovative, interactive lesson plans, this was suggested within the particular context of science and physics specifically. Students should try and link their knowledge base with other areas of STEM to demonstrate how different STEM areas are dependent on each other. Egg Design Activity The egg design activity is a widely used design activity which has been run in many contexts for a long period of time, however taking this simple activity and adapting it in several ways to showcase the different skills required within different disciplines of engineering seemed to work well. The resources for the activity are readily available and setting the focus of the activity on the process of design engineering has proven that the idea of adaptation is possible, there is potential for adapting this activity to suitably illustrate key skills required for other engineering disciplines. Edible Cars This activity idea was taken from a STEM website which specialized in providing a database of possible STEM-related activities. This activity seemed like an interesting and interactive activity with the use of sweets which would automatically gain interest with the school students. However, it was felt that this type of activity was aimed at younger students with less knowledge in STEM areas and with less experience as it was understood that the school pupils had previously taken part in competitions which involved building their own race car and this activity seemed to be less complex and provide less learning outcomes and skills in comparison so it was eliminated. Product Design-based Activity As previously mentioned this activity idea was combined with the egg design activity so provide both practical construction and design experience with the more theoretical approach required within a specific engineering discipline. This seemed to provide more learning and improved the achievable impact available for the school students by combining two ideas and running them as one activity. Parents’ Info Session The parents’ information session was aimed at parents of senior students in the school and outlining requirements for STEM-related university courses. This would have been one of the key activity choices for the group if the timing of the activities had been more appropriate in terms of the school schedule. As all opening evenings and parents’ nights
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had been held for the senior school students at the point of the beginning of this project this activity became impossible to organize and run as it was not plausible to organize a night specifically to give a 1 hour presentation with this information. Teachers’ Info Session Similarly to the parents’ information session the teachers’ information session was disregarded before much thought was placed in planning such an event as experience up to this point in the project had suggested that the time of year in which the project was running was a busy period of time for school staff with regards to external assessments and coursework submissions and therefore it meant organizing a presentation where most of the relevant staff could be in attendance was difficult. Rapid Prototyping Presentation and Demonstration The rapid prototyping demonstration appeared to be a popular activity before confirmation was sought from the school. It appeared to be a front runner for selection in relation to the opportunities and learning outcomes it presented for the school students. It provided the opportunity to take a topic which is regularly appearing in news articles and is becoming more widely known and demonstrating its use and its purpose by placing the technology in the context of STEM courses and careers. It also provided the practical elements which were important when deciding on activities as DMEM have numerous facilities which can illustrate the processes associated with rapid prototyping and this ultimately linked well with the final activity suggestion. University Visit It was clear that through our own experiences in relation to choosing university courses, the most influential element which appeared to affect our choice of course and place of study was the visit to the university which was completed before submitting our final choices through UCAS. As the group had deemed this to be very influential it was decided that this should be a priority for an activity as this has the potential to make a large impact on the school students. Generally the process of developing a list of suitable activities was initially easy, however ideas for activities became harder to generate and therefore the list was stopped after the contents which are listed here. This significantly reduced the options which we could provide the school and limited the opportunities for the group and the school students in relation to the impact being made by the project.
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The second meeting between John Paul Academy and Strathclyde students was held on Friday 7th March 2014. The aim of this meeting was to review the developed list of possible activities and ensure the projects selected by the students were applicable in relation to the outlined age groups and also to ensure the activities met the school requirements, as outlined in the initial meeting. At the end of this meeting the aim was to have selected the activities which were to take place and also have agreed on dates on which the events would be held.
This meeting is summarized in the following meeting minutes;
STEM Vertically Integrated Project |MINUTES Meeting date | time 7/3/2014 9:35 AM | Meeting location John Paul Academy
Meeting called by Paul McGorry
Type of meeting Identification of Tasks and Planning
Facilitator Paul McGorry
Note taker Kerrie Noble
Timekeeper Callum Watson
Jenni Stones Callum Watson Kerrie Noble David Packard Paul McGorry Cheryl Smith
AGENDA TOPICS
Time allotted | 15 minutes | Agenda topic Introduction | Presenter Paul McGorry
Discussion: Follow-up from last meeting and review of information sent via email between meeting 1 (07/02/14) ad meeting 2 (07/03/14).
