The zone had many busy live chats with most of the engineers engaging well with the students, discussing science and engineering as a career and the different routes they had taken to get into their current roles.
Questions in ASK were focussed on the topic of space in general, as well as specific projects the engineers had worked on. Ned and Colin, the final two engineers, accounted for over half of answers in ASK and lines of live chat between them.
The zone was busy and engaged, with a large amount of questions asking for guidance on how to learn more about engineering and developing technical skills.
The zone winner, Conor, was especially good in the ASK section giving many long and detailed answers. Jeffrey, who came in second place, was particularly active in the live chats and accounted for half of all the total chat by engineers.
After each event we ask the winning engineers to write a short blog that is sent to everyone who took part in their zone. It’s a chance for them to reflect on their I’m an Engineer experience and thank the students for their questions and votes.
Let’s take a look at what the winners of February’s zones had to say…
adraic was voted the winner of the Boole Zone in February of 2015 and got straight to work making the most of his £500. Here he tells us what he’s been up to in the last year…
Since 2015 was the International Year of Light I thought the most fitting way to spend the prize money from I’m an Engineer was to develop some workshops to explain how lasers and light are used in high speed internet connections and data transmission.
The zone was the largest so far in I’m an Engineer Ireland, with students from 16 schools submitting nearly 650 questions.
The final two engineers, Martin and Nicola, contributed 75% of the total answers and live chat content. Martin was particularly good in live chats, attending 11 of the 13 sessions.
November’s I’m an Engineer, Get me out of here! saw 350 students ask more than 600 questions covering topics from toilet design to the greatest inventions ever, and it certainly had an impact on students and engineers alike:
If this sounds up your street, you’ll be pleased to hear there is another chance to take part during Engineers Week
I’m an Engineer, Get me out of here will run for two weeks during Science Week from Monday 9th to Friday 20th November 2015.
We need engineers who are keen to talk about their work and find out what school students think about engineering. This is your opportunity to tell them how they can apply what they learn in their Maths, Technology, Design or Science classes in the real world.
February’s I’m an Engineer, Get me out of here! saw over 370 students ask more than 600 questions covering topics from burning lasers to biggest professional fails, and it certainly had an impact on students and engineers alike:
‘Students enthusiasm in the live chats and fantastic questions really made this competition a great event to be part of…. are we allowed to enter again next time???’
The Boole Zone coincided with Engineers Week in Ireland and it is the third I’m an Engineer zone to involve Irish schools and engineers.
In total 377 students from 11 schools registered to take part, making this the largest I’m an Engineer zone in the country so far.
After our first I’m an Engineer event last November, and thanks to funding from Science Foundation Ireland’s Discover Programme, I’m an Engineer comes back to Ireland in February!
During Engineers Week, from Monday 2nd to Friday 13th February, we will be celebrating the bicentenary of George Boole’s birth with the Boole Zone. George Boole was an mathematician, philosopher and logician. He worked in algebraic logic, and was appointed as the first professor of mathematics at University College Cork in 1849.
I’m an Engineer, Get me out of here is an online activity where school students get to meet and interact with engineers.
It’s a competition between engineers, where the students are the judges.
Students challenge the engineers over intense, fast-paced, online live Chats. Then they Ask the engineers all the questions they want to, and Vote for their favourite scientist to win a prize of £500 to communicate their work with the public.