Surrey Schools – Virtual reality: Science & Innovation Fair merges online presentations with live judging
A Frost Road Elementary student shows judges the effect of soaking eggs in solutions such as vinegar and corn starch, as part of this year’s Science & Innovation Fair.
The district’s Science & Innovation Fair is quite innovative itself this year, experimenting with a new way to interact with students and their projects while judging remotely.
The 55th-annual fair began earlier this week and is being held with live virtual judging, a departure from the student video submissions of last year. Grade 4-8 students will present their projects over Microsoft Teams to judges in real time, offering the opportunity to better showcase their work and generate deeper discussions.
“We felt video submissions really lacked that necessary interaction with students and was very difficult to judge because we couldn’t ask questions or follow up and dig a little deeper,” said science helping teacher Craig Sutton. “This year, schools book an appointment and we send a tech person to the school with a swivel camera and a laptop – they set up a call and we’re able then to have those students do their presentation.
“The judges can talk to them, ask questions, and really get a sense of the project overall. It’s as good as having a live event without everyone being in the same room.”
More than a dozen schools are signed up, with 60 to 70 students presenting on about 50 projects. The fair once again doesn’t have a theme, allowing students to find a science angle within their own interests and develop projects around them.
Sutton said some students are looking for solutions to ecological problems, including a few SAIL students who are reusing toner powder from used toner cartridges to mix with clay and make crayons.
“They’re combining that idea of environmental accountability and recycling and making something really useful,” he said. “There’s also a student looking at a local issue with the waters rising at Crescent Beach due to climate change and the best way of addressing that. She used a tub of water to mimic the waves and experimented with the effectiveness of adding a seawall to protect the area.
“I like that they’re looking at things that are local and close to their hearts that they find interesting.”
While he’s hoping to host an in-person science fair next year, Sutton said he’s thrilled to see more students sign up for the live virtual judging compared to last year, signifying learning getting closer to normal as restrictions ease.
“Last year was just overwhelming for teachers and a lot of schools chose not to participate so the numbers were way down,” he said. “With the number of projects, we’re about halfway to what a normal year would be, and that’s really exciting to us.”
The Surrey Schools Science & Innovation Fair runs until March 11. For more information, visit surreyschools.ca/science