joi, 5 octombrie 2017

Module 7: Career orientation events on STEM education

Module Objectives
The learning objectives of Module 7 are:
  • To become aware of the main benefits of organising STEM career events in schools;
  • To learn tips and steps for organising your own STEM career event in your school;
  • To explore case studies of various STEM career events.

7.1 What is a career event?

Career events are an excellent opportunity for students, employers and higher education institution representatives to meet and exchange information and ideas about different career paths, prospective employment options and training opportunities. Watch the following video to understand their potential benefits.
In this module we will be focusing on STEM career events (mostly on their typology and organisation). However, before we provide you with more information, we want to specifically acknowledge science fairs and STEM competitions. Indeed, both of these options provide students with incredible opportunities to understand their own potential, bring ideas into real-life projects and learn more about STEM careers.
On that note, we should mention the network of science fairs that has been developed across Europe (supported by Intel) and eventually gave rise to a European final-level event, the EU Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS). Moreover, EUCYS links to national science fairs in different countries, where awards are given at the national level. Some examples of these national science fairs are:
Regarding STEM competitions, in one of the latest Scientix Newsletters, titled Improving STEM skills through international competitions, you will be able to find information about different types of STEM competitions and how these benefit students and teachers, as well as examples of some of the most rewarding ones.

7.2 Types of STEM career events (I)

  • 1. Student internships / job shadowing
Student internships (or job shadowing initiatives) offer direct opportunities to profit from an insider’s view of different STEM jobs. Particularly, job shadowing is defined by the Manchester Metropolitan University as an instance “where an individual from one area of the organisation has the opportunity to work alongside and gain experience of the role of another individual, and gain an insight into that particular work area. It can also be used to provide an individual within a department the opportunity to work alongside more experienced colleagues so they can learn and develop within their current role”. This definition can also be applied to students “shadowing” in a company, and not just to individuals already in the workplace.
Both of these options provide students with excellent chances:
  • to explore a career field by experiencing life at a real workplace;
  • to learn how to apply academic knowledge through discussions with a professional;
  • to assess their aptitude for a particular position/role/career;
  • to observe the day-to-day activities of a professional/researcher;
  • to discuss specific STEM-related research and career pathways;
  • to create career connections and establish valid networking opportunities.
Nonetheless, these initiatives can also entail a number of challenges, namely:
  • Non-involvement: In some circumstances, job shadowing restricts the involvement of the trainee/student to pure observation, and does not allow him or her to contribute to the work efforts. Moreover, job shadowing does not always provide students/trainees with an understanding of the responsibility or the specific skills needed in the workplace.
  • Distortions: The success of job shadowing will depend on the professional selected to be shadowed. The time period selected for shadowing can also create distortions, as it may make for an inadequate understanding of the level of difficulty and/or the necessary engagement.
  • Timing: Job shadowing will usually span a limited period. This brief exposure can cause the student to miss out on key work challenges that may not occur through the duration of the placement.
  • Supervision: To ensure an effective experience, students will need to be supervised and mentored, which can be very time consuming for the professionals.
  • Disruption: Job shadowing can disrupt the smooth functioning of work environments in different ways. The professional, conscious of being observed, might behave differently than normal, which can affect the quality of the output. Another inherent risk, from an organisational point of view, is the student learning confidential information about a particular organisation.
  • Other challenges might relate to the lack of space or other infrastructure to accommodate interns, or the work schedule, which may not match students’ availability.
Overall, the success of a student internship (or job shadowing) will depend on highly motivated, professional job shadowers. Students/interns will benefit by taking time to reflect on the critical aspects of the job profile, work culture and other habits beforehand, thus facilitating a better understanding of the internship experience, and how to make the best out of it.
  • 2. STEM career fairs
(STEM) career fairs offer students a great opportunity to connect with employers and learn about different career prospects. Benefits include:
  • A convenient and unique chance to meet key professionals and employers from different STEM fields, all in one location;
  • A networking occasion for students to meet not only with professionals and employers, but also with researchers and more advanced students;
  • A chance to gain first-hand information about local (and potentially foreign) employers;
  • The prospect of collecting promotional information (brochures, business cards) related to different companies.
However, there are always challenges related to STEM career fairs, some of them being:
  • Mass appeal: Unless tailored to a specific field, career fairs might feature professionals from a wide range of businesses or fields, making it difficult for attendees to adapt the visit to their needs.
  • Limited quality time: A career fair is usually loud and crowded, leaving little time or space for effective interaction between students and professionals. This context can prove challenging for students who wish to communicate, ask questions and network.
  • Organisational costs: STEM career fairs require a high budget, extensive time and a lot of personnel to come into fruition.

