F1 in Schools Dimitris Polymatidis - SETApps

Transcription

1 1.15 F1 in Schools Dimitris Polymatidis - SETApps Short Description: The F1 in Schools is a worldwide multi-disciplinary challenge for pupils aged from 9-19, and one of the largest educational initiative promoting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). It is now in its 14 th year of operation and has grown around the world operating in over 30 countries. The participating students form a Formula One team of 3 to 6 members and are commissioned to design, construct and race a small scale Formula One Car made from balsa wood and powered by compressed air cylinders. Besides using this initiative for teaching Science and Technology the formed teams are given the opportunity to compete regionally, nationally and internationally for the F1 in Schools World Championship trophy. Aims: Improve motivation The engaging nature of the F1 in Schools activities and the glamorous topic make students want to learn. Raise achievement The F1 in Schools competition enables students to take responsibility for creating something by themselves and make students enthusiastic about achievements that are truly their own. Encourage independent learning The open-ended ended nature of the F1 in Schools project enables young people s talent to flourish whatever their interests are. Encourage collaborative learning The F1 in Schools challenge brings together industry (support & mentors), teachers and students into a collaborative and innovative environment to work on

2 real world problems. Involve students of all ages and abilities Perhaps no other student contest operates in so many countries around the globe and brings together young people from so many different cultures on the same level. F1 in Schools enables two teams from different countries to combine their skills and present themselves as ONE team to compete with national champions representing their countries at the World Finals. Fostered Skills: The F1 in Schools challenge inspires students to use ICT tools to learn about science, physics, mathematics, aerodynamics, design, manufacture, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership/teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, competitive and exciting way. The F1 in Schools makes a fundamental shift from a focus on teaching to focus on learning. It challenges students to learn through engagement in a series of real problems that students are likely to face as future professionals. Connection to the curriculum: The challenge inspires students to use ICT tools to learn about science, physics (e.g. force energy and motion, Newton s laws of motion, shape of a moving object), mathematics (e.g. acceleration calculation), aerodynamics (e.g. drag coefficient of moving object), technology (e.g. 3D design and manufacturing, CAD/CAM), branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership/teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, competitive and exciting way. Implementation of the Demonstrator: 1 st learning activity (Orienting & Asking questions). This activity sets out what students have to do in the F1 in Schools challenge. What is the F1 in Schools Design Challenge? How does the F1 in Schools Design Challenge work? How does the F1 in Schools Design Challenge benefits students? The teacher can use media tools (videos (12), images (13), presentation files (14) ) to introduce the challenge in the classroom. The teacher can use Case Studies (15) from students taking part in the competition to communicate with members of his/her team to discuss how the F1 in Schools challenge can give them the drive to achieve their goals, to succeed in their life, to get a good job, to meet new people and make new friends. 2 nd learning activity (Hypothesis & Design - Orienting & Asking questions) The activity focusing upon not only what teams are required to do, but also what will help teams to succeed. Asking students to think a team name and decide job roles: Team Manager, Manufacturing Engineer, Design Engineer, Graphic Designer and Recourse Manager. Discussion about the core activities of the team members to ensure that the team follows the team s vision, that they stick to their proposed timescale and that they keep to their agreed team roles. Discussion about the F1 in Schools challenge 6 Key Elements: Plan, Design, Analyze, Make, Test, Race Discussion about the rules and regulations (16) of the competition. Students will need to follow these regulations and judging items. It is worth becoming familiar with the Technical (17) and Competition Regulations (18), and Assessment Items (19) of the challenge. Then the teacher will ask the teams to put together a 5 page portfolio (20) documenting their first ideas (first approach) on the project.

