Over the past four weeks, students from L6FC were given the opportunity to work with 3Sun Engineering Group from Great Yarmouth and AKD Engineering from Lowestoft on a Maths in Action Engineering project. As part of the A level syllabus the maths department at L6FC like to take every opportunity to link the content from the maths A Level with the real world. The initial trip involved the students visiting the engineering companies to gain an insight into how Mathematics forms the basis of their work. Staff from the companies introduced the project to the students, which consisted of real engineering problems.
Students were then given 3 weeks to work in their groups to solve the problem and to create a presentation of their solution. The project culminated in a final presentation where the students had to present their work to an audience of over 40 people, some of which were guests from external companies.
The project has highlighted the many diverse career opportunities within the energy and engineering sectors and we hope that we have inspired students to consider these careers for the future.
Joe Meades said “The Maths In Action project was really beneficial as I got to see how maths is used in certain aspects of engineering which is definitely an industry I want to get in to. The project has also allowed me to see the value of studying A-level maths and some of the routes down which it can take me.”
Charlotte Button said “Maths In Action was a great experience as it gave me a chance to see an industry I was previously unfamiliar with. I was also given the chance to work in a group to improve my teamwork skills and then to present in front of a large audience which helped build my confidence. I’ve now got a much better understanding of where maths is used in the real world.”
Overall, the students did a fantastic job of presenting and raised the bar once again. A particular congratulations goes out to the winning teams consisting of the following students; Joe Meades, Jade Parker, Ralph Aquino, Chloe Ellis, Laura Skittral, Danni Thomson, Charlotte Button, Ianthe Harvey and Maathiny Kirupaharan.
Not forgetting Waveney District Council the main sponsor of the event, and Cheryl Willis also of WDC who helped facilitate the Maths in Action Project.
Maths In Action is currently in its Ninth year of the A level project which highlights how sustainable and valuable the project is seen by the industry in their continued commitment.