Stage 1 Report

ENCOURAGING STEM ENGAGEMENT

Kerrie Noble 5th Year Product Design Engineering (MEng) 200948192 DM500: Individual Project 2 Email: [email protected] Suervisor: Professor Yi Qin

DM500 - INDIVIDUAL PROJECT 2 (UG)

Stage 1 - Report

Kerrie Noble 5th Year (MEng)Product Design Engineering Student Number: 200948192

Supervisor: Professor Yi Qin

Encouraging STEM Engagement Within Extra-Curricular Groups 1

Kerrie Noble | DMEM, UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE, GLASGOW – SUBMISSION 16/01/14

Statement of Academic Honesty I declare that this submission is entirely my own original work. This is the final version of my submission. I declare that, except where fully referenced direct quotations have been included, no aspect of this submission has been copied from any other source. I declare that all other works cited in this submission have been appropriately referenced. I understand that any act of Academic Dishonesty such as plagiarism or collusion may result in the non-award of my degree.

Signed ……...........……... Date 15/01/2014



Acknowledgements Many people have contributed to the compilation of stage one of this project and have made the process easier, more informative and helped me to achieve a better outcome in many ways.

Firstly I would like to thank the staff and students within the department of Design Manufacture and Engineering Management, particularly my supervisor Professor Yi Qin, whose help, input and guidance has been greatly appreciated and much needed throughout the completion of stage 1 of this project. Hilary Grierson, for her support with the Individual Projects class.

Thanks must also be extended to the leaders and young people within the 105th Dennistoun Scout Group who have accommodated and supported this project at a number of crucial stages.

Thanks must also go to those who participated in the online survey and also to Gail Penny and the Science Connects organization who willing participated in an interview and provided valuable insight into their current STEM engagement activities.

Also thanks must be extended to my family without whose support it would not be possible to be in this position now. Your support has not gone unnoticed.



Abstract The stage 1 report for this project covers content in relation to 2 sections of the project, primarily the research phase and the conceptual design phase. Content in relation to the outlining of the project background, aims, objectives, performance measures, deliverables, exclusions, constraints, key stakeholders, risks and the project methodology are also outlined within the introductory section contained within this report.

The research phase relies on user interaction and user testing to identify problems in relation to currently available STEM resources being used within the context of an extra-curricular group. Key learning outcomes are identified throughout the progression of this stage and are reached through the completion of various design methods, utilised for their potential to provide a large amount of relevant information. Methods covered within this section of the report include;

• A literature review • A diagrammatic review of extra-curricular groups • A case study of Debbie Sterling • A case study of key interest areas for 14 – 19 year olds • Online survey results from adult volunteers • Online survey results from 14 – 19 year old students • Expert interviews with STEM engagement organisations • Contextual situation testing of current products • Competitive testing • Identification of key stakeholders

On completion of the research phase a developed PDS is also outlined. After the outlining of the PDS the report will outline some of the initial design methods used within the conceptual design phase of the project. The design methods discussed include;

• Concept generation through utilisation of an observational study • Focus group of potential users developing initial concept designs • Random word generation with potential 14 year old users

A summary of project management and design approaches are also included throughout the stage 1 report.



Table of Contents Statement of Academic Honesty ..................................................................................................... 1

Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................................ 2

Abstract ................................................................................................................................................ 3

List of Figures ......................................................................................................................................... 7

List of Tables .......................................................................................................................................... 7

1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 8

1.1. Background ........................................................................................................................... 8

1.2. Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 9

1.3. Project Definition ................................................................................................................... 9

1.4. Project Aim............................................................................................................................. 9

1.5. Project Objectives ................................................................................................................ 9

1.6. Outline Project Deliverables and/or Desired Outcomes ............................................... 10

1.7. Performance Measures ...................................................................................................... 10

1.8. Exclusions .............................................................................................................................. 11

1.9. Constraints ........................................................................................................................... 11

Language consideration .................................................................................................................. 11

Facilities available .......................................................................................................................... 11

Ability ............................................................................................................................................ 11

Disability awareness ....................................................................................................................... 11

1.10. Interface ........................................................................................................................... 12

1.11. Financial Plan ................................................................................................................... 12

1.12. Key Project Stakeholders ................................................................................................ 12

1.13. Risks .................................................................................................................................... 13

1.14. Methodology ................................................................................................................... 13

1.15. Planning Phase ................................................................................................................ 13

1.16. Outline Project Plan ........................................................................................................ 13

2. Research Phase .......................................................................................................................... 14

2.1. Research Phase Approach ............................................................................................... 14

2.2. Literature Review ................................................................................................................ 16

The importance of STEM to today’s society in Britain ....................................................................... 16

Attitudes towards STEM.................................................................................................................. 18

School to University – University Readiness ..................................................................................... 19

Pupil’s Attitudes towards STEM ...................................................................................................... 21

Numbers of people currently involved in STEM ................................................................................ 22



Situational reasons for why participation in STEM subjects is low ...................................................... 22

Curriculum Changes ........................................................................................................................ 26

Suggested changes and improvements .............................................................................................. 26

Results of action currently taken to improve STEM participation........................................................ 27

Meaningful Learning ....................................................................................................................... 28

Key Learning Outcomes; ................................................................................................................. 32

2.3. Diagramatic Review of Extra-Curricular Groups ............................................................ 33

2.4. Case Study – Debbie Sterling Improving Engagement with STEM for Young Girls .... 33

More About GoldieBlox ............................................................................................................. 34

More About Debbie ................................................................................................................... 34

Key Learning Outcomes; ........................................................................................................... 35

2.5. Case Study – Key Interest Areas for 14 – 19 Year Old Students .................................... 35

Social Networking ...................................................................................................................... 35

Online Gaming ........................................................................................................................... 36


2.6. Extra-Curricular Group Online Survey – Adult Volunteer Survey .................................. 38

Additional Comments ............................................................................................................... 43


2.7. Extra-Curricular Group Online Survey – 14 – 19 Year Old Student Survey ................... 44


2.8. Case Study – STEM Activity Engagement Within the Scout Association ..................... 53


2.9. Expert Interviews ................................................................................................................. 59

Science Connects Interview ..................................................................................................... 59


2.10. Contextual Situation Testing .......................................................................................... 64

Build-and-Test Activity................................................................................................................ 66

Product 1 – Snap Circuits .......................................................................................................... 66

Product 2 – Speed Boat Construction Electronics Kit ............................................................ 68

Feedback on Third STEM Kit Type ............................................................................................. 69

Analysis of Questionnaire Knowledge Capture Answers ..................................................... 69


2.11. Competitive Testing ........................................................................................................ 70

Observational Study .................................................................................................................. 70


2.12. Identification of Key Stakeholders ................................................................................ 72



Those Who Will Purchase and Use the Finished Product ...................................................... 72

Those Who Promote STEM Engagement Activities ................................................................ 73

Those with a Vested Interest in Encouraging More Participation Within STEM Subjects .. 74

2.13. Evaluation ......................................................................................................................... 75

2.14. Product Design Specification ........................................................................................ 76

2.15. Evaluation ......................................................................................................................... 76

3. Conceptual Design Phase ........................................................................................................ 77

3.1. Conceptual Design Phase Approach ............................................................................. 77

3.2. Observational Concept Generation – Visit to Glasgow Science Centre ................... 78

Concept 1 ................................................................................................................................... 79

Concept 2 ................................................................................................................................... 80

Concept 3 ................................................................................................................................... 81

Concept 4 ................................................................................................................................... 81

Concept 5 ................................................................................................................................... 82

Concept 6 ................................................................................................................................... 83

3.3. Idea Generation Focus Group -16 and 17 Year Old Participants ............................... 84

Initial Ideas................................................................................................................................... 84


Concept 7 ................................................................................................................................... 86

Concept 8 ................................................................................................................................... 87

Concept 9 ................................................................................................................................... 88

Concept 10 ................................................................................................................................. 89

Concept 11 ................................................................................................................................. 90

3.4. Focus Group – Random Word Generation ..................................................................... 91

3.5. Evaluation ............................................................................................................................ 91

4. Conclusion .................................................................................................................................. 93

4.1. Outcomes from Stage 1 ..................................................................................................... 93

4.2. Progress for Stage 2 ............................................................................................................ 95

References ......................................................................................................................................... 96

Appendix 1 – Project Approach Plan ............................................................................................. 99

Appendix 2 – Project Gantt Chart ................................................................................................ 109

Appendix 3 – Participant Consent Form ...................................................................................... 111

Appendix 4 – Contextual Situation Testing Questionnaire ........................................................ 114

Appendix 5 – Revised Gantt Chart ............................................................................................... 117



List of Figures Figure 2.2. 1 - A diagram outlining a review of key indicators stating why participation and engagement in STEM subjects is vital to the UK. ..................................................................................................................... 17 Figure 2.2. 2 - The diagram above outlines young learners' perceptions of school science subjects. ............... 24

Figure 2.4. 1 - The diagram above outlines the distribution of engineers worldwide in terms of gender. ........ 34 Figure 2.4. 2 - Debbie Sterling - Creator of GoldieBlox. .................................................................................. 34

Figure 2.5. 1 - The image above shows some of the key social networking sites. ............................................ 35 Figure 2.5. 2 - The image above shows the GTAV game cover. ...................................................................... 36

Figure 2.8. 1 - The table above shows sales figures for each badge listed within the key areas covered by scout activity badges. .................................................................................................................................................. 57

Figure 2.9. 1 - The image above shows the LEGO Mindstorm kits used by Science Connects in primary schools. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 61

Figure 2.10. 1 - The image above shows testing of product 1. .......................................................................... 66 Figure 2.10. 2 - The image above shows testing of product 2. .......................................................................... 66

List of Tables Table 2.2. 1 - The table above details percentage increases in relation to the number of total STEM students studying at university, and the number of female students studying in STEM fields at university for countries within the EU. .................................................................................................................................................... 20 Table 2.2. 2 - The table above outlines the three types of cognitive demand present when considering meaningful learning. ............................................................................................................................................................. 29



1. Introduction A major, government-led campaign has seen the enhancement of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teaching throughout the UK. As demand for STEM skills continues to grow, encouraging young people to actively engage in this area of education is becoming more of a concern and the focus placed on the frameworks and strategies employed to encourage young people to participate in STEM related activities is becoming more intense. To add to the pressure of encouraging these STEM participation activities, schools throughout the UK are currently facing a shortage of highly qualified science and mathematics teachers and as a result this severely reduces their ability to provide the government required STEM teaching at an acceptable level. (Sainsbury, 2007) In order to continue to promote and encourage STEM participation amongst young learners and reduce the pressure currently felt by teaching staff and schools there is a need to develop a STEM-based educational kit which can be used in extra-curricular environments such as Young Engineer’s clubs, Scouts, Guides and other youth organisations.

1.1. Background Lord Sainsbury’s Government Review of Science and Innovation Policies (A Race to The Top, 2007), outlines the UK’s objective of moving into high-value goods, services and industries in order to compete within an era of globalisation. He states that the only way to achieve this is to fulfil a campaign to enhance the teaching of science and technology in response to the demand for science, technology, engineering and maths skills. In this reference, Lord Sainsbury is referring to the Ten-Year Framework and Next Steps documents (2004 and 2006 respectively) which announced measures to address the UK’s STEM skills challenge. These documents led to the creation of STEM Net, Science Connects and many other charitable organisations who aim to encourage participation in STEM related education by providing fun and interesting activities for school children. However, Lord Sainsbury’s report, and many other government and organisational reports from recent years have highlighted the potential problems that still exist with providing resources to support the STEM frameworks which are in place.

Many of the research papers considered indicate the future of STEM as a concern. The Russell Group of Universities Report, 2009, states that school students are avoiding A-Level subjects that they perceive to be ‘harder’, which includes STEM. The report also found evidence to suggest that state school pupils are significantly less likely to take separate science and other STEM subjects despite knowing that taking these subjects could increase their future options. In 2006, 70% of the 6th-form students surveyed believed it was harder to get an ‘A’ grade in science subjects rather than the perceived ‘softer’ options. It is this train of thought which the STEM framework and initiatives aim to change, however, this is a train of thought which is entrenched from a young age and is influenced by many factors. The report titled, ‘Subject Choice in STEM: Factors Influencing Young People (14 – 19) in Education’, (2010), outlines many of these factors.

The issues discussed above, and others, including areas such as the number of people involved within the STEM sector, some results and outcomes following current initiatives to improve the number of people taking part in STEM, some suggested reasons as to situational contexts dictating the low participation in STEM subjects, recent implemented curriculum changes which may be affecting young people and suggested improvements and changes in the way young people engage in STEM have been summarised from other government and organisational reports. These issues and reports will be discussed further within a Literature Review which is included in a later section of this project report.



1.2. Conclusion The many reports which cover the effectiveness of government implemented STEM schemes have illustrated the attempt to engage and encourage the participation of young people in the area of STEM in order to fulfil the high demand for creativity, innovation and high-quality services and goods within the UK. The reports have shown that the majority of 14 – 19 year young learners are still feeling disengaged from science, technology, engineering and maths for many reasons, including their perception of how difficult it is to attain good grades in these subjects, their lack of knowledge on where a career in STEM can lead and other personal and contextual influences such as gender, ability, ethnicity and the type of school they attend. The frameworks and programmes which have been put in place by successive governments is beginning to work with more interest being created in STEM and the opportunities it provides, however the shortage of teachers with expert subject knowledge in these areas is still a major concern as these young learners are still not receiving the correct support in order to obtain significant achievement within the STEM subject areas. There is still much more that can be done to encourage STEM participation within this age group, as was highlighted in Lord Sainsbury’s report, ‘A Race to the Top,’ (2007) where it states, ‘Extra-curricular activities can play an important role in enthusing young people and demonstrating the exciting opportunities that studying science can open-up.’ The current programmes in place, STEM Net, the National Science and Engineering Competition and the Big-Bang Fair, do not extend to having a presence within extra-curricular groups as they are run mainly on a voluntary basis and receive limited funding and therefore cannot provide the equipment which would be needed to run activities within these settings. Set within this context there is an expressed need for a re-useable kit which can portray key scientific ideas, and so demonstrate the benefits and basis of STEM, while also being interesting and informative for the 14 – 19 years age group.

1.3. Project Definition The aim of the project is to conduct some research into the types of STEM kits available for use in this context, i.e. extra-curricular clubs such as Young Engineer’s, Scouts, Guides and many others, in order to identify the key problems with existing products which are available in order to produce a more fitting solution which can further STEM engagement within this age group. This will continue to encourage STEM participation while eliminating the teacher shortage issue which has been outlined, and reduces the issue surrounding funding for the STEM Net programmes.

1.4. Project Aim Design and develop a scientific-based kit, for the 14-19 years age group, which is suitable for use in an extra-curricular environment to encourage more participation in STEM subjects.

1.5. Project Objectives There are some key objectives which need to be met by this project;

• Develop a reliable and durable product which can be suitably re-used in order to reduce the cost and impractical nature of providing replacement parts. Funding has already been outlined as a key issue so a re-usable product will eliminate this major issue, also a re-usable product is more likely to sustain interest in STEM according to some early feedback received around the project.

• Explore the key area of Design for Assembly to ensure the kit is easy to use by minimising parts while still maintaining a high level of functionality. A kit which is easy to use without the need for expert knowledge is very desirable as it builds more of a sense of achievement for the young people in this area.



• Develop a product which is inherently easy to use but also requires the end user to think and actively engage to encourage understanding of some basic scientific principles. Deep learning through doing is required in order to help young people within the curriculum, this can only be achieved through a kit which is easy to use but does not provide all answers freely, and there must be an element of self-teaching.

• Explore the idea of having one modular product which can be configured into many different layouts to provide the user with the opportunity of exploring more than one area of STEM with the need to only purchase one kit.

• Develop a product which can be easily and cheaply manufactured but also has the capability of being re-used several times.

• Develop a product which allows young people, aged 14 – 19, to use the kit without the need for any supervision or expert input.

• Explore the idea of STEM involvement in an extra-curricular environment to further define the problem, need and aim for the project. Also identify key products which are currently being used in this area and outline the key issues which exist with the use of these products and how these could be addressed.

• Explore some of the basic scientific principles which could be adapted into a small scale form which could provide ideas for an electronic-based scientific kit for the 14 – 19 age range.

• Develop the idea through model making and CAD. Specifically exploring the areas of modular kit building and the key area of circuit construction which will reduce the need for specialist equipment such as solder and soldering irons, whilst also providing the re-usable functionality which has been clearly identified as a user requirement.

• Test and validate the design and idea by testing a working model through scouts and schools and talking to organisations who run STEM workshops or promote STEM within the community. Engineering testing of elements such as structure stability, force analysis and electrical component testing within the circuit structure will also be key to this project.

1.6. Outline Project Deliverables and/or Desired Outcomes The project will aim to complete the following deliverables;

• A complete drawing set. Detailing manufacturing drawings and requirements for the production of the circuitry and plastic component assembly aspects of the educational kit.

• A report and portfolio explaining how this design was achieved. This will detail all the activities undertaken in order to arrive at the final design. A detailed list of activities showing the approach being taken for this project are outlined in Appendix 3.

• A prototypes and models to demonstrate key features. Prototypes of key ideas, especially in the area concerning the construction of the electronic circuit aspect of the project, will be produced at various stages throughout the project.

1.7. Performance Measures In order to identify achievement of the main project aims and objectives it is proposed to pilot the use of the developed kit within scout groups and schools. This will provide the feedback required to adjust and change parts of the design as necessary to ensure the objectives are met with the highest possible standard. Small test



groups will be used to ensure quality and focused feedback is obtained, I feel this is more achievable within the setting of a small group as it is easier to facilitate and less susceptible to distractions.

To ensure the design also meets the requirements of external organisations who endorse participation in STEM, it will be necessary to ensure they also contribute to the evaluation and decision making required within the project. Two such organisations are the IET and Science Connects (a branch of STEM Net), work to create interest in the project within these two organisations is at an early stage but it is hoped that professionals from this area will be willing to provide their opinion on emerging designs during idea generation and final evaluation stages of the project.

1.8. Exclusions The main objective of this project is to develop an interactive scientific kit for the 14 – 19 year old age range which is based on the use of an electronic circuit to allow investigation and experimentation into basic scientific principles. The project will look at how this can best be achieved through the design and development of a reusable kit however, it will not define new ways of conducting existing scientific experiments, and it will look at a way of simplifying these experiments to make them more accessible for this age range.

1.9. Constraints Within this project there are many constraints which need to be considered throughout the development process;

Language consideration – The 2011 Census revealed that although 92.3% of the population in the UK speak English, there are significant minorities of the population who speak Polish, Punjabi or Urdu as their main language. As this project focuses on education and young people with the view of encouraging participation in STEM subjects, language must be considered as this should not be a barrier to preventing the use of the product. This constraint therefore needs careful consideration throughout the project. (Mirror, 2013)

Facilities available – The facilities available to extra-curricular clubs such as scouts, guides and young engineers will have a significant impact on the design and development of this product. From personal years of experience of involvement with this type of extra-curricular club, facilities are limited. The majority of these clubs do not have access to lab-specific equipment such as safety glasses, lab coats, soldering irons etc. This presents a need for the product to have the ability to be assembled and used without requiring the use of any of this lab-specific equipment.

Ability – The report titled, ‘Subject Choice in STEM: Factors Influencing Young People (14 – 19) in Education’, (2010), outlined many personal and contextual issues affecting young people and their relationship with STEM subjects. One of the main influences, as stated in this report, was their ability or previous experience of these subjects. It is important, when considering extra-curricular groups where a large number of children attend, to consider the fact that the children present in these groups will have a large range of abilities and many different backgrounds and experiences when considering involvement in STEM. One objective for this project is to eliminate this personal factor and make the use of this kit, and STEM as a whole, accessible to children aged 14 – 19 regardless of their previous experience or ability. Therefore, this requires the resulting product to be simple and easy to understand while also providing enough knowledge on a particular area so as to appeal to many ability ranges within this age group.

Disability awareness – A report titled ‘Disability in the United Kingdom 2012: Facts and Figures’ outlines some of the main disabilities affecting both male and female students in the 14 – 19 age range. The report highlights



that almost 1 in every 5 people in the UK have a disability with around 1 in 20 children being disabled. In terms of age and gender only 9% of disabled adults are under the age of 35 and in 2010/11 the most common impairments for children were communication, learning and mobility based. Amongst children, boys also experience a higher rate of disability than girls and are more likely to experience coordination, learning and communication difficulties. These are therefore the most prevalent disabilities occurring in the target age group and consideration of use with disabilities must have a significant place in the development of the product. (Papworth Trust, 2012)

1.10. Interface The final product will have many viable interfaces with outside organisations. The first such organisations would be STEM Net and the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) as these organisations are playing a primary role in encouraging young people to participate in STEM and regularly try to organise STEM related activities within schools with the aim of generating interest in this area. These organisations have the ability to stock a full range of developed kits with the ability to loan kits, on request, to local groups and schools, therefore providing an accessible and reliable resource. As the product focuses on use in an extra-curricular environment, this would cover use at home, and in other organisations such as scouts, guides, GB, BB and many others. An interface between these organisations and the product therefore also exists. There is an opportunity for these groups to buy separate kits, or borrow them from the previously mentioned organisations. These organisations could also be identified as the target end user. The product may also be stocked in retailers across the UK and this provides the third type of interaction between an outside organisation and the product. The retailer must be suitable satisfied with the product in order to purchase and sell the kit within their stores. The retailer is therefore also the main customer for this product.

1.11. Financial Plan An appropriate budget is required for detailed prototyping within the project and funds to contribute to the cost of 3D printing and other prototyping and modelling techniques required for a fully developed outcome have been sought. Having used the money wisely at this stage of the project it is hoped that the benefits from product marketing will be greater due to taking attention to detail to ensure a well-rounded solution is achieved from an early stage in the project.

1.12. Key Project Stakeholders The key stakeholders which have been identified throughout the literature relating to this project are organisations such as the IET and STEM Net who promote and encourage participation within the area of STEM, the students who will be using the finished product, the customers who will buy the finished product and the members of the community who run the extra-curricular groups, identified as the main area of use for this type of product. All of these identified stakeholders have a key interest in the value and quality of the product, as well as its ability to generate community involvement and improving the quality of communication between STEM related organisations and the young students they are trying to attract. The owners of the product will also be concerned with the longevity and social goals of the product, i.e. the product should be priced accordingly and achieve the social needs of the young people which have previously been identified as missing.

Other organisations with a small stake hold in the project include the government, due to aspects of economic growth, economic direction and job creation in vital sectors which have been labelled as a priority within government policy. Any employees and suppliers associated with the creation, distribution and marketing of



the product will also have a stake hold in the project as this directly affects their financial situation. Should the project attract any investors at a later date then the investor will also have a key stake hold within the project.

1.13. Risks Extensive user testing and involvement in the product development process will help to reduce any potential risks of failure associated with bringing the product to market. The type of user activity required is explored through the methodology used throughout the project and this is explored further in the next section of this project brief.

Further to the risks associated with placing a product on the market, there are the general risks associated with product modelling and prototyping during the development process. These risks have been considered and are highlighted in the accompanying risk assessment. Furthermore, any risks involving ethics within the project have been eliminated through the completion of the university ethics checklist which also accompanies the project brief.

1.14. Methodology As mentioned previously the project methodology will centre on extensive user involvement through research, development and testing. In order to fulfil this two specific methodologies have been combined to outline the methodology which will be utilised throughout the project.

