AL-Bairaq

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AL-Bairaq (Arabic: البيرق‎‎[1]) is an outreach program targeting high school students. The idea behind AL-Bairaq is to offer the high school students the opportunity to connect with the research environment in the Center for Advanced Materials (CAM) at Qatar University, located in Doha, Qatar.[2] AL-Bairaq is a young youth development. It does so by engaging the high school students in scientific activities which enhances their skills, motivation, and interest and guide them in their future career. AL-Bairaq's learning system adopts curriculum integration. Its modules cover a blend of academic disciplines including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM fields), in addition to language and beauty of science.[3]


The AL-Bairaq program aims to link learning and fun, which motivates youth to join it. It doesn't depend on ready prepared lessons but makes the students partners in the learning process. AL-Bairaq also gives the students the freedom to discover their own abilities and skills. AL-Bairaq engages students and increases motivation with project-based learning, encourages students to solve authentic problems, and inquires them to work with each other as a team to build real solutions. In addition, AL-Bairaq provides interactive approaches, utilizing social media means such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube to unlock young people's potential to communicate their ideas, and to display their resulting products.[4][5][6] [7][8][9]

AL-Bairaq is a non-profit educational project; any student at a Qatari secondary school (independent and international), regardless of gender, nationality, socio-economic status, or special needs, is eligible to participate. Faculty members train and mentor the students and help develop and enhance their critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills. Students, in teams, formulate their own research questions related to materials science; build a research plan; investigate, using state-of-the-art technology and scientific instrumentation; and report findings in a public forum, evaluated by representatives from business and industry.[10][11][12][13][14][15]

AL-Bairaq includes four tracks: I am a Researcher, I am Discovering Materials, Science in Sport, and Solving Problems.



Name

"Al-bairaq" refers to a flag-bearer, the soldier who carries a flag during war. AL-Bairaq is a symbol of courage, defiance and victory. Students are considered the soldiers of the project who carry the flag of science.[16]

I am a Researcher

This track is designed to stimulate students' curiosity about science through experimenting with different materials in laboratory setting under professional supervision and guidance. "I am a researcher" offers high school students in Qatar a unique opportunity to get involved in real research conducted at the Center for Advanced Materials (CAM) and other departments in Qatar University. It is an opportunity to work with the university professors and professional researchers in portions of their current research so that students would be able to manage their own hands-on research projects.[17][18][19][20][21]

Final event and competitions

In the "I am a Researcher" tracks, students demonstrate their understanding of the scientific concepts as well as their ideas and thoughts via PowerPoint and other presentation tools. They present in a public forum and their learning and work are evaluated by a jury from business and industrial organizations. In addition to research activities, and as complement to them, “I am a Researcher” track include many science and art competitions where participants in their groups will be candidates for winning one of our multiple and various prizes. Winners will be selected, based on pre-defined criteria, by a panel of experts formed from our sponsor companies in addition to major business and industrial organizations in Qatar. Competitions include:

  • Best presentation: 3 winning groups
  • The best documentary film of the students' experience: one winning group
  • Art in science competitions (The best photo prize): one winning group
  • The best students’ group diary on social media prizes:
    • Most active group on Twitter and Facebook
    • Most popular group on Twitter and Facebook

I am Discovering Materials

"I am Discovering Materials" is one of the most important tracks in the AL-Bairaq program. It aims to introduce the students to variety of topics in materials science in an exciting way. These modules are all built around a common structure, where four or more related activities introduce an important topic in contemporary materials science. Through these activities, students learn about the topic by investigating key features of the materials that are the focus of the module. Then students use what they have learned from the activities to participate in a design project. This project aims to inspire students to design, test, and build their own product that uses the materials which are the focus of the module.[22][23] One example of students' projects is the conversion of carbon dioxide into methanol.

Generally, the "I am Discovering Materials" track gives the students an opportunity to understand the world around them in a way they have never experienced before. With their participation, students are encouraged to discover the interconnections between science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM fields) and society. In other words, they are encouraged to make a direct connection between what they are learning in class and their everyday lives. Moreover, this track inspires the students' creativity through the design projects assigned to them.

