Error processing SSI file
Error processing SSI file
Benefits Extend Beyond Prizes and Recognition
In communities around the world, more than a million students are busy polishing their research projects to enter in local science competitions. Some 1,200 winners of regional events affiliated with the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) will come together in the United States in May to compete with students from all over the world. But students participating in these fairs stand to gain benefits that extend far beyond prizes and recognition, according to a recently released white paper from Intel® Innovation in Education.
Shooting for the Stars: How Science and Math Competitions Benefit Students, Teachers, and Communities describes potentially far-reaching benefits that come with participation in academic competitions such as the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair and related regional events.
 |
||||
|
|
"They learn to articulate and defend their own thinking." |
|
|
|
||||
Many of the learning activities that have been proposed to reform mathematics and science education already are the norm in well-designed competitions, the paper suggests. In particular, the paper refers to learning goals set forth in the National Science Education Standards, Benchmarks for Scientific Literacy, and Principles and Standards for School Mathematics.
Citing research into how we learn, the paper suggests, "As students test, revise, and refine their ideas in the course of pursuing an independent research project, they are following a path that eventually leads to deeper understanding." Student competitors also benefit from engaging with mentors, socializing with peers, interacting with teachers in a more relaxed, informal learning environment, and by "being taken seriously by peers and adults," the report suggests.
Students are not the only ones who benefit. Teachers who coach participants often gain exposure to scientific or technical concepts that stretch their own knowledge base and keep them engaged as lifelong learners. Many teachers also benefit from working with mentors and gaining access to laboratory equipment and other resources.
Finally, communities stand to gain when students tackle problems in their local setting. Students may contribute novel ideas for solving real-world problems. For example, one student devised a mosquito control device that uses acoustics rather than pesticides. Another devised a refrigeration system that runs on solar power, which has potential for storing vaccines and food supplies in developing countries.
To read more of Shooting for the Stars: How Science and Math Competitions Benefit Students, Teachers, and Communities, or to learn more about Intel ISEF, visit www.intel.com/education/ISEF.
Error processing SSI file