Conclusion: Very happy with the suggested activities and keen to go ahead with organizing and running the highlighted activities. The remainder of the meeting was used to identify appropriate year groups and dates for running each activity.
Time allotted | 15 minutes | Agenda topic Planning of Activity 1 – Engineering Info Session | Presenter DMEM
Discussion: The suggested activity to run an information session on engineering was discussed. This would be a presentation which would be held at the school. The possibility of holding this activity for S3 and S4 was discussed. It is feasibly possible to hold the session for S4 as they no longer have study leave, however it was decided this information session may be more beneficial to some S2 students to ensure they are clear on the subject requirements related to gaining a place on an engineering course. This is the same with S3.
The session would take the form of a 1 hour presentation and cover topics including; university engineering courses and their entrance requirements and course
School Meeting 2 – Activity Selection
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content, interests and activities which could be useful in order to make applications stand out when applying to courses, funding opportunities for places on engineering courses, past student projects and prototypes and job and career prospects in different engineering sectors. The presentation will be given to a mixture of different classes from science to technology.
We will aim to run this session in early May or possibly earlier in April. Conclusion: Jenni will begin to organize specific content for the presentation and the school
will consult their school calendar to decide on the most suitable date for running this information session
Action items Person responsible Deadline
Develop a presentation covering a basic introduction to engineering and opportunities available.
Jenni Stones Friday 28th March 2014
Decide on a suitable date for running the information session
Paul McGorry Wednesday 12th March 2014
Time allotted | 15 minutes | Agenda topic Planning of Activity 2 – Egg Design Activity | Presenter DMEM
Discussion: The activity was discussed with focus on the number of students and who would receive the most benefit from this session. It was decided that around 40 students would be a suitable number to deal with for this type of practical activity and this would be offered to keen students from S1 and S2. A decision was made that this session should be held as a 2 hour session to take place in the afternoon.
DMEM should select the activities to take place and provide the appropriate resources required. It was also discussed that DMEM should run a mock activity session to iron-out any issues which may arise and also to gauge the time needed to decide whether the activity will require 1 or 2 afternoon sessions running for 2 hours each.
It was also discussed that the most suitable time for running this activity would be early May but a date still needs to be arranged to ensure a hall can be accessed during this time period as SQA exams are taking place within the school.
Conclusion: Appropriate activities will be selected and a mock run of the activity session will be held to ensure enough time is assigned for the students to complete the task to satisfactory levels. A specific date for running the activity session needs to be selected, this is probably going to be a date in early May.
Action items Person responsible Deadline
Select appropriate activities for the session, develop a running order and identify resources required.
David Packard Friday 4th April 2014
Select appropriate date for running activity session Paul McGorry Wednesday 12th March 2014
Run a mock activity session within the department to iron-out issues and decide on the required time frame for activities.
David Packard Friday 11th April 2014
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Time allotted | 15 minutes | Agenda topic Planning of Activity 3 and 4 – Rapid Prototyping Presentation and University Visit| Presenter DMEM
Discussion: It was decided that the rapid prototyping presentation and activity session and the university visit could take place on the same day at the university. The students involved within these activities would be Higher, Int 2 and NAT 5 students as this would tie-in well with product design and design and manufacture exams taking place in May.
It was discussed that the general running order for this activity would involve running the rapid prototyping session in the morning and incorporating information about engineering and visits to other engineering departments in the afternoon, hopefully providing inspiration and focus for students about to sit exams.
A possible date for holding this event was suggested as the 25th April and would be best run as an all-day event to optimize the benefit gained by the school. The event would last for the same time period as the school day, i.e. from 8.45/9am to 3pm. The idea of having a break in the middle of the day and the possibility for the need to organize lunch etc. was also raised.
Conclusion: A rapid prototyping activity session will be organized and a schedule for the day will be developed. Organizing departmental visits across the faculty will need to take place and the date for the event will need confirmation from the school with regards to their timetable and student availability.
Action items Person responsible Deadline Organize and develop an appropriate rapid prototyping workshop event.
