UK Centre for Materials Education: Supporting teaching and the Curriculum

1. UK Centre for Materials Education:Supporting teaching and the Curriculum Presented by:Chris Taylor c.taylor@liv.ac.uk Johanna Kehusmaa j.kehusmaa@liv.ac.uk www.materials.ac.uk www.whystudymaterials.ac.uk Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

2. UKCME – Our Mission UK Centre for Materials Education supports high quality student learning in Materials Science and related disciplines. We promote, encourage and co-ordinate the development and adoption of effective practices in learning, teaching, assessment. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

3. UKCME – What we do • Help support the change of practice in learning & teaching through educational development activities • Offer an information and advice resource for all staff and students involved in Materials education • Work with HEIs to increase the quality & quantity of students applying to study Materials disciplines • Disseminate good / effective practice and innovation in learning & teaching, principally across UK Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

4. UKCME – How we can help UKCME Project Funding:(e.g. Teaching Development Grants, and Materials Awareness Grants) • Example Activities: • Recruitment booklet • Taster Courses • Public Understanding Awareness-Raising Events:(e.g. Workshops, Conferences, Courses) Departmental Support:(e.g. Supported Change Programme, Visits) • Example Activities: • Database of Resources • ‘Materials Interactive’ • ‘Why Study Materials’ UKCME Information & Resources:(e.g. Website, Database, Publications) Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

5. Our Rationale • Materials Science is a strategically important yet vulnerable subject • Our primary role is to support those teaching in Higher Education • However, unless the problem of dwindling student numbers is addressed, and reversed, there won’t be anyone to teach… • Therefore, assisting with Outreach has become a core activity of our centre Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

6. UKCME Involvement with Outreach Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

7. Activities • Guide to attracting Materials students • Materials Interactive CD-ROM • Why Study Materials website • Supporting the Curriculum • How you can help Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

8. Guide to Attracting Materials students • Part of a set of 12 guides for lecturers • Contains information on: • Resources • Workshops • Open days • Careers • Who you should target • Available to order from our website • www.materials.ac.uk Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

9. UK Centre for Materials Education Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

10. Materials Interactive CD-ROM A set of resources designed and created to help increase the awareness of Materials Science and Engineering, both as a discipline and a degree option. Includes several interactive simulations, rolling movies and PowerPoint presentations, which demonstrate the diversity and importance of materials in everyday use and the careers available. CD is freely available. Over 5,000 copies of the CD have now been distributed worldwide. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

11. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

12. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

13. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

14. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

15. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

16. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

17. www.WhyStudyMaterials.ac.uk • Based on content from Materials Interactive CD-ROM • Created to increase awareness and understanding of the discipline, targeted at 14-19 • Designed to be used as a teaching aid, partly due to increasing requests over the last 2 years from teachers Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

18. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

19. www. Why Study Materials .ac.uk Students pages: • Careers information • Courses • Competitions • Fun Stuff • Videos • News • Ask a Question • Quizzes Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

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21. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

22. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

23. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

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26. Ask a Question • You can help! Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

27. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

28. www. Why Study Materials .ac.uk Teachers pages: • Database of Resources • School Packs • Open days • News • Ask a Question Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

29. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

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32. Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

33. The centre employed 2 students to produce videos for the website: Recruitment : Advert by email to UoL 2nd and final year students. Interviewed all interested candidates Students trained to use the camera equipment and editing software by the University’s media dept Filming in Tower of London, Silverstone (formula competition), Cambridge (student interviews) Student Summer Project Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

34. Student Summer Project • 3 complete videos, each approx. 3mins:http://www.whystudymaterials.ac.uk/video/index.asp • Summer 2008 – new project: • Employing another 2 students to produce interactive (Flash) content for the website Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

35. User Testing • Testing the design and content on the website • One 15-year old boy on work placement • Four 14-year old girls from local school (Archbishop Blanch) • Reward - £10 Amazon vouchers Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

36. User Testing • Likes: • That featured up-to-date objects (football boots etc) • Exploring things (i.e. camera) • “Easy to go around the site” • “the way you can ask questions” • Areas for improvement: • More quizzes, for different levels (ages) • More interactive stuff • The text (‘voice) could be more ‘child friendly’ Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

37. Curriculum Resources: for Teachers ‘Exploiting Materials Science’ project – Overview • Joint initiative between Oxford Materials, IOM3 and UKCME: • Developing relevant and up-to-date resources in Materials Science for teachers and pupils • Mapping resources to the revised 14-19 Curriculum in schools • Involving teachers in both resource development and resource testing in the classroom Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

38. Curriculum Resources: for Teachers ‘Exploiting Materials Science’ project – Demand • From discussions with teachers, the following resources identified: • Properties of Materials: Mechanical Properties • Properties of Materials: Mechanical Testing • Nanotechnology • Biomedical and Biomimetic Materials • Intelligent Packaging • Smart Materials • Materials Used in Sporting Contexts Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

39. Curriculum Resources: for Teachers ‘Exploiting Materials Science’ project – Outputs • PowerPoint presentations for classroom lecturers • (Complementary) Experiment and teacher info pack • The Next Stage of development: • Converting resources into a ‘storyboard’ interactive format • Extending the outputs into electronic games for pupils Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

40. New Content • Materials Timeline • Smart Materials game • Games/activities developed from forth-coming Curriculum-based resources • New articles/features and news items Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

41. How you can help • AaQ volunteers • Article contributions to the website • Suggestions for news items • Storyboards for games/activities Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

42. www.materials.ac.uk Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford

43. UK Centre for Materials Education:Supporting teaching and the Curriculum Presented by:Chris Taylor c.taylor@liv.ac.uk Johanna Kehusmaa j.kehusmaa@liv.ac.uk www.materials.ac.uk www.whystudymaterials.ac.uk Materials for the Curriculum, 26th March 2008, University of Oxford