The UCD methodology structure, as outlined by Chandra Harrison, Sam Medrington and Whan Stransom, has been utilised and combined with the extensive focus and principal of ensuring the user is at the centre of the process as illustrated by the UCD process highlighted by Experience UI. This structure has been used to clearly define each stage of the project and illustrate the iterative nature of the project, as constant development is an important consideration in this area as STEM changes to coincide with the school curriculum changes. The structure also shows the importance of evaluation at every stage of product development as feedback and user validation is key within this project. The structure and the methods being used is clearly shown in the diagram included on page 6 of the supporting portfolio. (Harrison, Medrington & Stransom, 2013) (Experience UI, 2009)

1.15. Planning Phase The first phase within the project, as outlined by the project methodology is the planning phase. This phase outlines the time schedule in which the project must be completed and plans for the progression of the project in a sequential and logical manner while also outlining potential design methods and tools and consequently highlighting areas of consideration in terms of research or development areas which are relevant to the development of the project. The project management tools and techniques used within this phase of the project are identified and discussed further below.

1.16. Outline Project Plan The research, idea generation, detail design and testing stages within the project have been outlined and detail about methods used within each of these areas have been included in the project approach, this approach is clearly outlined in stages and is shown in Appendix 1. Planning sheets have been used in conjunction with the methodology to produce a project Gantt chart which can be seen in Appendix 2. This Gantt chart may be subject to change and will be evaluated and changed when required at regular intervals throughout the duration of the project. Key deadlines have been noted and the timescale of 8 months is also clearly indicated through the project Gantt chart.



2. Research Phase The research phase is the second phase within the progression of this project, as outlined by the methodology diagram outlined to the left. This section comprised the use of several design methods and techniques in order to provide a comprehensive image of STEM-related schemes currently being funded by the UK government while also providing a detailed picture of potential users, market potential, competitor testing and finally the identification of customer requirements. This phase of the project provides a knowledge base on which the remainder of the project is

built upon, it is therefore essential that this phase is comprehensive and structured in nature in order to ensure all aspects of research relating to this topic are covered with depth while also ensuring the project remains on target in terms of time and project management. This is essential to ensure all project objectives, as outlined within the introduction, are adequately met. This phase of the project is covered throughout this section of the report and associated project work is also displayed on pages 7 - 34 of the supporting portfolio.

2.1. Research Phase Approach It has already been stated that this phase of the project requires a structured approach due to the large amount of available and relevant information which needs to be processed to ensure all aspects of research relating to this topic are covered with a clear depth of information being necessary. The nature of the design methodology and the product development area of STEM and its incorporation within an extra-curricular setting require an intense focus on the user. Therefore to ensure a breadth a depth of information is obtained with adequate evaluation and user focus the following approach plan was developed to guide the progression of this phase of the project. This will also help to ensure the project time schedule is met. The devised approach to this phase of the project is shown in the diagram below;



The diagram clearly divides the research phase into five distinct areas which concentrate on collecting both qualitative and quantitative data in relation to necessary research for this project. The approach progresses in a sequential and methodical manner by first identifying current engagement and STEM development schemes through reviewing available literature. The second area, represented in yellow within the above diagram obtains quantitative and qualitative data from current students within the 14-19 year old age range, the potential users of the developed product, and volunteers within extracurricular groups, potential customers of the final product development. The information obtained from the initial areas is then supported through further testing and identification of competitor products and the identification of key stakeholders for potential market development and release. Finally this phase concludes by evaluating all information obtained throughout this phase of the project and uses this information to construct a product design specification. Further evaluation will be conducted on completion of the PDS to identify any further research required upon final concept selection which will occur within the embodiment design section of the project.

Figure 2.1. 1 - The diagram above outlines the approach being taken throughout the research phase of the project.



Some of the design methods identified within the initial project planning sheets for this phase of the project, highlighted methods which were not incorporated in the final research phase approach. This was due to the feeling that some areas, such as user testing and identification of competitor products target market would be repeated if all the initial design methods were used within the final research phase approach. This approach also ensures input from key stakeholders, customers and end users to ensure the differing opinions within each of these key user groups are considered, consulted and included throughout every stage of the project to ensure an optimal and suitable final solution for the project is achieved. This approach also minimised the number of design methods and tools utilised to obtain relevant information to enable effective time and project management to achieve a suitable solution within the overall project schedule. Each of the methods identified, within each of the five areas highlighted in the above diagram, will now be discussed in terms of research activity and associated outcome throughout the remainder of this section of the report.

2.2. Literature Review The literature review aims to identify current literature surrounding the area of STEM engagement and the current situation throughout the UK, with particular focus on current schemes and actions which have been taken to increase STEM engagement. This will help identify a specific area of STEM engagement which can benefit from product development and identify a specific target age group. The literature review has been divided into specific focus areas which will be discussed in more detail throughout the literature review in this section of the project report.

The importance of STEM to today’s society in Britain The following section of the literature review will look at encouraging participation in STEM and why this has become a major focus and concern within today’s British Society.

Lord Sainsbury, 2007, beings analysis in this area by stating, ‘an effective science and innovation system is vital to achieving the UK’s objective of moving into high-value goods, services and industries in order to compete in the era of globalisation.’ This indicates how the world economy is changing and developing through time and highlights the aims and objective of the UK economy in relation to how the government foresee the country competing within an ever increasing globalised economic race. This clearly indicates the role that innovation, science and engineering has within developing high-quality products through serious academic research and industrial applications within these related sectors. In order to achieve the outlined aims and objectives it is therefore vital that a supply of creative young scientists and engineers is maintained, or in some instances increased. Stevens, 1012, supports this theory by outlining thoughts on how the benefits of STEM study extend to other areas beyond the economy;

• Quality of life improves with technological advancement in medical technology, consumer technologies and gadgets.

• Entertainment and popular culture is enhanced with technology and science. • An understanding of science equips the public with the knowledge which enables the ordinary person

to challenge the ‘status quo’ in many areas, including politics and culture, and informs and guides debates within these areas.

• Science adds to the art of conversation. • Science, engineering and invention is seen as inherent British-ness due to the history Britain has in this

area.



These points are again expanded upon by a report produced by IPSOS MORI, 2011, which states key indicators on why encouraging participation in STEM is vital to the development of today’s society. The diagram of key indicators is shown below;

The key indicators highlighting the importance of engagement with STEM also add the benefits of;

• Agreed scientific rules. • Science makes our lives easier. • Scientific benefits are greater than any harmful effects. • Scientists make a valuable contribution to society. • Scientists want to make a better life for the average person.

This comprehensive review of beneficial outcomes resulting from engagement with STEM highlight the

importance of this area to the average person’s everyday life as well as the benefits of society as a whole. This is also highlighted through public views on science and how this directly affects them, this is discussed below.

IPSOS MORI, 2011, states, ‘the public generally views science and scientists as beneficial to society.’ The report continues to expand on this point by identifying specific responses to questions relating to the key indicator diagram shown above;

• 80% of the people surveyed agreed that science, on the whole, makes our lives easier, and 54% thought that the benefits of science were greater than any potential harmful effects.

• 88% of those surveyed agreed that scientists make a valuable contribution to society, while 82% agreed that scientists want to make the life of the average person better.

• The report outlines that a list of phrases were presented to those who participated in the survey which resulted in producing opinions on how scientists are viewed by the public;

o Serious (48%) o Objective (41%) o Rational (33%)

• The report also outlined those phrases which participants felt did not relate to the description of a scientist;

o Being narrow-minded (9%) o Friendly (9%) o Too inquisitive (7%) o Good at public relations (5%)

The report concluded by indicating the relationship between a person’s life stage and their view of the contribution of science to society;

• Younger participants focused on technology and gadgets to make life easier.

Figure 2.2. 1 - A diagram outlining a review of key indicators stating why participation and engagement in STEM subjects is vital to the UK.



• Older participants were more inclined to think about the advances within medical technology.

It is widely accepted that the views being expressed are generally developed through years within the education system and with coverage of science-related news stories. Current education and its contribution to STEM engagement is another topical area which was covered extensively throughout available literature.

As the Royal Academy of Engineering, 2007, outlined within their research paper outlining issues relating to 21ST century engineering education, UK business and education is currently failing to maintain or increase the number of high-calibre engineers entering industry. The failure within this area is set to become apparent throughout the period of the next 10 years and will present repercussions for both the productivity and creativity achieved within UK business.

The shortage of STEM graduates entering the economy has been widely researched and the requirement of graduates with excellent technical skills, a high standard of mathematics and broader skills including communication and team work is a constant outcome of many of the research papers presented within this area. One particular research paper identified the issue of engineering university entrants remaining static between 1994 and 2004 despite the total number of university entrants rising by 40%, this clearly illustrates the current lack of engagement and interest with STEM subjects and quantifies the problem facing British Higher Education and the future progression of the economy. (Russell Group of Universities, 2009) The Girl Scouts of America Research Institute, 2012, also identified a key issue with regards to encouraging females into the STEM fields. The report from the research institute states that women account for only 20% of all bachelor’s degrees within engineering, computer science and physics. Within industry the issues continues to grow, regardless of the STEM field, only 25% of industrial positions are held by women. Many experts within the STEM field agree that increasing the number of women across all STEM fields will expand the national pool of workers, educators and innovators for the future and this may help tackle problems which have overlooked in the past. Other suggestions regarding reasoning for low uptake within STEM fields has also been provided within the available literature.

The Russell Group of Universities, 2009, also provided some suggestions with regards to the low level of interest relating to the static engineering university entrants. The research presented by this group suggests that course funding gaps and risks which constrain the innovation in learning and teaching as some of the priority issues which require addressing. They also highlighted the problem which exists earlier within the education system, pre-university and higher education level. The key problem within this level of education is the worryingly low interest in ‘key’ subjects such as physical sciences and mathematics as attitudes towards STEM subjects continues to remain negative, especially when considering attitudes within female students. This issue is explored further within the following section.

Attitudes towards STEM Attitudes towards STEM fields and subjects varies amongst gender and age groups. There are many literary sources which have tried to identify current attitudes to STEM within modern society and suggest reasons for why these attitudes have developed. This is discussed throughout this section of the literature review.

Female Attitudes According to the Australian Department of Further Education, 2012, many females studying Prime STEM in secondary school do not aspire to study Prime STEM at university. This is quantified through the fact that female students comprise 45% of Prime STEM school students and this decreases to 25% of Prime STEM university applicants. This portrays an equal number of female and male students studying STEM within a



school-based setting, however the issue arises when students leave school and apply to university, here the numbers become much more male dominated.

The same study outlines the difference between male and female students’ attitudes to STEM and the first major difference occurring within the first two phases of the learning-work continuum. The major difference outlined states that females aspire to different STEM goals in comparison to their male counterparts, it also emphasises that these aspirations are generally carried through with those female students who study within the STEM areas. The first two phases of the learning-work continuum are school and university. The research study details student attitudes to STEM within these two phases and assess the university readiness of the students in relation to the preparation required to study within a STEM field at university.

School to University – University Readiness In the early 90s the percentage of students in year 12 studying STEM related school subjects was 90%, by 2010 this figure had reduced to 51% of students within the same year group. It is therefore a clear fact that fewer students are studying STEM subjects than ever before. This identifies the clear decline within Australian student figures, however the picture portrayed by Eurostat, the European Commission, 2011, portrays a picture of increasing levels of students graduating in Maths, Science or Engineering.

The EU statistics focus on the numbers of students graduating in maths, science or technology subjects, as opposed to the number of university entrants or school student numbers which have been stated by other research papers, through the years between 2000 and 2009. The EU benchmark within this area was to increase the number of STEM graduates by 15% by 2010 while also concentrating on reducing the gender imbalance within this area. Overall numbers of graduates within the EU had increased by 39.7% by 2010, more than double the target increase. This figure is divided into the increase or decrease for constituent EU nations and is compared to similar figures obtained from countries which are deemed to have high educational standards such as the US and Hong Kong. These figures are shown in the table below.



Table 2.2. 1 - The table above details percentage increases in relation to the number of total STEM students studying at university, and the number of female students studying in STEM fields at university for countries within the EU.

The table highlights significant percentages changes within countries such as Romania and Slovakia, which suggests these results may be providing a false picture in terms of the results achieved. Within the time period considered, many eastern European countries were undergoing major structural and constitutional changes which changed the social mobility within these countries. This will result in increased numbers of students within these countries entering and graduating from university. Due to this historical background, the figures may not be as impressive or as significant as the figures first suggest. In fact, the overall growth also benefited from students obtaining a second degree at a masters’ level within STEM related subjects. With the background to the data having been fully considered, the growth figures within the EU for graduates within STEM areas was relatively low and suggests major problems still exist within this area.

The European Commission research paper concludes by also considering the share of women studying within STEM related subject areas. In contrast to a small increase, in relative terms, within the number of total graduates, the gender imbalance in these areas was not reduced within the same time period. Less than 33% of



STEM graduates were women in 2000 and the level was still the same in 2009. When considering this within individual constituent EU countries, female STEM levels were consistent across the data obtained therefore indicating no country could provide a success story for improvement within this area. Across the EU the picture for the number of female graduates in STEM subjects is extremely low. For areas such as education and training, health and welfare, humanities and the arts, social sciences, business and law, the number of female graduates ranges between 60% and 75%. In contrast to this, men account for more than 80% of graduates in engineering, manufacturing and construction. It is felt that this imbalance is created and embedded within school pupils from an early age and this topic of interest was outlined within a British Department of Education report from 2010.

Pupil’s Attitudes towards STEM The Department for Education, 2010, evaluated and measured students’ attitudes towards STEM over a period of time. Over this evaluation time period, an increase in positive attitudes towards STEM was recorded. The improvement in attitudes recorded results indicated a rise in positive response to areas such as enjoyment of science and engineering and showed an increased intention to study STEM subjects in the future. However, the positive aspect of certain areas was overshadowed by a number of areas which showed no improvement in attitude. This included areas such as awareness of career opportunities related to STEM areas and pupil aspiration, an area which saw significant decrease in student attitude. The key, interesting points arising from the evaluation undertaken throughout this period included;

• In year 2 of the survey, 78% of participants surveyed indicated that enjoyed science. This showed a 10% increase on year 1 of the survey. By year three the percentage had decreased slightly to 73% however this was not considered to be significant.

• 75% of students studying engineering indicated they enjoyed it throughout years 2 and 3 of the survey, which showed a significant increase on year 1 of the survey.

• In years 1 and 2 of the survey 45%-55% of the students indicated they would like or quite like to study science in the future. This had decreased to 50% in year 3 of the survey however, this again was not considered significant.

• In years 1 and 2 of the survey 38%-46% of the students indicated they would like or quite like to study mathematics in the future. In year three this also showed a decrease to 40% but again was considered significant.

• The desire of students to study science beyond GCSE level is increasing and in year 3 of the survey an even greater proportion of students responding to the survey indicated their desire to study science beyond GCSE.

With regards to job opportunities, the Department for Education report found that initially, within years 1 and 2 of the evaluation, students’ knowledge of STEM jobs increased, however, in year 3 this fell. In year 2 of the survey 58% percent of the respondents stated that they felt they knew more about STEM jobs than in year 1, however this also decreased to 53% in year 3. Overall findings in relation to this area found that interest and engagement with STEM is generally rising, however, aspiration to pursue a STEM career is declining and therefore is indicative of the need to focus on communication of STEM careers information and guidance.

A final indication of STEM enjoyment was also obtained as pupils were asked whether studying four separate STEM subjects in school was enjoyable. The results showed that;

• The majority of pupils studying science and technology either enjoyed or quite enjoyed studying these subject. (Science = 73%, Technology = 76%)



• From year 1 to year 2 of the survey, students indicating an enjoyment of studying science rose from 68% to 78% at the 5% level. By year 3 of the survey students reporting their enjoyment in relation to studying science had decreased but again the decrease was not deemed significant.

• Only 59% of pupils indicating enjoyment of studying mathematics. • Engineering recorded the lowest number of responses in relation to the enjoyment of studying that

subject.

This provides an overview of a situation where, initially the evaluation shows a slight improvement of attitudes related to STEM subjects, however, in year 3 of the survey attitudes are starting to decline again, indicating the requirement for continued focus within this area. Therefore this requires a more detailed overview of the current numbers of students studying in STEM related fields.

Numbers of people currently involved in STEM The following section investigates the current levels of graduates and employees in STEM sectors within Britain and outlines the need for growing participation within this area.

Lord Sainsbury, 2007, highlights the continual growing demand for technology, engineering and mathematics skills and the problems which lie ahead. Currently the stock of STEM graduates within the UK is at a high level when compared to other OECD nations, however with a 20 year decline in the number of school students taking A-Level physics there may be a shortage within the near future.

In relation of other science subjects, there has been a recovery of student selecting biology and chemistry which results in an overall slight decline for the last 10-year period. The number of students sitting A-Level mathematics dropped in 2001-2002 but is now showing a recovery.

Situational reasons for why participation in STEM subjects is low This section considers some situational reasons for why participation in STEM is currently low.

Every available research paper outlines many possible reasons which may be causing the issues surrounding STEM engagement. Many of these reasons are situational and may be addressed with the correct approach.

The first situational reason, offered by Lord Sainsbury, 2007, is the issue of a shortage of qualified teachers within the key STEM subject areas. This is an area that regular appears amongst all of the literature which was reviewed. The analysis provided suggests that this shortage of teachers has a negative effect on the students’ attitude to studying STEM subjects as they perceive the subjects to be difficult and good grades to be unattainable due to the provision of poor teaching within these areas.

Student experience is a separate area which is considered to be a situational reason for low STEM participation. It has been suggested that a student’s early experience of STEM subjects have a considerable impact on their future subject choices within key STEM subjects. A more detailed analysis of the various issues surrounding this area highlights the numerous factors which combine to provide many reasons for low STEM participation. The study also suggested that issues such as poor information regarding opportunities and the distribution of the information amongst parents and children, combined with the young age at which subject selection occurs and the schools lack of knowledge of available opportunities to help students, or in some cases the overwhelming opportunities available to schools, also contribute to a negative student experience which is paramount in the consideration of STEM participation and goes some way to explaining why interest in this area has declined over the last two decades. (Lord Sainsbury, 2007)



The Russell Group of Universities, 2009, also provides evidence which suggests that many students are avoiding A-Level subjects which they perceive to be ‘harder’ or ‘difficult’ including the key STEM subjects. The report outlines some key statistics to support this argument;

• A survey of 500 students found that 70% of respondents believed it was harder to obtain an A-grade in science subjects than it was in the subjects they perceived to be easier and ‘softer’ options. And for 66% of the respondents, they stated they felt the perceived difficulty of subjects became a key factor in subject choice. The Director at the Centre of Evaluation and Monitoring supported this argument by stating that students pick subjects where they are more likely to achieve top grades and this meant avoiding subjects which are perceived as being harder.

• The centre of Evaluation and Monitoring analysed data relating to grades in certain subjects at both GCSE and A-Level. The results showed that students achieving a B-grade in history, economics, geography, English, sociology and business studies at GCSE tend to average a C-grade at A-Level. It also showed that students achieving a B-grade in maths, computing, German, French, chemistry, physics and biology at GCSE tend to average a D-grade at A-Level.

• 80% of physics teaching working in an independent school have a physics degree compared to the 30% of physics teachers working in state secondary schools.

• 22% of the physic teachers recruited to independent schools obtained a first-class degree compared with the 13% of recruits for state secondary schools.

• 30% of teachers in mathematics do not have a qualification in this subject which extends beyond A-Level.

The data presented above provides a strong argument which suggests that the type of school a student attends will dictate their attitude towards STEM subjects to a certain extent. This theory is expanded by a report from the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre, 2010. This report outlines, what it believes to be the key factors to consider when investigating STEM participation. The key factors identified are;

• Gender • Ethnicity • Ability • Socioeconomic status • School/college size • School type (comprehensive/grammar etc.) • School type (with sixth form/without sixth form) • School type (single-sex/co-educational) • School type (independent/local authority) • School type (religious denomination) • Grouping practices (i.e. setting by ability) • Geographical setting • Subjects taken at GCSE • Qualifications of teaching staff • Performance of school/college • School status (degree of autonomy of school management)



• Gender ratio of staff • Urbanicity

IPSOS MORI, 2011, supports this argument by outlining key numbers of students studying science within secondary school. This paper’s study findings indicated that 24% of respondents agreed that school was the reason they became dis-interested in science. To put this into perspective, this response is far greater than the percentage proportion obtained in both 2008 and 2005 surveys. The survey also found that women were more likely to agree with this statement than men.

With regards to what people learn at school in STEM subjects, opinion is also divided. Opinion is split between agreeing or disagreeing on the usefulness of science teaching to life after education, 44% of respondents thought it was useful compared to 36% who thought it was not useful. 67% indicated that they were likely to see maths as useful in their daily lives. Only 37% thought school science had been useful in their industrial jobs whereas 42% thought it had not been useful upon leaving school. Again the number of respondents indicating that maths had been useful in an industrial setting was much higher, rated at 66%. As science has received the lowest overall percentage responses in terms of usefulness, the table below has been included to outline, in more detail, the perceptions surrounding school science.

Also part of the perception of school science is the quality of teaching within these subjects and how they compare relatively to teaching in other school subjects. 51% of survey respondents indicated that teaching in science was similar to the teaching in other subjects, however, 22% said the teaching quality in science subjects was better than teaching in other subjects while 18% stated they thought it worse than teaching in other subjects.

Figure 2.2. 2 - The diagram above outlines young learners' perceptions of school science subjects.



Many of the respondents indicated that it was not necessarily the level of difficulty which made them dis-interested in science, however quality of teaching may have and affect. This relates to many changing attitudes to science and how the school experience leads to the changing of personal interest in the subject which is discussed further below.

IPSOS MORI, 2011, expands upon these key areas by addressing other areas which relates to the key indicators diagram which was discussed in a previous section of this literature review.

Interest in Science In a survey, 82% of the British public agreed that science was a large part of daily life and therefore people should take an interest in developments within this area, 25% of this response group indicated a strong agreement with this statement. 68% of the respondents also agreed that it was important to know about science in everyday life. The responses achieved in both of these areas has shown an increase since 2000, with those in higher education being more likely to agree with both statements.

However, some of the survey participants saw science as important but not personally relevant to them. These respondents thought the public in general should take an interest in science but were less willing to take an interest on an individual basis.

In relation to the negative aspects considered by the survey responses, 8% of people recorded an opinion which stated they thought they heard too much about science within daily culture, such as new reports and TV programmes. This suggests that information about science is not becoming overwhelming as 38% thought they received the correct amount of science-based information and 51% thought they didn’t receive enough information, this response proportion has increased by 17% since 2008. As this is a number of years after solutions and suggestions within government policy have been implemented within certain areas, it therefore highlights the possible success measures achieved through STEM engagement programmes. (IPSOS MORI, 2011)

Feeling Informed The survey showed that 43% of respondents stated they felt informed about scientific research and developments whereas 56% of respondents stated they felt they were not well informed of these area. The survey also highlighted that women and the less affluent within society tended to feel less well informed than the average respondent, which IPSOS MORI highlighted as a general trend in previous PAS studies. They also highlighted how internet access can also affect how people feel in relation to STEM. The study found that those with access tended to feel much more informed of these areas than those without internet access.

The overall picture being portrayed of how informed society is about subjects related to STEM is a declining feeling of being informed. The current study recorded a percentage proportion of 43% of respondents indicating that they felt well informed, a decrease of 12% since 2008. The study results suggest that many factors may be influencing these results but also identifies how information access and confidence in understanding science has increased;

• In the current study, 49% of respondents agreed that finding out about new scientific developments was easy, a rise of 13%.

• Only 32% of respondents thought they were not academically able enough to understand science and technology, however this figure has only fallen 6% since 2000.



In contrast, the study also considered whether the speed of developments within this area was making it more challenging for people to understand and become engaged with STEM. The study found;

• 63%, an increase of 7% from 2008, stated they thought science and technology were too specialised for the majority of people to fully understand.

• 46%, an increase of 4% from 2008, thought they could not follow developments as the speed of evolution in this area was too fast.

• 71% of respondents also agreed there was too much conflicting information regarding scientific knowledge and information and therefore it was difficult to know what to believe.

