Teachers' notes
About plugin2engineering
Curriculum links
plugin2engineering provides a suite of online resources and classroom-based activities to support the teaching of GCSE Science and the new Engineering Diploma at Levels 1 and 2. Elements of the resource may also be used to challenge more able students at the upper end of Key Stage 3. Detailed curriculum links are available online in the teachers' area.
A number of the challenges also make use of simple mathematical skills to promote a degree of cross-curricular working and to illustrate how real life jobs require a mixture of appropriate skills.
Objectives
The plugin2engineering resources have been created by E.ON UK, one of the UK's leading power and gas companies, in association with educational experts.
They aim to help teachers to put the curriculum into a real-life context for students, to encourage more students to study science and engineering and to raise awareness of careers available in the energy industry.
The online game
The scenario
plugin2engineering follows an innovative and engaging approach around a simple scenario. Students take on the role of Project Manager installing the energy infrastructure on Electronica, the world's largest artificial island.
The island tour and certification test
Students tour the island, learning about the energy journey and meeting a team of real engineers working on the network. They then take a certification test - a series of basic multiple choice questions on energy related topics, qualifying the user to begin work as Project Manager.
The people interviewed in the videos that form part of the island tour are E.ON employees. Please note that the Fitter video is filmed in a training environment.
The videos from the island tour can also be accessed in the careers area.
Answers for certification test
- 1 C
- 2 B
- 3 A
- 4 B
- 5 D
- 6 A
- 7 D
- 8 C
- 9 A
- 10 C
The activities
The engineers that they met on the island tour set a series of challenges designed to test and expand curriculum knowledge. When students have completed all the challenges, they can make the network live.
Students playing the short version of the game will be asked to complete five Big Picture Challenge activities. Each one is linked to a different area of the energy network:
- Electricity generation
- Overhead lines
- Step-down substation
- Underground cables
- Electricity usage
Older or more able students will benefit from tackling the long version of the game, completing an additional five Engineering Tasks based around five job roles related to the energy network:
- Turbine Technician
- Linesperson
- Fitter
- Jointer
- Gas Service Engineer
Feedback and Go live
The Engineering Tasks have instant results - students will receive feedback from the engineers at the end of the activity about whether or not they have the correct solution. They will not receive feedback on the Big Picture Challenges until they have completed them all and try to make the network live.
Supporting resources
Each activity is supported by an activity card on a similar topic. Students may find it useful to have access to the information cards while using the online activities and the activity cards. You can download these online from the supporting resources area or order a pack of photocopiable cards.
If students are interested in the careers featured in the game, you can direct them to the careers area of the website for more information about the roles featured at E.ON.
How should it be used?
plugin2engineering has been designed to offer maximum flexibility in delivery. Students can complete a short or long version of the online game, or tackle stand-alone versions of the activities, which can be accessed in the supporting resources area.
The online game can be delivered in any room equipped with a suitable number of PCs. Ideally, one PC per pupil, however, working on the challenges in pairs or small groups can also be beneficial. Users are given the opportunity to create their own log in so they may resume their work in a series of lessons or at home.
Activities could also be displayed on an interactive whiteboard, with students working individually or in small groups to suggest solutions. These solutions could be presented back to the rest of the class and a vote can be taken to select a solution which the teacher could then input. Feedback is then available on the screen for the whole class to see. This class approach can be useful when using the resource with younger or less able students. However, it is likely to take longer, so you may want to consider tackling one challenge at a time.
Classroom activities, outlined on the activity cards, can be used independently of the online resource or as an introduction or follow-up to the online activities.
The classroom-based activities will need to be carried out in a suitable equipped science lab, with teacher supervision.
