Pilot for The Elusive Ms Higgs:a detective fiction of elementary truths

The pilot project for the development of "The Elusive Ms Higgs: a detective fiction of elementary truths", will develop and evaluate a number of physics-based narrative scenarios with pupils in selected secondary schools. In particular, we will engage with pupils from low-income families (FSM), black and ethnic minority (BME) backgrounds and girls - all groups that have traditionally not engaged with the subject.

The scenarios are based on key aspects and challenges overcome in the process of discovering the Higgs boson, and will require the active use of scientific method and physics principles by pupils who will be introduced to the task through the genre of a detective mystery. This is a non-traditional approach to teaching both particle physics and the scientific method through which we will attempt to reach the target groups.

At the same time, we will determine the feasibility and effectiveness of developing these scenarios into an immersive and participatory theatre piece as an alternative pedagogical method for the teaching of scientific subjects that are usually taught using very traditional methods to school pupils aged 12 - 14 years old. We wish to determine how such an approach can be used to promote engagement with science by groups of pupils who do not normally engage with these subjects beyond compulsory science education either through an absence of role models or for other more complex socio-cultural and economic factors. Through the evaluation of the impact of this approach on school pupils, we aim to identify the key factors that promote engagement with the subject being taught and in so doing understand how we might develop a full scale immersive and participatory performance, which in turn can be used as a model of practice to enhance pupil engagement with other science subjects.

Marketing strategy:

The success of this project clearly rests, at least in part, on the successful marketing of the events. The project will be fully integrated into Brunel University's marketing plan and will be fully supported by Brunel marketing. In particular, the project team will work with members of the Brunel marketing team who have previously been responsible for the successful marketing of the STFC-funded Girls Allowed! project run by Dr Cole and who have extensive experience in marketing and running STEM outreach events on campus. To promote this event to schools, marketing materials will be prepared that can be sent to schools in the local area. We plan to attract 6-7 schools around Brunel University, located in Uxbridge, West London/Middlesex.

Dissemination of project and resources within the Public Engagement community:

The project team are keen to share their findings with the public engagement community, as well as to benefit from the experience of others. A website will be prepared to market the event. Once the results of participating in the event are known, the website will also be used to disseminate the findings. A suitably-qualified student will be paid to develop the website initially, which will be hosted by Brunel University. It will then be maintained by the project team and the University web team. As Brunel University London is fully committed to Public Engagement activity, evidenced in its plans for the developing of new onsite facilities for this purpose and through the setting up of a Public Engagement Advisory Group, the investigators are confident that the website will be supported as an ongoing project.

In addition, Dr Cole is an active member of the Public Engagement community, through the Institute of Physics, Brunel University and grassroots organisation, ScienceGrrl. Through her connections within this community, Dr Cole will seek opportunities for the project team to present their project and its findings at relevant meetings. One such example might be requesting the opportunity for the project team to present at the next IOP Physics Communicators group AGM.