Case Study: The Corrosion Summer Ball

Project description

Four interactive experiences related to corrosion science were created: the fruit battery, cuprum art, ‘Mr Copper and Miss Sulphate’ and turn your pennies into gold

The fruit battery uses various acidic fruits, metals and a light bulb to show the inner-workings of commonly used batteries. Cuprum art demonstrates a technique called electroplating and ‘Mr Copper and Miss Sulphate’ classifies the reactivity of metals. Finally, turn your pennies into gold, is a visually impressive experiment illustrating the formation and properties of brass.

Project phases

There were 5 project phases: 1) generate ideas; 2) try out the experiments; 3)  improve Public Engagement skills; 4) run event; 5) dissemination and evaluation.

The project built the Public Engagement of the researchers in stages, after they had attended VITAE training (GradSchool and The Engaging Researcher) to improve communication skills. Both researchers had no previous experience of public engagement. Four fun days in September 2010 were used to develop ideas for experiments and to test them out. The MOSI Science Communication Officer mentored researchers after each presentation so they could hone their skills. Activities built up to impressing a larger audience with all four experiments at the Manchester Science Festival.  A dissemination event in November reflected on learning, evaluation and feedback.

Networking was essential throughout the project. The initial partnership between the different institutions, MOSI and University of Manchester, emerged from Twitter.  The National Association of Corrosion Engineers was approached for brainstorming experiment ideas. The British Interactive Group gave advice on feedback and learning outcomes. The LATEST (Light Alloys Towards Environmentally Sustainable Transport) outreach programme from the University of Manchester provided valuable resources and opportunities to test out ideas.

Purpose

The project's aims were to:

• inspire the general public with an introduction to corrosion by offering them the chance to build, play and experiment with this exciting and complex discipline.
• communicate that corrosion is interesting and relevant to people's daily lives, and motivate them to want to find out more.
• provide an exciting and memorable learning experience.
• facilitate new learning opportunities for and with academic researchers
• showcase the research of local young scientists, promoting them as role models, to encourage young people to consider a career in science
• make universities more accessible to the general public, who come to the museum and would not usually be exposed to scientists and university research. 

Results/Outcomes

1. Feedback both during and after the event confirmed that it was an entertaining and informative day for the general public. The reaction from the crowds was always positive and people were asking further questions about the demos shown, corrosion in general or about the researchers. People had come to the Museum of Science and Industry especially for this event. 
2. Researchers spoke to around 500 visitors during the event, which ran from 10.30am-3.30pm. This showed that the event had been entertaining and informative as well as indicating that the researchers had acted as great role models for corrosion science and the university as a whole.
3. The researchers learned how to put on a successful event for a science festival, and in particular gained an appreciation of the need and value of evaluation. 
4. Given the huge success of the event there are now plans that the researchers train other volunteers to assist with an event next year. This would help disseminate all the PE skills that the researchers have gained throughout their learning journey. It would also help to inspire other researchers who are aspiring to get involved in PE work.
5. The partnership between the Science Communication Officer and researchers will continue.  The group will look into other funding applications available to develop further events (school visits, workshops…).
6. The LATEST outreach programme has offered the researchers an opportunity to participate in The Big Bang Fair 2011.

What went well

The successes were:

1)    the relationship that developed between the three people

It was a unique learning opportunity for the Science Communication Officer and researchers, as it was the first time for all to be involved in a project like this with mentor-mentees relationship. A strong, ongoing relationship has developed between them.

2)    the learning journey for the researchers

For the researchers their presentation skills have greatly improved as a direct result of this process. They now feel confident and experienced science communicators, and have seen a dramatic increase in invitations to give academic presentations both in the UK and abroad. For the mentor, it was extremely satisfying to observe the improvements and gain in confidence of the researchers.  The researchers were also able to participate in pre Manchester Science Festival events which they would not have heard about otherwise.

3)    the excellent hands-on event that ran as part of Manchester science festival

The public were deeply enthused by corrosion science and the hands-on activities.

4)    The project has also raised the professional and academic profiles of all the partners, for example through the Article in Culture24 on the 21st October 2010, as shown here. 

What didn't go well

1)    More preparation for the event was needed than expected and the preparation was harder than the actual event.

2)    It was a challenge to develop hands-on, interactive demonstrations that were related to corrosion chemistry. Due to constraints of the Science Festival event (it was a table top event and not in a workshop, and could only be 5 minutes maximum) the experiments covered the basics of corrosion and were not specifically geared towards either of the researchers’ areas of expertise. The aim of this generalisation was to inspire visitors to find out more.  A workshop style event could be developed in the future to more specifically showcase the researchers’ work. This could be slower paced, with a “show and tell” aspect and could be run as a workshop and even taken into schools.

3)    Another challenge (indicative of the success of the event) was that the event was so busy on the day!

Resources Required

The event would not have happened without the Beacon grant, since the investment in equipment was vital to develop the hands-on activities.

Photo:

Alice and James hard at work at the event. Dovetail Photographer