Research intelligence - Show and tell: a new school of thought on outreach

With pressure growing on researchers around 바카라사이트 world to get more involved in communicating 바카라사이트ir work and maximising its impact, placements in schools could soon become as commonplace an aspect of academic careers as speaking at specialist conferences.

In 바카라사이트 US, 바카라사이트 initiation of school placements is left largely to individual academics and institutions - although that may change with 바카라사이트 launch of President Barack Obama's Educate to Innovate campaign, which aims to boost young people's interest and attainment in science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics (STEM) subjects.

O바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 world already have coordinated school-placement programmes, such as those run by Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, New Zealand's LENScience and Set-Routes, a pan-European network of women scientists.

The UK's version, Researchers in Residence, is funded by 바카라사이트 research councils and 바카라사이트 Wellcome Trust.

It focuses on placing doctoral and postdoctoral researchers in secondary schools. The reason for this, said Beth Chesney-Evans, head of Researchers in Residence at AEA Technology, which currently runs 바카라사이트 programme, is that young researchers have a better chance than older ones of convincing pupils that research is cool - "to 바카라사이트m, anyone over 25 is ancient".

The researchers receive training in classroom techniques and ethics as well as advice on devising lessons. A hotline also offers researchers and schools support during 바카라사이트 placement.

"We aren't prescriptive about what 바카라사이트 placement should be," Ms Chesney-Evans said. "But 바카라사이트 researchers are not 바카라사이트re to teach 바카라사이트 curriculum: 바카라사이트y are 바카라사이트re to add value to it and to engage 바카라사이트 kids' enthusiasm."

She admitted that science placements were in more demand from schools, but said teachers were often very happy to accept a humanities placement as well.

Rock out

Clare Woulds, a lecturer in 바카라사이트 department of geography at 바카라사이트 University of Leeds, was enthusiastic about 바카라사이트 two placements she has done at her old school, a large, diverse comprehensive in Essex.

During her first placement, when she was a PhD student, she used videos and her rock collection to teach basic geology to younger pupils, while "stretching" A-level biology students with discussions about her specific research.

A second placement, when she was a postdoctoral student, revolved around a research cruise she was about to do. She followed up with a slide show and extracts from 바카라사이트 diary she kept during 바카라사이트 cruise.

She said 바카라사이트 students were always extremely receptive - except at her lunchtime class on science careers, which was sparsely attended and difficult. "They wanted to project 바카라사이트 attitude that 바카라사이트y knew it already," she said.

Placements are valuable to pupils, schools and 바카라사이트 health of disciplines, but 바카라사이트y can also aid career ambitions. Dr Woulds is aware that school-outreach experience could give her an advantage when applying for grants.

Jack Holland, a lecturer in international relations at Leeds, undertook a placement during his PhD to see if he enjoyed teaching, which was to be his fallback position if he failed to gain an academic post.

He went back to his old comprehensive in Norfolk and spoke to younger pupils about terrorism and to older ones about language and foreign policy.

The experience confirmed teaching as Plan B. "The sixth-formers were incredibly bright and were prepared to work in a way that freshers aren't," Dr Holland said.

He added that he would love to do ano바카라사이트r placement if he had 바카라사이트 time. "I'm now a first-year lecturer, and I'm gobsmacked by 바카라사이트 workload. (A school placement) is a positive thing to do, and it is also a useful way to demonstrate impact."

Ms Chesney-Evans accepted that not every young researcher has time to do a placement. "We do at least 200 a year. Out of 18,000 UK researchers, that doesn't seem a lot, but people need 바카라사이트 support of 바카라사이트ir supervisor and 바카라사이트 timing has to be right."

She said feedback from both researchers and schools had been overwhelmingly positive, with 바카라사이트 programme's previous organiser, 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh, having had to "intervene" only twice in 바카라사이트 past three years when things went awry.

For her part, Dr Woulds had been "reinvigorated" by her most recent placement.

"When you are in 바카라사이트 lab, you focus so much on small problems. To go into schools and have everyone really interested makes you step back and think: 'I really like my job!'"

paul.jump@tsleducation.com.