• From a range of scientific topics which were explored within the survey 51% of people felt informed on the topic of climate change, 47% felt informed about vaccinations, 35% felt informed about human rights and 23% felt informed about renewable technology. Areas which people felt less informed about included nanotechnology and synthetic biology. (IPSOS MORI, 2011)

Curriculum Changes This section outlines some critical curriculum changes within the STEM area of education which may also be impacting on the engagement of young people within these subject areas.

The aim of the school STEM curriculum is to provide every pupil with sufficient understanding of scientific and mathematical principals while also making the subject interesting and engaging in an attempt to aspire students to continue study within these areas. A new programme for science teaching was introduced in 2006 with the inclusion of additional support being provided through extra training and through national centres and organisations such as Science Learning Centres, the Secondary National Strategy, the Association for Science Education and the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust. QCA, the qualifications and curriculum authority is responsible for continuously evaluating the taught science programme and ensures that the Key Stage 3 curriculum stretches able pupils in order to inspire them to evolve and continue study within the Key Stage 4 curriculum. (Lord Sainsbury, 2007)

Suggested changes and improvements This section outlines some suggestions, made by the authors of available literary sources, on how participation within the key STEM subjects could be improved.

Throughout much of the available literature the authors actively evaluate the issues surrounding STEM engagement and interest within this subject area and many have suggested changes and improvements to current systems to help address the issues surrounding STEM. Lord Sainsbury’s report, 2007, reviewed all government policies in relation to science and innovation and identified three key areas for improvement and provided some suggestions to guide future progression;

• Awareness of careers needs to be improved to ensure young people become more aware of the wide-range of opportunities available to them through studying STEM subjects. Improved awareness of this wide range of opportunities available will make students more aware of the contribution they could make to enhancing and changing lives in the future through innovation and scientific development. Addressing the imbalance within certain STEM groups must also be part of the focus within this issue.

• A wide-spread marketing campaign along with the use of a website should help generate interest and understanding of this area. This should be achieved through the distribution of appropriate leaflets to schools, parents, teachers and children.



• Finally, extra-curricular groups have an important role to play in encouraging young people to become enthusiastic about STEM areas and help through demonstrating some of the exciting opportunities which are available.

Lord Sainsbury’s final improvement suggestion concentrates on school-based extra-curricular groups and the author continues by stating, ‘too many schemes exist and each has its overhead costs to consider. Few schemes have more than a local coverage and teachers find it difficult to make sense of the amount of literature they become bombarded with. Companies also do not feel they get value for money by contributing funds to these schemes.’ This suggests that Lord Sainsbury is correct to focus on extra-curricular groups, however, having demonstrated the vast difficulties and issues associated with school-based groups, this presents the idea of the requirement of non-school-based groups also becoming involved in the area of STEM engagement.

The suggestions and improvements are not contained to marketing and careers advice. The Royal Academy of Engineering, 2007, also consider the areas of encouragement, primarily stemming from universities and companies, and the shortage of qualified secondary school teachers. The first area discussed the need for universities and companies to collaborate and become involved in the Teaching Engineering in Schools Strategy (TESS) and the National Engineering Programme. The second area outlines the acknowledged shortage of qualified teachers in maths and physics and the effect this has on university entrance figures for STEM subjects. Combining this knowledge with the suggestion from Lord Sainsbury surrounding the use of extra-curricular groups, it is apparent that STEM development and engagement with young people in this area is being neglected by current solutions surrounding the issue of STEM participation with secondary school students.

Results of action currently taken to improve STEM participation The following section outlines some of the results which have arisen from some current measurements taken by successive governments to address the issue of participation in STEM.

Many actions have already been taken in relation to addressing previously identified issues and problems with STEM engagement. As many solutions have been in place for a number of years, some statistical data regarding the success and failure of these solutions is available for analysis.

Lord Sainsbury, 2007, concentrates on two areas within the results analysis of existing solutions, the Ten Year Framework and Next Steps documents and the take-up of subjects. The first area identified the successful implementation of the two outlined documents as signs of progress are beginning to emerge in relation to implemented measures which addressed the STEM skills challenges. The most successful outcome from the implementation of these two documents was the increase of people recruited to train as science teachers, an increase of over 300 people was achieved within a period of less than six years. An increase of over 400 people was also recorded in the numbers of people recruited to train as mathematics teachers over the same period. This success was also used to reinforce the result within the second area, the uptake of A-Level physics. The declining number of students taking this subject from 1990 was again highlighted but it was suggested the lack of qualified teachers in this area was responsible for this and therefore the extra science teachers training within this area would help to address this issue.

These results were also supported through a Department for Business, Innovations and Skills report, 2012, which also reviewed more recent data of results achieved through the implementation of national STEMNET schemes.



STEM Ambassadors This programme utilises 25,000 volunteers who provide teachers with free resources to help with the delivery of the school curriculum by incorporating innovative ways of teaching traditional subject areas.

STEM Clubs Network This club network offers children the opportunity to explore, investigate and discover STEM subjects in a more interactive way outside of the school timetable and reaching beyond the normal curriculum.

Schools STEM Advisory Network This network consists of 45 organisations with a primary focus of offering impartial advice to schools surrounding the areas of;

• STEM within further education • Training • Employment

The report outlines that the STEMNET schemes receive governmental funding and highlighted to success which these areas are having by incorporating real-life STEM experience within the school-based curriculum.

Meaningful Learning As any product development within this area needs to actively achieve meaningful learning through both practical activities and the provision of written textual instructions it is important to outline the learning process and how the presentation of information can affect the achievement of meaningful learning within the individual learner. This area is discussed throughout this section of the literature review.

Fostering Deep Learning Skinner (2012) talks about how relations exist between behaviour and the consequences which result from that behaviour and then identifies how this achieves a more effective control over a person’s behaviour through an iterative process of completing a task and learning from the consequences of the behaviour displayed throughout the task and the overall result achieved as a result. It is important to outline theories on how people learn and how deep learning can be fostered through the use of practical activities. Fostering deep learning within young learners is one of the main aims of in relation to product development of solution implementation in this area and several viewpoints on fostering learning have been considered.

Skinner also states ‘a significant change in behaviour is often obvious as a result of a single reinforcement.’ Skinner extends this thought by stating that complex performances will be reached through the use of progressive shaping processes, i.e. iterative reinforcement to progressive lead the learner to the point of achieving the required behaviour. On the topic of reinforcement, Skinner also talks about ‘aversive control’ or the fear of criticism, anxiety or ridicule which has the potential to cancel any positive effects amongst the behaviour control of the learner. Having considered all of these thoughts presented within Skinner’s paper, it has become apparent that to foster deep learning a clear approach to feedback must be given with information provided on many levels through an easy to follow layout which creates a positive response within the learner, reinforcing their learning in a positive manner as anxiety, criticism or ridicule may have unpredicted and unwanted effects within the context of the learner’s deep learning. This implies that all feedback must be presented clearly in a progressive and positive manner so the user does not feel lost or criticised so they feel open to making mistakes and learning from them.



Learning Through Practical Activities Skinner (2012) states ‘lack of a skilful programme which moves forward through a series of progressive approximations to the final complex behaviour desired.’ In this statement Skinner eludes to the need for a ‘skilful programme’. Skinner’s interpretation of a skilful programme is referring to the programme of teaching within a classroom, however this can easily be interpreted and used within the context of a skilful programme required for self-teaching in a practical application. This theory and suggestion from Skinner is highly relevant as it highlights the requirement for the programme to be progressive, i.e. the programme which is being used to convey a sense of learning must help and lead the learner through the process if effective learning and changes in behaviour are to be achieved. Skinner extends this thought by arguing that the provision of an instrumental aid is not a difficult concept or challenge and the important feature to include within such a tool is to provide the means of immediate reinforcement for identifying correct or incorrect answers.

Multimedia is commonly used as a practical learning tool, especially when considering the area of design engineering where the emphasis is on using practical tools to learn while completing practical activities. (Mayer, 2003) Mayer also highlights how generating meaningful learning through the use of a multimedia medium must consider important aspects of material presentation and how this must be organised in a coherent manner in order to successfully integrate this type of tool and information with the relevant existing knowledge required to reinforce the meaningful learning of the user.

While Skinner’s approach also illustrated the need for a clear progression through coherent structure of teaching and behaviour reinforcement, Mayer continues this thought process further and summarises three key assumptions on how the mind works in order to maximise the potential from practical learning. This summary is shown in the table below.

Mayer extends this theory by introducing the three types of cognitive demand present when considering meaningful learning;

• Essential processing • Incidental processing • Representational holding

The two kinds of cognitive demand which are appropriate for this research study are essential processing and incidental processing.

Mayer states that essential processing is ‘cognitive processes that are required for making sense of the presented material.’ This type of demand directly involves the selecting of words, images and organisation of these words

Table 2.2. 2 - The table above outlines the three types of cognitive demand present when considering meaningful learning.



and images in order to achieve an integrated understanding of the theories and required behaviour behind the presented material.

In contrast, incidental processing is quoted as being, ‘cognitive processes that are not required for making sense of the presented material.’ This type of cognitive demand involves considering any element which surrounds and affects the essential processing cognitive demand, such as unnecessary background music. Mayer concludes by stating that ‘meaningful learning can require a heavy amount of essential cognitive processing,’ and highlights the potential problem which may occur when the processing capacity of the mind’s cognitive system is overloaded through the vast processing demands evoked via a learning task. This is a relevant point to consider to maximise the learning students in relation to STEM. It is essential to ensure the learning is maximised and not overloaded. Sweller (1999), and other authors, explore a way in which to minimise the chance of overloading the cognitive system of the learner.

In contrast to Skinner and Mayer’s theories of developing deep learning through consideration of processes used and understanding of how the mind works, Mischel (2013) considers human traits, developed and discussed by psychodynamic theorists, which can be measured to assess the learning of individuals. Mischel defines a trait as, ‘differences between directly observed behaviour or characteristics of two or more individuals on a defined dimension.’ What Mischel is trying to convey here is the fact that a person’s ability to gather information to generate deep learning is variable, dependant on previous experience and human genetics and these variables can result in a large difference in behaviour amongst individuals. Having considered this, there are three areas which have been highlighted as key traits to measure;

• Ability and Achievement – Linked with Mischel’s previously stated theory, a person’s previous experience and ability will affect their ability to learn and gain a deep understanding of material.

• Cognitive Behaviour and ‘Styles’ – Mischel outlines how response speeds and cognitive judgement will differ.

• Personality Variables – According to Mischel, intellectual and achievement are two related behaviours which are variable amongst people and will affect certain evoking criteria which will change the way in which they learn and how they use it.

Skinner (2012) presents a theory about the final stages of learning where, ‘the student is able to achieve automatic reinforcement. This provides the highest level of learning and behaviour control.’ Pintrich (1990) also supports Skinner with this theory by explaining the need for students to be capable of ‘self-regulated learning’ to help improve the cognition process. The developed solution must aim to achieve this, however, Skinner does not extend his theory by suggesting ways in which this highest level of learning can be achieved.

Effective Display of Results Sweller (1999) introduces the concept of the ‘Split attention effect.’ This effect occurs when the learner’s attention is split between the media presented, where part of their attention is drawn to looking at the image and the rest of their attention is spent trying to digest the text presented to them. Sweller states that one solution to the effect is to present text as a form of narration for the presented image.

Another area highlighted by Sweller for consideration is ‘Material with high-intrinsic load.’ This phenomenon occurs with material which is complex by conception and does not allow the learner to engage in the process of deep and meaningful learning. As Mayer and Sweller both state, this process involves the understanding and organisation of all media presented. Sweller also continues to state, ‘addition of extraneous material will cause



the learner to use limited cognitive resources on incidental processing.’ In other words, in this statement Sweller is suggesting that presenting the learner with a large amount of complex material will leave little cognitive processing for incidental processing, i.e. the cognitive process associated with processing material which is not required for the understanding of the presented material, as previously stated by Mayer. Therefore to help encourage deep learning, the technique of using text as a narration for the image should be explored.

The issue of user interaction and how this integrates with the display of results in fostering deep learning is an important consideration, it is believed that simple user interaction affects the process and outcome of cognitive tasks given during a practical activity. (Mayer, 2001) Mayer states that the issue surrounding user interaction and meaningful learning is the amount of processing capacity which must be used to just to receive the presented words and images which leaves no capacity for the learner to mentally organise or integrate the knowledge being presented, this is the highest stage of self-learning as previously outlined by Mayer and Skinner.

In order to combat this problem, highlighted by Mayer (2001), part-to-whole representation is suggested. Presenting an entire sequence is seen as usual practice, however, to promote greater understanding, part-to-whole representation is more effective as a cause-and-effect system is put in place and is extremely useful when the learner is not familiar with the material being presented. Mayer further explains that this system works by presenting parts of the information in a sequential manner to help lead the learner through the information being presented so that the learner has the opportunity to understand and organise the media in small, manageable sections. This, in turn creates a basic level of interactivity between the learner and the tool. Mayer further explains this example by explaining that a basic interactivity between the tool and the user can foster a more meaningful learning experience in the form of multimedia learning as long as it is conducted in a theory-based manner.

Boyce, Biggs and Marton are three authors who take the concept of theory-based learning and further explain how this can be used to foster deep learning through how the information is displayed and structured.

It is accepted that the best practice for encouraging student learning is to provide a framework. This framework must ‘incorporate student, teaching context, student learning processes and learning outcomes.’ (Biggs, 1993) Through this, Biggs wants to illustrate the need for an all-encompassing framework which guides the student through learning and which has significant knowledge behind its existence. This is much the same as Mayer and Skinner’s theories, however Biggs expands further on this. Similarly to Mischell, Biggs also notes the effects previous learning, abilities and experiences will have on the learner’s approach to the task.

Marton extends the idea of a framework and adds a more descriptive nature of what type of information should be included as an output from this framework to help aid learning outcomes and processes. Marton (1976a) outlines the nature of description-oriented outcomes of learning processes. This type of outcome tends to encourage memorization of the material being presented but does not generate deep learning or understanding. Instead, conclusion-oriented outcomes tend towards developing understanding and fostering deep learning through its approach. (Marton, 1976b)

Optimal Levels of Information for Fostering Deep Learning Optimal levels for information and result display are dependent upon the type of task being issued to the user. ‘Metacognitive knowledge includes knowledge of general strategies that might be used for different tasks, knowledge of conditions under which strategies might be used, knowledge of the extent to which the task is effective.’ (Pintrich, 2002) Having identified that cognition may also relate to strategies for dealing with different tasks and the subsequent understanding of how this might affect the outcome of the task, Pintrich’s



suggestion here can also be applied to the optimal display of results for fostering deep learning. The philosophy presented here, stating that cognition is different depending on the user, is transferable, not only to the effect on the outcome of set tasks, but also to the level of information displayed within the given task, and the display of results, illustrated through the further description supplied by Pintrich, which outlines areas of knowledge which relate to how a user learns and how this subsequently affects performance.

Strategic Knowledge – This knowledge area refers to the user learning, thinking and problem solving skills. As identified by Mayer (2001), the capacity to complete these tasks may be severely limited through multimedia material overloading which in turn limits the cognitive capacity of the user.

Knowledge about cognitive tasks – Different tasks all have different difficulty levels. When considering the area of result and information display in this area, difficulty levels must be reflected in the type and amount of information given. A higher level of difficulty will require more information and presentation must be considered in order to make this as effective as possible.

Self-knowledge – Self-knowledge refers to the personal strengths and weaknesses of the user. This will vary among a large group of users and will ultimately affect the information and result display. Different users will express different opinions and request different displays and information depending on their own strengths and weaknesses. This point also relates to the theory outlined by Mischel (2013) where the author reflects on how previous experience and knowledge will change their performance during a given task and lead to different learning experiences depending on the user.

With regards to the optimal display of results and required information for performing tasks, it is hard to define this element due to the changing requirements and perspectives of different users. One way of developing this theory is by outlining the philosophy behind the understanding of the practical epistemologies of students and how this has an effect on their learning. Sandoval outlines this theory in his 2004 paper title, “Understanding student’s practical epistemologies and their influence on learning through inquiry.”

In this context, epistemology is regarded as study concerned with the development of knowledge. Sandoval states, ‘inquiry should be a central strategy of science instruction,’ he continues to illustrate that this theory will present students with the opportunity to learn concepts in a deep manner which can foster meaningful learning while also developing a range of practical and experimental scientific skills. The epistemological framework, as described by Sandoval (2004) is ‘necessary to form an understanding of how to conduct an experiment,’ can be transferred and used in this project specific context and will provide the ability to form an understanding of how to design for teaching scientific and technological principals through use of practical applications.

Key Learning Outcomes; • The world economy is changing and developing through time and highlights the aims and objective of

the UK economy in relation to how the government foresee the country competing within an ever increasing globalised economic race.

• 80% of the people surveyed agreed that science, on the whole, makes our lives easier. • 88% of those surveyed agreed that scientists make a valuable contribution to society. • Younger participants focused on technology and gadgets to make life easier. • UK business and education is currently failing to maintain or increase the number of high-calibre

engineers entering industry. The failure within this area is set to become apparent throughout the period of the next 10 years and will present repercussions for both the productivity and creativity achieved within UK business.



• Engineering university entrants remaining static between 1994 and 2004 despite the total number of university entrants rising by 40%.

• Women account for only 20% of all bachelor’s degrees within engineering, computer science and physics.

• Less than 33% of STEM graduates were women in 2000 and the level was still the same in 2009. • Men account for more than 80% of graduates in engineering, manufacturing and construction. • Engineering recorded the lowest number of responses in relation to the enjoyment of studying that

subject. • A survey of 500 students found that 70% of respondents believed it was harder to obtain an A-grade in

science subjects than it was in the subjects they perceived to be easier and ‘softer’ options. • 51% of survey respondents indicated that teaching in science was similar to the teaching in other

subjects, however, 22% said the teaching quality in science subjects was better than teaching in other subjects while 18% stated they thought it worse than teaching in other subjects.

• Reinforce their learning in a positive manner as anxiety, criticism or ridicule may have unpredicted and unwanted effects within the context of the learner’s deep learning.

• Generating meaningful learning through the use of a multimedia medium must consider important aspects of material presentation and how this must be organised in a coherent manner in order to achieve successful integration.

• To help encourage deep learning, the technique of using text as a narration for the image should be explored.

• Simple user interaction affects the process and outcome of cognitive tasks given during a practical activity.

2.3. Diagrammatic Review of Extra-Curricular Groups Many extra-curricular groups and societies exist within the UK, covering many aspects from military cadets to young engineers clubs. Many of these groups provide activities or training in STEM related subjects and therefore could potentially benefit from product development in relation to improving STEM engagement and providing more useful resources to help with running STEM-related activities. A review of some potentially important extra-curricular groups is shown on page 7 of the supporting portfolio.

2.4. Case Study – Debbie Sterling Improving Engagement with STEM for Young Girls

Debbie Sterling is a female engineer and founded the company GoldieBlox Inc. in 2012, a toy company which set out to inspire the next generation of female engineers. Debbie completed an engineering degree (Product Design) at Stanford in 2005.

Her creation, GoldieBlox, is a book series and construction set which tries to engage young girls with STEM through the stories of Goldie. Goldie is the principal character within the story of GoldieBlox and is represented as a girl inventor who likes to solve problems by building simple machines. Upon launch, the company raised $285,000 in 30 days through Kickstarter and has now been featured in many publications, including The Atlantic and Forbes. (National Academy of Engineering, 2013)



More About GoldieBlox The interactive nature of GoldieBlox was devised to get girls building and to help develop a level playing field between young girls and boys. Girls tend to lose interest in science, technology, engineering and maths as young as age 8. For hundreds of years construction toys have been considered ‘boys toys’ and therefore develop the skills they more likely to require within engineering, leaving the girls of the same age lagging behind. (GoldieBlox, 2013)

Girls start with a huge disadvantage with under-developed spatial skills and kids who score better on spatial skills tests grew up playing with construction toys. However, she recognised that these toys have been marketed as boy’s toys for over one hundred years and this is the basis behind the development of her product. She made it her aim to develop an engineering toy for girls. To start development she met with little girls and watched them play with her rudimental prototypes, they soon got bored and she asked why. When

the girls testing her prototypes showed her their favourite toys they brought her a book. She used this insight to develop GoldieBlox. (TEDxTalks, 2013)

The story and construction set of GoldieBlox aims to tap into the strong verbal skills which girls inherently possess, and bolster confidence in spatial skills while providing the tools for young inventors to build and create amazing things. Construction toys are one of the main contributors to developing an early interest in science, technology, engineering and maths, and by designing a construction toy from the female perspective GoldieBlox aims to inspire the future generation of female engineers. (GoldieBlox, 2013)

More About Debbie

Debbie Sterling is the founder and CEO of GoldieBlox and always had a stereotypical image of an engineer being a train driver. Her maths teacher suggested she should take a major in engineering, and after four years at Stanford she graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering/Product Design. She was bothered by the number of women within her engineering program and made it her aim to introduce girls to the joy of engineering at a young age. (GoldieBlox, 2013)

Debbie claims that most girls start to lose an interest in science and mathematics around age 6. She also reveals that a study was completed by 65 countries where girls and boys were tested using the same science test, and around the world the girls out-performed the boys, but yet they still lose interest in these topics and generally people perceive this to be because girls aren’t as good at these subjects. However, the country which produced different results was the US, suggesting that is a cultural thing happening within different societies. She also states that 20% of engineering, science and tech undergraduate degrees are awarded to women. (TEDxTalks, 2013)

Figure 2.4. 1 - The diagram above outlines the distribution of engineers worldwide in terms of gender.

Figure 2.4. 2 - Debbie Sterling - Creator of GoldieBlox.



Key Learning Outcomes; • Girls tend to lose interest in STEM subjects at an early age and therefore highlight the need to include

extensive female incorporation within the research and development area to ensure a truly unisex product is developed which captures engagement from both male and female students within the target age group.

• Incorporating user testing of rudimental prototypes will provide essential feedback and ensure the product development is meeting the requirements of the target market.

• Utilising key areas which interest the target market will help to generate and create product buy-in as the product can utilise existing areas where the target market feel comfortable, essential within the area of STEM in order to over-come the negative thinking which surrounds STEM school subjects.

• Only 20% of STEM graduates are women.

2.5. Case Study – Key Interest Areas for 14 – 19 Year Old Students Within modern society there are two key areas which generate large participation from the target age group. These are the areas of social networking and online gaming. As these areas also potentially count as a threat and competitor to the development of any product for this age group, the best chance for successful product integration within this age group is to identify key elements which make these areas popular and try to implement these key features within the product development. For this reason each of these areas will be discussed and analysed in turn.

Social Networking Social networking has gained popularity at record-breaking speed. Social networking has become an integral part of many lives since its inception in 2003. So much has changed over the internet in modern times that these sites offer people the opportunity to interact and meet new friends via the internet. However, the social mobility and interaction offered by these sites do have considerable drawbacks. The health risks presented by the use of these sites are still being debated. Potential drawbacks include more time spent in front of computer screens and interacting with people through touch and typing rather than traditional social interaction. There is also the problem of unwanted information appearing with the ability for the entire world to see personal information.

