Getting Involved In Science
With today’s news constantly mentioning a lack of science graduates it is more important than ever to get children involved in science.
The Launch Pad at the Science Museum aims exactly to do that. On entering the area you are immediately faced by an incredible array of colours, machines and the clamour of school groups enjoying themselves.
With a huge range of exhibits all the main areas of science are covered for KS3 level, for example the Sound Dishes which show how sound waves can be sent and received over long distances and Slow Bubbles where one can learn about the viscosity of different liquids.
Looking around I felt the easiest and most interesting method of delivering scientific concepts to children was by the pure interactivity provided. By allowing the children to personally experiment with the activities it gives them more insight into the experiment and encourages them to ask the helper more detailed questions. If you thought the learning stops on leaving the museum, you would be wrong- a Teacher’s guide is supplied to each school group so that the activities can be related to further class work.
From this visit it is clear to see, ‘interactivity’ is of vital importance in encouraging children to get involved in science and can awaken an interest that cannot be obtained by words alone.
5 comments:
I have very fond memories of Launchpad from when I came to the Science Museum with my family. In fact, the Museum as a whole was so fun that it was probably one of the reasons I wanted to get into science.
Having said that, I'm interested to know how much you think the kids were having 'scientific concepts' delivered to them. How much learning was really going on? Were they working things out from the exhibits ('mini-scientist' style)?
Alice, you have an insider view on this. (Even when I worked at the museum I avoided LPad as much as possible - FAR too many screaming children.) Do kids approach you - as an explainer, not just a random adult, that would be weird - with questions? Or did you have to be more proactive?
Launch Pad also inspired me into science, but by the age of 17 I realised it wasn't science I liked, it was playing with Grain Pit. So I ditched my UCAS form and got a job as an Explainer - I'm not sure what that says about the place :)
The relationship between kids and explainers is a complex one. Normally, you'd have to be proactive. But this changed when we moved to the basement, and improved when the bright orange T-shirts came in.
To be honest, I don't think much science content is "delivered" by LPad, what there is, is pretty inconsistent and has no relation to the national curriculum or even much of the rest of the museum.
That's not to say there isn't an educational aim, just it's more about playing with physical world. It's what Richard Gregory (who developed the Exploratory, now @Bristol) called a "hand-waving" familiarity with science. To Gregory, and many of those who developed interactives like him, scicenters like that teach exploration and experimentation of the natural world.
I talked to one of the explainers there called Fernanda and asked her the exact same question.
My opinion before the visit was that the kids would just enjoy the interactivity and forget the science, but I was assured that the helpers are always working with the children to explain as they 'play'. Fernanda also stressed to me that the kids do approach the explainers to ask for solutions, showing their own initiative in wanting to learn the science (even if it is just so they can accomplish the activity!).
At first I thought this was just a ‘promotional’ speech, but on hanging around the area for a while I actually felt she was telling me the truth.
I also feel that the teaching guide allows the teachers to relay the information back in the classroom ensuring that the scientific message gets across- even if it isn’t directly related to the curriculum as it gives the children an insight to science they wouldn’t get otherwise.
I think simple interactivity in the L-Pad just paints experimental science in a less daunting light, hopefully allowing more children to consider science in their future.
"solutions" aren't necessarily the same as "science" though - a lot of the things the kids come and ask about is how to complete a puzzle.
.. I *thought* it was Fernanda in the photo! She's been working in Launch Pad for years, and knows her stuff.
Good point, Nicola - even if all that happens is that kids think a)science is fun and b)science is hands-on, that has to be a good outcome.
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