Iken Scientifica

12/10/2012

For More information visit: http://www.ikenscientifica.com

'iKen Scientifica' is a Mexus Education Pvt. Ltd. venture, an education innovations company. We aim at creating futuristic education models based on affordable...

12/10/2012

Benefits to Students
1. Exposing children to observation and experimenting
2. Stimulating young minds, getting them to explore and making them experience the power of innovation
3. Letting students understand at their own pace and in their own style
4. Inculcating the habit of practicing and questioning science rather than learning and believing it
5. Promoting testing as a source of learning rather than a test for learning
6. Emphasising that one problem can have multiple solutions
7. A collaborative platform to conduct hands-on based activity and foster a holistic approach towards problem solving in the minds of the children
8. Developing an investigative approach towards learning which helps master the scientific way of doing things
9. Understanding the connection between curricular knowledge and practical applications while making decisions on various aspects of product development
10. Learning to work with allocated resources and to optimise what is available giving an impetus to creative and lateral thinking
11. Learning design approach and methodology through hands-on activity/model making
12. Learning to establish relevance and use of various scientific concepts and principles in practical scenarios
13. Deciding value of a model
14. Selling and negotiation skills
15. A preparatory exercise before competing at the zonal ,national and international level

Benefits to Schools
1. Offers a predesigned activity and assessment model that incorporates learning through hands-on experience, experiment and real-world situations in a simulated learning environment
2. It provides a collaborative platform within the school to conduct hands-on based activity and foster a holistic approach towards problem solving in the minds of children
3. Offers a self devised evaluation system based on EI report that assesses aptitude of a child on five parameters namely observation, analysis, extrapolation, practicality and memory
4. The report also evaluates the preferred learning styles of a child and suggests ways to strengthen their skill sets
5. Develops essential life skills by exposing students to practical problem statements and real life case studies
6. Will be seen as a progressive school that exposes students to new methods of learning
7. Opportunity to get the teachers involved in experiential learning
8.The projects and models can be exhibited during inter school exhibitions
9. The methodology can be extended to school learning

12/10/2012

iKen Scientifica Workshop offers six levels of difficulty
1. For levels 1 till 3 students can register according to their age and standard specified
2. Level 3 is the starting level for levels 4 and above after which a student can only succeed into the next level once he/she has completed the preceding level
3. Each level consists of 10 models with the materials and learning aides for 20 more
4. Projects are categorised under 8 major subject areas
5. Total duration for each level is 35 hours which can be divided into flexible sessions
6. Each model is given 4 hours (3 hrs excluding 1 hr allotted to sub activities)

In reality science is less about facts and knowledge and more about devising practical solutions that are efficient as well as cost effective. At iKen Scientifica workshops children are prepared to face the real world and its demands through an interesting play setup of a marketplace scenario.

Under this setup a child is provided with a student kit that consists of resources in the form of junk material, design components, an inventor’s manual as a guidebook and a compilation of case studies and worksheets called i-Invent. The children are first introduced to a problem statement and underlying concepts. Then using the guided design approach they are required to design a solution to the given problem statement. The material provided to them is assigned a value in terms of ken pricing to assess the value of the model made.

Introduction to concept -> Problem Statement -> A brainstorming session on design approach -> Finalising the design using design methodology and template -> Discussion on related activities and applications -> Observation and improvement -> Development -> Optimum allocation of design components using Ken pricing system -> Student questionnaire -> Judging and valuation of model

12/10/2012

At iKen Scientifica we are aware that the most active years of learning are between the ages eight and 15. At the same time children tend to learn a lot better through experience and hands-on learning. And we have put this awareness to practical use at the iKen Scientifica workshops. They are based on a simple philosophy

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”

Hence at iKen Scientifica workshops children are exposed to model making based on principles of science that they might be learning at school. Along with model making the children are also exposed to real life scenarios with market place simulation. This allows children to not just understand and practice science but to also look at it as a feasible, functional and practical solution.

Hence, children are brought closer to science with the knowledge of its practical usage, efficiency, cost effectiveness, and selling and negotiation skills. The aim of iKen Scientifica workshops is to nurture scientific approach towards learning and also at developing the required skills and deduction required to make it a product worthy of sale.

12/10/2012

iKen Scientifica workshops – preparing kids for the real world

iKen Scientifica workshops are year round workshops conducted at various partnering schools and iKen Scientifica designated centres across different cities in India and abroad. What’s more students can begin attending these workshops at any point and work along their own pace.

These workshops, present participants with an opportunity to get a hands-on experience, to experiment and innovate on scientific concepts and learn real-world situations beyond classrooms – in a simulated learning environment.

Conceptualised for classes from four to nine the essence of iKen Scientifica workshops is to nurture scientific approach towards learning by exposing students to:

Practical problem scenarios
Scientific approach towards problem solving
Design methodology
Resource optimisation
Applying scientific principles for better conceptualisation

The workshop simulates a market place scenario wherein a child is required to design a solution (model) to serve a utility (problem statement) that is valued (in terms of virtual currency called kens) on the basis of value of raw materials used (priced in kens), functionality, stability and design.

12/10/2012

Inspiring young minds to innovate

iKen Scientifica is a concept that reaffirms the fact that education begins with posing questions. It literally works with scientific principles and theory. It breaks the barriers between theoretical and practical science by bringing concepts to life through hands-on learning using innovative toys and real life scenarios.

It familiarises students with technology that is conducive to scientific learning and improves their investigative, analytical and critical thinking abilities.

It is a matter of few steps for an iKenite to make a pinhole camera or a water pump. Find out more about the origin and history of this unique endeavour.