7.3 Types of STEM career events (II)

  • 3. Virtual job fairs
Virtual job fairs are the online version of a traditional career fair. These fairs allow students to meet and discuss employment opportunities on specialised websites, in a live and fully interactive manner. However, they come with some disadvantages, such as:
  • Technological glitches: While technology provides students with a variety of new ways of connecting, technical glitches can be a problem for networking and effective communication.
  • Digital divide: Not all students may have direct access to a digital device. Therefore, virtual job fairs might not ensure equal access for all pupils.
  • Visual elements: The interaction between students and professionals might appear to be limited or superficial, since there is no face-to-face contact.
  • Inertia about new technologies: Students and/or professionals may be apprehensive about learning to use a new digital tool.

  • 4. Career talks / workshops / seminars
These career-related options provide students with a number of presentations related to specific careers and often held by a professional in the field. The advantages include the following:
  • Students can discuss specific queries with professionals during or after the talk, workshop or seminar.
  • Direct face-to-face contact facilitates smoother and improved communication.
  • Parents or guardians can join the discussion to support the children in their career choice.
The main setbacks of these career-related options are as follows:
  • Students might find it difficult to attend career talks if these clash with their school/study schedule.
  • Professionals might lack the skills to share their work in a specific field in an appealing, engaging manner. This can result in students becoming disinterested or detached.
  • It might be difficult to convince professionals from a wide range of fields to give STEM career talks. Therefore, students might only be exposed to a limited range of options.
The STEM Alliance and SYSTEMIC initiatives have developed a guide to engage company professionals (technicians, scientists, engineers, researchers or employment and recruiting managers) to visit schools and participate in collaborative activities with them. The aim is to close the gap between the industry and education sectors, to raise pupils’ and teachers’ awareness of STEM careers and to promote STEM jobs. Click here to access the booklet addressed to schools and herefor the one addressed to companies. These booklets are based on the framework of the “Professionals go back to school” initiative. If you want to know more about it, make sure to watch the STEM Alliance webinar on the initiative here.

  • 5. Career exhibitions
Career exhibitions provide static displays with information related to different STEM careers. While they are a nice option to show specific evidence, they often lack the human factor, which can make them less engaging. Nonetheless, when set up in conjunction with other initiatives (such as career talks or event fairs), these exhibitions can be an interesting option to support STEM career engagement.
Check out the toolkit Organizing a Girls in ICT Day event, which provides ideas and tips for organising a successful Girls in ICT Day event. While the toolkit has a specific target, it provides very useful information on different types of event activities, such as hands-on workshops and activities; open days at an ICT company or other institutions; competitions and prizes; ICT career fairs; and meeting and hearing from female role models.

7.4 STEM career fair organisation: Strategies for success

  • 1. Planning
Organising a job fair takes substantial time and effort. Most efforts occur during the planning stage, when organisers are busy laying the groundwork (i.e. establishing objectives, targeting an audience or planning a budget). Indeed, the specifics of organising career events are manifold and attention to detail is key. Watch the following video to find out the key steps you should follow in the planning phase of a STEM career event.
  • 2. Implementation
Once the planning stage is complete, the event will start coming to life. However, it is important not to miss a trick, and to keep in mind that there are still many duties to carry out, specifically related to the event implementation and the event itself. From risk assessment to logistics, it will be essential to draw a masterplan that puts together the team and its activities. Watch the following video to learn about the main tasks in the implementation phase.
  • 3. Post-event activities
Last but not least, it is essential to complete a number of post-event actions, not only as follow-up activities with different stakeholders, but also as a way to disseminate the main outcomes of the event and, most importantly, to evaluate its results.
Evaluation activities will be crucial to recognise any mistakes made, to correct them and improve them. Check out the pilot study developed by European Schoolnet and Intel on the European Science Fairs Evaluation Framework. The aim of this evaluation exercise was to show the data that could be obtained from the evaluation tool developed. In the study, you will be able to see the main findings from students and from teachers, and maybe even get inspired to develop a tool of your own for your school!