Callum Watson Friday 28th March 2014
Develop schedule for university visit and organize departmental visits.
Kerrie Noble Friday 28th March 2014
Confirm event date Paul McGorry Wednesday 12th March 2014
Time allotted | 15 minutes | Agenda topic Conclusion| Presenter DMEM
Discussion: A recap of all discussions and decisions made during the meeting took place to confirm students involved for each activity, possible dates and content required. It was agreed that confirmation on dates for all activities would be received by Wednesday 12th March 2014.
Conclusion: Paul will email confirmed dates for all activities by Wednesday 12th March.
Action items Person responsible Deadline
Confirm activity dates Paul McGorry Wednesday 12th March 2014
The introduction to this meeting refers to the list of developed activities, outlined in the previous section of the logbook, where each student signed-up to take charge of an activity. This was communicated to the school via email in early February. This part of the meeting highlighted the school’s satisfaction and willingness to proceed with the suggested activities. The school generally thought these fitted well with the school curriculum being covered for
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the outlined year groups at that particular time and also, some activities could be used as a revision session before external exams in May.
The second part of this meeting concentrated on planning an Engineering information session for students who were about to make critical subject choices, S3 and S4. This activity had originally been planned as a DMEM information session however it was decided that this was not a wide-ranging overview of engineering opportunities which are available and therefore would not meet some of the school’s criteria or requirements with regards to demonstrating and enhancing knowledge about STEM study and career options. The group decided that this session would last for an hour and cover topics including;
• University engineering courses and their entrance requirements • Course content • Interests and activities (non-academic) which would be good for university
applications • Funding opportunities for places on engineering courses • Past student projects, prototypes and successes • Career prospects and progression across different engineering sectors
Due to school commitments, exam timetables and Easter holidays it was decided that it would be beneficial if this activity was to run for an afternoon in early May.
Reflection Communication of Activity Selection After an initially busy time period within the school in relation to coursework and preparation for external examinations, communication between the group and the school via email became more regular and effective and resulted in the school being aware of the activity options before commencing this decisive meeting. The led to a brief but effective selection of activities with key decisions about the age group, number of students attending and the date for the activity being made during the meeting which reduced the pressure on communication after the meeting. Having other key staff members’ responsible teaching in other STEM subjects present at the meeting was also beneficial. Timing of Activities Again the timing of the activities proved to be problematic. Many date suggestions tended to be towards the end of May or June and this was not suitable from the perspective of the group due to university deadlines and protocol with regards to final mark submissions for students.
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The third section of this second meeting between the university students and the school centered on discussion surrounding the planning of activity 2, a design-based activity which would teach the students about the design process and how to take an initial idea and develop it into a functioning product. It was decided that as this was a very practical activity, the number of students which could partake in this activity was 40 due to staff/student ratios required. The need for school staff to be present throughout also changed the decision to run this activity over 2 afternoons. It was decided that it would be more suitable if this activity was completed in one 2 hour slot with keen students from S1 and S2. This activity was aimed at younger students as it was felt it provided a good introduction to the idea and philosophy behind many engineering degree courses and therefore effectively demonstrated the skills required for engineering. However, as the DMEM students had never pitched this type of lesson to this age group there were concerns over level of difficulty and whether certain elements would be successful in this context. To avoid difficulty and to ensure the activity workshop would be successful it was decided a practice run-through with other DMEM students would take place so mistakes or issues could be resolved before completing this activity with the school. This also meant a delayed start to when the activity may be able to run. Again due to the school exams and the requirement to have a practice run of this activity the running date was set in May. The fourth section of this meeting concentrated discussion on activities 3 and 4. It was decided that impact could be maximized if these activities were combined into a 1 day visit to the university. This would provide insight into the course available within the engineering faculty, the facilities available at the university, provide an insight into course content and skills required as well as providing the students with a new STEM-based skill which they can develop and learn from in relation to their school exams. For this reason these activities were offered to the more senior students in the school. The main day would involve a rapid prototyping workshop in the morning and a tour of various engineering departments in the afternoon, therefore hopefully providing the students with some inspiration and goals before their school exams. The timescale would be consistent with a normal school day and would take place on the 25th April. This activity would also of course rely heavily on cross-faculty participation and organization of the workshop.
