Students put the fun into science for children
Published 13 March 2013
Students of sport science have been passing their love of the subject on to Brighton’s youngsters at an event specially designed to promote science to schoolchildren.
Two undergraduates, two masters students and two PhD students from the University of Brighton’s Sport and Exercise Science Consultancy Unit within the School of Sport and Service Management took part in the annual Brighton Science Festival with some interactive performance tests that captured the children’s imagination.
The festival has been running very successfully for eight years and its aim is to engage with young people, in particular the 12 to 14 age group, to engender enthusiasm for science by showing that it can be fun and interesting and has a real relevance to their lives. Parents, too, are encouraged to join in the various activities on offer, leading by example and helping to create a spirit of discovery.
Students at their stand - from left to right: Charlie Lamy, Carl James, Matt Nunn, Ash Willmott, Emily Watkins, Matt Debney
With a stand theme of Higher, Faster, Stronger, the Brighton students ran several stations at the festival, which not only got the children active, but also got them thinking. The youngsters were able to compare their peak power wattage output against Olympic and Paralympic champions – and even some familiar home appliances - using the cycling Wingate Anaerobic Test, while an electronic mat let them find out how high they could jump, and a grip dynometer told them how strong they were.
One of the most popular activities set up by the students was the Illinois Agility Test which consisted of running as fast as possible around a set course through timing lights with the end results then correlated against normal baseline figures.
Children were given certificates which recorded their results and also compared their performances to those of elite athletes.
University principal lecturer Neil Maxwell and PhD student Ashley Willmott, who coordinated the group of students, said the event was the ideal way to show people with an interest in sport the way in which science is linked to performance.
Ashley said: “The children were fascinated to see what their peak power results were and how they compared to elite athletes - as well as the home appliances. They were thrilled by the timing lights and ran through them with arms outstretched as if they were Usain Bolt at the end of a 100m final.
“Seeing parents cheering their children on during the cycling tests, where they had to produce an all-out effort to maximise muscle power was also great to see.
“The children took home certificates and I hope also a realisation that science is fun and that sport and science combine to maximise performance.”
The data obtained by the students during the event will help build a picture of normal ranges of performance across the various age groups, which can be used in future comparative work, particularly in the highlighting of exceptional results and talent identification.