The issue
In recent years STEM education has been promoted and fuelled without clear guidance on its content or means of incorporation in the exam-oriented environment of local schools. Many schools have resorted to fast-food style STEM activities such as programming and robotic competitions with much money spent purely on hardware and software. Instead of learning about the science behind, students spend their time on creating “innovative” products that may either be unrealistic or just copying ideas they found on the web or from their teachers. These STEM activities often fail to demonstrate any connection with or extension to their learning of these science subjects in their main curriculum.
The solution
The team is providing a prototype for local universities to take part in and support STEM education in secondary schools using Physics, one of the most essential fundamental sciences. Through learning and applying physics principles to real-life situations, students can appreciate the predictive power of science and how it helps them to achieve technological innovations and improve engineering methods.
The programme kicks off with a series of popular science talks with games and demonstrations. Enthusiastic participants are recommended by teachers to take an introductory course on medical physics and take part in lab tests. The team then takes outstanding students to visit a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) company, who are given the opportunity to operate a real MRI scanner and witness physical principles at work in real life.
Impact
Curiosity and the desire for knowledge drive innovation and technological advancement. With a new way of learning students will discover the fun of science, supplementing their routine education, and even inspiring them to pursue further studies in science and engineering-related subjects.
Meanwhile, teachers are encouraged to think more perspectively when designing STEM activities in school. Promoting the use of innovative methods with common materials rather than expensive equipment would transform science education in Hong Kong in the long run.
Beneficiaries
– 1500-3000 secondary school students
– 20 teachers
Project Team
Besides teaching awards, Shiu Sing is a phenomenon with his physics experiments on television shows and other media, promoting science and physics with a sense of humour. Within the Physics Department, he is absorbed in research on the innovative methods of teaching and learning in astronomy and physics, application of IT and contextual learning approaches in science.
Po Kin has ample experience in STEM activities and science study tours. In terms of research, he is interested in applying Physics to astronomical systems. Po Kin received his PhD in Astronomy in University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Alvin specialises in nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and computer simulations in studying protein dynamics. He is also experienced in giving popular science talks and study tours. Alvin got his PhD from University of Cambridge.