Reflection The Activity The activity seemed to achieve one of the schools’ main aims of being involved in the project; to illustrate the numerous different STEM study options available and highlight a STEM area which is alien to the students as it is not a subject option within school. Once the presentation focus had changed to cover engineering in general, rather than focusing on the area of engineering which the group were primarily involved in, this activity became suitable for use within key age groups within the school where subject choices could be key and this activity would be delivered at the correct time to help with these choices.
Activity Content The content listed within the description provided in the meeting minutes covered several key aspects which the group thought were important to illustrate in relation to helping students make the correct subject choices. This was the primary aim of running this activity and through the listed content it appears to be well placed to achieve this aim. Activity Timing Activity timing was once again an issue. The school would have ideally like to run this activity towards the end of May to link better with the timing of subject choices however, with strict deadlines for coursework and mark submission within the university this was not an option.
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The meeting ended with a final recap of all discussions which had taken place and an agreement of a date when the initial plan for the university visit would be forwarded to the school.
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An initial schedule was developed outlining the plan of activities for the duration of the visit to the university by John Paul Academy students. The original idea was to introduce the students to DMEM and showcase the courses on offer as the students attending were S5/6 students studying Product Design Higher and therefore had skills and interests linked with the core program offered at DMEM. One of the key activities offered was a rapid prototyping/CAD development workshop as this had a significant link to their fourth-coming exams and was beneficial in teaching the students new skills in relation to CAD but also acted as a revision period with a good overview of various manufacturing techniques also being provided. To also ensure that students were able to appreciate the different applications and fields of engineering, departmental visits to EEE, MAE and NA were also included to illustrate how their skills and interest in product design, manufacturing and problem solving could also be utilized within these engineering fields. The initial schedule development is shown below;
Time Activity
10am
Arrival
10.30am
Introduction from Alex Duffy
11am
Move to DM308 CAD Lab
11.15am
Short introduction to CAD design
11.30am
Start of CAD challenge
12.30pm
Finish CAD challenge
12.45pm
Break for lunch
1.45pm
Talk from DMEM Students
Organization of the University Visit
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Time Activity
2pm
Talk from EEE, MAE & NA
2.30pm
Presentation of CAD winner
3pm
Home Time!
A change was made to the initial plan upon review. It was decided that the talk from DMEM students should be removed as this could be repetitive with regards to the DMEM presentation given at the beginning of the day. Also, as the visit was being arranged by DMEM students it was felt that conversation about DMEM courses and life at Strathclyde within the engineering faculty would occur naturally between the school students and the facilitators as the day progressed. Therefore this section was removed and more time was allocated for other departmental visits, providing each department with 15 minutes to provide a brief overview and description of their engineering field and a brief tour of departmental facilities.
Time Activity
10am
Arrival
10.30am
Introduction from Alex Duffy
11am
Move to DM308 CAD Lab
11.15am
Short introduction to CAD design
11.30am
Start of CAD challenge
12.30pm
Finish CAD challenge
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Time Activity
12.45pm
Break for lunch
1.45pm
Visit to EEE, MAE & NA
2.30pm
Presentation of CAD winner
3pm
Home Time!
After contacting other departments to make arrangements for the visit, a longer period of time for departmental visits was requested. One department suggested that 15 minutes for a visit was not long enough to provide a brief overview and a tour of facilities so this aspect of the schedule was changed to reflect this. The number of department visits was reduced to 2 and each department was allocated a 30 minute time slot where they could present a brief overview of the department and a tour. This is reflected in the finalized schedule for the day which is outlined below;
Time Activity Description
9.30am
Arrival Students will arrive at the University and make their
way to the James Weir building where they will be met in the foyer by Kerrie Noble and Callum Watson.
10am
Introduction from DMEM
There will be an introduction to the
Department of Design, Manufacture and
Engineering Management by the department’s school’s
liaison team.
10.30am
Move to DM308 CAD Lab The group will move to
DM308, the Digit Design and Manufacture Studio, for a brief introduction to rapid
prototyping and CAD design challenge.
