Virtual Binding Blocks: from plastic to digital bricks

Nuclear Physics is crucial in many branches of medicine and for power generation, as well as being a frontier of fundamental research. However, it often has negative connotations and the subject is not well understood. This project aims to create accessible and interactive material to engage school students and teachers with the underlying principles of nuclear physics and to allow them to discover how these fundamental properties of matter lead to the development of applications. By demonstrating the links between Nuclear Physics and areas such as Astrophysics, Fusion-Fission energy, and medical applications this project aims to inspire a new generation of nuclear physicists.

The University of York is currently running an outreach event named Binding Blocks [1]. The main activity consists of building a 3D version of the nuclear chart using LEGO bricks (~20000 bricks). The project has received enthusiastic feedback from school kids and teachers; in particular, during devoted STEM workshops with teachers coming from all around UK.

The major limitation of the project is the weight and size of the LEGO chart. Indeed, the Binding Blocks event requires some investment (LEGO bricks) for teachers to use it during their lessons. We have thus decided to explore with the present grant the opportunity of going from plastic bricks to digital bricks.

By means of devoted educational videos based on the real LEGO chart and devoted software developed in York we aim to create a simple and free tool for teachers to integrate in their lecture.
The material will be developed in close collaboration with the National STEM Centre in York to have direct contribution from teachers and to better answer their needs.

The material will be made available on the current Binding Blocks website (http://www.york.ac.uk/physics/public-and-schools/schools/secondary/binding-blocks/).
The Virtual Binding Blocks project aims at complementing the current Binding Blocks activity, but being more explicitly oriented to school students and teachers.

Another important goal of the present project is not only to present and discuss general aspects of nuclear physics, but also to promote gender equality by carefully balancing the number of male and female students/lecturers appearing in the videos.

Given the strong connection between Nuclear Physics Astrophysics and Nuclear Medicine, the project will involve expert and students from other research centres, namely the University of Hull and Castle Hill Hospital (Cottingham).



[1] C. Aa. Diget, A. Pastore, K. Leech, T. Haylett, S. Lock, T. Sanders, M. Shelley, H. V. Willett, J. Keegans, L. Sinclair, E. C. Simpson; arXiv:1610.02296 (2016)

Initial awareness raising of the project with schools will be through the network of schools already engaged with Physics outreach from the University of York and from the current Binding Blocks project. Currently 50 secondary schools across Yorkshire are signed up to the mailing list, and further schools can be contacted through the Institute of Physics and Ogden Trust networks. Teachers will be recruited by the National Science Learning Centre, which gives the project national reach. In addition, in utilising the activity for courses run at the National Science Learning Centre, we are not only introducing teachers to this resource, but workshop leaders and observers from a range of backgrounds including other Universities and STFC facilities.

Project details will be disseminated through e-news from the STFC Particle and Nuclear Physics Outreach Officer and to other Universities through the network of Ogden Science Officers, which span Universities across the UK. A report on the project will be delivered in the July 2017 meeting of the group, of which Katherine Leech is a member. Good practice will also be communicated through the Institute of Physics (IOP) via devoted publications. Journal of Education has recently created a topical issue focused on Nuclear and Particle physics to which A. Pastore is contributing with two manuscripts.
We hope that, in engaging a range of organisations in the project at this pilot stage, they may become more involved should the project be rolled out nationwide in the future.

Members of the project team will be easily contacted through the University of York's webpage (http://www.york.ac.uk/physics/public-and-schools/schools/secondary/binding-blocks/) or via Twitter (https://twitter.com/BindingBlocks) or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/bindingblocks/?fref=ts) or also via our YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvIXlFgJyGh4Jle_4_KE2aA).

Our evaluation data will be made available through the BB website to enable other groups to set up similar projects. Resources developed will also be available to download from the site, and will be disseminated to teachers through the National Science Learning Centre and National STEM Centre e-library.