Science Precision Challenge through Interactive Screen Experiments at TeenTech 08

This proposal is to produce a unique experience for students to undertake Interactive Screen Experiments as part of a huge School Science Event entitled TeenTech 08 - the brain child of Maggie Philbin - which aims to engage younsters with science at the point where it is known they become disillusioned - ages 12 - 14.At the University of Reading we have installed dedicated specialist equipment and are developing the expertise, unique in the UK, to produce on-line, Interactive Screen Experiments (ISEs) for use by undergraduate Physics students. An ISE allows individual students to undertake an experiment, step by step, as they would in the real world, but manipulating each element using the mouse or a touch screen on their computer. They develop a feel for how the apparatus works and how precise measurements are made. To produce an ISE, many thousands of photographs of the apparatus are taken in a high quality media suite to show every possible permutation and combination of circumstances that could occur in the experiment. This is then controlled by complex coding so that the operator (student) 'plays' the film, backwards or forwards, to observe the experiment in action and to take the appropriate measurements. We plan to use this high quality media apparatus to produce ISEs for students attending the TeenTech 08 event in Reading in November 2008. Students will undertake a Science Precision Challenge and those who demonstrate sufficient precision in their work will be rewarded with an award provided by the event's sponsors .Not only will those attending be inspired by their experience but we will take the opportunity to trial the ISEs with students and teachers to evaluate their potential for use in schools.