Other experts would still argue that the benefits of social networking greatly outweigh the negatives presented by the use of these sites. For instance it allows old school friends to catch-up on each other’s lives, often more than 20 years after they last saw each other, personal information avoids the often socially awkward questions which dominated social gatherings in the past, and the online gossip allows people to share information about everything and anything with the entire world population within seconds. Of course some of these benefits require moderate use of the application however it has greatly benefitted large ‘families’ with world-wide communication and allows help, support and guidance in relation to a number of issues to be a simple click away. One such example is the 1st Facebook Scout Group. (Hamaker, 2009)

The 1st Facebook Scout Group is now the world’s largest internet scout group. This group is for all people who loved or love being a Scout and aims to promote positive Scouting discussion and create international links. This includes allowing freedom to post questions relating to running scouting sessions, asking for advice and sharing interesting stories. This group has become an easily accessible library of knowledge and advice which is actively being shared amongst those users who share common interests and this has contributed to the over-

Figure 2.5. 1 - The image above shows some of the key social networking sites.



riding success and growth of numbers within the group. The group has become so successful that it is now officially recognised as a scout group with appropriate badges and neckerchiefs which can be worn with official scout uniform. (Facebook, 2014)

Having outlined the numerous benefits of social networking, the success must also be contributed to the structure behind the running of social networking sites. A technical definition of the term social networking is, ‘an online service, platform, or site that focuses on facilitating the building of social networks or social relations among people who, for example, share interests, activities, backgrounds, or real-life connections. A social network service consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social links, and a variety of additional services. Most social network services are web-based and provide means for users to interact over the Internet, such as e-mail and instant messaging. Online community services are sometimes considered as a social network service, though in a broader sense, social network service usually means an individual-centered service whereas online community services are group-centered. Social networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks.’ This outlines some key features of a social networking site;

• An online service or platform • Focuses on the facilitation of building social networks or relations amongst groups of people who share

interests, activities, backgrounds or real-life connections • Provides a representation of each user, their social links, and numerous other additional services • Most social networks provide a means for interaction and communication via the internet • Allow sharing of ideas, activities, events and interests (Mashable, 2013)

As this has become such a successful service through providing these features, these should be considered as essential when considering the development of a product to encourage STEM engagement as interaction and sharing of ideas and activities in relation to experimentation, learning and creative ideas is what drives engagement and success within this area also.

Online Gaming

Grand Theft Auto V was rated as the top video game in 2013. (IMBD, 2013) This game has achieved much success in the world of gaming and as stated in a recent review, ‘games come and games go but some games stay around.’ This game is definitely one of those which stays around. The game is still proving to be fun to play and is still anticipated and wanted within the market

after a five year absence. This has been put down to a number of factors.

Key Characters – The new release has not only one key character but three which provides new options and introduces many new levels in what is seen as a very clever game, introducing the player to complex storylines and key game development avenues. One of the main benefits introduced through the use of three different main characters is the new ability

to switch between these characters throughout the game. This creates an ever changing picture which generates and maintains interest throughout the game. Ultimately this gives the user even more control of the direction of the game. This also provides further narrative to the game meaning that every time the game is played, the experience does not necessarily have to be the same.

Level of Detail – The level of detail within this game has been rated as immense by many of the reviewers. The number of cities adds to the size of the game map and immerses players in the world of grand theft auto.

Figure 2.5. 2 - The image above shows the GTAV game cover.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2103188/



Customisation – Within the cities used without the game, a high level of customisation is also available. Players can add and change their own barbers, clothes shops and custom car shops to make the game environment their own. Some level of character customisation is also available to enable the character to gain improved skills as the game progresses.

Challenge – Within the game there is always activity, whether it is shooting, flying or driving, the player always has something to do. These present clear challenges which are split across many levels within the game, ensuring the player never has to get bored and can consistently improve their gaming skills.

Storyline – There is a clear and developed storyline which utilises many film scenes and ‘biting satire’. The storyline also implements and comments on areas of modern society, such as social media, which brings relevance to the user and enables buy-in due to the realism presented by the game.

Online Community – The game also provides the player with the ability to go live online and play and challenge other users via the internet, introducing an interactive element to game playing. This also adds to the challenge of the game completion as competition between players situated across the world becomes a key element of the storyline placed within the game.

Marketing – Before the launch of every game there is an extensive marketing campaign. This serves the purpose of increasing the ‘hype’ surrounding the game launch and creates buying power and enthusiasm for weeks before the game reaches the shelves. (BCS, 2013)

The characteristics evident within this game, and many others, along with features identified within the area of social media are the key elements which appear to generate enthusiasm and buy-in from the target age group. Therefore, to ensure successful product development and product buy-in it is essential to try and replicate or implement these key characteristics within any product associated with STEM to ensure participation and engagement from the target market.

Key Learning Outcomes; • Social networking is an integral part of life for the target market age group, therefore any product

development for this group should seek to integrate the product functionality with use of a social networking facility to generate product buy-in and enthusiasm.

• Social networking offers social mobility and interaction as key traits of the system, these characteristics are inherently important within the area of STEM in order to develop creativity and experimentation and so product development for the area of STEM should seek to include the high levels of interaction and social mobility demonstrated through social networking platforms.

• Social networking affords users the freedom to post questions, share stories and ask for support from people with similar interests. This is an essential quality needed within STEM product development as the literature review has already demonstrated that lack of support and negative thinking around ability are key reasons for discouraging engagement within this area. Therefore a link with social networking freedom of questioning should be incorporated into the product design.

• Detail and relevance have been highlighted as successful characteristics evident within popular video games. It appears detail and realism create a relevance to daily life which seems to be important to the target age group and so the area of STEM product development needs to take inspiration from the video game market and demonstrate real detail and relevance to young learners.



• Customisation generates interest, allowing the user to gain some control over the activity which seems to be particularly appealing to the target age group, therefore customisation should be a key element within any concept development.

• Challenge further generates product buy-in and engagement as the target age group see this as a challenge which must be solved, therefore generating continuous interest and determination to conquer the challenge. This is typically achieved through the use of varying difficulty levels and this feature should be implemented within product development within the STEM area.

• Storyline adds to the progression of the game or activity and provides a believable background and relevance. This should be considered within STEM products to help provide detailed background to the activities which are presented and enable young learners to see the benefit of engaging with the product.

• The most successful characteristic associated with the gaming industry is the extensive marketing prior to the game launch. This is used effectively to promote the game and generate large interest to ensure product sales. Marketing of STEM products must be a key element of consideration for improving engagement.

2.6. Extra-Curricular Group Online Survey – Adult Volunteer Survey An online survey, targeted at adult volunteers within a range of extra-curricular groups was conducted between 21st October 2013 and 1st January 2014. The survey received 50 responses from adult volunteers across 6 different extra-curricular groups. The survey focused on the current situation regarding the running of STEM activities within extra-curricular groups and assessing the opinion of adult volunteers in relation to currently available resources which are aimed at helping them to complete activities in this area. The survey was posted at the following link;

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9Q6XLSN

The survey responses are discussed below and are supported with graphs included on pages 8 – 12 of the supporting portfolio.

1. What is your profession/job and what experience do you have with running STEM (science, technology, engineering or maths) based activities with young people between the ages of 14 and 19?

Image 1, shown on page 8 of the portfolio, highlights the professions and background of extra-curricular group volunteers. From the 50 participant surveys the largest professional representation across the volunteers (25%) is in the area of education. Many survey respondents indicated that their professional life was concentrated on teaching, mainly within the secondary school education level. The second largest professional areas represented within the survey were engineering and skilled work, 19% and 16% respectively. These areas represented professional careers such as electricians, traditional professional engineers, chefs and school dinner ladies. The areas least representative of adult volunteer experience and expertise were the areas of journalism and banking, both obtaining a response of 2%. This indicates that the overall expertise of adult volunteers available to extra-curricular groups are individuals with very high organisation skills, teaching ability and those with scientific knowledge and practical skills related to science, technology and engineering professions.

Image 2, shown on page 8 of the portfolio, outlines the amount of experience the survey respondents had in relation to running STEM-based activities within their extra-curricular groups. An overwhelming majority stated that their experience in relation to running these types of activity was none, or less than average, both

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/9Q6XLSN



scoring 38% and 23% respectively. Only 13% of respondents indicated that in their opinion their experience in relation to this area was equivalent to expert. Additional comments made by these respondents indicated that they had previous experience of teaching engineering related courses within a college setting and consequently had responsibility for organising and running young engineer clubs which led to their high-level of experience with the running of STEM related activities. When considering more varied extra-curricular groups, such as scouts and guides, the overall picture portrayed by the survey responses indicates that adult volunteers have little or no experience in running STEM related activities with the young people in their group.

2. If you have experience of working with 14-19 year old students, in what environment did this

take place? (please state group, e.g. scouts, guides) How long have you been involved with this and what roles have you held during that time?

Image 3, shown on page 8 of the portfolio, outlines which the spread of survey respondents across the different extra-curricular groups. The majority of respondents, 63%, were involved in scouting, with strong representation also shown for school-based extra-curricular groups such as young engineers, achieving 18%. The image also identifies that 9% of respondents were not involved in extra-curricular groups, however additional information obtained through the survey shows that these participants had previous experience of being involved in an extra-curricular group or had experience within the education sector and therefore can still provide a useful insight into the area of STEM engagement in relation to the target age group.

Image 4, shown on page 8 of the portfolio, outlines the positions held by the survey respondents in relation to their extra-curricular group involvement. This shows that 39% of the survey respondents were group leaders and were therefore responsible for the running of the group and consequently the planning and running of the group related activities. The chart also shows that 21% of the respondents stated they held various roles and therefore were able to provide relevant insights from a number of different perspectives in relation to volunteering roles and how these roles incorporate the planning of activities, including STEM activities and the overall success or failure within the group. The chart also indicates that 2% of respondents were STEM Ambassadors and therefore are more generally associated with helping STEM engagement within the school curriculum. Further analysis of the results in relation to these respondents indicated that these respondents had some involvement within an extra-curricular group outside of their STEM Ambassador role. Again this provides extra insight into how the roles of a STEM Ambassador may provide possible links and benefits for extra-curricular groups.

Image 5, shown on page 9 of the portfolio, shows the number of years of experience the survey respondents have within extra-curricular groups. There was a large split in the response which saw the majority of survey participants, 38%, indicating service within these groups of more than 10 years. This was contrasted by another large proportion of respondents, 26%, indicating a short service of between 2 and 5 years. Overall, in terms of the survey responses, this provides an even contrast between those volunteers with a large amount of experience and those volunteers who are new to the roles within extra-curricular groups.

3. In terms of the program within the environment you have previously stated, how many STEM

related activities would the young people within this group normally complete within a year?

When asked how many STEM-related activities the respondents had completed within their respective extra-curricular group within the time period of 1 year, more than half, 51%, indicated a very low completion level



of STEM-based activities, between 0 and 1 activity per year depending on the programme for the year. 31% of respondents indicated that their group had completed between 2 and 5 STEM-based activities per year and those indicating completion of 6 or more activities per year reached a total of 17%. In relation to the number completing 10 or more activities per year, the participant responses in this area indicated that the groups most likely to achieve this completion level were school-based groups such as young engineers, where leaders had the equipment, resources and knowledge to easily plan and run numerous STEM-related activities. The overall picture portrayed by these results indicated that groups such as scouts are most likely to complete a maximum of 1 STEM-based activity per year. This is shown in image 6, on page 9 of the portfolio.

Survey respondents were then asked to indicate the type of activity, if any, they had completed. Again, the majority of respondents indicated that they had completed no activity in relation to this area. Once the types of activity had been divided into separate STEM-related subject areas, more survey participants indicated having completed an activity, especially in relation to the technology (construction) area, accounting for 13% of responses. Project work also represented a large number of responses, 15%, as many participants indicated having worked on projects such as cart construction which had taken placed over several weeks. Another large response area was electronics, accounting for 20% of responses. Participants had indicated that this high response was due to the use of kits such as Arduino or raspberry pi and activities in this area had mainly focuses on the coding and programming of these products. This is shown in image 7, page 9 of the portfolio.

4. During a typical meeting, how long would you set aside for this type of STEM activity and does

this change on a weekly basis? If so can you please state reasons for why this would change.

For participants who had indicated running a STEM-related activity, they were asked to further indicate the amount of time they had spent running the activity within their group. A large proportion, 77%, indicated spending between 0 and 1 hours running a STEM-based activity with young people aged between 14 and 19 in their respective extra-curricular groups. No respondents indicated spending 5 or more hours running an activity and the second largest proportion of respondents, 10%, stated that it was impossible to place a figure on the amount of time spent on this type of activity as it changed regularly. This is shown in image 8, page 9 of the portfolio.

As many survey respondents had indicated that time spent running these activities changed regularly, they were asked to provide reasoning for the occurrence of this change. The largest majority of the respondents, 31%, indicated that the change was due to the differing levels of interest and ability shown by the young people within their group. Programme variety and no specific reason for change both achieved high response levels, 24% each. These responses highlighted the need for extra-curricular groups to provide a varied programme of activities across many different areas. These responses also highlighted a potential reason for not running STEM-related activities may be in relation to the volunteer leader’s interest or ability to run these specific activities. This is shown in image 9, page 10 of the portfolio.

5. If you have experience in running STEM related activities with this age group can you please provide details about the activities completed, the number of young people involved and the resources required for completing this type of activity.

As well as looking at the STEM areas in which each respondent conducted activities, the type of activity conducted was also considered within the survey. The response show that a majority, 30%, of the respondents again answered this question by stating that they did not conduct any STEM-related activity within their group. Of those who had conducted an activity, the most likely activity to take place within an extra-curricular group



was a simple circuit building activity, 20% of respondents highlighted this as an activity they had conducted. Building home-made rockets and volcanoes was also popular, each gaining 10% of the total responses. Design and build activities were also popular, achieving 14% of the overall participant responses, however, these activities generally tended not to be linked to STEM in any way and primarily focuses on craft activities rather than generating STEM-based knowledge. This is shown in image 10, page 10 of the portfolio.

The survey also highlighted the average number of children included within the groups of the sample group. Participant responses showed that groups were likely to run activities with either 0 – 5 children or more than 20, with each obtaining 31% of the total responses. In some instances participants indicating running activities with more than 20 children stated that numbers within the groups could range between 20 to 70 or more children. This range was also reflected by a small number of survey respondents who indicated the likely nature of the number of children included in activities to vary over time, 3% of participants indicated this was a possibility. This is shown in image 11, page 10 of the supporting portfolio.

The resources required by each survey participant in order to run the current STEM-related activities within their groups was also analysed. In the majority of cases, 30%, many participants indicated that they need to obtain specialist equipment from companies or friends in order to be able to run the activity, including items such as generators and other industrial standard equipment. Many of the other survey responses indicated the need for more accessible, everyday items such as tools, bottles and water, however 2% of the respondents indicated the need to find transport and outlined that this had an associated high cost in order to run the activity. Among other areas achieving 2% of total participant responses was the need for storage, for materials which had been purchased specifically for use within the group for running the activities, and the requirement of the group to have access to a large space, the latter response was generally associated with responses concerning the building of go-carts or home-made rockets. This is shown in image 12, page 10 of the portfolio.

6. What are your personal opinions on the resources currently available for use in these types of

activities? Are they challenging and engaging enough in your opinion? Are there any areas in which you feel they could be improved?

Image 13, shown on page 11 of the portfolio, shows survey responses relating to the participants’ opinions on currently available resources for running STEM-related activities within extra-curricular groups. The majority of respondents, 38%, indicated that they thought resources were currently very limited, meaning the types of activity widely available which were deemed suitable to run without much need for prior knowledge or organisation were basic and therefore could only be run once within a group. 21% of respondents stated they had no opinion on current resources as they had either not run a STEM-based activity within their group or they didn’t realise there were resources available for helping to run this type of activity. Other opinions on current resources showed that 4% thought current resources were too basic, 3% thought the resources were too school-like, 10% stated that children within their group would have low interest in completing the activities related to the currently available resources and 14% said activities associated with the use of current resources were too time consuming to organise.

Image 14, shown on page 11 of the portfolio, shows the participants’ opinion in relation to whether they believed current resources presented a significant challenge or were engaging enough for the young people within their group. Within this area, the majority of responses, 31% indicated that overall, adult volunteers within extra-curricular groups feel current resources are not challenging enough and so this resulted in them not even trying to run a STEM-related activity. A further 23% stated they did not think they were challenging or engaging



enough compared to 15% who stated they though current resources were both challenging and engaging. 19% of survey respondents stated they thought current resources would be challenging and engaging if they had been designed better and 12% also indicated that they though current resources were too challenging. When participants were asked what improvements could be made to resources, based on their experience with working with extra-curricular groups, 35% stated that they were not sure exactly what could be improved. However, 14% of respondents thought that better support materials were required and 21% indicated that they thought more resources should be available for running and supporting STEM-related activities. 17% also suggested making the resources more creative and less instructional based and 3% indicated that resources need to be more challenging to stretch the individual and encourage greater learning. A total of 6% stated that the resources needed to emphasise the curriculum and connect to the methods and programmes used within extra-curricular groups, each receiving a response share of 3%. The survey response to this question is shown in image 15, page 11 of the portfolio.

7. Do you have any suggestions which may indicate why extra-curricular groups do not often run

STEM related activities? Were you aware of any resources from external organisations which could help you prepare these activities?

As many respondents had indicated their unwillingness to run STEM-based activities using current resources, they were asked to provide further suggestions as to why this may be the case, this response is shown in image 16, page 11 of the portfolio. The majority of respondents, 31%, indicated that they thought better support throughout the use of the resource was required as many adult within the organisations were volunteers and did not necessarily have training or a background in any STEM-related area. 27% of respondents also suggested that they felt training was required in order to understand how to implement these activities within the general programme and running of the group. 13% of respondents also indicated that the current resources were too formal and did not encourage interaction or teamwork and this is something they felt needed to be addressed.

To ascertain how aware the adult volunteers were of available resources, the survey participants were asked to indicate their awareness of current resource availability and whether they had used these resources. 43% of respondents indicated they were not aware of any currently available resource to help with the planning or running of STEM-based activities and 44% indicated that they were aware of available resources but did not like the resource or did not use current resources. This response is shown in image 17, page 12 of the portfolio.

8. How would you suggest the resistance of young people to be involved in this type of activity could be successfully overcome? Please feel free to add any additional comments which you think are relevant to this project.

Survey participants were asked how resistance towards completion of STEM-related activities could be overcome within the target age group, 14 – 19 year olds. An overwhelming majority of responses, 33%, stated that the activity has to be interesting and fun to create buy-in from the young people, learning has to be implemented within the activity, but if the task is not fun, then the young people do not learn. 19% indicated the need for a clear end value within the activity, they suggested that having a tangible output is always desirable so the young person has something to show for their effort. 13% of respondents also stated that the activity and its output needed to be relevant to young people within the target age group, they suggested this should be



achieved by linking the activity and resources with the school curriculum. Only 2% of respondents stated that they did not think there was resistance towards participating in STEM activities within this age group. Other areas stated within this response area are illustrated in image 18, page 12 of the portfolio.

Additional Comments Some survey participants provided additional comments with more thoughts on how STEM could be incorporated with extra-curricular groups and suggested some issues which may be preventing better STEM engagement within the group setting.

• “Again with extra curriculum groups - what drives the young people involved, and what keeps them involved? Merit/ badge achievement.”

• “Projects would need to be targeted at those who had shown a real interest.” • “Need to balance the time to complete a meaningful STEM project with the rest of the

programme. Some YPs are just not interested whilst others love it!” • “We have just done the electronics badge and although the scouting resource was the inspiration

for it we ended up brining in an electronic engineer to talk to the scouts to help them grasp what it was they were going to do.”

• “The bigger and messier the better!” • “Make it interesting, fun and challenging!”

Key Learning Outcomes; • The survey suggests that many volunteers within extra-curricular groups have a background in

education or engineering related professions and therefore this suggests that providing STEM-related activities should not be a problem, however the remainder of the survey showed that very few groups are completing any STEM-related activities over the course of a year.

• Many volunteers class themselves as being experts in relation to running STEM-based activities, however, the remainder of the survey results suggest that these skills and the experience are not utilised to run STEM activities within an extra-curricular group.

• 52% of the survey respondents had run 0 or 1 STEM-based activities within the course of a year. • The majority of STEM-based activities completed were electronics based and this involved simple

construction of a basic circuit. • The majority of volunteers within extra-curricular groups only spend between 0 and 1 hours running an

activity, in particular STEM-based activities. • The time spent on the activity and the number of activities completed in this area generally relies on the

ability and interest of the young people within the group. • Group volunteers tend to run activities for 0 – 5 children or more than 20 children, this can increase to

numbers closer to 70 children at times. • Many groups are currently buying or sourcing specialist equipment in order to run STEM-based

activities as they feel current available resources are not adequate. • Many volunteers think that current STEM resources are limited or are too basic and so would not interest

the 14 – 19 year old age group. • 31% of responses showed that adult volunteers do not think current resources are challenging or

engaging enough and for that reason have not run a STEM-based activity.



• Many volunteers think more resources for STEM activities need to be easily available at a reasonable price.

• 43% of volunteers are not aware of any current STEM resources for extra-curricular groups and 44% stated they are aware of current resources but do not use them or don’t like them.

• Many volunteers believe resources need to be improved by adding fun, creating links with other interests and providing the young learner with a sense of achievement.

2.7. Extra-Curricular Group Online Survey – 14 – 19 Year Old Student Survey

An online survey, targeted at 14 – 19 year olds students within a range of extra-curricular groups was conducted between 21st October 2013 and 1st January 2014. The survey received 64 responses from students within this age range across 9 different extra-curricular groups. The survey focused on the current situation regarding the studying of STEM subjects at school and any experiences relating to completion of STEM-related activities within extra-curricular. The survey was posted at the following link;

https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8puMf0SqLRU5xhb

The survey responses are discussed below and corresponding image are included on pages 13 – 15 of the supporting portfolio.

1. What age are you?

The chart shown in image 19, page 13 of the portfolio, illustrates the age distribution of survey participants. It should be noted that not all respondents were between the ages of 14 and 19, 14% of the respondents were aged between 20 and 23, the responses from these participants will still be included within the results as these participants completed the survey as though they were still between the ages of 14 and 19 and responded to the questions using experiences they had in extra-curricular groups between these ages. There is one anomaly, which is the participant aged 38 who responded to these survey questions. The responses from this participant are not considered within this survey as this may provide false information in regards to STEM school subjects and the experience of completing STEM-related activities within different extra-curricular groups. The majority of respondents to this survey were aged either 17 or 19, receiving 23% and 17% of survey responses respectively.

2. Are you male or female? # Answer

Response %

1 Male

22 45%

2 Female

27 55%

The table above illustrates the gender distribution of the survey participants. It clearly shows how the distribution of gender is almost half and half with 55% of respondents being female and 45% of respondents being male.

https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8puMf0SqLRU5xhb



3. From the list given below, please indicate which of these subjects you have studied at school.

# Answer

Response %

1 English

43 88%

2 Maths

44 90%

3 History

16 33%

4 Biology

27 55%

5 Chemistry

28 57%

6 Computer Studies

15 31%

7 French

20 41%

8 Other languages

17 35%

9 Modern Studies

9 18%

10 PE

12 24%

11 Physics

36 73%

12 Technological studies

18 37%

13 Travel and Tourism

1 2%

14 Economics

3 6%

15 Geology

8 16%

16 Religious Education

15 31%

17 Classics

1 2%

18 Gaelic

0 0%

19 Home Economics

8 16%

Each participant was asked to indicate which subjects, from the list provided, they had studied at school between the ages of 14 and 19. The majority of respondents indicated they had studied English and Maths, achieving 88% and 90% of survey responses respectively, between the stated ages of 14 and 19. The science-based STEM subjects of Biology, Chemistry and Physics received the largest proportion of responses after English and Maths, receiving 55%, 57% and 73% of the survey responses respectively. This portrays a high level of STEM subject completion in comparison to the figures outlined within the literature review. Image 20, page 13 of the portfolio, illustrates the how the number of students studying each listed subject relates to the overall number of survey responses obtained.



4. What science, technology, engineering or maths related subjects have you studied at school and what age/level did you study these to?

