Engaging with Communications - broadening outreach and supporting the curriculum

From earliest times, mankind has exploited the technology of the day to acquire, record and transmit information. Now in the 21st century our reliance on telecommunications technology has never been greater. Whether it is keeping in touch with family and friends using a mobile, browsing the Web or watching digital television, telecommunications drives society. Much of what is taken for granted today would not be possible without the scientists and engineers who exploited technology to transmit information ever further and ever faster. The rate of development has been tremendous. Two hundred years ago information was transmitted optically using mechanical devices. One hundred years ago those same messages could be transmitted much more quickly using the electrical telegraph and the telephone had just been invented. Fifty years ago the ability to transmit messages without wires using radio was well established, the telephone had overtaken the telegraph as the dominate communications system and computers were just emerging. Thirty years ago the Internet existed only in a few research and university laboratories. Twenty years ago the telephone went mobile and today it is the fastest growing telecommunications technology with well over one third of the world's population owning and using a mobile phone.We intend to raise public awareness of the exciting story of how telecommunications has transformed society. Here we want to explain how the technology works, how today's research is driving tomorrow's technology and to debate the impact of technology on society. We will do this as follows.First, we will extend the work we have already done with the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester where a new visitor information system, called mi-Guide, has been introduced to their Communications Gallery. This system allows Museum visitors to receive additional information about exhibits, delivered to a hand-held computer using telecommunications technology. Our system will now move out of the Gallery and into the classroom to help support key national curriculum subjects. New mi-Guide multimedia content will be developed in association with schools and educational centres. Teachers will then be able to plan lessons that bring added levels of interest, excitement and engagement to the subject and provide access to information at the Museum. If the lesson precedes a visit to the Gallery then the hand-held version of mi-Guide will automatically guide the teacher and group around the Gallery, pointing out exhibits of interest that were used during the lesson and provide a facility to record aspects of the visit for use on return to school.Second, we will run a series of Family Telecommunications Days and Lectures. The family days provide a mini-exhibition of artefacts and demonstrations that allow visitors to interact with telecommunications technology to learn how it works and to appreciate how it has developed over time. The lectures are designed to appeal to a general interest audience and involve members of the audience taking part in demonstrations. Lectures will be linked to relevant 'hot topics', celebrate relevant anniversaries and show how research is key to the future of telecommunications.Finally, there will be a series of events for schools that range from small scale projects and debate days to interactive learning sessions. Our telecommunications artefacts and demonstrations will be used to explain the underlying science and engineering and debate days will allow students to discuss an important aspect of telecommunications and its impact on their lives, for example the issues surrounding information security. In total, this project offers a broad range of engagement activities that build upon our proven track record and extend our work to provide specific projects and directly support the national curriculum in schools and provide opportunities for increased awareness amongst the general public.