Incorporating STEM for SPC
Meet Isaac Ng
Sustainability Data Analytics (College Intern)
Isaac attends college in Hong Kong and majors in physics. His studies encourage him to ponder about how the universe works with questions about quantum mechanics theories and abstract ideas. Focusing on data analytics, he guides students with their SPC research data, hypotheses and methodologies. Isaac recommends aspiring college students to not be discouraged from making mistakes, but to take on complex problems with enthusiasm.
The Sustainability Project Competition (SPC) challenges high school students to create a practical solution to a sustainability problem in their respective communities. The SPC project requires participants to apply Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to develop innovative ideas into realistic solutions. Science is required to understand the underlying cause of a sustainability problem. Engineering and technology are useful to create a suitable solution for the given problem. Mathematics serve as the basis of the other STEM components to ensure precise calculations. The SPC is an opportunity for high school students to train their critical thinking skills and encourage teamwork.
A simple brainstorming example of mind mapping. Illustration by Isaac Ng, Data Analytics (College Intern), 2018.
Recording and documenting experimental procedures and results are vital for precise research. Illustration by Isaac Ng, Data Analytics (College Intern), 2018.
Brainstorming SPC Ideas
High school students must first consider the list of approved sustainability subject categories. Choosing categories that students are familiar with or interested in will help them develop ideas. Students must brainstorm potential environmental or public health problems in their respective communities. When gathering information, Wikipedia and news articles should be avoided as references, as they can be inaccurate. Instead, obtaining validated references from printed and online resources on both Google Scholar or from local libraries will provide more reliable intelligence. Sources must be recorded in correct citation format throughout the project.
Creating and Testing A Hypothesis
A hypothesis is a proposed solution to the problem according to the information researched. However, a hypothesis should always be testable by experiment or simulation. A good way to test the feasibility of a hypothesis is to imagine the hypothesis as a proposal to the government or an international corporation. Students will need to create a product or an experiment that will prove the hypothesis. Once completed, students should make a careful analysis and documentation of the results. If the results do not support the hypothesis, students need to modify the hypothesis until the hypothesis is supported by the experiment or simulation.
Conclusion, Video and Write-up
After a successful experiment or simulation, students can come up with a conclusion and start developing the sustainability project video and research paper. Throughout the research process, students should take note of the research details, hypothesis and experiment results to aid in the video and write-ups. There should be in-text citations throughout the research paper and a reference list at the end of the paper. The video should contain information identical to the research paper but be clearly narrated. Video recording in real-time is ideal to emphasize the sustainability problem in the chosen community. Academic honesty must be upheld at all times.