Statistic Value

Total Responses 43

As the previous diagrams have shown what appears to be a high level of STEM subject completion between the ages of 14 – 19, each participant was asked to identify which STEM-related subject they had studied between these ages and indicate what level they achieved in these subjects, indicating whether study of each subject undertaken was completed to GCSE/Standard Grade, AS/Higher Level or A2/Advanced Higher Level. Image 21, page 13 of the portfolio, illustrates how many respondents indicated having studied the listed STEM subjects up to GCSE/Standard Grade level. This diagram illustrates how many participants only studied these subjects until the age of 16, it must be noted that in many schools, study of many of the main subjects in this area, including biology, chemistry, physics and maths is compulsory until the age of 16, so this may illustrate a higher level of interest within these STEM subject areas than is necessarily true. The chart shows that the majority of respondents who studied any of these subjects until the age of 16 were most likely to study maths, receiving a total number of 9 responses. The subject least likely to be studied until the age of 16 was engineering, which received no responses from the survey participants. Image 22, page 13 of the portfolio, shows the number of respondents who completed the listed school STEM subjects to AS/Higher level. As with the chart showing subjects studied to GCSE/Standard Grade level, maths is still the most studied subject at age 17, the age at which AS/Higher exams are taken, achieving 9 responses from survey participants. In contrast biology has overtaken chemistry as the second most popular subject, achieving 8 and 6 survey responses respectively. Technology is also receiving similar levels of interest, again with 6 survey responses. As with the responses shown in relation to GCSE/Standard Grade subjects, no respondents have indicated studying engineering to this educational level, receiving no survey responses. Image 23, page 14 of the portfolio, shows the number of participants studying the school STEM subjects to A2/Advanced Higher level, or age 18 when these exams are generally taken within the secondary school environment. This chart shows a drastic change in relation to popular STEM subjects being continued to this high educational level. Physics is now the most popular subject choice, obtaining 10 survey responses, with maths the second most popular subject choice, receiving 8 survey responses. Technology is still obtaining high interest with 6 survey responses, however interest in biology and chemistry have dropped, only receiving 2 survey responses each. Again, no respondent indicated studying engineering at this educational level. It should also be noted that the total number of survey responses was 64 and therefore a response rate of 10 or below is not particularly high when considered in context with the total number of survey responses. Number of survey participants continuing study in STEM area into further education was 4. This is relatively low considering the number of survey participants having indicated studying physics and technology to A2/Advanced Higher level in secondary education.



5. If you stopped studying science, technology, engineering or maths related subjects, what influenced your decision to stop studying in this area?

Statistic Value

Total Responses 32

As the overall response rate in relation to the continued study of STEM subjects in secondary education was relatively low in comparison to the total number of survey responses obtained, participants were asked to provide reasoning as to their decision to stop studying STEM-related subjects. Image 24, page 14 of the portfolio, shows that the majority of respondents did not continue to study these subjects due to a loss of interest or a personal belief that these subjects were too difficult, each reason receiving a 23% proportion of the total survey responses. Reasons related to subjects not being required for university courses and limited options in relation to subject choices and school timetables also received significant response rates, 17% and 10% of total survey responses respectively. Other reasons given included uncertainty of opportunities available through the study of these subjects, 3%, finding the subject boring, 3%, male domination of the STEM subjects, 4%, and a lack of practical activity being included in classes, accounting for 7% of survey responses.

6. Please indicate how confident you are about your ability in these areas. # Answer Min Value Max Value Average

Value Standard Deviation

Responses

1 Science 28.00 100.00 71.70 19.55 47

2 Technology 0.00 100.00 63.74 28.23 46

3 Engineering 0.00 100.00 49.88 30.34 42

4 Maths 9.00 100.00 65.35 23.00 48

As a perception of STEM subjects being too difficult was a key reason given for not continuing study of these subjects within secondary school, each participant was asked to indicate how they rated their ability within each of the STEM areas. The table above outlines the response given to this survey question. The table reveals that although a large number of students continue to study technology up to A2/Advanced Higher level, the participant average ability rating only reached 63%. Previous survey responses also revealed a large number of students continuing to study maths to at least AS/Higher level however, participant average ability rating was only 2% higher than the ability rating achieved for technology which indicated a much lower completion rate. No respondents indicated studying engineering to any significant secondary school education level and this impact is illustrated through the average ability rating shown through participant responses to this survey as the ability rating achieved was 49%, a much lower rate than any other STEM area. Survey respondents generally felt more confident within science subjects, indicating an average ability rating of 71%.



7. Please indicate how interested you are in science, technology, engineering or maths. # Answer

Response %

1 1

1 2%

2 2

3 6%

3 3

2 4%

4 4

20 42%

5 5

22 46%

Total 48 100%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 5

Mean 4.23

Variance 0.90

Standard Deviation 0.95

Total Responses 48

Survey participants were asked to indicate, on a scale of 1 to 5, how interested they were in science, technology, engineering and maths subject areas. On the scale 5 represents being very interested, with 1 representing having no interest in these areas. Surprisingly, although some of the previous survey questions had illustrated some low ability rates and a low subject continuation rate in relation to the total number of survey responses received, the majority of respondents indicated high levels of interest in STEM subjects, selected either 4 or 5 on the scale, receiving 42% and 46% respectively. Only 6 participants indicated lower levels of interest than this. This illustrates a strong interest and willingness to participate in STEM areas which shows that this age group are open to engaging in STEM further if the negative perceptions around difficulty of these subjects can be challenged.



8. From this list provided below, can you please indicate if you have participated in any of these extra-curricular clubs.

# Answer

Response %

1 Young Engineer's club

3 9%

2 Technology club

2 6%

3 Science club

5 15%

4 Scouts

24 73%

5 Guides

5 15%

6 Girls Brigade

2 6%

7 Boys Brigade

2 6%

8 Air Training Corps

2 6%

9 Army Cadet Force

0 0%

10 Sea Cadet Corps

1 3%

11 Creative Corners

0 0%

12 Do-It

0 0%

13 YouthNet

0 0%

Statistic Value

Min Value 1

Max Value 10

Total Responses 33

As the project specifically aims to address STEM engagement using interactive methods and incorporating product development to be utilized within extra-curricular groups, each survey participant was asked to indicate if they had taken part in any of the listed extra-curricular groups. The majority of respondents, 73%, had indicated involvement in scouts. Participants also indicated involvement in other groups such as Young Engineer’s Clubs, 9%, technology clubs, 6%, science clubs, 15%, guides, 15%, girl’s brigade, 6%, boy’s brigade, 6%, the air training corps, 6%, and the sea cadet corps, 3%.



9. If you have indicated being part of any extra-curricular group which was listed previously, have you participated in any science, technology, engineering or maths-related activities as part of these groups? If so can you provide details of the activities completed.

Statistic Value

Total Responses 27

Each respondent was then asked to state the STEM-based activities completed during their time within the highlighted extra-curricular groups. An overwhelming majority of respondents, 82%, stated that no STEM-based activities had been completed during the time they had spent as part of these extra-curricular groups. A small percentage of respondents indicated having completed activities in all other STEM subject areas, excluding maths, and key findings from these responses showed;

• Physics activities were mainly electronics-based • Technology was mainly construction-based activities • The majority of people who hadn’t completed any stated no access to resources as a reason for not

completing these activities

This is shown in image 25, page 14 of the portfolio.

10. Do you own/use any science or technology based kits which you use at home? If so, what kind of kit do you own and what persuaded you to buy the kit?

Statistic Value

Total Responses 29

As participants had indicated a very high level of interest within the STEM subject areas, but also indicated a low level of STEM-related activity completion within extra-curricular groups, it was important to establish whether the participants were sustaining their interest in STEM areas through using STEM-based resources and kits at home. Image 26 shows the responses obtained in relation to this area. The chart shows that the majority of respondents, 81%, were not completing STEM-based activities at home either, this suggests that not enough resources or kit exist to sustain the high interest in STEM areas which has been shown to exist. A total of 19% of survey respondents indicated completing activities in the areas of chemistry, physics, technology and engineering at home through the use of commercially available, STEM-related, educational kits. This is shown in image 26, page 14 of the portfolio.

11. If you do not own one of the previously mentioned kits, can you suggest a reason why you don't find these kits appealing to use and what do you think could be improved to make them more appealing to people of your age?

Statistic Value

Total Responses 27

As the number of participants using available STEM-related kits at home was so low, participants were asked to suggest reasons for why they had not used these kits or found them appealing. Participants also provided



some possible suggestions towards improving currently available kits. The key outputs from this survey question are outlined below.

• “Computer games and outdoor activities are why they didn't appeal to me. Update them to relate to more interesting subjects and make the packaging eye catching and interesting. Even if another kid saw it and wanted it but got bored they might come back to it at a later date.”

• “The best kits are quite interactive and have more movement.”

This is shown in image 27, page 15 of the portfolio.

12. If you have used any kind of science and technology related kit, what was your opinion of the kit? (Did you like or dislike it and why?)

Participants were asked to provide more detail in relation to why they did not find current STEM products appealing. The majority of participants, 7, stated that they did not have enough time for using these kits at home due to studying and other commitments. However, a large majority of respondents, a total of 8, also stated that they thought current products were not challenging enough or the accompanying instructions were not useful. A number of respondents also suggested that a lack of customization and limitations in relation to using the products after completion of the initial task was also an issue relating to currently available STEM products.

13. What is your overall opinion of science, technology, engineering and maths related subjects?

Statistic Value

Total Responses 37

Survey participants were asked to provide opinions on how they viewed STEM-related subjects. Some participants chose to provide additional comments in relation to this question and one of the key outcomes from this question is highlighted below.

• “They are not encouraged enough in youth groups as they are seen as educational. Need to find a fun element to entice the kids. As for the subjects themselves, I’m studying physics! I think science is awesome.”

In answering this question participants indicated responses in only 6 areas. 37% of survey responses supported the opinion that STEM subjects at school are enjoyable and useful, this is not the picture portrayed throughout the literature review. When placed in context, 39% of respondents provided a negative answer to this survey question and stated that STEM subjects were too difficult but looked interesting, 27%, or STEM subjects were not encouraged enough, 5%, or participants found STEM subjects boring and repetitive, 5%, finally 2% of respondents stated STEM subjects were much easier to learn with friends. 24% of respondents also suggested that STEM subjects were interesting, however these respondents did not study any STEM subjects past the age of 16. This is shown in image 28, page 15 of the portfolio.



14. Are you aware of the opportunities which are available to people who study science, technology, engineering or maths related subjects?

Participants were also asked to indicate how aware they were of available opportunities within the area of STEM, including future career opportunities as well as academic opportunities. Some additional comments made by participants have been included below.

• “Yes I am, but I think more could be done, i.e. information days, specific websites etc. If kids were introduced to the subjects earlier they would maybe develop a deeper interest in them”

• “not really, there doesn't appear to be much in the way of opportunities unless you go down the more focused route but then you could alienate yourself from other opportunities”

Image 29, page 15 of the portfolio, illustrates that the majority of respondents, 71% were either not aware of available opportunities or only a little aware. Many respondents suggested that this was due to a lack of information being delivered through school careers services or STEM subject teachers.

15. If a product existed for people of your age to use in an extra-curricular group to cover science, technology, engineering and maths activities, what do you think could be included in the product in order to make science and technology seem more interesting and appealing? Why would this encourage you to take part?

Statistic Value

Total Responses 26

Participants were asked to provide suggestions on how STEM products could be improved to help engage 14 – 19 year olds and encourage participation in these areas. The majority of respondents in this area suggested that the best way of achieving interest and participation was through incorporating practical group activities and ensuring the product could be utilized within an everyday situation upon completion of the activity. Other popular suggestions also included incorporating the use of popular technology such as iPads, making the product and instructions more visual, making the subject matter fun and interactive and incorporating different difficulty levels within the product to ensure the product provides a challenge and a goal which the age group can try to achieve. This is shown in image 30, page 15 of the portfolio. Key Learning Outcomes;

• The most popular subjects studied at school are maths, with 90% of survey responses, and physics with 73% of survey responses however low numbers of survey participants continued studying these subjects to the ages of 16, 17 and 18, and only 4 survey respondents continued studying STEM subjects at university.

• The majority of survey respondents stated their reasoning for not continuing study in these subject areas was due to either a loss of interest or they perceived the subject to be too difficult, making attaining a good grade difficult.

• Respondents rated their ability in science, technology and maths quite highly, all achieving average ability ratings of over 60%, however general attitude towards ability in engineering is very low with this subject area only achieving and average ability rating of 49%.



• 88% of the survey participants indicated having a very high interest in STEM subject areas, however this did not translate into participation or engagement with these areas at home or in extra-curricular groups.

• 83% of respondents have never completed a STEM-related activity during their time in an extra-curricular group and any activities that were completed within this situation did not include any mathematics related activities.

• 81% of respondents indicated not having used any STEM-related kits at home and stated the main reasons for this were due to a lack of time, a lack of useful instructions or they found the kits were not challenging enough as they were aimed at a younger age group.

• A large proportion of respondents, 27%, indicated that their overall opinion in relation to STEM was that they thought these subjects were too difficult for them to become involved but they looked ‘cool’.

• 60% of the survey respondents were not aware of any available opportunities in relation to STEM subjects and careers within this area.

• The most popular suggestions regarding how to improve current resources were to incorporate more practical group activities by using/designing resources to require large amounts of teamwork, and to ensure the kits could be used in an everyday situation after the completion of the initial activity/construction task.

2.8. Case Study – STEM Activity Engagement Within the Scout Association The Scout Association has been challenging and developing young people within this country for 106 years. Young people between the ages of 6 (through Beavers) to 25 (through Scout Network). The young people are split into different sections based on their age as follows;

• Beavers – 6-8 years old • Cubs – 8-10.5 years old • Scouts – 10.5-14 years old • Explorer Scouts – 14-18 years old • Scout Network – 18-25 years old

Each of these sections are run by a team of adult volunteers who have the ability to take skills gained from their professional life or previous experiences, introduce them within the Scout Group in which they belong and teach the children some valuable lessons and life skills in an area which was previously unknown to them. Adult leaders receive formal training, in the form of the wood badge. This award covers fundamental areas such as child protection, the association’s policy, rules and values, how to organise a balanced programme etc. This training does not formally teach volunteers how to run the activities associated with the badge programme in which the children complete activities towards achieving an aim associated with one of the particular badges on offer within their appropriate age range.

The majority of badges completed within every section will be activity badges. There are additional badges and awards on offer, however these require specialist interests and the ability to complete particular challenges or schemes. The badges exist in order to try and ensure the purpose of scouting is upheld; ‘Scouting exists to actively engage and support young people in their personal development, empowering them to make a positive contribution to society.’ In order to make a contribution the badges available cover a wide range of activities which will be of some benefit to the young person within the society. The areas and badges available have been categorised below;



STEM Special Interest Outdoor Camp Global Creativ

e Other

Aeronautics

56

Air Research

er

138

Angler

141

Camp Cook

1374

Global Conservatio

n

242

Artist

541

Chef

1243

Astronautics

182

Air Spotter

10

Athletics,

Athletics+

1430

Camper

615

Heritage

365

Arts Enthusias

t

50

Circus Skills

315

Astronomer

311

Advanced

Aviation

3

Caver

46

Campsite Service

60

My Faith

433

Craft

992

Communicator

861

Electronics

408

Basic Aviation

210

Climber

471

Quartermaster

276

Public Relations

136

Entertainer

1280

DIY

1008

Mechanic

535

Skilled Aviation

23

Cyclist

995

Nights Away (1-

200)

20915

World Faith

149

Model Maker

736

Fire Safety

1866

Meteorologist

418

Dragon Boat

285

Dinghy Sailor

292

Community (E)

252

Writer

199

Emergency Aid 1, 2, 3, 4,

& 5

14293

Science (E)

105

Hobbies

713

Equestrian

71

Creative &

Creative A (E)

138

IT 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5

4349

Interpret

er

50

Hikes Away 1,

5, 10, 20, 35, &

50

14760

Performing Arts (E)

200

Guide

882




e Other

Martial

Arts

278

Forester

173

Librarian

131

Master-at-arm

533

Hiker

323

Lifesaver

89

Nautical Skills,

Advanced & Basic

628

Hiller Walker

230

Photographer

596

Power Coxswai

n

60

Naturalist

343

Plus

94

Musician 1, 2, 3,

4, & 5

3061

Navigator

1020

Radio Communicatio

ns

10

Centre Service

(E)

17

Orienteer

295

Scouting Skills (E)

142

Air Activitie

s (E)

3

Paddle Sports

451

Administrator (E)

47

Parascendi

ng

4

Smallholder

186

Physical Recreati

on

872

Recreation

(E)

3




e Other

Pioneer

1115

Pulling

30

Skater

5

Snow sports

402

Sport Enthusias

t

510

Street Sports

88

Survival

Skills

1042

Water Sports

331

Swimmer 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5

6594

Motor

Sport (E)

27

Mountain Basic

(E)

30




e Other

Skiing

(E)

71

Snowboarding

(E)

6

Water Activitie

s (E)

54

Athlete

(E)

117

Racquet Sports

(E)

54

2015 6012 32393 23213 1577 4136 26115

Figure 2.8. 1 - The table above shows sales figures for each badge listed within the key areas covered by scout activity badges.

(E) – Indicates Badges which are available to achieve within the Explorer Scout section

BOLD NUMBERS – Indicates the sales figures for each badge during the period from January 2013 to August 2013

The sales figures quoted for each badge have been taken from the Glasgow Scout shop and cover the sales period from January 2013 to August 2013. The badges listed are those for which there are sales figures and some badges are only listed for explorers as they are either age group specific or have only been sold to explorer scouts during this time period.

The final row of the table shows the total number of badge sale for each badge category. This is interpreted as a percentage pie chart shown below;

The results have been analysed and are shown on page 16 of the supporting portfolio. Image 31 on page 16 clearly shows that from the sales figures listed, along with the global category, the STEM badge category has the lowest sales percentage, meaning this badge category must therefore also have the lowest completion rate as sales of the badge are directly dependent on children within the sections completing the badge. In terms of



all the badges available, listed on the scouts.org website, there are fewer global category badges available meaning that in real terms, the STEM category is the group of activity badges which is least likely to be completed by those aged between 10 and 18 within the Scout Association movement.

In terms of the number of young people within scouting in Scotland, the number currently stands at under 43,000. The number of girls within the organisation now stands at nearly 5000 and 40% of the new 1,300 youth members are female. As the Glasgow scout shop supplies scout groups from across Scotland it is therefore reasonable to investigate the approximate number of young people, based on the percentage sales figures that would complete badges within the STEM activity badge category throughout their time in the Association. (BBC News, 2013)

It is clear to see from image 32 on page 16 of the portfolio that the number of youth members likely to complete a STEM related activity badge within the Scout Organisation in Scotland is fairly low at the current levels of engagement, indicated through the badge sales provided. The sales figures tend to indicate the reliance of activities which the adult volunteers find easy to run and do not involve what they term as ‘expert knowledge’ in a certain area. The views expressed by many through the completed survey which is discussed later in this report would support this theory.

Science related activities tend to come with the stigma of being hard to run, hard to understand, involving a lot of expensive equipment and needing the input of experts within that field. If uptake of science activities remains this low then it may be that the scout association fails to meet its purpose in developing young people so that they may make a positive contribution in society, at least in terms of STEM engagement and participation. As the literature review outlined, there is a strong case for suggesting there will be a serious STEM skill shortage within the UK if action is not taken to increase participation levels, one possible way to increase participation levels would be to increase the completion rate of badge activities within scouting and other youth groups. As the UK moves towards a more advanced STEM economy then those young people involved in groups such as scouts will not be able to make a positive contribution to society within this area. As made clear in the literature review, Lord Sainsbury also identified the contribution of extra-curricular activities as being key to the improvement of STEM engagement. The role of groups such as scouts has become clear throughout this case study and data analysis that STEM engagement within this environment is at extremely low levels.

Key Learning Outcomes; • STEM engagement within the Scout Association has been proven to be extremely low. • It appears to be low because adult volunteers are running activities which they feel comfortable with,

i.e. they are sticking with tried and tested activities to complete badges which are perceived as being easier.

• Numbers within youth organisations, illustrated through this case study in scouting, are rising, this may present an issue with STEM engagement and how people interact with a product when in a large group, but also makes engagement with STEM more of an issue. Many current products are for use between a couple of young people (can be seen within the contextual use activity discussed later in this report).

• Large numbers mean STEM engagement could be brought to a large group of people with relative ease and to people of many different backgrounds. The group nature within the Association could be beneficial in disproving perceptions and young people supporting each other and interacting in a fun environment to achieve a task they are given.



2.9. Expert Interviews To clearly illustrate the current situation with regards to encouraging participation within STEM subjects, interviews with experts in this field were conducted. Two main external organisations identified as being pro-active in this area were the Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) and Science Connects (a branch of the national STEM Net programme). The information which these two organisations were able to provide helped to identify key user requirements as well as highlighting some of the major problems with solutions which are currently available. Questions were prepared in order to maximise the short time frame available to complete the interviews while also covering a large range of important issues. The questions used for these interviews were;

• How many STEM Ambassadors do you currently have? On average how many schools would each ambassador visit in order to ensure every school had some level of STEM Net involvement?

• What type of kits/resources do you have access to that you currently use within schools? • On average how much does one kit cost the organisation to purchase? • Do you believe the resources you have available are fully utilised or beneficial for the 14-19 year old

student age group? • In terms of extra-curricular groups, such as scouts, guides Young Engineers etc., do you find that you

have requests for help from many groups like this in terms of running STEM related activities? • Do you currently have the ability to provide resources and run activities for this type of group, if so

what activities and resources are available and how much would they cost? Are they free for group borrowing?

• If you were to provide more resources for this type of group, what requirements would you look for within the product to be assured it was worth purchasing? What criteria did you use when selecting the current resources used within STEM engagement activities?

• Do you think this type of engagement within extra-curricular groups would fit with the STEM vision and purpose?

• Do you know of any current products which adequately fulfil the needs or knowledge requirements for the 14-19 year old age range?

• With your experience of coordinating STEM engagement within schools, do you think engaging more with these types of group could have a positive impact on STEM industries and subjects?

Science Connects Interview Science Connects is the Scottish West-Coast branch of the national STEM Net programme created with the vision of increasing the future prospects and choices of young people through the use of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The STEM Net programme lists its main purposes as;

• To be a recognised leader in enabling all young people to achieve their potential in STEM by: o Ensuring that all young people, regardless of background, are encouraged to understand the

excitement and importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics in their lives, and the career opportunities to which the STEM subjects can lead;

o Helping all schools and colleges across the UK understand the range of STEM enhancement and enrichment opportunities available to them and the benefits these can bring to everyone involved;



o Encouraging business, organisations and individuals wanting to support young people in STEM to target their efforts and resources in a way that will deliver the best results for them and the young people.

To identify how Science Connects achieves its vision and purpose an interview was conducted with Gail Penny, the STEM Ambassador Co-ordinator within Science Connects, located in Glasgow. The outcome from the interview is documented below;

1. What type of kits/resources do you have access to that you currently use within

schools?

Within STEM we do not own or use a lot of electrical kits. There are some small circuit building kits which require solder and soldering irons which is an activity which is always well received with younger children. The find excitement and interest in being given the chance to use this type of equipment. For them this is a novel activity which gives them more responsibility and freedom than they would normally associate with a science experiment. However, in the older age groups we don’t have any resources which would be used to run similar types of activities.

The kits we have for the younger age groups have been particularly well used as they are small and simple, they include buzzers and small components and are relatively cheap to buy. The kit requires the children to connect wires in the correct places with resistors and other appropriate components so it is an activity which not only produces a lot of fun for the young children, but it is also teaching them key basic principals at the same time. However, as I have said, this requires a lot of other more expensive equipment such as soldering irons and solder which presents a challenge for organisations such as ourselves.

2. On average how much does one kit cost the organisation to purchase?

I think the small circuit building kits which we use with younger children would cost around £1 each when buying in bulk.

3. Do you believe the resources you have available are fully utilised or beneficial for the

14-19 year old student age group?

Always keen to look for new resources but we need resources that are re-usable. Storage, no funding to restock kits. Definitely interested if it fulfilled all these criteria

4. In terms of extra-curricular groups, such as scouts, guides Young Engineers etc., do

you find that you have requests for help from many groups like this in terms of running

STEM related activities?

