Engaging teenagers in science by the 'back door'

通过“后门”让青少年参与科学

• 批准号: EP/F066368/1
• 负责人: Andrew Clark
• 金额: $ 7.08万
• 依托单位: University of Warwick
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Research Grant
• 财政年份: 2008
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2008 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FF066368%2F1
• 关键词: Engaging; teenagers; science; back; door

We have chosen to address the issue of communicating the excitement and value of UK scientific research to the general public (primarily 13-18 years olds currently 'turned off' by science) by training 40 young PhD scientists with public engagement skills and providing a supportive structured programme in which they will undertake TWO follow-up public engagement events either in groups or individually. To test the feasibility of the planned approach we were awarded an EPSRC grant ('Explaining the Chemistry/Biology Interface: Networking and Evaluation Phase,' EP/D504503/1) to prepare for this current proposal. This grant provided funds to construct and deliver a customised training course in 'science communication'. The award holders consulted widely and ultimately developed the course in collaboration with the Science Communication Group (SCG) at Imperial College. Two successful prototype courses have been delivered to 2nd year PhD students registered at the Imperial and Warwick Doctoral Training Centres. The ingenuity and enthusiasm exhibited by the PhD students on our prototype training programmes was remarkable and is reflected in the quality of the output. We are therefore confident that we have a successful template that can be developed for a wider audience of young scientists near the beginning of their careers. SCG has readily agreed to partner the applicants in expanding the course to include two specific public engagement tasks as a follow-up for each participant and support them as they execute it. The coupling of the existing training course with this second phase of public engagement is the focus of this current proposal. On the 28th of November 2007 we staged a pilot 'CSI event', staged at the Ricoh Coventry City Football Club, in collaboration with AstraZeneca, the Coventry Business and Education Partnership, Warwick University Chemistry Department and Finham Secondary School. We chose to focus our event on children who were currently not 'turned on' by science but were more interested in other areas such as the media. All twenty children could name three footballers but not name three scientists! The event was run by staff who had had previously undertaken the Imperial 'Science Communication Course'. The primary aim was to determine if the Imperial Science Communication Course would prove adequate training to stage this type of public engagement event. The school children were arranged in two groups of ten and given a role (e.g. Policeman, Reporter, Scientist) and were exposed to a mixture of analytical science via presentations, film and hands on experience. They were then introduced to a 'murder scene' and had to collect appropriate evidence (DNA, trace-residue etc.), interview suspects, analyse the evidence, work as a team, solve the murder and construct a newspaper article. Thus children whose main interest lay outside of science were able to take an active role during the event (i.e. taking the role of journalist). These children were exposed to the science 'clandestinely' as they needed to play an active role in understanding the science in order to make their relevant newspaper article. The success of this event has proved to us that we can deliver successful public engagement events based upon the training obtained from Imperial media course.To this end we propose a two phase programmePhase 1: Deliver two training courses (following the successful model already piloted under EPSRC grant EP/D504503/1);Phase 2: Set TWO specific public engagement tasks for each participant and support them as they execute it. These will include 7 days of events with the Coventry Business and Education Partnerships, 10 events with the Imperial Researchers in Residence Scheme, 3 events with the Royal Society of Chemistry, 40 science blogs and press releases and 8 students focussing on the preparation of short videos and pod-casts to support these events.

我们选择通过培训 40 名具有公众参与技能的年轻博士科学家并提供支持性的方式，解决向公众（主要是目前对科学“失去兴趣”的 13-18 岁）传达英国科学研究的兴奋和价值的问题。他们将在结构化计划中以小组或单独的方式开展两次后续公众参与活动。为了测试计划方法的可行性，我们获得了 EPSRC 拨款（“解释化学/生物界面：网络和评估阶段”，EP/D504503/1）来为当前的提案做准备。这笔赠款为构建和提供“科学传播”定制培训课程提供了资金。获奖者广泛征求意见，最终与帝国理工学院科学传播小组 (SCG) 合作开发了该课程。两门成功的原型课程已向在帝国理工学院和沃里克博士培训中心注册的二年级博士生提供。博士生在我们的原型培训项目中表现出的独创性和热情是引人注目的，并反映在输出的质量中。因此，我们相信我们拥有一个成功的模板，可以为更多处于职业生涯初期的年轻科学家开发。 SCG 欣然同意与申请者合作，扩大课程范围，包括两项具体的公众参与任务，作为每个参与者的后续行动，并在他们执行任务时提供支持。将现有培训课程与第二阶段公众参与相结合是当前提案的重点。 2007 年 11 月 28 日，我们与阿斯利康、考文垂商业和教育合作伙伴、华威大学化学系和芬纳姆中学合作，在理光考文垂市足球俱乐部举办了一次试点“CSI 活动”。我们选择将活动重点放在目前对科学不“感兴趣”但对媒体等其他领域更感兴趣的孩子们。所有二十个孩子都能说出三名足球运动员的名字，但不能说出三名科学家的名字！该活动由之前参加过帝国“科学传播课程”的工作人员主持。主要目的是确定帝国科学传播课程是否能够提供足够的培训来举办此类公众参与活动。学生们被分成两组，每组十人，并被分配一个角色（例如警察、记者、科学家），并通过演示、电影和实践经验接触到分析科学的混合体。然后，他们被带到“谋杀现场”，必须收集适当的证据（DNA、微量残留物等）、采访嫌疑人、分析证据、团队合作、侦破谋杀案并撰写报纸文章。因此，主要兴趣在科学之外的孩子能够在活动中发挥积极作用（即扮演记者的角色）。这些孩子“秘密”接触科学，因为他们需要在理解科学方面发挥积极作用，以便发表相关的报纸文章。这次活动的成功向我们证明，我们可以根据帝国媒体课程的培训举办成功的公众参与活动。为此，我们提出了一个两阶段计划第一阶段：提供两门培训课程（遵循已经在帝国媒体课程中试行的成功模式） EPSRC 拨款 EP/D504503/1)；第 2 阶段：为每个参与者设定两项具体的公众参与任务，并在他们执行任务时提供支持。其中包括与考文垂商业和教育合作伙伴关系举办的为期 7 天的活动、与帝国理工学院驻地研究人员计划举办的 10 场活动、与英国皇家化学学会举办的 3 场活动、40 个科学博客和新闻稿以及 8 名学生专注于短视频的准备和播客来支持这些活动。