Organising fairs will become easier over time as one gains experience, establishes procedures, amasses contacts, and implements improvements. If you wish to read what fair organisation entails in the words of an experienced professional, check the Scientix Opening minds to STEM careers newsletter. It features an interview with Audrey Anne Bella Bondin, Head of the Science Department in a public secondary college in Malta. Audrey Anne is responsible for the setting up of annual science fairs involving interactive experiments with the aim of promoting and popularising science in her home country.

7.5 Case study: The Teen Science Café experience in Malta

As seen in previous sections, there are numerous types of events to support STEM career induction. One which has not yet been mentioned, but which has increased in popularity over the last years, is the Science Café Format. Science Cafés are events that take place in informal settings and involve engaging, lively conversation with a scientist or a STEM professional about a specific topic. In this section, we will describe some experiences from the Teen Science Café in Malta.
The Teen Science Café is an initiative of the Science Centre in Malta which offers young teenage students opportunities to encounter a number of professional experts in different STEM fields. The focus of these encounters is supporting interactive exchange between professionals and students and engaging the latter in conversations about STEM topics and career paths, in an informal setting. The objectives of this project are to positively affect students' academic and career choices and to serve as an outreach exercise to promote careers in science and technology. 
The establishment of Science Cafés can be very rewarding for pupils, as it offers them an excellent opportunity to engage with the science community. Furthermore, Science Cafés are planned in a dynamic manner, involving two-way interactions between scientists and students. That way, students will feel empowered to learn and will gain valuable perspectives on both the professional and academic STEM world. 
Science Cafés need adequate planning to invite accomplished professionals, as the right choice of experts is key to ensuring effective and dynamic interaction. Ideally, Science Café activities will be held outside the typical class environment in order to preserve their informal setting, and thus facilitate interaction and engagement. Take a sneak peek at the activities of the Teen Science Café initiative in the following video.

7.6 Bibliography

7.8 Final MOOC activity and peer-review activity

Please make sure you READ THE INFORMATION BELOW CAREFULLY, in order to understand how to complete this REQUIRED activity.
For this activity, you will have to prepare a STEM careers school plan of your own and review the outline of the STEM careers school plan of three (3) course peers.
1. Prepare and fill in the STEM careers school plan
Prepare the STEM careers school plan by using the document below. The plan should integrate the ideas, tools, activities, etc. that have been covered on the course. The document will contain guidance and example answers to guide your school plan. Your plan has to be in English, otherwise it will not qualify.
School Plan: Word Version / OpenOffice version
2. Submit your school plan
Submit your school plan file in the interface below, where you will be able to upload a file. In the text box that is part of the submission, you can write a short paragraph explaining a bit about your professional situation. This will be helpful information for your reviewer. Make sure you have uploaded the file before clicking the Submit button. The final deadline to hand in your event plan is the 15th of November 2017.
3. Review school plan
Wait 24 hours and then return to this page. Below, you will find a checklist meant to help you review each event or school plan, including examples of what constitutes a good and constructive review. 
Provide valuable and friendly feedback for each school plan you have been assigned, by writing your feedback in the review text box. Remember that your review is not anonymous. Once you have written your review, click the “Review” button for each of the 3 reviews you have composed. The deadline to hand in your reviews is the 22nd of November 2017.
School Plan Review: Word version / OpenOffice version
4. Read your reviews
At the end of the course, return to this page to see the reviews that your fellow participants have written for your school plan.
If you encounter any issues with your OWN submission to the P2P, please consult the FAQ. 
If you encounter any issues with someone else’s work (the work you are supposed to review or the review you have received), then please fill in this form.






la

Niciun comentariu:

Trimiteți un comentariu

Abonați-vă la: Postare comentarii (Atom)