I think occasionally a few STEM ambassadors would visit and help a few of these groups however, in those cases you generally tend to find that the ambassador already has connections within the groups and is using their STEM ambassador experience to help run this type of activity within the groups.

We have had a few ambassadors help with a Can Sat competition within schools. This was an activity run by an external company who supplied all the resources and created a competition for students to create their own satellite in a drinks can.



5. Do you currently have the ability to provide resources and run activities for this type

of group, if so what activities and resources are available and how much would they

cost? Are they free for group borrowing?

One type of kit that we use with children between 8 and 14 are Lego Mindstorm kits. These kits are great for having the kids be creative and build their own design and then learn how to program the robot to watch it move and come to life. Although these kits are great to use they are big and bulky and take-up a lot of room so we don’t tend to have that many kits due to a lack of storage here in the office.

The Mindstorm kit is an educational product produced under the multi-million pound LEGO brand. LEGO states that ‘this set enables students to build and program real-life robotic solutions and develops

key learning values such as

• Developing solutions, selecting, building, testing and evaluating • Brainstorming to find creative alternative solutions • Learning to communicate, share ideas and work together • Hands-on experience, with sensors, motors and intelligent units’

These kits are supplied with the key building components such as a rechargeable battery pack, connecting cables and sensors, motors and the on-brick programming, however the software with data and battery charger are sold separately. The set typically has a piece count of around 431 pieces. A typical price for this set of equipment is £275.99. (LEGO education2, 2013)

Within STEM we also use K’NEX kits with the younger primary school children. Again, we store a few of these in the office for our STEM Ambassadors to use within schools, however the number of kits we can supply is limited due to the issue we have with storage space.

K’NEX as a company states itself as being the next generation of construction sets. The company says it inspires creativity, builds self-confidence and encourages interaction among children and parents. K’NEX is the most innovative and fastest growing construction toy company. Internationally, K’NEX products are distributed in over 30 countries world-wide.

The company’s beliefs include;

• That their product, K’NEX, is unique and worthwhile; that it is capable of enriching the lives of those who use it, both through pure enjoyment and through its educational impact; and that these genuine qualities must be sustained with all the innovation and creativity we can muster.

• K’NEX is as safe as human integrity can make it, and we must make this intrinsic in every design we devise and publish.

• The company has a responsibility to provide a safe and fulfilling working environment, and an opportunity to grow and learn.

The company website also show the range of sets on offer, many of which appear to be for younger kids and not the 14-19 year old age range considered in this project. Their range of kits include;

Figure 2.9. 1 - The image above shows the LEGO Mindstorm kits used by Science Connects in primary schools.



• Building sets • K’NEX thrill rides • Kid K’NEX • Angry birds • The Beatles yellow submarine • KISS • Lincoln logs • Mario kart 7 • Monster jam • Nascar • Pac-man • Roary the racing car • Super Mario • Tinker Toy (K’NEX, 2013)

The kits I have previously mentioned are freely available to schools, although as I have said before the number of kits we can supply is limited due to the amount of storage space we have available here at the office.

6. If you were to provide more resources for this type of group, what requirements would

you look for within the product to be assured it was worth purchasing? What criteria

did you use when selecting the current resources used within STEM engagement

activities?

For us the kit must get the user to understand what they are achieving though completing the practical activity. This fits with our purpose of ensuring all young people, regardless of background, are encouraged to understand the excitement and importance of STEM. So our main requirement is the ability to generate understanding. We don’t just aim to give young children a practical skill, we aim to give them long-term understanding. Other key factors are size, due to the lack of storage space we have for kits that can be used and price. Science connects is a charitable organisation with no government funding so low price and affordability is a key factor in choosing usable resources.

Also the ability to have the activity/resource to simulate real-life situations would also become a deciding factor in whether we would use the kit. Making an activity seem a life-like as possible always generates a better response from the students and immediately increases engagement and participation. Associations with objects they would see or use regularly significantly increases interest, so simulating objects such as laptops, iPads and mobile phones is great.

7. Do you think this type of engagement within extra-curricular groups would fit with the

STEM vision and purpose?

It is hard to get ambassadors, ambassador shortage would mean we were interested in having kits that could be used without ambassador support.

8. Do you know of any current products which adequately fulfil the needs or knowledge

requirements for the 14-19 year old age range?



Science Connects don’t personally have a great deal of equipment for use with this age range, however some bigger organisations and companies have run some activities through the STEM programme in an attempt to provide some STEM enrichment for the older students. Contacts within these organisations may be able to give you more information about what could be available. Speaking to people within the extra-curricular groups will also provide good information of what is currently available as they will be the people searching for these types of products to help run these types of activity.

9. With your experience of coordinating STEM engagement within schools, do you think

engaging more with these types of group could have a positive impact on STEM

industries and subjects?

I think anything that makes STEM subjects look enjoyable, fun and achievable is a great thing. Anything that the young people can relate to easily is always a success so if you can relate STEM to the computer games or social media which they are so familiar with then that is always more successful. If that happens then I think that can only have a positive impact on the requirements of companies within the STEM industry sectors.

Key Learning Outcomes; • STEM Ambassadors currently do not use a large variety of electronic kits as the requirement of

additional equipment is so high. If the requirement of extra equipment was reduced it would become much more practical to run electronic based activities with young people.

• Equipment currently used by STEM Ambassadors can cost anything between £1 for the simpler components up to £300 for the construction kits available.

• These programmes are always keen to look for new suitable resources. • Storage is a large issue for these organisations, a kit should require minimal storage to allow

organisations such as this to store the product in order to use it within the community more effectively. • Some large firms have developed some simple activities to use within school based activities but there

is generally no link between STEM Net and extra-curricular groups at the present time. • Two of the current pieces of equipment widely used by STEM Net are LEGO Mindstorm and K’NEX

however, these are generally used with children of primary school age. • Any product used by STEM Net must be fun and interactive but also promote learning. Simply

following instructions does not fulfil the aims of STEM and does not promote a sense of achievement within the children.

• If a resource could simulate some real-life situations it would be of benefit as it is believed this has the ability to more readily grab the attention of young people.

• Must be easily used by everyone, regardless of background or ability. • STEM resources for the 14-19 age range are not currently widely available. • Interaction or a link with popular activities among the age group, such as computer games or social

media, would be a great way of developing interest as well as providing encouragement to engage and share with other learners who help support other users. A place where ideas can be freely shared and help from peers is available. This reduces the formality associated with the school learning environment.

• A sense of achievement must be imparted, either by answering question correctly in order to complete the activity, competing in a national competition or being able to progress through levels of difficulty.



2.10. Contextual Situation Testing A contextual testing activity was held on 23rd September 2013 in order to observe the use of such kits in an extra-curricular group setting and to gain an understanding of the major problems with existing STEM kits which are experienced by the target market. It is also important to note that this activity was conducted with a focus group of five females between the ages of 15 and 17 as it is well documented that female students tend to lose interest in this type of activity and kit much faster than their male counterparts. The participants in this focus group activity were invited from a local scout group who have a history of running a vast variety of STEM activities for younger age ranges however struggle to find STEM activities which encourage participation from older youth members. There were a total number of five participants and their history of participation in STEM subjects is widely varied from not having studying a STEM subject since the age of 13/14 to studying a STEM subject at the level of Higher examinations. The range of STEM participation backgrounds and age within the focus group participants was required in order to provide strong, evaluative feedback from many of the main targeted users of the current STEM products to ensure the feedback received with regards to improving the development of a new product would accurately reflect the views of all ages within the target market which has been identified. With their differing experiences the participants would then be able to apply their knowledge, from their differing involvement with STEM subjects, to test and evaluate the currently available products which had been provided for use within this contextual testing activity. The aim and goal of the focus group was to ask groups participants, with groups of no more than 3, to take one product each and try and construct the kit and complete the activities, as outlined within the relevant instructions provided, so that they could draw judgement on the ease of use, overall functionality, how enjoyable the experience of using the product was. An analysis of their overall knowledge gain from completing the activities for each of the products provided would also be collected through the completion of a small questionnaire. This would then provide the information required to conduct rigorous evaluation and clearly define the problem areas which exist in current STEM products used for facilitating STEM activities in the contextual environment and provide an insight into user requirements which accurately represent the views of the target market. Images relating to this activity are included on page 17 of the supporting portfolio. The running order for the contextual testing activity was as follows;

1. Consent Forms • Consent forms will be given to each participant. These outline the scope of the project, the activities

they will be asked to complete and outline why they have been chosen to participate. 2. Introduction and brief explanation about the project • Introduce and give a brief outline of the aim of the project, the research and provide an explanation of

the role of each participant within this research activity. 3. Kit building activity 1 – participants will be split into groups of 2, each group building a different kit

(10 mins) • The team leader will introduce the build-and-test activity with the current STEM activity kits which

have been provided for their use. o The focus group should be split into two groups with 2/3 participants in each. Each of these

groups will be given one of the current STEM products to look at, analyse and use in the way they normally would if presented with this type of activity during a normal weekly meeting.

o Each group will have 10 minutes to build-and-test the products provided and record their thoughts about each prototype on the questionnaire given in order to discuss their findings at the end of the exercise.



o Groups will swap products until both groups have had a chance to use all STEM kits provided. 4. Feedback – groups will complete the question form relevant to the electronic kit they have been building

o At the end of this testing activity the facilitator will chair a discussion, taking each group and product in turn, and discussing with the focus group what they thought about different elements of the product and discussing the thoughts they have included in the questionnaire. Some prompt questions are listed below to help prompt responses from the focus group in the areas of concern; • What is so different about the Torch kit from the other kits you have used? • Do you find this kit easier or more difficult to follow? • Do you prefer this kit to the other 2 and explain your answer? • Out of the 3 kits which is you favourite and why? • Would you use similar kits if they were made specifically for your age group and what

would you look for in a kit like this? 5. Kit building activity 2 – in the same groups the participants will build their second kit (10 mins)

o After the discussion the testing activity will be repeated with each group testing a different product from the previous test session. This will provide a well-rounded response, considering every view point for all products being tested. The discussion session will then be repeated again on the conclusion of this testing activity.

6. Comparison with the third most common kit available, discussion on how this is different and what kit the participants think is best and explanations of why they think this.

o A third STEM construction product was presented to the focus group which again was different from the products which they had previously been testing during this activity. As the construction element of this product was so limited the best way to assess the thoughts of the focus group with regards to this particular product was to have a group discussion where each participant could have a chance to look at the completed and uncompleted state of the product (it is important to note that the product being considered cannot be dismantled after construction has occurred). The discussion took the same structure as the feedback session which was completed for discussion of the construction of the other products and was extended to include questions from the questionnaire also used within the assessment of the other products presented to the focus group.

7. Summary and conclusion • The facilitator will sum-up the meeting with a brief statement on the next steps for the project and will

close by thanking everyone for their participation in the focus group.

As is clearly shown in the running order, the focus group began with the signing of consent forms to apply with the university’s ethics code and to ensure every participant was happy to participate in a session which was being recorded for project use only, a copy of this consent form is attached in Appendix 3. Once this stage was completed the facilitator led a brief introduction to the aims of the project and what outcome was expected from the completion of this activity. When this was complete the main activity within the focus group, an build-and-test- session where the participants could freely explore each of the products provided and evaluate how they would work when considering the use of the product within the context of an extra-curricular group and the overall opinions and feelings on the successfulness of the product in terms of achieving engagement with STEM, this is explained in more detail below.



Build-and-Test Activity This activity involved the five participants dividing into groups of two or three to maximise the interaction between the participants and the products which were being tested. The picture to the left highlights the nature of this interactive activity and clearly shows how the participants interacted with the products in the given contextual situation explained, this also help to illustrate how the build-and-test activity was structured and conducted. Each group was placed at a table in different areas of the hall so that the comments provided by the different groups of participants would not be affected could not be influenced by different participants or by the different

activities taking place. The key areas being assessed by the test were the amount of STEM related knowledge, in the area of electronics, which each participant gained through the use of the products provided and the instructions accompanying the product and how useful and easy to understand the participants found these.

During the conducting of this activity the role of facilitation, time keeping and overseeing the control of the activity within the focus group, providing information and explanation when required, listening to comments made and observing how the participants were interacting with different products and finally controlling the video and recording equipment to ensure the focus group was documented to allow for further and more detailed analysis after the event, was under the control of myself. The activity was presented to the participants in a way which was appropriate for them to understand the requirements and expectations from them during their participation within the activity.

The output of this activity was collated and each product was analysed in turn to find the positive and negative aspects present in each design. The main summarised outcomes are discussed further below.

Product 1 – Snap Circuits Images 33 and 36, on page 17 of the portfolio, show the snap circuits product which was tested during this focus group activity. This particular product is produced by John Adams with an age guide of 8+. The product was presented to the focus group as a packaged product, unopened, in a box. The only guidance given was the requirement of the participants to first start building one specific circuit which was identified within the instructional booklet provided with the product. This was to ensure that both groups of participants would complete at least one circuit which was the same in order to provide feedback which could be comparable between both test groups.

Questionnaire Evaluation o Negative: The kit was too simplistic meaning interest in using it was lost after around 5 minutes

of first starting the circuit building.

Figure 2.10. 1 - The image above shows testing of product 1.

Figure 2.10. 2 - The image above shows testing of product 2.



o Negative: The overall knowledge capture through the use of this kit was low (This is discussed further in a later section in this report).

o Negative: The kits wasn’t big enough, it needs more components to expand the possibilities of what can be achieved.

o Negative: The instructions provided are a simplistic picture representation of the finished circuit, this does not provide the learning required which was identified through the Science Connects Interview contained earlier in the report.

o Positive: Liked the kit and thought it was fun while the interest in circuit building lasted because of the fun noises produced.

o Positive: The focus group found the instructions helpful.

Video Recording Evaluation o Negative: The elements of the kit and the way in which the instructions are compiled do not

encourage the participants to use correct terminology for the components provided. o Negative: Confusion is created as to the construction of the electronic circuit as there are no

written instructions to follow. The only instruction provided in an image of the completed circuit which must try and convey hidden details of how the circuit is constructed. This is not clear.

o Negative: Doesn’t appear to encourage much collaboration as the majority of time is spent with one user constructing the circuit and another user simply observing.

o Negative: The image provided for instruction seems to cause more mistakes due to its lack of clarity.

o Negative: Some smaller components are hard to remove from the product packaging. This results in the components being dropped a significant amount of time which may cause damage to integral components meaning the kit is no longer usable due to missing entities.

o Negative: Broken components and the outcome failing to meet expectation caused severe disappointment and contributed to the drop in interest experienced during the use of this kit.

o Negative: Required significant input from a more experienced person when the circuit failed to work. There is no indication of when the batteries need to be changed, can look as though the kit is just not successful or exciting.

o Negative: Although the ‘clip-together’ design of the circuit means the product is very easy to put together, the circuit regularly keeps falling apart during construction, leading the user to believe that they haven’t completed an action correctly.

o Positive: The instantaneous output achieved on completion of the circuit provides a great sense of achievement and instant fun.

o Positive: There were instances of good recognition of how some components operated, however this may have been due to previous experience as this was not mentioned within the specific task set and is not clearly stated within the product instructions.

o Positive: More collaboration was achieved once the building of the circuit was complete. The use of less common components prompted the sharing of knowledge on how these elements worked.

o Positive: The components provided appear to be of a good size to allow the user to handle each component with ease.



o Positive: The way in which the circuit is constructed using a simple mounting board allows the user to easily assembly and disassemble the circuit to make various circuits and correct mistakes.

Product 2 – Speed Boat Construction Electronics Kit Images 34 and 35, on page 17 of the portfolio, show the speed boat construction electronics product which was tested during this focus group activity. This particular product is produced by Greenex with an age guide of 8+. The product was presented to the focus group as a packaged product, unopened, in a box. The only guidance given was that the participants should follow the instructions supplied to construct and test the product.

Questionnaire Evaluation o Negative: The equipment and connections were too stiff and cause problems with the

construction element. o Negative: The overall knowledge capture through the use of this kit was low, however appeared

to be higher than that captured through the circuit builder product analysed above. (This is discussed further in a later section in this report).

o Negative: Some equipment was missing which caused a lot of disappointment and meant that the full product could not be completed.

o Negative: Many participants found the instructions were not helpful in the completion of the kit as they were too hard to follow and understand.

o Negative: The screw placement caused issues as the participants found inserting the screws difficult on occasions due to the design of the product and how components were designed to fit together.

o Positive: Liked the kit as they felt it was hard and pushed them to challenge themselves. o Positive: One participant found the instructions useful (note this participant indicated a

previous electronic experience score of 4, above average).

Video Recording Evaluation o Negative: Components were joined in two main ways, through snap fits and screw fittings,

both of these joining methods proved hard to achieve. o Negative: Again there was not much evidence of collaboration during the construction of the

kit. The building was primarily done by one participant and the other participants within the group became observers.

o Negative: Instructions provided appeared unclear and not helpful as many incidents where the focus group participants got assembly sections wrong during the build of the kit were primarily due to vagueness within the instructions provided.

o Negative: The unclear instructions meant that participants resorted to trying to fit components in several places on the product before eventually placing it correctly through a process of trial and error.

o Negative: A significant length of time is spent reading and trying to interpret the written instructions rather than learning about the scientific principles behind how the kit functions of learning about key electronic components.

o Positive: Found the building of the kit hard but this was a positive as it appeared to spur the participants and increase their determination to finish building the kit as they saw this as a challenge and this seemed appealing to them.



Feedback on Third STEM Kit Type The third kit product considered at the end of the build-and-test activity was a self-construct L.E.D. torch. The feedback received from the focus group on this particular product is listed below.

• Negative: This type of product wouldn’t interest the target user group as there was limited activity involved in the construction of the kit and it didn’t look appealing to them so they didn’t feel they would lift this product from a shelf to look at it if they had passed it in a shop.

• Negative: The product doesn’t come with aesthetic covering, it is a simple circuit board with attachable components. The focus group felt this would be difficult to use for the purpose which the torch was intended as they felt the components would break easily.

• Negative: The product was not supplied with any instruction and the focus group felt that without some expert knowledge they would not understand what to do with the product.

• Negative: The product requires a different style of battery and the focus group felt this would be a disadvantage as it is not a battery which they would commonly find in their house, meaning more money would have to be spent buying specialist batteries only required by this product.

• Positive: The circuitry and components included in this product are more realistic than those provided with the other products tested during the focus group.

Analysis of Questionnaire Knowledge Capture Answers Each participant was provided with a questionnaire which they were asked to complete after the product testing. The first 6 questions aimed to identify any key knowledge areas which were fulfilled through the use of the product. The responses to those questions, for both product 1 and 2, are outlined below. A sample of the questionnaire is also included in Appendix 4.

1. Can you list any of the basic components which were used to assemble your kit?

Product 1 – The kit used for product 1 contained over 60 components which could be used to build any of the circuit diagrams provided with the product. All participants within this testing activity could only correctly identify 3 out of 60 components, resulting in a 1.8% success rate.

Product 2 – Product 2 also contained around 60 components. The total number of correct components identified amongst all 4 participants within this test was 8. This results in a 4.8% success rate. This success rate is still low, however it is significantly better than the rate achieved by product 1. The main suggestion for this improvement can be stated as the use of descriptive instructions instead of relying of images, the instructional method used within product 1.

2. Can you draw any of the symbols which represent the components you used to assemble the kit?

For both product 1 and 2, no participant could correctly draw the symbol associated with any electronic component used within the kits which were tested. Therefore this represents a 100% failure rate for both products and highlights a key learning area which should have been portrayed through the use of each kit.

3. Can you explain anything about the importance of the values listed on the electronic components contained within the kit?

Only one participant provided a correct answer by identifying the use of values listed on a battery. The correct answer was achieved through using product 2, however this key learning area was achieved through the use of either kit as only one component was identified out of a combined total of 120 components.



4. Can you explain in simple terms how the circuit in the kit works?

Again no participant within this test could provide a correct answer for this question. This illustrates the lack of deep and meaningful learning being achieved through the kits commonly used within extra-curricular groups such as scouts.

5. Can you name you name any of the common measurement units used for any of the electronic components within the kit?

All 4 participants provided no answer to this question for either product 1 or 2. Again this highlights the failure of the kits to provide basic knowledge such as measurement unit associated with different electronic components.

6. Can you identify any safety procedure associated with the use of electronic components?

The final question investigated learning in an area which is specifically stated as a requirement in relation to the Scout Association electronic activity badge. Participants did provide answers in relation to this question however identified that their knowledge had come from previous teaching within school and not through the use of the kits provided, therefore answers to this question have been discarded due to outside influence.

Key Learning Outcomes; • Current kits being used within extra-curricular kits, especially those generally used within scouts, do

not fulfil key learning requirements or portray knowledge within the area they were designed to represent.

• Young learners between the ages of 14 – 19 have indicated that they enjoy participating in these types of activity and would like to have more of a challenge in relation to the kits being used.

• The instructions provided with the kits can sometimes seem confusing and this leaves activity participants feeling frustrated.

2.11. Competitive Testing The aim of conducting a competitive test at this stage of the project was firstly to identify main competitor products and then further assess the usability and learnability in relation to use within an extra-curricular group setting. The first phase of this project activity comprises of an observational study which was conducted in a local toy store. This is discussed further below.

Observational Study The aim of the observational study was identify readily available products which promoted teaching and learning of STEM principals through the completion of practical activities. The study revealed a range of different products which were available and this is highlighted within the study images included on page 18 of the supporting portfolio.

Image 37, on page 18 of the portfolio, shows a range of science-based kits which range in function from simplistic chemistry lab sets to ‘Magic Trees’ and a ‘Make Your Own Bouncy Ball’ kits. This group of currently available products tends to focus around the use of disposable items such as liquids and soft objects where the objective is for the user to experiment with mixing different substances to investigate the achieved outcome. Some of the key information surrounding the positive and negatives associated with this type of kit has been reviewed and is included on pages 19 - 22 of the supporting portfolio.



The products shown in image 38, page 18 of the portfolio, are typically classed as construction kits where the aim is for the user to follow a set of included instructions to complete a science/engineering based product which can then be used upon successful completion. The successful completion of these kits often produces objects such as simple motorised cars or basic flying objects. An analysis of similar products to those identified in image 38 is included on pages 23 - 25 of the supporting portfolio.

Image 40, page 18 of the portfolio, identifies examples of available products which cannot be categorised into any relevant product group. These products include kits such as ‘Gigantic Growing Eyeball’ and ‘Make Water Disappear Instantly’. These products have a basic functionality in common, the aim of these products is for the learner to understand basic principles through play without the need for any complex construction of the product. For example, image 39 provides an example of an automaton, the aim of this product is primarily to show users the basic functionality of engineering mechanisms and how these can be utilised to provide different types of movement. A review of these products is included on pages 26 - 29 of the supporting portfolio.

There are three types of product which have been identified as typical extra-curricular group products, these are simple construction kits, similar to the construction speed boat kit used within the situational testing activity highlighted earlier in the project, electronic snap circuits and simple home-made objects such as rockets made from plastic bottles. These typical involve minimal construction and kits which are cheap to purchase and each kit can typically only be used once. Further analysis of these products is contained on page 30 of the supporting portfolio.

Another product is illustrated in images 41 and 42, on page 18 of the portfolio, and was used in the observational study this product was used as a display centre-piece. The picture illustrates the simplistic nature of some of the products commercially available in relation to STEM subjects. The limited number of output options and non-complex construction required is symbolic of many of the products available within the market.

