UK Centre for Materials Education
Working with you to enhance the student experience
Working with you to enhance the student experience
Awarded to: Rik Brydson
Institution: University of Leeds
Funded in: 2002
Project description: This project aims raise the level of Materials Awareness by holding a two day Materials Awareness Course for both Students and Teachers in the Secondary and Further Education Sector in Summer 2002.
Background: A key issue in recruitment of undergraduates to Materials programmes is perceived to be the poor level of awareness in the wider community of Materials Science and its relationship to other “more traditionally popular” areas of science and engineering. It is crucial that the broad based, interdisciplinary nature of Materials Science and Engineering is promoted in terms of final employment prospects of Materials graduates.
The project proposes to hold a 2 day Materials Awareness Course for both Students and Teachers in the Secondary and Further Education Sector in Summer 2002. Fifty places will be made available to Schools and Colleges in the North who have already been visited by a Road Show partially funded by Materials Education Centre Grant. The invitation will be to attend a selection of talks/lectures, demonstrations and practicals on the subject of Materials and the opportunity for the study of Materials Science related courses currently available in UK Universities. The course will also endeavour to provide a flavour of student life at University. Furthermore, as a general benefit to the UK Materials community, there will be an open invitation for other regional HE institutions offering Materials-related degrees to attend and promote their courses as well.
It is the intention to run this as an annual or biannual event fully funded by Industrial sponsors; hence the current grant application is to cover initial start up costs.
Objectives: As well as promoting an understanding of the broad-based nature of Materials Science and Engineering, the course will aim to give students an appreciation of the nature of student life at University. This will include an explanation of how degree programmes are structured and assessed, types of study skills required as well supervised trips to student accommodation, Leeds University Union and the City.
Deliverables: