What is light? How is it created? Can light be measured? How are colours created? How do we perceive colours? Can we measure colours?
Four PURA VIDA students were allowed to deal with these and other questions from the field of photonics during three half days in a “workshop testing” organised and conducted by Smartfeld at STARTFELD St. Gallen.
“Through self-programmed micro-experiments along the principle of T.A.R. (transmission, absorption and reflection), the challenging phenomenon of electromagnetic radiation as the basis of photonics becomes accessible. With the aim of creatively solving real optimisation problems from cutting-edge research and industry using photonics, the students deal with light-fast data streams, challenging data sets and the tricks of efficient programming. The focus: the networked development of curriculum-relevant computer science and NT skills.” – This is an excerpt from the course description of the day workshop “Creativity in Nature and Technology – Photonics and Data” by Smartfeld (www.smartfeld.ch/all-courses/classes/kreativitaet-in-natur-und-technik-photonik-und-daten/).
From collecting initial thoughts on the topic of “light” to independently programming light sensors, the four pupils were gradually introduced to scientific questions in the course of this “course testing”. The two researchers, Prof. Dr. Mathias Kirf and Fabian Reifler, introduced the pupils to various methods of scientific research. They motivated the kids to deal with everyday questions from the field of photonics and accompanied them in setting up hypotheses and checking their assumptions and arguments.
The “testing” served the course providers to evaluate and adapt various elements of their workshop offerings. Thanks to the students’ questions and answers during the “testing”, new workshop ideas could be tried out and put together and thus the programme could be further developed. During the three half-days, the four PURA VIDA kids and the accompanying teacher were able to experience a practice-oriented approach to teaching various curriculum 21-based competences in the field of science, linking different subject areas, and were pleased with the new experiences, some of which will gradually be incorporated into the nature and technology lessons at PURA VIDA school.