Another product group which is analysed on page 26 of the supporting portfolio is the advanced kit product group. This group contains advanced programming products such as Arduino, Raspberry Pi and the Educational Picaxe Kit. These products primarily focus on electronics and the associated programming language and circuit construction. The main output from these products is a fully functioning circuit which performs a task, for the majority of these products they do not form a fully kit and therefore the only components supplied are the required electronic components. From previous feedback obtained on the use of these kits, they provide excellent tuition on the area of computer programming with a tangible output, however all other areas associated with STEM subjects is lacking within these products. It has been suggested that these products could be incorporated within a more traditional kit to provide better knowledge and understanding within other STEM areas.

Key Learning Outcomes; • An average price for STEM related kits is between £20 - £40. • Most of the current available resources and kits are suitable for children from the age of 7 or 8 and

become too simplistic or less interesting for the target market group of 14 – 19 year olds. • Many available kits offer the possibility for the user to complete between 5 and 10 projects through the

use of the same kit, however these kits suffer from having the problem of using perishable items within the kit meaning each project can only be completed once. Other kits providing the option of completing more than one project also have the problem of not conveying different knowledge areas within the different projects so users only gain limited understanding of one area.



• Having an understanding or previous knowledge of the area in which the kit is based is also essential for many of the products analysed. As adult volunteers within many of the extra-curricular groups do not have extensive knowledge in these areas the use of these kits within a typical group session becomes difficult.

• The products can often contain confusing instructions which results in the user losing interest or becoming frustrated when they cannot complete the activity.

• Storage of the kits appears to be a major concern when placed in the context of use within extra-curricular groups. Many of the products analysed require the group to purchase a large quantity of product in order to cater for large groups of children, therefore a lack of storage represents difficulty for the group to run activities using these kits.

2.12. Identification of Key Stakeholders The key stakeholders which have been identified throughout the literature relating to this project can be split into three key stakeholder areas, those who will purchase and use the finished product, and those who promote STEM engagement activities and those with a vested interest in encouraging more participation within STEM subjects. These areas and the organisations which are placed in these categories are discussed further below.

Those Who Will Purchase and Use the Finished Product The customers who will buy the finished product are the members of the community who run the extra-curricular groups, identified as the main area of use for the final, developed product. The main target user group for the final developed product has been identified as 14-19 year students who participate in extra-curricular activities. Some of the main extra-curricular groups which would use activities to develop understanding of STEM principles for varying reasons have been identified and are listed below;

The Boys’ Brigade Girl guiding UK



Those Who Promote STEM Engagement Activities The literature review identified some key government funded organisations and some major professional engineering institutes throughout the UK who actively engage in promoting STEM activities and encouraging young people to consider a career in STEM. Some of the main external organisations which actively promote STEM engagement have been identified and are listed below;

The Girls’ Brigade UK Scout Association

Young Engineers STEM Net Girl Geeks

UK Engineering Council Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths N t k



Those with a Vested Interest in Encouraging More Participation Within STEM Subjects The literature review highlighted other organisations with a small stake hold in the project will include the government, due to aspects of economic growth, economic direction and job creation in vital sectors which have been labelled as a priority within government policy. Any employees and suppliers associated with the creation, distribution and marketing of the product will also have a stake hold in the project as this directly affects their financial situation. Should the project attract any investors at a later date then the investor will also have a key stake hold within the project. Some of the organisations highlighted as having a vested interest in encouraging more participation within STEM include;

All of these identified stakeholders have a key interest in the value and quality of the product, as well as its ability to generate community involvement and improving the quality of communication between STEM related organisations and the young students they are trying to attract. The owners of the product will also be concerned with the longevity and social goals of the product, i.e. the product should be priced accordingly and achieve the social needs of the young people which have previously been identified as missing.

The Institution of Mechanical Engineers

The Royal Academy of Engineering

UK Government – Department for Business Innovation and

Skills

UK Government – General government policy and

economic development and

The Institution of Engineering and Technology



2.13. Evaluation The research phase of this project has extensively covered key areas concerning;

• Performance • Product Lifespan • Materials • Testing • Market Constraints/Requirements • Customer Constraints/Requirements • Cost • Documentation • Environment

Other important considerations, such as legal requirements, patents and safety issues have not been included within the project report, however these requirements are clearly outlined within the Product Design Specification, which is discussed further below.

The current problem with regards to STEM engagement within extra-curricular groups has been clearly defined and justified, with many participants indicating the same major problems within this area, including;

• Lack of interest and engagement in relation to STEM activities from young people in the 14 – 19 year category.

• A lack of knowledge or awareness of available resources to help extra-curricular groups with becoming involved in, and completing, STEM activities.

• A feeling that running STEM-related activities within extra-curricular groups requires adult volunteers to possess knowledge within these areas in order to run the related activities with the young people in the group.

• Current commercially available kits are too simplistic for the identified target age group, 14 – 19 year olds, as the kits are aimed at children from the age of 8, therefore meaning that 14 year students do not obtain any benefit through using the kit as it is not suitably aimed at young people in this area.

The information identified and obtained from various sources all validate the initial problem statement and aim for this project, previously stated as;

In order to continue to promote and encourage STEM participation amongst young learners and reduce the pressure currently felt by teaching staff and schools there is a need to develop a STEM-based educational kit which can be used in extra-curricular environments such as Young Engineer’s clubs, Scouts, Guides and other youth organisations.

Project Aim - Design and develop a scientific-based kit, for the 14-19 years age group, which is suitable for use in an extra-curricular environment to encourage more participation in STEM subjects.

These areas have been considered and interpreted in order to provide customer requirements which have been used to develop a product design specification, this is discussed further below.



2.14. Product Design Specification Following the research plan and approach diagram which was highlighted at the beginning of this section of the report, the next stage to be completed was the generation of a product design specification containing basic information which had been identified through systematic research. This product design specification is developing and evolving with the progression of the project. The most recent version of the PDS is shown on pages 31 - 34 of the portfolio. The PDS included here is version 5 which includes information from all research completed at this point within the project.

2.15. Evaluation Initial project planning shows that interviews with various organisations involved in STEM engagement programmes aimed at helping schools achieve success through innovation within these areas in the school curriculum. The organisations mentioned within the original project plan were;

• Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) • STEM Net (Science Connects)

Due to availability of these organisations in relation to participating in an interview, only one organisation was able to fulfil this request at the present time, as illustrated within section 2.8. Although another expert interview at this stage would have provided another perspective on the area being considered within this project, and possibly provided more information on current opportunities available, the ability to only include one interview has not been seen to affect the overall outcome of the project at this stage. This is primarily due to the high-level of involvement from target users and customers providing relevant information in relation to the current situation regarding STEM activities within various extra-curricular groups. The inclusion of only one interview within this stage of the project has also been recognised and adjustments have been made to the plan to include more expert input within stage 2 of the project, including interviews and evaluation with;

• Glasgow City of Science • Experienced technology teachers

It is hoped this will provide valuable insight into the relevance of this project and provide strong feedback for the development of any conceptual designs in order to achieve the most practical and relevant solution possible.

It was also noted that key areas such as ergonomics have not been included within this section of the project, this is most noticeable when considering the PDS. However, this research will be included in the detail design phase of the project. It was thought that research in this area was best included within that stage to ensure all information gathered was relevant and therefore time spent on research values would be spent more efficiently with a focus being placed on the final solution rather than an estimate of values which may potentially be useful.



3. Conceptual Design Phase The conceptual design phase is the third phase within the progression of this project, as outlined by the methodology diagram to the left. This section comprised the use of several design methods and techniques in order to generate basic conceptual ideas based on current scientific experimentation and school subject areas, target age group requirements and specific focus on interests of female students between the ages of 14 and 19. This phase of the project covers a large range of conceptual possibilities within many STEM areas before moving into more detailed conceptual development with accompanying evaluation and

final concept selection. This is essential to ensure the selection of the best solution, therefore this requires a divergent and convergent structure to allow for a wide range of possibilities to gradually become narrower before a final solution is chosen. This phase of the project is covered throughout this section of the report and associated project work is also displayed on pages 35 - 40 of the supporting portfolio.

3.1. Conceptual Design Phase Approach It has already been stated that this phase of the project requires a structured approach due to the divergent and convergent nature of this phase of the project and also due to the numerous STEM areas which can be explored with the possibility of concept generation occurring within any of these areas. The nature of the design methodology and the product development area of STEM and its incorporation within an extra-curricular setting require an intense focus on the user. Therefore to ensure a breadth a depth of information is obtained with adequate evaluation and user focus the following approach plan was developed to guide the progression of this phase of the project. This will also help to ensure the project time schedule is met. The devised approach to this phase of the project is shown in the diagram below;



The diagram clearly divides the conceptual design phase into two distinct sections which concentrate on concept generation, involving a large amount of target user interaction and involvement, occurring within stage 1 and more detailed concept development, evaluation and final concept selection which will be discussed within stage 2 of this project. The approach progresses in a sequential and methodical manner by first identifying current STEM-related principal areas which are widely taught throughout the curriculum in order to identify specific areas on which concept generation can begin, this is then followed by subsequent activities used to achieve user-generated concepts to ensure the target users’ perspective on concept generation is included within the developmental stage of this project. The second section concentrates on concept development and evaluation of more detailed concepts which will be conducted within stage 2 of this project.

3.2. Observational Concept Generation – Visit to Glasgow Science Centre

An observational study was conducted at the Glasgow Science Centre on 5th October 2013. The aim of this study was to identify current scientific principles and areas of key learning interest which could be incorporated and adapted into product concepts for a STEM-related resource for use in an extra-curricular group setting. The observational study outlined many key scientific areas of interest and experimental equipment demonstrated some of the most significant scientific principals which are relevant to the 14 – 19 year old age group. These areas are demonstrated and discussed further below, with accompanying images displayed on page 35 of the supporting portfolio.

One of the simplest engineering-related displays used within the Glasgow Science Centre portrayed the principals of stress and strain in relation to rotational forces. This was highlighted through a visual technique using transparent acrylic pieces, cut to the shape of various spanners, which were placed under UV lighting at various positions around the circumference of the circular display case, as shown in image 43, page 35 of the portfolio. The aim of this interactive display was to generate understanding of rotational forces and stress and strain through utilising the spanner shape to turn a nut which was placed in the centre of the display. Areas under stress and strain appeared as coloured areas on the spanner pieces. This is usually a hard concept to visualise and so this display is unique and important for encouraging learning and understanding in this area.

The area of magnetism was covered extensively throughout the main experimentation section of the Glasgow Science Centre. One of the most popular displays is shown in image 44, page 35 of the portfolio. The aim of this display was for the participant to successfully bridge the gap between the two large electromagnets using a supply of nails. This successfully generates understanding of magnetism and materials while also incorporating technical construction skills. The display looks relatively simple to complete, however the participant must account for the shape of the nails, the weight of the nails, the distance between the two electromagnetic units and the optimal bridge design required to bridge the gap between the electromagnetic units with the number of nails supplied. This display has the ability to illustrate many low-medium rated difficulty levels and be utilised in a number of situations relating to different aspects and principals of magnetism.

Another display area was used to portray the scientific principals behind wind flow and forces occurring within parabolic parameters. This display included less interactive elements than other displays within the Glasgow Science Centre, however it does demonstrate some principals which are not extensively covered within the school curriculum. The main interactivity occurring between the display and the participant is the ability to vary wind speed and investigate the effect this has on the waves created within the parabola. This is shown in image 45, page 35 of the portfolio.



Another display area was utilised for visual effect rather than interaction. This display illustrated the movement of liquid through different mediums, in the case of this display, the flow of water through sand was investigated. There was limited user interaction within this display as the user was simply required to press a button which started a water jet, creating pressure and force to enable the water to travel through the sand, creating different flow patterns. This was not a very technical display and did not convey extensive principals or meaning within the area of liquid movement through solid particles. This is shown in image 46, page 35 of the portfolio.

Images 47 and 48, page 35 of the portfolio, illustrate typical examples of many displays conveying scientific principals in relation to light reflection and refraction. These displays were very popular within the Science Centre and enabled participants to interact with the display and experiment with different configurations. Each of the displays shown were constructed from modular components which enable participants to obtain a large range of freedom in terms of how the display was constructed and used. This demonstrated some key principals related to the methodology behind scientific thinking and experimentation structure combined with the knowledge related to the area of physics illustrated through the display. These elements seemed to play a key role in generating interest within these displays as it became apparent during the visit that the more interactive displays achieved higher participation levels.

The displays identified from the visit to the Glasgow Science Centre helped to identify key design elements and STEM areas which were used to help generate some basic conceptual designs. These designs are shown on pages 36 and 37 of the supporting portfolio and are discussed further below.

Concept 1 Concept 1 is shown in image 49, page 36 of the portfolio. This idea takes inspiration from the interactive and modular displays which were identified at the Glasgow Science Centre. The kit will generate knowledge in relation to practical experimental areas within physics, including velocity at points on a circle, optical illusions created through rotating objects and height in relation to rotational velocity within a parabolic structure. This idea generates user freedom, allowing for experimentation and creativity to generate ideas for new experiments and activities after completion of the basic experimental instructions which have been provided as part of the kit. The kit would also require full user construction before experimentation in any area could be undertaken and this will build knowledge and skills in further areas.

Challenges for the User The main STEM-related challenges presented to the user within this kit idea are;

• Building knowledge and practical skills in relation to construction and design. These will be evident during the initial building of the kit and throughout any moderations made by the user in order to complete any experimental investigations devised by the user themselves.

• Knowledge of mechanical forces and bearings. This is essential when considering the rotational movement and velocity associated with the movement of the circular platform.

• Understanding and knowledge in the areas of velocity, speed and rotational forces, developed through the completion of each activity completed using the kit.

• Development of scientific methodological approaches to devising, completing and evaluating experiments.

• Challenge for this idea has been rated as MEDIUM-HIGH.



Questions for the user The questions used throughout the instructions given to ensure the user is thinking and learning while building the kit could be as follows;

• What is torque and how does this affect the use of the kit within any of the experimentation activities? What torque value should the motor used within this kit have?

• If the platform is rotating at a velocity of ‘X’, what height will 20ml of water reach inside the parabola? What would happen if water was replaced with sand? Can you suggest any reasons for why this may occur?

• If the motor is rotating at a velocity of ‘X’ and you place an object 10mm from the centre of the platform, what is the rotational velocity of the object? If the object is moving at a rotational velocity of ‘X’ how far away from the centre of the platform has the object been placed?

Concept 2 Concept 2 is shown in image 50, page 36 of the portfolio. This concept takes inspiration from the stress/strain display discussed previously. This design will a smaller version of the display, allowing for experimentation within this area to occur within the setting of an extra-curricular group. The kit design will be modular, with several different spanner designs, including different tip designs, lengths and thicknesses, with adjustable UV light units. Different sized nuts and bolts will be placed on the kit platform and the user will be left to experiment with the stress and strain occurring within different spanners, with the ability to investigate the effect of length, thickness and tip design has on the generation of stress and strain within the spanner.


• Building knowledge and practical skills in relation to construction and design. These will be developed during the simple construction of the kit, however additional skills related to the use of hand tools will also be developed when using the spanners provided within the kit.

• Knowledge of mechanical forces. Generated through the identification and experimentation surrounding stress and strain forces, how these relate to torsional forces and how these can be overcome through design. There may also be the possibility that this experiment could be adapted to display stress and strain forces occurring within other tools, such as screwdrivers.

• Knowledge of simple mechanical fastenings and the associated standard sizing applied to this area. • Development of knowledge in relation to material and how stress and strain effects can be shown with

the use of UV lights. • Challenge for this idea has been rated as LOW-MEDIUM.


• What is the definition of the terms stress and strain and how do these definitions relate to the use of common hand tools?

• If your hand is place ‘X’ cm from the pivot, how much torsional force is being generated? What values of stress and strain forces are therefore occurring within the spanner?



• Describe/sketch the optimal design for a spanner to reduce the stress and strain forces occurring when turning an M8 screw.

Concept 3 Concept 3 is shown in image 51, page 36 of the portfolio. Taking inspiration from the magnetism display outlined in the observational study, this kit aims to develop the same key learning principals using a more accessible and practical solution. The kit in concept 3 also introduces new possibilities for experimentation within this physics subject matter, the length between the electromagnetic units is adjustable, the angular positioning of the electromagnets can be changed to investigate this effect on bridge structure and many metallic pieces are available, ranging from aluminium to iron to allow the user to investigate variance of magnetism across different metallic structures. This will develop many skills within the area of magnetism and bridge design and construction in relation to the small metallic pieces and how these can be used to bridge the gap between the electromagnetic units.


• Building knowledge and practical skills in relation to construction and design. These will be developed during the simple construction of the kit, however additional skills related conceptual design thinking and engineering principals which are applicable during bridge construction will also be developed throughout the use of the kit.

• Knowledge of mechanical forces. Forces have a major effect on the successful bridging of the gap between the electromagnetic units used within this kit. The user must therefore be encouraged to think about these factors during the use of the kit and how forces and type of material have an effect on the bridge design they utilise.

• Development of knowledge in relation to material structure, in particular metallic structure, and how this determines magnetism.



• Explain how an electromagnet produces an electro-magnetic current? • If a current of ‘X’ is used within the electromagnet, what is the value of the magnetic force produced

by the electromagnet? • How does the atomic structure of a metallic solid enable magnetic attraction? • If the distance between the electromagnetic units is ‘X’, what is the minimum number of steel pieces

required to bridge the gap?

Concept 4 Concept 4 is shown in image 52, page 37 of the portfolio. The design of this concept was inspired by the display within the Glasgow Science Centre which illustrated the effect of air flow and force on liquids within a parabolic shape. The pivoted arm has a motor placed at the end of the arm driving a fan blade, creating a large down-force due to the movement of air being produced by the fan blade. This can be used to investigate the effects of large wind forces on varying structures, including liquids which can be placed in the parabolic bowl, which



is also supplied as part of the kit. This kit is primarily aimed at promoting scientific thinking and having fun while learning.


• Building knowledge and practical skills in relation to construction and design. This is evident throughout the construction of the kit and through the opportunity for the user to build and test their own structure designs.

• Understanding and knowledge in the areas of velocity, speed and rotational forces, developed through the completion of each activity completed using the kit.

• Development of scientific methodological approaches to devising, completing and evaluating experiments.

• Knowledge in areas related to civil engineering with structure design and designing everyday objects to cope with changing weather patterns and adverse storms.



• What is torque and how does this affect the use of the kit within any of the experimentation activities? What torque value should the motor used within this kit have?

• If the platform is rotating at a velocity of ‘X’, what height will 20ml of water reach inside the parabola? What would happen if water was replaced with sand? Can you suggest any reasons for why this may occur?

• What is the tallest structure that will remain standing in when the fan blade is rotating at a velocity of ‘X’?

• What is the best basic structure to use for construction when designing to withstand high winds?

Concept 5 Concept 5 is shown in image 53, page 37 of the portfolio. Concept 5 considers use of light reflection and refraction through the use of modular blocks containing lasers. This concept design took inspiration from a similar display within the Glasgow Science Centre. The idea behind the kit is to provide various components within the kit, including different types of mirrors, different coloured and varying frequency laser modules and prisms of different sizes to allow the user to develop their own experiments and investigations into the areas of light reflection, refraction and the light spectrum. The modular design of this concept would allow users to construct and join components in any way to investigate any affects this would have on the areas outlined.


• Knowledge of light reflection, refraction, wavelengths and other associated areas. The use of the laser and experimentation surrounding these areas will require the user to answer questions which will generate significant learning in these areas.



• Knowledge of the spectrum of light. Part of the kit will allow the user to investigate the spectrum of light and how this is associated with the wavelength of different colours of light.

• Encouraging creativity and self-led investigation. The kit will not be provided with a lot of set rules or experiments, encouraging the user to develop their own.

• Generating scientific thinking in terms of the approach taken to conducting scientific experiments. • Challenge for this idea has been rated as MEDIUM-HIGH.


• If the laser has an incidence angle of ‘X’ and is projected along a length of ‘X’, how many times will the light refract along this length?

• Describe what is meant by the term, ‘normal line’ and how this relates to the incidence angle of the light beam.

• How does the wavelength of a light beam relate to the colour of the light beam?

Concept 6 Concept 6 is shown in image 54, page 37 of the portfolio. Concept 6 incorporates an idea which was shown within one of the highlighted displays at the Glasgow Science Centre. The illustration and knowledge behind the movement of liquids through various solid materials is what this concept aims to display. The kit will require assembly, therefore generating additional skills in construction and electronics and can then be used to investigate the phenomenon of the movement of liquid substances. This will provide the user with a chance to investigate the use of any type of liquid or solid substance and devise and conduct their own experiments relating to this area.


• Building knowledge and practical skills in relation to construction and design. These will be developed during the simple construction of the kit.

• Knowledge of solid and liquid substances. Solid and liquid substances have different structures which generate different behaviour, in relation to the atomic particles within the structure, understanding in this area will be developed through investigating the path of travel within the described conceptual design.

• Development of knowledge in relation to speed of travel through solid substances and how this varies according to the structure of the solid. Similar knowledge will also be gained with respect to travelling speeds of liquid elements.

• Challenge for this idea has been rated as LOW-MEDIUM.


• How does the atomic structure of a solid differ from the atomic structure of a liquid?



• If the length of the container is ‘X’ and the speed of water through sand is ‘X’, how long will it take the water to travel the length of the container?

3.3. Idea Generation Focus Group -16 and 17 Year Old Participants In order to gather ideas which would be applicable, interesting and engaging for the age group in consideration, a focus group was held on Monday 7th October. Participating in this focus group were 5 girls between the ages of 16 and 18 who attend a local Explorer Scout unit in Dennistoun, Glasgow. The aim of this focus group was to obtain a few initial concepts in order to gauge design ideas and areas of interest for the 14-19 year old age group which the final product solution will have to appeal to. Corresponding concept generation images for this activity are shown on pages 38 and 39 of the supporting portfolio and are discussed further below.

Their brief was to model a gadget which they thought could be used in scouts to help people engage in STEM and possibly help them explore science in order to help them with their school subjects. The participants were not limited to having to use particular components, the only specification within the brief given to the group was the requirement for the final design idea to incorporate electronics in some way, the styling, function, operation of the idea was to be decided and explained by each participant after the initial creation phase of the focus group.

Initial Ideas The ideas illustrated below are the initial outputs gathered from this focus group activity. The ideas will be explained in more detail within a later section.

This is an idea to build an old-fashioned horse cart. The idea is to build the cart using simple fastenings and create the electronic circuit using traditional methods like soldering. This would be customised as it would be entirely the choice of the user as to the choice of components used and the layout of the circuit. This element would give the user good knowledge of electronics. Once that was complete the kit could be used to tow a trailer etc., through the use of magnets, thus teaching the user about mechanical and magnetic forces. This could also form the basis of a competition as the kit could be customisable in terms of the exterior appearance

the speed etc. achieved through the design of the circuit.



This idea was centred on building an automatic rowing boat. An electronic circuit would be needed to drive the mechanisms required to make the boat row autonomously. This would provide the user with a good knowledge of electronics and mechanics. The boat could then be used in water to the user would have to think about material and water-proofing which may be required. This would also provide a good sense of achievement when they are able to watch the boat sailing on water in a real-life situation.

This is an idea to have a kit-built monster truck. The kit would have the main basic components such as the axles, circuitry and a chassis but the rest of the design would be made by the user, or group of users. This would then facilitate learning about the electronic circuitry involved in powering a vehicle, along with the drive components required. It would also give the user a key role and help sustain their interest in the project by giving them control over the final design output. This could then be used in a nation-wide competition where design and function were judged against other groups of users.

A self-assembly rocket was another idea presented by the focus group. The idea centred on the rocket containing individual rooms, which would require the use of technical building skills and as a result the user would develop highly refined construction techniques which would have a practical application in the real-world. In terms of the electronics incorporated within the idea, there would be a requirement to produce a large downward force in order to make the rocket fly, although this would have to be controlled in some way in order to ensure the kit was re-usable. The focus group thought this would encourage a lot of interest in the kit and would generate great excitement when the users were finally able to see the rocket flying, again adding to a sense of achievement because the user will have built something which can fly.



