CSNano Exploring Forensic through Virtual STEM Course for Secondary Students

July 31, 2022
community, Department of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), education, Ibnu Sina Institute for Scientific and Industrial Research (ISI-SIR), STEM

Centre for Sustainable Nanomaterials (CSNano)

Prepared by: Alice Sim Hui Li, Ling Chui Min, Siti Nur Sakinah Binti Ahmad and Lee Siew Ling

A virtual STEM course, “KARNIVAL STEM DALAM PENEROKAAN DUNIA FORENSIK SEBAGAI KERJAYA DAN TAKLIMAT PENYEDIAAN VIDEO TIKTOK DAN POSTER UNTUK PEMBENTANGAN EKSPERIMEN SAINS” had been jointly organized by the Centre for Sustainable Nanomaterials (CSNano), Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Kangkar Pulai on 23 July 2022 (Saturday) from 9.00 am until 1.30 pm. This program is part of the corporate social responsibility (CSR) by CSNano to introduce forensic science as a rewarding career in which the love of science can be applied to the process of finding the truth and seeking justice in legal proceedings for secondary school students and to improve their ability in creating an interactive TikTok video and poster for science experiment presentations.

This event was led by Assoc. Prof. ChM. Dr Lee Siew Ling and executed by the university committee comprised CSNano academic and support staff, undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Faculty of Science (FS), UTM, as well as teachers from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Kangkar Pulai. Bashob Analytical PLT was the sponsor of the program.

The involved UTM committee were Assoc. Prof. Ts. ChM. Dr Nik Ahmad Nizam Nik Malek (Programme Advisor), Assoc. Prof. ChM. Dr Lee Siew Ling (Programme Director), Assoc. Prof. ChM. Dr See Hong Heng (Vice Programme Director), Ms Siti Nur Sakinah Ahmad (Secretary), Ms Evayusni Ahmad Yusuf (Vice-Secretary), Ms Nani Sazana Hamdan (Treasurer), Ts. Dr Naji Arafat bin Mahat (Head of Program Unit), Ms Sabariah Ajis (Head of Publicity Unit), Ms Nur Hidayah Azmi (Publicity Unit), Ms Nurul Adhah Saini (Publicity Unit), Mr Noranizam Hj Demin (Head of Technical) and Mr Shahrum Nizam Mahmod (Technical Unit).

Meanwhile, the involved undergraduate and postgraduate students as committees and facilitators were Leong Cheng Yee (Program Chair), Lim Wei Wen (Vice Chairperson and Workshop Speaker), Ling Chui Min (Secretary), Alice Sim Hui Li (Vice Secretary), Karen Tey Sze Jie (Head of External Relations), Lee Ching Shien (Workshop Speaker and committee member), Pung Ye Tim (committee member), Loh Yian Zhi (committee member), and Chew Yi Sheng (committee member).

A total of 1210 Form One to Form Six students from ten different states of Johor, including 503 students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Kangkar Pulai, participated in the virtual course. The knowledge transfer program consisted of three parts firstly, a talk called “Fun with Dr Maggot”, which was given by Ts. Dr Naji Arafat Hj Mahat (Forensic Science lecturer, Faculty of Science, UTM), followed by a quiz session, and lastly, talks which were delivered by the undergraduate students of FS, UTM. The program participants were exposed to the field of forensic science and roles of forensic scientists, and their challenges in criminal investigations. Besides, the school students were introduced to the tips and methods of producing science experiment TikTok videos and posters during the program.

Competitions of TikTok video and poster presentation will be held for all the participants where the students were required to submit a TikTok video and poster to describe their forensic scientist as a career by 30 July 2022. There are prizes to be won for the quiz session, the best poster presentation and the best TikTok video awards for the participants of the program.

School and committee teams were both satisfied with the outcome and agreed that secondary students should be equipped with the presentation skills and techniques using video and poster methods. As a result of the program, students were also motivated to learn science and further their studies in university.