© NMISA 2010

Promoting Metrology to Secondary

School Learners in Previously

Disadvantaged Communities

T&M Conference: 10-11-2010 (paper J4J2)

Adriaan van Brakel and Refiloe Moganedi

© NMISA 2010

• Who will be the next generation of metrologists?

Introduction

FIFA World Cup™ fever …+ enthusiastic volunteers = NMISA outreach programme

2010

• Visits to 4 schools in Winterveld, Soshanguve

• Metrology concepts:

Sport, especially soccer Impact in community

• Career paths: Promote science &

technology Metrology as a career

© NMISA 2010

Programme objectives

• Foster a public awareness of metrology

• Introduce the South African metrology infrastructure (particularly, the role of NMISA)

• Highlight the impact of metrology in everyday life

• Transfer key metrology concepts*

• Stress the current scarcity of graduates in science, maths,

engineering and technology

• Promote the choice of scientific & mathematical subjects

• Show study paths leading to a career in metrology

*Measurement standard; calibration; accuracy

© NMISA 2010

Back to school!

• NMISA volunteers visited 4 schools near Pretoria:

Winterveld, North West Province (7-05-2010)

Holy Trinity High School

Nick Mpshe Technical School

Soshanguve, Gauteng (14-05-2010)

Ntsako Middle School

Ecibini Middle School

• School selection based on location:

Previously disadvantaged communities

Reached within a reasonable timeframe

• Visited Grade 9 science and mathematics classes

© NMISA 2010

Methodology

• Audio-visual presentation:

Role of NMISA, SANAS, and the international metrology

infrastructure

Metrology concepts in process followed when making Nestlé

Smarties

Importance of metrology in soccer (specially designed poster)

Career paths of metrologists, technologists, and scientists in

general

Financial aid options for students studying science at tertiary

level

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

• Metrology activity, ‘Tally-tally’:

Aim: find the tallest girl and tallest boy in the grade

Identify two volunteer metrologists, showing the most potential

Five of the tallest boys and girls invited onto the stage

Ten volunteers were chosen to measure their heights with tape

measures ‘Official’ height measurements were taken by NMISA staff, using a

spirit level and calibrated electronic distance meter (EDM)

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

Awards ceremonies

• Prizes awarded to:

Volunteers, whose readings were closest to the ‘official’

measurement

Tallest girl and tallest boy in the grade

All the other volunteers

• NMISA-branded soccer shirts, water bottles, pens and caps

• Complimentary rulers and boxes of Smarties to all learners

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

© NMISA 2010

Feedback

• Most valuable feedback came from the learners themselves:

Brief quiz session showed that most learners had been attentive

Presentations need to be aimed more specifically at school learners

• Hands-on participation generated the most positive reaction

• Teachers’ comments and recommendations

© NMISA 2010

Conclusions and future plans

• NMISA’s 2010 outreach programme reached its original objectives

• Grade 9 learners in previously disadvantaged communities were informed about metrology, science and technology

• Positive feedback from learners and teachers encourage us to repeat and expand NMISA’s outreach programme next year (provided the necessary resources are available)

• In future, more hands-on demonstrations should be planned

• More knowledge transfer possible if we present a broader range of hands-on experiments, covering several metrology areas

• Ideal: allow ALL the learners to take part in metrology activities

© NMISA 2010

Acknowledgements

• Schools visited: headmasters, admin staff, science teachers, learners

• All the NMISA staff who volunteered their time and energy

• Special thanks go to the organisers and demonstrators, including:

Margaret Ngobeni, Shravan Singh, Christelle Lourens, Kgaugelo

Masekela, Moses Temba, Oelof Kruger, Mariesa Nel, Amine Ben

Salem & Rim Cherif