Electrical Services Engineering students work on energy saving projects with local school pupils

Lecturers: Joseph Teehan

As part of their module Energy and the Environment, 1st year students in the B Tech Electrical Services Engineering had the option to engage with first year secondary school pupils. The DIT students had the task of creating interest and activities in the area of Energy and the Environment. The secondary school science curriculum was used as a guide for the students’ activities in this exercise.

What do the students get from it?

DIT students benefited from this project by the very practical context of working in the secondary school laboratory classroom and by encouraging their secondary school counterparts to work with them on Science. The students each worked with one or two school pupils exploring through theory and practical examples an aspect of energy and the environment. Back at college they engaged in group-work and developed skills in this and in reflecting on their learning experience. They also developed presentation skills as they facilitated their pupils in their end of project presentation

What does the community get from it?

The secondary school science teacher benefited from what the DIT students were able to bring to her classroom as extra teaching aides and from their ideas on how to deliver the curriculum for the students.

The school pupils themselves began to appreciate the effort that the DIT students made to promote science. Each week demonstrated an improvement in classroom collaboration and behaviour. The DIT students and lecturer were rewarded by an enthusiastic audience and a willingness on their part to engage with the subject at hand. At the end of the project the pupils had to present their findings to academic staff and other pupils in the school. This proved to be very successful for all; they worked extremely hard on their presentation skills and revising what they had learned in the classroom together. The principal and vice-principal of the secondary school commented on how much of an improvement in the students’ attitude towards learning, improved communication and writing skills and wished to extend this experience to all science students in the school.

Community Partner:

CBS Synge Street Secondary School