In the seven years that Andrews University in Berrien Springs has hosted SciFEST, never before have they been forced to conduct the two-week long series of events in the digital realm, but then 2020 has certainly been one for the books on multiple fronts, right?
Thanks the the coronavirus pandemic, and the need to meet COVID-19 related requirements for physical distancing, SciFEST 2020 was conducted completely online, with activities hosted through LearningHub and Zoom over the 14-day run from September 21st to October 4th.
A total of seven STEM departments took part in SciFEST this year, including aviation, biology, chemistry, engineering, math, physics and sustainable agriculture.
SciFEST began with a live STEM Show presented by the Andrews STEM Division on September 13th. Elementary, middle and high school students and their families were invited to tune in to learn about possible careers and meet the Andrews STEM faculty. Students had the opportunity to watch live demonstrations and videos from the departments.
High school and home-schooled students across the country participated in SciFEST 2020, as Professors pre-recorded videos for students to access through LearningHub. Regardless of time zone and whether students were watching from home or school, the new format made it possible for students to fit the event into their personal schedules. As a result, this year SciFEST witnessed its largest number of participants yet, with roughly 300 students taking part in the program.
The students were placed in teams that connected through Zoom and Google Hangouts to work together on a total of six hands-on laboratory activities, which could be completed safely using materials at home. The goal of placing students in teams was to encourage students to think collaboratively in order to complete the activities. Sara Hamstra, a Senior at Andrews Academy, says, “My biggest takeaway from SciFEST is definitely how it gave me a look at what team problem-solving is like,” adding, “Working with my team gave me an opportunity to interact with two other students from my school that I didn’t know very well. I liked how they each had unique perspectives and different initial approaches to the tasks.”
The digital format of SciFEST also allowed students to enjoy an interactive experience with the staff as they completed their laboratory activities. Owen Cook, a Freshman home-school student, tells us, “I liked the online format,” and adds, “All the information was there, and if we had a question, there was an easy way to contact SciFEST staff for help. They responded quickly and were very helpful.”
Activities included building a model of human lungs, evaluating flight simulators and creating a plant collection. Through these and other activities, the students were able to engage with science in a meaningful way. Owen admits, “I enjoyed the challenge and the fun of hanging out with friends and learning ways to use math and science to solve problems.”
SciFEST hosted an awards program through Zoom on Sunday, October 4th. Students voted for their favorite projects, and the top three teams were awarded medals.
Ultimately, SciFEST was able to foster a sense of collaboration and teamwork despite operating remotely. Monica Nudd, STEM Coordinator, says, “Each laboratory activity was a team effort,” and adds, “In the future, we hope to host one on-campus SciFEST event and another remote SciFEST opportunity annually.”
Editors note: Moriah McDonald, University Communication student writer at Andrews University contributed the majority of this report, and the photo accompanying this story on Moody on the Market showing an example screenshot from SciFEST 2020 is courtesy of Monica Nudd, STEM Coordinator.
