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Case study 12: An EBP challenge event
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Case study 12: An EBP challenge event
This case study shows how an Education Business Partnership (EBP) encourages able students' interest in physics, mathematics and design and technology by running an annual challenge event.
partnership that includes industry representatives and comprehensive schools
running an annual challenge event for gifted and talented students from deprived areas
students with greater interest in the practical application of physics, mathematics and design and technology
Background
The EBP includes:
BAE Systems -- hosts the event, provides engineers and prizes;
INPUT Industry Project: Understanding Technology (The Oxford Trust) -- provides expertise and resources;
comprehensive schools.
The EBP runs an annual one-day challenge event to raise expectations and encourage interest in practical science, mathematics and design and technology among able students from deprived areas. Its aim is to encourage students to maintain an interest in these subjects into the sixth form and beyond, and to attract good graduates into business.
Implementation
The challenge is in its seventh year and about 84 students are involved each year.
Each school can have two teams of six students. The teams must be balanced across the areas of physics, maths and design and technology. The students are set a problem on arrival that they have to solve by the end of the day (for example, designing a method of recovering a Harrier jet aircraft from the sea bed). They decide on solutions as a team, working without teacher support, then make a mini-presentation to engineers and discuss their ideas. This is followed by more development work and testing of solutions. The judges choose a winning design based on engineering design, the success of the solution, the best presentation and the best overall design.
The event includes contributions from engineers (in terms of physics and calculations) and test pilots, where practical. Teachers have their own group as part of the challenge, to prevent them offering too much input!
The event is evaluated through an extensive questionnaire and debriefing of students, teachers and engineers. It seems to work very well and requires little modification from year to year. BAE has different products, so the organisers try to diversify the challenges. The engineers are increasingly enthusiastic and are happy to use their leave days to help, if necessary.
Impact
Students come away from the challenge with a new interest in the practical application of physics, mathematics and design and technology. In many cases, it encourages them to continue studying these subjects and shows them their value in the world of work.