SciCamp
Schülerinnen und Schüler experimentieren in einem Sommercamp mit Lebensmitteln / Students are experimenting with food in a summer camp
Science Holiday Camps in Europe –Collaboration with companies and school
Implications and Results on Scientific Literacy
Introduction
Employment within science, technology and health sectors is expected to grow in the next decade. Promoting awareness of the many career options available in these fields is important for today’s youth.
The lack of technicians is seen to be not only a national, but also an EU-wide problem and a competition among the economical centers of the world (Europe needs more scientists 2004). As one result of this problem many summer camps were established through various organizations. The objective of these camps is not only to recruit more young people for a career as scientist or technician, but also to rise the scientific literacy (OECD 2003). In Denmark and many other EU countries various organizations (companies, universities, science center, and public organizations) are conducting (science) summer camps. In Denmark has the number of especially scientific summer camps been growing over the last decade.
Most summer camps are designed to provide positive learning experiences for the participants, strengthen the intrinsic value that youth place on science, and increase the awareness of the diverse opportunities available in science, technology and health. The principles used to reach these goals is to allow youth to interact with positive role models, student centered teaching, and connecting science, technology and heath to the live of youth (Crombie et al, 2003)
In summary most summer camps are driven by the wish to activate and engage students and to convince them through fascinating experiments, laboratory work and the contact with experts to an education within science, technology and health.
Background
Research on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) focused mainly on out-of-school teaching parallel to regular school periods. It showed an effect of any activity on learning and learning outcome, but not yet on career decisions . Retrospective research of those students who chose technical studies or jobs in technology and science showed a similar effect: those students who had already been engaged in science camps or extra curricular science activities report, that they had been interested before (Schaef 2011). Research on learning in labs shows an effect on the students interest, knowledge and motivation to deal with questions of Science and Mathematics (Glowinski 2007, Pawek 2009). These labs are usually visited for one day. The impact of summer camps on career decisions are not yet researched, but questionaires show a great acceptance of this event. Facilitating positive experience for youth people in science and technology is one (of the best) ways to increase interest in these careers. Positive experiences are thought to promote confidence with and positive attitude towards science and technology (Crombie et al, 2003)
In ther examination of the influense Vickers, Ching and Dean (1998) concluded that summer science pograms featuring hands-on science activities are a highy effective way to increase both interest in science and technology.
The evaluations of science summer camps conducted to date have tended to be either anecdotal or limited to the analysis of a single camp program (Crombie et al, 2003). No approach has been taken to compare the various activities and to evaluate these activities in the long run to evaluate how and in which way science summer camps effects attendee. The research project will focus on:
How are the participants affected by joining a (science) summer camp?
Through interviews, questionnaires and follow-up data collection we would like to research on the long-term effect of summer camps. As the group conducts summer camps since years, we are able to follow the participants from former years, who in some cases made their career decision and already started the vocational training or university studies. These persons will be targeted by questionnaires and – in fewer number – by interviews. Research will focus on interest, motivation and retrospective on the career decision to get data about the function of the summer camps on individuals.
The methods are psychological methods focussing on interest and motivation (Krapp 1999, 2000) and on the self-concept of the persons (Shavelson et al. 2007). Another question is, wether the methods used in summer camps influence the interest and the long-term effects. It has been stated that cook-book activities have a small or even a negativ effect (Hofstein & Lunetta 2004, Harlen 1999, Hodson 1993). As summer-camps allow a much more open approach than students labs they offer a much mor constructivistic approach towards science and technology. It might be interesting to discover an effect on gender according to this fact.
Characteristics of science holiday camps
Special Location
Usually science holiday camps are located in an interesting surrounding, like research institutions, hostels in a nice landscape, companies´ training centers or hotels for young people. The location is one of the attraction of a science holiday camp. Only very few camps take place in schools.
Staff
The staff usually is recruited by the institutions offering the science holiday camp. Most of the staff was not trained as teachers. Some are retired persons who join the camp as volunteers trying to convince young people. Often the staff is completed by young members of the organizations, who function as role models.
Time
One of the most convincing aspects is the length of time used for the activities. Science holiday camps last usually one or two weeks with full day activity. These amount of time is very often seen as a relaxing fact which helps to deal much more intense on science questions. The relaxed atmosphere of holidays plays an additional role on the well performance of science holiday camps.
Programme
The programme consits of all activities connected to science education, like excursions, lab activities, discussions with experts, interviews, internet recherche, lectures etc.. The enlarged time shedule (compared to regular classroom teaching) allows the research work with inquiry based methods. This includes the rising of questions with releveance fort he students, an open approach toward research orientated problem solving and the finding of results which are able to answer scinentific problems and which help developing posititions based on scientific facts.
Entertainment
As scientific science holiday camps are placed in holidays, the students expect an aspect of entertainement. Parts of the scientific programme or excursions are holiday-like entertainment for themselves (like canou-trips for birdwatching) but some courses are bound to buildings to that explicit entertainment activities are embedded.
Target group
Science holiday camps are designed for all ages. Already children are targeted with respect to the whish to offer an early contact to science and technology. The main focus group are young people closer to their career decision.
Some scientific science holiday camps are directly focussed on girls or as special courses for gifted students.
Research
Research on STEM education up to now focussed mainly on out-of-school teaching parallel to regular school periods. It showed an effect of any activitiy on learning and learning outcome, but not yet on career decisions . Retrospective research of those students who chose technical studies or jobs in technology and science showed a similar effect: those students who had already been engaged in science camps or extra curricular science activities report, that they had been interested before (Schaef 2011).
Collaboration with local science and technical organizations
Usually science holiday -camps are organized in collaboration with local science or technical organzations. Science centers, universities, SMEs or Industry are usually involved and offer excursions , guided tours or discussion with experts. Sometimes the partners offer their labs or workshops to let studens work their and make their on experience or investigation.
Funding
The funding is either organized by the center holding the science holiday camp, by sponsores, by public funding or – partially – by the parents of the participants. Funds of sponsors are usually not predictable and are offered from year to year, but also public funding is not necessarely continues. After all funding remains as a problem to be solved by the organizators of science holiday camps.