10.45am
Short introduction to CAD
design
Callum will provide a brief introduction to CAD Design.
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Time Activity Description
11am
Start of CAD challenge Callum will introduce the
CAD challenge.
12.30pm
Finish CAD challenge
Callum and Kerrie will facilitate the CAD design
challenge which will last for 1 hour 30mins.
12.45pm
Break for lunch
The students will break for lunch for 30 minutes. They
will be taken to a room where they will be free to
eat lunch. Please ensure all students bring a pre-
prepared meal.
1.15pm
Visit to EEE The group will be escorted
to the EEE department where Dr. Graeme West will provide a short presentation
and tour of the EEE department.
1.45pm
Visit to MAE
The students will be escorted to the MAE
department where some senior students will provide a departmental overview and
tour of facilities.
2.15pm
Presentation of CAD Winner
The students will return to DMEM where the winner of the CAD challenge will be
announced and a short presentation will be made.
2.30pm
Home Time!
Students will leave Strathclyde to return to school for the end of the
school day. The schedule shown above was finalized and approved by the school and the university visit was held on Friday 25th April.
Reflection The Activity The idea of the university visit was to maximize the impact which could be achieved in relation to showing the students available options to them for continuing their study within STEM fields while also providing them with some appropriate skills which links to many of the courses provided throughout STEM subjects. For this reason it was
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decided to combine two activities and try to run these within one day. This was the set timescale for a particular reason which is addressed later. The Content The content is in-keeping with the schools’ requirements to broaden the knowledge of STEM opportunities throughout the age groups within the school and it does this by covering both theoretical knowledge, practical skills and relevant information for furthering their skills and knowledge in relation to a particular area. The Timescale The timescale for the project was a clear issue, ideally it would have been more beneficial to run these two distinct activities across different days at the university and increase the number of students and age groups involved, however, the well documented timing issues meant that to achieve both of these activities they had to be combined and held on the same day and therefore a smaller number of students were able to attend and the departmental visits included in the itinerary were significantly reduced, therefore reducing the range of engineering courses being shown to the students. This was a clear disadvantage of running these activities as a combined event. Communication with Other Departments Communicating with other departments within the faculty proved to be difficult and some were unsure about the aim or objective of this type of activity and did not see the benefit of including a departmental visit. Also identifying the correct departmental contacts was an issue and slowed communication and organization significantly. Unfortunately die to the timing of the event some departments were unable to participate due to exams. Communication proved to be difficult and provided a challenge however, the outcome of the activity seemed to make this challenge worthwhile in the end. The benefit the students gained from the activity, shown in the following logbook section, out-weighed the difficulty encountered in organizing the event.
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The university visit took place on Friday 25th April 2014. This section of the logbook details the events which took place as part of this activity and include reflections on the successes, failures and difficulties arising throughout the day. DMEM Introduction
The visit to the university began with an introduction to DMEM. This introduction outlined the courses the department offered and helped to explain what Product Design Engineering was through relating the discipline to relevant products and famous faces which are clearly recognizable to this age group. The presentation also outlined the possibilities available through an opportunity to study within DMEM by illustrating and explaining previous student successes and showing how
versatile the degree can be by outlining the various employment options taken up by past and present students.
The University Visit
Reflection The Presentation The presentation was a necessary activity organized within the events during the day and proved to be an informative session which addressed some key issues such as explanations of what design engineering is and placed this in an understandable context. In a way this provided information from other activities which were presented to other year groups within the school and ensured this information was provided to a larger student base. Presentation Content The content of the presentation was representative of the requirements of this year group and covered the required information which would be expected for students wishing to pursue study in this area. The Students The students appeared to be quiet at this point of the day. Although attempts were made to make the atmosphere friendly and relaxed the students seemed unresponsive. This may be due to the presence of teaching staff or a strange environment however something could have been used to ensure the students felt more comfortable and able to ask questions.
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Rapid Prototyping Workshop The workshop was developed assuming the students had basic knowledge and use of a CAD system and had a little experience of previous 3D modelling using a similar system. Each student was tasked to work through the available tutorials for proEngineer software to learn basic skills ranging from basic modelling to the creation of more complex geometric shapes, therefore becoming familiar with the software’s user interface. A 30 minute time slot was set aside for this task and DMEM students circulated and supervised to provide useful information and help with regards to the software and the tutorials being used for this exercise.