The last idea presented by the focus group was a mechanically operated flower which would combine using knowledge in the area of solar power and mechanical drive mechanisms in order to operate the flower. The idea is that the flower will be bent in two, once the sun rises it will charge the solar panel, connected to the electronic circuit, and this in turn will start to operate the mechanisms which will slowly make the flower rise to its up-right position. Once in the up-right position a butterfly, situated on one of the flower petals, will move. The focus group thought this would help teach young learners about renewable energy, mechanisms and programming through the need for the flower to complete this autonomously. They thought it would also be nice decoration once completed and would not gather dust like much of the kits commercially available now.

The ideas presented here will each be discussed in turn with more detail, including outlining the challenge that each idea would present to the young user and the questions the user would have to answer in order to complete the assembly of each idea.

Key Learning Outcomes; • Each idea must present a challenge to the user in order to engage them in the process of learning through

the construction of the kit. This could come in the form of questions placed throughout a traditional instruction leaflet included with the kit, or an app could accompany the kit and provide instruction whilst also asking questions which the user must answer in order to complete the kit instruction.

• The idea of being able to customise the appearance seemed to appeal to the focus group. This should be a consideration within the final design, is there a facility to provide the user with the ability to customise the look of the kit once they have constructed it?

• Being involved in competition seemed to appeal as an approach to encouraging engagement. The focus group saw competing within a competition as providing a sense of achievement and recommended that the final product solution should incorporate and facilitate the chance to compete against other students nationally and globally.

Concept 7 Concept 7 is shown in image 55, page 38 of the portfolio. The old-fashioned horse cart. The idea of using simple fastenings to build the cart and create the electronic circuit using traditional methods like soldering means the simplicity of the building of the kit is kept low however stills teaches techniques which will be useful for the user in the context of the real world. This would be customised as it would be entirely the choice of the user as to the choice of components used and the layout of the circuit, support would still be supplied through a community interface, either through the internet or via an app. Completion of the kit could be used to tow a trailer etc., through the use of magnets, thus teaching the user about mechanical and magnetic forces. This could also form the basis of a competition as the kit could be customisable in terms of the exterior appearance the speed etc. achieved through the design of the circuit.




• Learning proper soldering technique and deducing the orientation of components within the electrical circuit and understanding the importance of doing this.

• Knowledge of mechanical forces and bearings. This is essential knowledge when considering the movement of the cart. Would the bearings be the correct size and type and what tyres are best in order to provide the cart with enough traction?

• The use of magnets presents the challenge of understanding magnetic forces and magnetic poles and how these would be incorporated within the design.

• Challenge for this idea has been rated as LOW-MEDIUM


• What value of resistor/power source/capacitor is required for the circuit for the cart? • If you have a wheel of ‘x’ diameter and the cart weighs ‘x’ kg what is the gravitational force acting on

the cart? • If there is a coefficient value of ‘x’ does the cart have enough traction to move along the ground? • What diameter axle is required to ensure the weight of the cart is sufficiently supported to ensure the

axle does not fail through buckling? • What magnetic strength is required to ensure the trailer stays attached to the cart whilst they are moving

along the surface?

Concept 8 Concept 8 is shown in image 56, page 38 of the portfolio. The automated rowing boat. This idea was centred on building an automatic rowing boat, requiring the use of sophisticated driven mechanisms to drive the paddles in order to create the rowing motion. An electronic circuit would be needed to provide the drive to the mechanisms. This would provide the user with a good knowledge of electronics and mechanics. The boat could then be used in water to the user would have to think about material and water-proofing which may be required. This would also provide a good sense of achievement when they are able to watch the boat sailing on water in a real-life situation.


• Learning and deducing the orientation of components within the electrical circuit and understanding the importance of doing this.

• Knowledge of mechanical forces and driving mechanisms. This is essential knowledge when considering the rowing motion required to produce the movement of the boat.

• Construction would require a lot of skill in order to place the mechanisms accurately in order to ensure smooth drive and provide good links with enough force to propel the boat forward.

• Knowledge of motor speeds and choosing the correct motor speed and gearing to ensure the correct output speed is achieved for the movement of the boat.

• Challenge for this idea has been rated as MEDIUM-HIGH




• What value of resistor/power source/capacitor is required for the circuit for the boat? • What material can you use to make the boat waterproof to ensure the vessel does not sink? • What torsional value, speed and gearing do you require from the motor to ensure the mechanisms are

driven with enough force to make the boat move, but not enough to cause damage to the boat? • What types of linking mechanism are required to link the motor to the paddle output? • What changes could you make to the mechanism set-up to produce a different, alternating rowing

motion?

Concept 9 Concept 9 is shown in image 58, page 39 of the portfolio. The remote-controlled monster truck. This is an idea to have a kit-built monster truck which would have the main basic components such as the axles, circuitry, a chassis and a basic outer shell however, the rest of the design would be made by the user, or group of users. This would then facilitate learning about the electronic circuitry involved in powering a vehicle, along with the drive components required. It would also give the user a key role and help sustain their interest in the project by giving them control over the final design output, in terms of the styling and appearance of the final product. This could then be used in a nation-wide competition where design and function were judged against other groups of users.



• Knowledge of mechanical forces and driving mechanisms. This is essential knowledge when considering the traction and movement of the truck and the speeds involved in this kind of design.

• Knowledge and use of remote-control programming. • Construction would require a lot of skill in order to place the mechanisms accurately in order to ensure

smooth drive and provide good links with enough force and free movement, avoiding too many frictional forces, in order to drive the wheels on the vehicle.

• Knowledge of motor speeds and choosing the correct motor speed and gearing to ensure the correct output speed is achieved for the movement of the vehicle.

• Knowledge and use of axles and shaft connections and bearings within the drive mechanism design of the vehicle.



• What value of resistor/power source/capacitor is required for the circuit for the vehicle? • What type of connections are needed within the drive mechanism for the vehicle and how much loading

force and torsional force must they withstand during operation of the vehicle?



• What torsional value, speed and gearing do you require from the motor to ensure the mechanisms are driven with enough force to make the vehicle move, but not enough to cause damage to the drive mechanism of the vehicle?

• What types of linking mechanism are required to link the steering to the wheels of the vehicle?

Concept 10 Concept 10 is shown in image 57, page 39 of the portfolio. The remote-controlled rocket. This is an idea to have a kit-built, remote-controlled rocket which would have the main basic components such as the propeller blade, circuitry and a basic outer shell however, the rest of the design would be made by the user, or group of users. This would then facilitate learning about the electronic circuitry involved in providing thrust for the upward flight of the rocket, along with the drive components required to provide the motion for the propellers needed to lift the rocket. It would also give the user a key role and help sustain their interest in the project by giving them control over the final design output, in terms of the styling and appearance of the final product. This could then be used in a nation-wide competition where design and function were judged against other groups of users.



• Knowledge of mechanical forces and driving mechanisms. This is essential knowledge when considering the thrust force required and lift provision for the rocket, consideration also needs to be given to the rotary speeds of the propellers and the force this will generate which may affect other components.

• Knowledge and use of remote-control programming. • Construction would require a lot of skill in order to place the mechanisms accurately in order to ensure

smooth drive and provide good links with enough force and free movement, avoiding too many frictional forces, in order to ensure the propulsion remains smooth and the rocket can be used several times.

• Knowledge of motor speeds and choosing the correct motor speed and gearing to ensure the correct output speed is achieved to provide an adequate amount of thrust force to the lift the rocket.

• Knowledge and use of axles and shaft connections and bearings within the drive mechanism design of the rocket.



• What value of resistor/power source/capacitor is required for the circuit for the rocket? • What type of connections are needed within the drive mechanism for the rocket and how much loading

force and torsional force must they withstand during operation of the propeller in order to provide lift for the rocket?



• What torsional value, speed and gearing do you require from the motor to ensure the mechanisms are driven with enough force to provide lift for the rocket, but not enough to cause damage to the drive mechanism?

• What types of technology are required to link the control of the rocket flight with the remote-control device used by the user?

Concept 11 Concept 11 is shown in image 59, page 39 of the portfolio. The solar powered clockwork flower. This idea presented by the focus group was a mechanically operated flower which would combine using knowledge in the area of solar power and mechanical drive mechanisms in order to operate the flower. The idea is that the flower will be bent in two, once the sun rises it will charge the solar panel, connected to the electronic circuit, and this in turn will start to operate the mechanisms which will slowly make the flower rise to its up-right position. Once in the up-right position a butterfly, situated on one of the flower petals, will move. The focus group thought this would help teach young learners about renewable energy, mechanisms and programming through the need for the flower to complete this autonomously. They thought it would also be nice decoration once completed and would not gather dust like much of the kits commercially available now.



• Knowledge of mechanical forces and mechanisms. This is essential knowledge when considering the mechanical operation of the flower.

• Knowledge and use solar powered energy. • Construction would require some skill to ensure all mechanisms were placed correctly in order to

provide smooth operation of the mechanical lifting of the flower. • Knowledge of motor speeds and choosing the correct motor speed and gearing to ensure the correct

output speed is achieved to provide smooth mechanical lifting motion. • Challenge for this idea has been rated as LOW-MEDIUM


• What value of resistor/power source/capacitor is required for the circuit for the rocket? • What type of connections are needed within the drive mechanism for the flower? • What torsional value, speed and gearing do you require from the motor to ensure the mechanisms are

driven with enough force to provide lift, but not enough to cause damage to the drive mechanism? • How long must the solar panel charge for before the flower will be operational? • How long will the flower remain upright once the battery is fully charged?



3.4. Focus Group – Random Word Generation On Friday 1st November 2013 North Ayrshire Council ran a workshop aimed at encouraging S3 female students to consider a future within the area of STEM. As part of this workshop an activity was conducted in order to identify key areas of interest to this age group of girls. As identified throughout the literature review, girls are less likely to participate in STEM subjects, losing interest as early as the age of 8. Therefore this concept generation activity provided an opportunity to engage with potential female users and identify areas which could incorporated within a concept design to ensure buy-in and high

interest levels which could increase participation levels with female students. The resulting brainstorming graph from this activity is included on page 40 of the stage 1 supporting portfolio.

Over 30 participants submitted words relating to subjects, hobbies, favourite school subjects, areas of interest and ideas on how to improve the appeal of science in order to increase participation within this age group. The areas of interest identified were divided into 3 sectors;

• Indoors • Outdoors • Other

Some of the most popular suggestions included;

• Sports • Being Outside • Music • Being different and noticeable • Social networking • Socialising • Practical Things

While participating in this activity, female students were also able to comment on the project and provide any other additional information they thought would help with the development of a product to help improve STEM engagement. One of the additional comments provided stated, “Because I like challenges.” This echoed one of the main findings emerging from both the situational context testing and the online survey for 14 – 19 year olds students. This highlights the importance of incorporating difficulty and challenges within the product development in order to make it relevant to this target age group.

The outcome from this activity will be utilised within a brainstorming session to produce a wider range of conceptual design ideas at the beginning of stage 2.

3.5. Evaluation The original project plan had indicated that a selection of models should be completed by this stage allowing for evaluation and selection of a final concept. Due to other commitments requiring more time than previously thought when devising the original project plan, modelling, evaluation and final concept selection has not taken place within stage one. However, ideas for final concepts and evaluation have already begun in order to ensure



these activities are completed relatively early in the remaining time assigned for this project, ensuring the project will still be completed fully within the time frame given. This re-evaluation of the project management and time considerations has been included in an updated version of the project Gantt chart which has been included in Appendix 5. Stage 2 will begin with more concept generation before converging into a concept development and evaluation phase before selecting a final solution.



4. Conclusion By completing this stage 1 folio the following project objectives, outlined on page 11, have been met;

• Explore the idea of STEM involvement in an extra-curricular environment to further define the problem, need and aim for the project. Also identify key products which are currently being used in this area and outline the key issues which exist with the use of these products and how these could be addressed.

• Explore some of the basic scientific principles which could be adapted into a small scale form which could provide ideas for an electronic-based scientific kit for the 14 – 19 age range.

• Explore the idea of having one modular product which can be configured into many different layouts to provide the user with the opportunity of exploring more than one area of STEM with the need to only purchase one kit.

The issues surrounding STEM engagement and current schemes in place to address some of these issues have been investigated throughout the literature which identified a need for incorporating STEM engagement activities within extra-curricular groups such as scouts. The problem, need and aim of the project were then further defined through a series of research outcomes obtained from the use of a sequential and methodical approach utilising many design research methods to clearly identify customer and user requirements for product development regarding the area of STEM resources for the identified situation. Current commercially available products were also identified and analysed. This analysis identified key positive and negative aspects of various available resources being sold within a high-street toy store. The analysis also investigated the implications associated with the use of these products within an extra-curricular group, particularly scouts as this group was easy to relate to due to the product testing which was conducted within this group prior to the competitive testing discussed in section 2.10. On conclusion of the research phase of the project, key scientific principles were identified through an observational study of interactive displays used within Glasgow Science Centre. This outlined some of the principles involving interactive elements which could easily be transferred into a small-scale product for use within an extra-curricular group. The ideas generated as a result of the initial observational study were discussed in detail, including highlighting user challenge and potential questions which could be used to enhance the use of the conceptual design and promote learning within key STEM areas. These designs also highlighted the idea of generating a kit which focused on modular design and construction. Other conceptual designs were also considered, including designs generated by potential users, which were explored through the use of a focus group activity in order to identify products the target user market would be interested in buying. The conceptual design produced from the focus group activity are discussed throughout section 3.3. The consideration of the target user group was integrated into the process through the use of a further method, random word generation, which identified key areas of interest within the 14 – 19 year old age group, in particular interests of female students within this age group. Female students provided the focus for this activity as female participation in STEM subjects was highlighted as a key issue throughout the literature review and further research. The main outcomes from the research phase are summarised below.

4.1. Outcomes from Stage 1 • The world economy is changing and developing through time and highlights the aims and objective of

the UK economy in relation to how the government foresee the country competing within an ever increasing globalised economic race.

• 80% of the people surveyed agreed that science, on the whole, makes our lives easier.



• 88% of those surveyed agreed that scientists make a valuable contribution to society. • Engineering university entrants remaining static between 1994 and 2004 despite the total number of

university entrants rising by 40%. • Women account for only 20% of all bachelor’s degrees within engineering, computer science and

physics. • Less than 33% of STEM graduates were women in 2000 and the level was still the same in 2009. • Men account for more than 80% of graduates in engineering, manufacturing and construction. • Engineering recorded the lowest number of responses in relation to the enjoyment of studying that

subject. • Girls tend to lose interest in STEM subjects at an early age and therefore highlight the need to include

extensive female incorporation within the research and development area to ensure a truly unisex product is developed which captures engagement from both male and female students within the target age group.

• Social networking offers social mobility and interaction as key traits of the system, these characteristics are inherently important within the area of STEM in order to develop creativity and experimentation and so product development for the area of STEM should seek to include the high levels of interaction and social mobility demonstrated through social networking platforms.

• Many volunteers class themselves as being experts in relation to running STEM-based activities, however, the remainder of the survey results suggest that these skills and the experience are not utilised to run STEM activities within an extra-curricular group.

• 52% of the survey respondents had run 0 or 1 STEM-based activities within the course of a year. • The majority of STEM-based activities completed were electronics based and this involved simple

construction of a basic circuit. • The majority of volunteers within extra-curricular groups only spend between 0 and 1 hours running an

activity, in particular STEM-based activities. • 31% of responses showed that adult volunteers do not think current resources are challenging or

engaging enough and for that reason have not run a STEM-based activity. • Many volunteers think more resources for STEM activities need to be easily available at a reasonable

price. • 43% of volunteers are not aware of any current STEM resources for extra-curricular groups and 44%

stated they are aware of current resources but do not use them or don’t like them. • 88% of the survey participants indicated having a very high interest in STEM subject areas, however

this did not translate into participation or engagement with these areas at home or in extra-curricular groups.

• 83% of respondents have never completed a STEM-related activity during their time in an extra-curricular group and any activities that were completed within this situation did not include any mathematics related activities.

• 81% of respondents indicated not having used any STEM-related kits at home and stated the main reasons for this were due to a lack of time, a lack of useful instructions or they found the kits were not challenging enough as they were aimed at a younger age group.

• Numbers within youth organisations, illustrated through this case study in scouting, are rising, this may present an issue with STEM engagement and how people interact with a product when in a large group,



but also makes engagement with STEM more of an issue. Many current products are for use between a couple of young people.

• Equipment currently used by STEM Ambassadors can cost anything between £1 for the simpler components up to £300 for the construction kits available.

• STEM resources for the 14-19 age range are not currently widely available. • Conceptual design activities have been used to develop 12 initial concept designs.

4.2. Progress for Stage 2 Stage 2 of the project will focus on;

• Use the key interest areas which have been identified through the focus group random word generation to guide a brainstorming session in order to develop more diverse conceptual designs.

• Evaluate all conceptual designs generated and obtain external evaluation from experienced teachers in order to ensure the concepts are correctly portraying key scientific principles and can related to areas of the curriculum, as suggested throughout the research phase of stage 1.

• Use concept development, modelling and user evaluation to choose the final solution and again obtain external expert opinion on the design and relevance to the need to improve STEM engagement within extra-curricular groups.

• Undertake further research in the areas of ergonomics, material selection and safety considerations in order to obtain valuable information for guiding the detailed design development of the final solution.

• Complete the detail design stage, including a focus on design for modular assembly, design for the environment and design for function.

• Consider manufacturing requirements and provide costing for production of the design solution. • Produce a business plan. • Producing the final design in more detail and with supporting CAD models • A working prototype of the final product solution and contextual testing within extra-curricular groups • Validating the design through testing, CAD analysis and simulation



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Appendix 1 – Project Approach Plan





















Appendix 2 – Project Gantt Chart





Appendix 3 – Participant Consent Form Participant Information Sheet Name of department: Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management Title of the study: Development of an electronics kit to encourage participation in STEM activities within a non-teaching/classroom environment.

Introduction My name is Kerrie Noble and I am a final year undergraduate student in the department of Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. I am currently asking for participants to undertake some simple tasks in order to help me develop a product for my 5th year individual project. The activities involved will take the form of a focus group and will require around 20 minutes of your time. I would be grateful if you could give some of your time to help me complete this project.

What is the purpose of this investigation? As part of my 5th year individual project, part of my product design engineering degree, I am investigating the need for an electronics kit which will encourage participation in STEM subjects in a non-teaching/classroom environment, specifically focusing on the 14-18 year old age range.

The aim of this investigation is to highlight the products currently on the market for helping provide some basic science, technology, engineering and maths knowledge for young people. I want to fully analyse these products and develop a better solution which can be used in an environment where the need to have an expert in this field is not an essential requirement. By doing this I hope to increase the interest in participating in STEM related activities across the target age group.

Do you have to take part? This investigation will be mainly activity based and will involve the participants using currently available products in order to assess the suitability for the 14-18 year old age group. The investigation will not consider any previous knowledge or experience in this area and will focus on how well the products tested perform and transfer basic STEM knowledge. Further follow-up investigations will be a mixture of activity based investigations and focus groups to discuss ideas, interests and suggestions for what may help towards the outcome of the project. Participation in this investigation is on a voluntary basis and the participant has the right to withdraw from the investigation at any point without the need for any explanation. Any information gathered during the investigation will remain anonymous and will be viewed by myself and members of academic staff within the context of the project. The information will not be used further on completion of the project.

What will you do in the project? Participants will be required to part in various tasks including, assembly of electronic kits, simulating disability through the use of basic resources such as coins and tape, discussions on completed activities or thoughts on particular areas related to the project, model making of potential designs, brainstorming sessions to develop ideas or express interests or thoughts and sketching. These activities will take place in the normal explorer scout meeting place on various dates across the year.

Why have you been invited to take part? You have been invited to participate in this investigation as you fulfil the age criteria identified for the focus of this project. This investigation requires participants who are open-minded, willing to get involved in various activities which may not be something they would normally have much experience in, knowledge in this area is not a boundary or criteria for participating in this investigation. What are the potential risks to you in taking part? There is no preparatory requirements for this project, any resources or materials needed to complete the investigation will be supplied for you. The risks involved will be minimal, e.g. risks associated with using sharp



cutting tools. Health and safety surrounding the use of these tools will be fully enforced by adults supervising the progression of the investigation. What happens to the information in the project? Confidentiality and anonymity of all participants will be adhered to, the only information to be used which is supplied by the participant is age, gender and thoughts which have been recorded during the activities involved within the investigation. All data collected will be securely stored in a location with restricted access and will be retained for the length of the project only. After this date all data collected will be destroyed.

The University of Strathclyde is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office who implements the Data Protection Act 1998. All personal data on participants will be processed in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998.

Thank you for reading this information – please ask any questions if you are unsure about what is written here.

What happens next? If you are happy to continue with participation in this project then please sign the attached consent form.

If you are not happy to continue with participation in this project, thank you for taking the time to read this information.

For those participants who are happy to continue with involvement of the project, please be aware that feedback on your involvement within this project will be available. I aim to have all data collected for any activity related to the investigation available to participants within 2 weeks of participating in any activity. This will be provided during a meeting in the same place as the activity was conducted.

Researcher Contact Details: Kerrie Noble 5th Year (MEng – Product Design Engineering) Undergraduate Student Department of Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management Faculty of Engineering University of Strathclyde DMEM Secretarial Office Architecture Building 131 Rottenrow Glasgow, G4 Email: [email protected] Phone: 07773773655 Chief Investigator Details:

Prof Yi Qin Professor M504A JAMES WEIR BLD Email: [email protected] TEL : +44 (0)141 548 3130 (EXT. 3130) Dr Hilary Grierson Senior Teaching Fellow JAMES WEIR BLD

mailto:[email protected]



Email: [email protected] TEL : +44 (0)141 548 5939 (EXT. 5939) This investigation was granted ethical approval by the University of Strathclyde ethics committee.

If you have any questions/concerns, during or after the investigation, or wish to contact an independent person to whom any questions may be directed or further information may be sought from, please contact:

Secretary to the University Ethics Committee Research & Knowledge Exchange Services University of Strathclyde Graham Hills Building 50 George Street Glasgow G1 1QE

Telephone: 0141 548 3707 Email: [email protected]

Consent Form Name of department: Design, Manufacture and Engineering Management Title of the study: Development of an electronics kit to encourage participation in STEM activities within a non-teaching/classroom environment.

• I confirm that I have read and understood the information sheet for the above project and the researcher has answered any queries to my satisfaction.

• I understand that my participation is voluntary and that I am free to withdraw from the project at any time, without having to give a reason and without any consequences.

• I understand that I can withdraw my data from the study at any time. • I understand that any information recorded in the investigation will remain confidential and no information that

identifies me will be made publicly available. • I consent to being a participant in the project • I consent to being audio and video recorded as part of the project [delete which is not being used] Yes/ No

(PRINT NAME) Hereby agree to take part in the above project

Signature of Participant: Date

mailto:[email protected]



Appendix 4 – Contextual Situation Testing Questionnaire Electronic Kit Resource: Circuit Builder

• Can you list any of the basic components which you used to assemble the kit? (Including both electrical and non-electrical components)

• Can you draw any of the symbols which represent the components you used to assemble the clip?

• Can you explain anything about the importance of values listed on electrical components?

• Can you explain how the circuit in any of the kits worked?



• Can you name any of the common measurements used for the electronic circuit or construction of the kit?

• Can you write any of the safe practices you should follow when assembling a kit like this?

• What did you like about this kit?

• What did you not like about this kit?

• How useful did you find the instructions with the kit?

• On a scale of 1 – 5 how much experience would you say you had in electronics? (1 = none 2 = a little, 3 = average, 4 = slightly more than average, 5 = a lot)



• Do you think this kit would interest people of your age group and why?

• What would you change about the kit?



Appendix 5 – Revised Gantt Chart







Documents

Stage 1 Report