3 3 rd learning activity (Planning & Investigation) The teacher can use F1 in Schools Curriculum Resource to support hypotheses that the students should investigate: How does friction affect the speed of the car? What have the car designers done to the wheels to try and minimize drag? If you were a racing driver, eg Lewis Hamilton, would you like your car manufacturer, eg McLaren, to build you a car with a low mass or a car with a high mass? Teams start to investigate their ideas and test their hypotheses. computer-aided design (CAD) software (21), as well as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation software (22), team members collaborate to achieve their goal of producing the fastest model Formula One car. The use of virtual reality wind tunnel software allows the team to test and improve their car s design. Both CAD and CFD software are provided free of charge to all F1 in Schools teams due to a global partnership with the manufacturers of the software. 4 th learning activity (Analysis & Interpretation) The 20pages portfolios (23) templates can also be examined, and compared with data investigation and solutions found by the students themselves for the same curriculum area. The teacher may ask teams to evaluate the outcomes of the teams participated in World Finals and determine the extent to which these meet the key issues and criteria set by the students themselves. Teacher could support the process by organizing the data collected and interpreting these by identifying key issues and criteria. 5 th learning activity (Conclusion & Evaluation) The formed teams have to put together their final 20 page portfolio documenting their ideas (final approach) on the project. The formed teams will have the opportunity to compete regionally, nationally and internationally for the F1 in Schools World Championship trophy. A judging panel will use the assessment items (F1 in Schools Score Cards and Key Performance Indicators (24) ) specified by the F1 in Schools Regulations to evaluate the outcomes of the teams. The teacher could also discuss with the students to identify if any improvement on their 20pages portfolio is possible, and determine whether the learning goals are achieved. Domain: Big Idea of Science: Age group: Time needed: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathemati cs Open ended Languages available: English (1), Greek (2), German (3), Portuguese (4 Equipment needed Involved actors - The F1 in Schools F1 in Schools consumables Country (balsa woods, Coordinators, wheels, axles, Teachers, Used etool and link: F1 in school, F1 in Schools Recourses: Germany : UK : Ireland :

4 ), Czech Republic (5), Arabic (6) screw eyes, CO2 cylinders, etc.), which can be sourced locally. - The 3D CAD software (it is provided for free to all teams). - The CNC machine to make the F1 cars (can be sourced locally). - The 24m race track (can be sourced locally). SETApps has been authorized to form F1 in Schools collaboration teams between schools from Greece and the other ISE countries where the F1 in Schools is not active. Parents, Students Portugal : Greece & Cyprus: Czech Republic : USA : Australia : UAE: F1 in Schools Teachers Guide (7) Video highlights for F1 in Schools National and World Finals: trwb8 sj6jh8 DnCigY Txp1r4 HmrWc4 ation?feature=watch F1 in Schools Success Stories: F1 in Schools hypotheses and design sessions (a summary): JIGA25ExZ8Zkk0eUlpUmp2Z1k/edit?usp=s haring F1 in Schools Lesson plan templates (samples): cwxn/0mcrui0ozb F1 in Schools Software Tutorials: dworks-software-tutorials/ Students 20pages Portfolio templates: ry/category/2-design-portfolios-f1-inschools-secondary/

5 torque.invisionzone.com/index.php?/galle ry/ F1 in Schools Online Curriculum Resource (8). A demo version is available for free. Quality Characteristics of the Demonstrator Characteristic I how Demonstrator follows an inquiry based approach The educational program F1 in Schools is currently operational in over 30 different countries and more than students are taking part. It was first introduced in the UK in The competition s aim, and still is, to introduce younger people to science, technology and engineering in a more fun environment. F1 in Schools is an international competition in which teams of 3 to 6 students aged 9 to 19 deploy CAD/CAM software to collaborate, design, analyze, manufacture, test, and then race miniature gas powered balsa wood F1 cars. The cars are powered by CO2 cartridges and are attached to a track by a nylon wire. They are raced on a 24m long track with two lanes, to allow two cars to be raced simultaneously. Each team is required to produce a 20 page design portfolio as well as a pit display. The design portfolio is A3 size and should contain information about the team, their car design and manufacturing process, marketing techniques, project management, team work and team identity. Teams are given an area to set up a pit display which is judged alongside their design portfolio by a panel of judges. The evaluation activity includes also a judging interview session focuses on asking the team to demonstrate their work and query team on what they have done. F1 in Schools students acquire scientific inquiry skills and domain-based knowledge through discovering relations between dependent and independent variables. They start from an every-day life problem, analyze the problem situation, and define research questions and hypotheses. Hypotheses are tested through real observations or simulations. Data collection devices and software simulators are used for collecting real or experimental data. F1 in Schools students collaboratively solve problems and reflect on their experiences. The F1inSchools challenge is an inductive approach in the sense that students learn the content and concepts as they try to address a problem. The F1inSchools problem is central: it is ambiguous and complex in nature; it requires inquiry, information-gathering, and reflection; it has no single and simple solution; it often provokes a cognitive conflict. Above all, the F1 in Schools problem is designed in such a way that the knowledge students should acquire is most adapted for the resolution of the problem. Characteristic II how Demonstrator integrates elearning element By using web-based solutions (25), students can interact and work remotely together with engineers in a real-world environment, giving them valuable skills and knowledge they can use to succeed in

