BIOMEDASA-Inspire promotes data science careers to schoolchildren in the Liverpool City Region, particularly those from deprived socioeconomic backgrounds. The diversity gap in data science begins in childhood, where children from disadvantaged backgrounds often lack access to home computers or role models in data professions. This work package delivers hands-on workshops through the University of Liverpool's Widening Participation network and partner charity IntoUniversity, targeting approximately 180 children per year.
Materials for KS3 students (aged 11–14). Students are split into groups and work through two hands-on programming activities:
- micro:bit activity — students write and run programs on BBC micro:bits using the browser-based block editor (Microsoft Edge required).
- LEGO robot activity — students program LEGO SPIKE Prime robots, finishing with an open-ended challenge to build their own program (e.g. making the robot dance/move, respond to sensors, play music, light up and flash).
Sessions usually run in two halves (morning and afternoon) with groups of ~15 students. User guides for both activities are provided in the directory.
Materials for KS4/GCSE students (aged 14–16). Students are introduced to data science and plotting using Python through an interactive Jupyter notebook activity based on animal ageing data.
- Student link (interactive): Launch on Binder
- Teacher link (with answers): Launch on Binder
- Static reference page: GitHub Pages
Notebooks are hosted via mybinder. No installation is required for students. This activity can be ran anywhere with a computer suite. No specialist equipment is required either. These materials can be deployed anywhere with a computer suite.
This activity was supported by an additional TSN ROKS grant (Outreach Demonstrator Fund), allowing us to purchase equipment to support a new activity. It is a workshop that lasts 1.5-2 hrs and introduces KS4-KS5 students to programming using Python scripting. The materials should be printed out and then students should work in groups of two, using a paired programming approach. As previously students program the robots using the LEGO SPIKE Prime app.
BIOMEDASA is an MRC funded project. Inspire is one of five work packages (Enhance, Nurture, Analyse, Reskill, Inspire), focused on widening participation at the school level.