Upon completion of the initial tutorial/learning section of the workshop, the students were given a challenge. The challenge involved use of the design process, combined with the use of 3D modelling using the proEngineer software they had been using. The task brief was to design a 3D shape using brainstorming and sketching and then recreate this creation using the 3D parametric modelling software. In a simple manner this encapsulated the essence of what the courses within DMEM teach and provided the students with this
experience while also being relevant and providing extra skills which are relevant in relation to their Product Design Higher course. The results from this task are shown below; One student had been designing and building a chair as part of their Product Design Higher course and adapted the design for this challenge. The seat started as a simple LEGO block which had sections removed to create the seat and the arm rests. The image to the right shows a rendered image of the resulting 3D model produced by the student using the proEngineer software.
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Another student also took inspiration from a LEGO block and recreated the shape using 3D modelling. The student managed to accurately reflect the shape by filleting all edges of the block and shelling the bottom face to achieve the hollow which allows the blocks to fit together to allow the user to create any structure.
The third output from this challenge was a spherical shape with cylindrical inputs and outputs. This output was achieved as a result of a random generation of shapes so the user could explore more of the features offered by the software which they were using. This resulted in the user learning how to use the revolve, cut and shell tools which were not previously covered within the tutorials attempted.
The fourth student created their own wheel and spoke design. This included the use of precise and complex modelling processes to create the star effect within the center of the wheel. The student also had to learn about converting this type of shape into manufacturable specifications, including use of tolerances and use of appropriate sizing.
Finally, another student modelling a marker pen which was being used within the room at the time of the challenge. To create this shape the user had to learn how to extrude a shape from a curved surface and also how to utilize the engrave functionality available within the software interface. The image to the right illustrates the result achieved by the student. At the end of the challenge each of the models were taken and suitably adapted so a 3D-printed model of the shapes could be produced and forwarded to the school to allow the
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students to see the whole process, from initial sketch, to 3D virtual model and finally having a physical 3D model produced using 3D printing technology.
Overview of Manufacturing Processes
As part of the visit, it was established that this group of students were studying Product Design Higher courses and were required to learn about different manufacturing techniques for the fourth-coming examinations. To help provide some revision for this element of their course the students were also taken on a tour of DMEM facilities where the different manufacturing processes associated with each piece of equipment was explained in detail by a member of technician staff. This element of the visit also helped to link the design and rapid prototyping challenge the
Reflection The Activity The use of official software tutorials has benefits with regards to the reduced need to develop our own tutorial sheets however the tutorial sheets used were older versions which differed from the version of the software used. The software used for this activity is also being slowly removed from use by the department so it may have been more beneficial if the newer 3D modelling software had been used, however this is the software the students facilitating the activity felt more comfortable with using. There were also too many tutorial sheets to cover in the time allotted for the activity. Activity Content The activity content was challenging, which created a real benefit for the students and they were assured of leaving with a newly developed skill as an outcome from the event. There was too much content for the time assigned for the activity which meant the overall time given to the creation of a shape was minimal and resulted in the activity being cut short in order to ensure the students got lunch before arriving for the departmental visits in the afternoon. The Students Unlike previous assumptions it became clear that the students had no experience in using any 3D modelling software before this activity. This therefore meant that the pre-requisite knowledge we thought the students may have left the students feeling the task was maybe unachievable for their level of experience. Some students in particular had low confidence in their abilities and tending to assume they were unable to complete the task, this required some more supervision in relation to these students and was not something which had been anticipated with regards to the assigned time for the task or the number of student facilitators which were available.
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students had completed with the possible processes they could use to help produce their developed shapes. The students were shown the various types of 3D printer used within the department such as fused deposition modelling, selective laser sintering and laminated object manufacturing. For all of the processes used the students were shown examples of products produced using those additive manufacturing processes and the materials used. This helped the students to complete and map the manufacturing process to different materials and capabilities with regards to the types of shape produced and generated learning about the requirements and functionality of various manufacturing processes.
