In lieu of a physical conference, the committee collated case studies from members to share practice during the challenge of adapting outreach to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Case Study 1: Identifying the challenges in delivering WP outreach at DMU

  • Leisa Nichols-Drew tells us how the DMU team are ‘taking science to the people’ in lock down by adapting their SteamEd (Science-Technology-Engineering-Arts-Maths Education) immersive laboratory outreach for the Covid-19, home-schooling era. The presentation highlights some of the challenges they have identified and their ‘wins’ so far https://youtu.be/YyxZweDeELU
  • Dr Ruta Furmonaviciene reflects positively on the transition to online delivery and identifies some tools which have helped her to continue working. Ruta explains how the pandemic has increased the opportunity for innovation and creativity and she highlights the benefits this could have for WP and outreach https://youtu.be/7LxHW8AetC0

Case Study 2: Identifying the challenges in delivering public engagement outreach and adapting face-to-face provision

  • Leisa Nichols-Drew, on behalf of DMU, explains how they adapted a large scale public engagement project originally planned as part of 2020 Festival of Teaching. The first presentation reflects on the early challenges and shows how a growth mindset is helping to convert an immersive, city centre activity to an equally engaging online outreach resource https://youtu.be/KOBkPPbOJbU . The second presentation demonstrates the immersive, asynchronous resources created in response to the pandemic restrictions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1S9ya70otVA.

Case Study 3: Adapting face-to-face outreach and participatory research approach with older adults

  • Dr Siobhan O’Sullivan’s presentation explores a participatory research project funded by the Irish Research Council New Foundations and conducted by the UCC School of Applied Social Studies with Age Action, an advocacy organisation that aims to empower older people in Ireland. The presentation explains how they adapted the participatory approach during Covid-19 and shares some of the lessons learnt along the way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SG_XkH4R1Z8.

Submissions under ‘Evaluation of new / adapted provision‘

  • links will be uploaded after the submission deadline