Riding the Crest of the Wave
Janet Hughes
Background
Heat Exchanger (click to enlarge)CREST came to New Zealand from me UK in 1989, initially supported by Massey University staff on a voluntary basis. Since 1999 the Royal Society of New Zealand has administered the programme, with the support of a Board. Close to 1600 students across New Zealand are currently engaged on CREST projects.
Awards are offered for individual and group projects, graded from First level, for students in Years 6-8, through Bronze and Silver, up to Gold level, which is for Year 13 students. The stepped programme reflects age and curriculum levels, and coaxes the students progressively towards independent learning. They are required, for example, to complete a Silver award before attempting the Gold awards, in which the standard aimed for is "above what would be expected of a competent student in Year 13", and a high level of creativity and independence is called for.
Unlike most awards, the CREST scheme is not a competition; it rewards all projects that meet the criteria. This means that students of different abilities can succeed, with projects of varying degrees of sophistication. It does not mean, however, that the awards are easy to achieve, or the standards low. Assessment criteria require at all levels that students apply knowledge to real problems or opportunities, demonstrate creativity in finding or solving a problem and perseverance in overcoming the inevitable difficulties, and communicate the process and results effectively.
Plainly, expectations of students are high; but the framework involves the assistance of a supervising teacher for each project, who acts as an advocate for the students, and of a "consultant" with suitable expertise. The consultant helps students devise ways of testing their ideas, and helps to keep projects focussed and realistic. In more sophisticated projects, part of their role may be to provide access to resources and facilities outside of school.
At all levels students are required to document their projects in a detailed log. At the higher levels they are asked to exercise some independence and initiative in organising and timetabling their projects, finding resources and information, and interacting with their consultants.
There is clear evidence that the CREST awards are a valuable influence in motivating young people to consider tertiary studies and careers in technology-related areas. In this respect the consultants are crucial. They offer students extended contact with role models – a major influence on career decisions according to the research. Resourcing and testing students' solutions may also involve visits to research or industry facilities, opening further windows into the worlds of tertiary education and work.
Hugh Morris of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Auckland emphatically endorses the programme as a careers promotion tool, and believes that even the Bronze CREST awards can impact significantly on the numbers of students taking engineering at university, as an authentic taste of technology at an early stage in their education shapes subsequent subject choices. The higher-level awards can affect career choices still more directly; Dr Morris cites the work of Chris Smaill, who until recently taught at Rangitoto College and used Silver CREST regularly to support senior science students: "Chris's work with Silver CREST was worth four or five students a year to us."