Final event and competitions

In the semi-final and final events, students compete for several prizes and competitions. The competing candidates are evaluated by a selected panel of judges from different scientific, business, and industrial organizations. Competitions include:

  • Best presentation: Three winning groups (1st, 2nd and 3rd position)
  • RasGas competition: One winning group
  • The best product: One winning group
  • Poster award: One winning group
  • Art in science award: One winning group
  • Best photographic (Instagram): One winning group
  • Self-evaluation: One winning group
  • Best short story: One winning group
  • Best teacher and best technician prizes: 4 winners
  • The best students’ group diary on social media prizes:
    • Most active group on Twitter and Facebook
    • Most popular group on Twitter and Facebook

Science in Sport

"Science in Sport" is involved in all areas of sport from timing, distance measurement, materials technology, and performance monitoring. The inspiration of science is found in every aspect of sport materials, and the technology is frequently working on better production for sports materials. Bringing the interest of the students in sports through technical aspects of science themes, may include design, materials, mechanics, dynamics, math, and engineering, to create sports materials using different simple materials.[24][25]

Final event and competitions

In the final event, students are evaluated by a selected panel of judges from different companies and institutions. The participating groups compete for prizes in the following categories:

  • Best presentation: 3 winning groups
  • Best product: one winning group
  • Movie award: one winning group
  • Best photographic: One winning group
  • Best teacher: Most cooperative teacher
  • The best students’ group diary on social media prizes:
    • Most active group on Twitter and Facebook
    • Most popular group on Twitter and Facebook

Solving Problems

Through this track, students learn how to solve a problem through a simulation of a problem. They have the freedom to solve it under the supervision of the AL-Bairaq team.

Results

The effects of AL-Bairaq on the secondary school students are supported by the results of a research carried out in Qatar, which concluded that the advanced learning environment resulted in the improvement of the students’ ability to acquire and retain new knowledge. Furthermore, the advanced learning environment had a direct positive impact on students’ attitude towards research, and students gained positive attitudes towards work as well.[26]


AL-Bairaq at WISE 2015

AL-Bairaq was named a 2015 WISE (World Innovation Summit of Education) Awards Finalist. It was chosen by WISE among six projects shortlisted for their innovative solutions to education, adoption of cutting-edge practices, and their positive social impact.[27][28]

Al-Bairaq is announced as one of the highlighted initiatives in the WISE ed.hub


References

  1. http://www.almaany.com/home.php?language=arabic&lang_name=%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A&word=%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%82
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. http://www.qu.edu.qa/offices/research/CAM/dmsprogram/albiraq_news/alj_nursery_to_researchers_at_qatar_university.pdf
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  9. http://www.qu.edu.qa/offices/research/CAM/dmsprogram/albiraq_news/shn_aims_to_simplify_the_concepts_of_scientific_research_for_school_students_qu_launches_project_al_bairaq_for_the_discovery_of_materials_science.pdf
  10. http://www.qu.edu.qa/offices/research/CAM/albairaq/about_us/vision_and_mission.php
  11. http://www.qu.edu.qa/offices/research/CAM/dmsprogram/albiraq_news/alj_al_biraq_program_video_on_al_jazeera.pdf
  12. http://www.qu.edu.qa/offices/research/CAM/dmsprogram/albiraq_news/ufuq_qatar_university_launches_project_al_bairaq_to_discover_the_materials_science.pdf
  13. http://www.qu.edu.qa/offices/research/CAM/dmsprogram/albiraq_news/ufuq_100_students_of_the_secondary_level_participate_in_the_discovery_of_materials_science.pdf
  14. http://www.qu.edu.qa/offices/research/CAM/dmsprogram/albiraq_news/alanba_qatari_program_for_young_researchers.pdf
  15. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. http://www.almaany.com/home.php?language=arabic&lang_name=%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A&word=%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%82
  17. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  19. http://www.qu.edu.qa/offices/research/CAM/dmsprogram/albiraq_news/alj_honoring_al_biraq_students.pdf
  20. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  23. http://www.qu.edu.qa/offices/research/CAM/dmsprogram/albiraq_news/alj_qatari_program_for_young_researchers.pdf
  24. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. http://www.qu.edu.qa/offices/research/CAM/documents/Alarab.pdf
  26. http://www.ejes.eu/images/issue/vol.1/no.3/4.pdf Al-Ghanim, K.A; Al-Maadeed, M.A and Al-Thani, N.J (Sept. 2014) : Impact of Innovative Learning Environment Based on Research Activities on Secondary School Students' Attitude Towards Research and Their Self-Efficacy, EJES, 1(3), 39-57
  27. http://www.wise-qatar.org/al-bairaq-qatar
  28. http://www.wise-qatar.org/wise-awards-2015

External links