After a brief tour and guide to additive manufacture the students were also shown the manufacturing and prototyping laboratory and a selection of student projects which were produced using a wide variety of manufacturing processes. At this stage the use of multiple manufacturing techniques to produce
one product was highlighted and the student projects were used to demonstrate the need for this approach to manufacturing by highlighting different components within one design and comparing the requirements, shape, complexity and joining methods for each component and illustrating how this affects and determines the manufacturing process used.
Reflection The Activity The activity seemed to be well received by the students as this was a particular area of interest due to this being a key topic covered in their product design higher exam. The activity was also able to show the progression and differences between school-based product design and similar courses undertaken at the next level of study. The students appeared to learn significantly from this activity. Activity Content The activity content was aimed at the correct level for the age group of the students involved and therefore gained more interest and participation as the students’ attention was maintained. Showing examples of work produce via different manufacturing processes and relating the information back to their own experience and work helped to make this activity successful.
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Departmental Visit to EEE After lunch the students were taken on a visit to the department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering where they were taken through a brief presentation outlining a definition of electrical and electronic engineering, course requirements, course content, careers prospects, career progression and average earnings as an electrical and electronic engineer. After the presentation the students were taken on a brief tour of facilities available within the department and introduced to some famous electrical and electronic engineers.
Departmental Visit to MAE
The final part of the university visit involved a visit to the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. The students were introduced to this engineering discipline as they toured the laboratory facilities. The combination of the description and definition of mechanical engineering alongside the tour allowed for an effective link between the engineering field, the university course and the industrial possibilities within mechanical engineering. During the tour the group were able to see some of the main course aspects such as the car dissection
laboratory and the model aircraft being built for a student competition.
Reflection The Presentation The presentation was informative but was too long in terms of timescale in relation to other activities completed during the day and therefore the attention of the students was lost during the presentation, this problem may also be related to the content provided within the presentation. Presentation Content The presentation content seemed to be aimed at older students and those with a specific interest in electrical and electronic engineering instead of providing an overview of the discipline for students who had little understanding of what was involved in EEE. The visit to the department was beneficial due to introducing the students to another new STEM-related area and ensuring they understand what EEE involves. The tour of facilities was more beneficial in introducing this topic as the ability to link the facilities with more common products the students were familiar with seemed to help the student understanding.
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The tour ended with a visit to the University of Strathclyde Motorsport workshop where the students were able to see the formula student car. This part of the visit also included a detailed description about the competition, past Strathclyde successes, highlighted former students who have progressed to working in formula 1 and therefore showcased some high profile opportunities associated with mechanical engineering and illustrated that such success is possible through studying STEM subjects at school.
Reflection The Presentation The presentation took a more practical approach by introducing mechanical engineering and what it mainly focused on while touring the facilities to allow the discipline to be introduced while looking at projects and explaining elements of the course which the students found familiar. On request from other departments the time given to each departmental visit was 30 minutes however MAE did not require this full time and therefore resulted in the visit ending earlier than anticipated. Presentation Content The content was aimed well at this age group and provided a basic introduction to the discipline area. It also highlighted key products which the students could associated with real life, such as the association with formula 1. On reflection it was discussed that this type of introduction and presentation would also be beneficial to younger age groups of students.
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This reflective logbook has outlined all activities undertaken as part
of the STEM Engagement Project between John Paul Academy
and the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, during 2014.
This project was conducted during the period of January to May
2014. The University of Strathclyde, in partnership with John Paul
Academy, wanted to improve STEM engagement between the
university and schools in the local area. The initiative saw
undergraduate university students developing and running a range
of activities aimed at students from S1 to S6 in the hope of
demonstrating and informing the students of opportunities available
throughout the range of STEM subject areas, with a particular
focus on engineering, and also helping to develop some of the
required skills and thought processes required for success in this
area.
The logbook has also outlined some key successes and difficulties
in relation to the activities conducted through the reflection detailed
at each stage of the project. The difficulties identified at this stage
will be considered further, with detailed suggestions for addressing
these issues, included in a separate project report.
Conclusion STEM Engagement Project with John Paul Academy
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