6 school and in their later careers. Using computer-aided design (CAD) software (21), as well as computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation software (22), team members collaborate to achieve their goal of producing the fastest model Formula One car. The use of virtual reality wind tunnel software allows the team to test and improve their car s aerodynamic design. Both CAD and CFD software are provided free of charge to all F1 in Schools teams due to a global partnership with the manufacturers of the software. The teacher can use F1 in Schools online Curriculum Resource to support hypotheses that the students should investigate Characteristic III how Demonstrator follows a Big Idea of Science The F1 in Schools challenge inspires students to learn about Newton s laws of motion: Changing the movement of an object requires a net force to be acting on it. Characteristic IV how Demonstrator is connected to a real world problem The F1 in Schools Challenge enables students to take responsibility for creating something themselves and are enthusiastic about achievements that are truly their own. Not only does F1 in Schools give students a taste of research, engineering and technologies but it focuses students on creating formal letters, public speaking, business planning, financial planning and marketing, all which are vital skills for all students. With a focus on giving students access to industry-standard technology, to increase their employability, the F1 in Schools Challenge is designed into a series of real-world, hands-on, problem-based learning investigations. Students will be working in small groups/teams with other students on problems that they are likely to encounter as a professional manager. Learning takes place within the contexts of authentic tasks, issues, and problems that are aligned with real-world concerns. In many respects the F1 in Schools classroom environment mimics the real world. The Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (26) on the Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan Reigniting the entrepreneurial spirit in Europe describe the F1 in Schools programme as a good example to encourage entrepreneurship at schools (paragraph 4.2.2). F1 in Schools inspires students to collaborate with industry partners within the context of their projects to learn about engineering principles such as physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacture, leadership / teamwork, media skills and project management, and then to apply them in a practical, imaginative, competitive and exciting way. The F1 in School program addresses several key learning areas, whilst at the same time getting even the most uninitiated students interested and involved in engineering, design, science and math related classroom activity. The program relies on public speaking, project planning, development and management, resource procurement, industry links, graphic design and manufacturing engineering. In addition to the more obvious outcomes, students develop many personal and employability skills, learning about working

7 in a team, working towards a common goal, time and resources management, seeking industry support and mentors. Whilst teachers play an interface role between students and careers they do not always have the experience or knowledge sufficient to facilitate the messaging, which will bring about sustainable career decision choices in students. By bringing together Industry, teachers and students into collaborative and innovative environment to work on real world projects we are facilitating the formation of sustainable partnerships with schools in a way which increases the interaction between industry role models, knowledge about career opportunities and the students. The educations system and industry are working together in the F1 in Schools program to provide the ongoing guidance and support to both teachers and students. This also provides an opportunity for industry to be the catalyst for a sustainable change in the future of a country. Experiences with the Demonstrator? Where? In more than 30 countries When? It is now in 14 th year of operation How many learners involved? More than students Results available? F1 in Schools Catalogue Review (9) World Finals Abu Dhabi 2012 Video Highlights (10) Coverage on Sky Sports in 2012 (11)

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