This is the first of three articles in exploring Saudi gifted student experiences in pre-college research and the profound effect it has had on their lives. The focus will be on the overall expectations of their journey, the struggles faced during the process and how these exceptional students found creative ways to overcome them and learn from them.
The Student
I first met Woud AlSadoun two years ago at an Ibdaa (National Science Fair) science research workshop in the Eastern Province. Immediately, I realized she was a special student with the potential to have a great future in one of the S.T.E.M. disciplines. Her attitude reflected the ambition and altruistic interest in her project. The following is a glimpse of her endeavor into scientific research, along with insight into the overall experience.
The Story
I always coach students that the best way to communicate a research or innovation project is to tell a story, since that is how humans have been passing on information most effectively for centuries. This educational endeavor has certain components that allow for a thorough tale that holds the interest of the audience. The narrative of a gifted student navigating a journey through the research process is robust because it entails so many character-building components. Going through the research question, literature review, the experimentation, the data analysis and the communication provide a wonderfully cohesive dramatic story line.
Woud spent many hours during this endeavor for the past two years and has an amazing experience to share with others. Her creative thinking ability, coupled with her tenacity, provided the background for a successful venture. Her achievements were not as much about winning competitions, but rather growing exponentially as a student and an individual. Following are some question and answers in an interview with Woud that shed light on what benefits are attained in a research project process. The questions asked to her are reflected in bold type and the answers are in italics.
The Interview
When did you obtain that spark of interest in STEM education and research?
“Growing up I always felt curious about why everything is the way it is but as a child I couldn’t understand that. When I got to middle school I entered a government competition where I had to write a paper, as I remember my category was in energy or something like that. Specifically the paper was about the conservation of energy, it was so interesting to me because I felt that it was so complex yet simple! I didn’t win or even move to the next phase of that competition, but I felt that this was the thing I didn’t know as a child it was the ability to be involved in what’s around me by working in STEM”
What is your advice on moving from the interest phase to actually working in a lab?
“In my case, I was lucky that my school started a program that connects student with mentors from KFUPM University as my school is a part of KFUPM campus. But there are many students that worked independently without their school, for example with a family member, some contact universities and centers directly, and other join Mawhiba research summer programs. There is no right or wrong choice here and it’s all about what suits you and your project the best.”
When you first started a research project, what were your main expectations?
“In the beginning I was excited to start working in a lab, but I expected that my project was going to be very smooth and right on track. Also I thought I had a good background in the area of my project which was mainly in the field of energy.”
Note - To this point, it is particularly important that a student chooses a project in their area of interest. Obviously, Woud was interested in energy and was excited to explore the possibilities for a project therein. In fact, it held such a focus for her that she decided to continue the project in the second year, introducing new variables into the experimental design. And always remember to reach out and ask questions and investigate all possible opportunities for a project.
Why did you decide to work on this project concept for another year?
“At first I picked this topic because of my love for physics and the belief that research in renewable energy truly has a great impact on our world today. In my opinion wanting to be a part of the solution to the problems we face today is a really noble thing to do.”
Note - The students that have the best experience developing a project are the ones that can apply it to the real-world. It takes them outside the classroom of textbooks and brings them the opportunity to be part of an experience that is attempting to solve a problem.
How does developing a project differ from textbook learning?
“Having to figure out the science behind the experiment instead of reading in a textbook and learning it in a classroom is an amazing experience, because in a classroom we read a textbook that gives us the end result of an experiment or law simplified in a page or so then we memorize it to take a test and move on, which I really feel kills our imagination.”
Note - As with any project-based endeavor, there will be hurdles that needed to be overcome. During a science project, many obstacles will be present and they need to be analyzed for the best possible solution path.
What were the top challenges faced when conducting the research?
- In the beginning as I started to read about my field of study, my first thoughts were that it is really hard to read a scientific paper especially because in school all STEM classes were in Arabic.
- The second idea that came to mind was this is a huge field! And so I was afraid that my study won’t be as original as I needed it to be.
- Also somedays me and my mentor would work in the lab hours sometimes days but all the results were not good.
Note - These are all viable points and ones that most students will face when starting and working on a project. The toughest thing to understand is that in research and innovation, we do not always know what the answer will be, i.e. what the outcomes will be. It is all about testing a hypothesis or testing a solution, over and over again. It is much different than reading a textbook and taking a test that has questions with specific answers. These research endeavors are focus on hard work and the vision towards discovery.
How did you overcome the top 3 challenges listed above?
- For the first challenge I would translate the scientific terms or phrases that was on a paper I am reading into Arabic. Also if it is a new topic to me I would watch a video about it. Then if I did not understand it at all I would ask my professor about it.
- In the first week I made a mind map of every single type of supercapacitor. I used that map in both years of working on my project, it was really helpful.
- Trying to understand what went wrong can take time but it is important to be patient, also to try different methods in the experiment helps. For me when a sample gave a bad result I would draw the exact layers of that supercapacitor in my logbook just to see the change overtime. So if a test went wrong I would still think it's beneficial.
Note - The entire journey is a learning process that hopefully can be used in future endeavors in
STEM education and even in STEM careers.
What important skills did you learn during the entire process, both scientific process and personal development?
- Scientific process: During the first year it was more of building up the idea with my mentors and trying to deeply understand all aspects of it by learning the math, physics, and chemistry behind my project. That year I learned how to complete a scientific paper and the process of being a researcher. The second year was when I really felt that my project reached the 100% I was aiming for. That year I learned how to think of a way to take my project to the next level with the help of my mentors.
- Personal development: I learned how to be independent, manage my time, and interact with different people. Also it was great to see how many people share this passion for research and STEM in general.
Note - The Ibdaa event provides a great opportunity for students to share their work with others, meet students from around the country and experience the incredible world of research.
What was your fondest memory of the entire research process? Did this have any influence on your next educational steps (majors, internships, clubs, etc.)?
“There are a lot of great memories. One of them was being in ISEF 2019 on the day of the grand awards and waiting for any of our names to be said even if we can't hear because we start to scream and cheer as soon as we hear “From any city in Saudi Arabia ”. And the best part about it was that even if one of us won we all were happy, then when all our mentors from Mawhiba came to congratulate us it really felt wonderful.
Of course it had a big influence on my life as it gave me a real glimpse of the world of research, it opened doors for me as I interred in the AJYAL Space program after it which is amazing. I got a scholarship to the Oxmedica program in London and also a fellowship with Co-create 2020 in the HCI Lab.”
After you now have finished pre-college research, did the experience meet your expectations listed in the first question? Exceed? How?
“It definitely exceeded my expectations on every level, it was a life changing experience that I will never forget. In the lab, experiments it didn't go as smoothly as I thought it would, there were many hard days but I really understood that hard work pays off in the end. The moral lesson I learned is that no matter how much knowledge I have about a subject it’s really small compared to the magnitude of information I don't know.”
Note - This is a powerful statement regarding the experience of pre-college scientific research and how it affects young talented students in a country. The lessons learned are not only useful during the process, but also for the days ahead in undergraduate studies and beyond.
What would you tell young Saudis thinking about participating in scientific research competitions? What impact can it have on their lives and careers?
“As Saudi Arabian young students, we have golden opportunities to make a difference in our communities by trying to invent new effective ways to have a better life. Having competitions such as IBDA gives our generation a voice to fix what we know is wrong around us. Entering Mawhiba’s programs and competitions open your eyes, so don’t miss that chance!”
The Lessons Learned
This interview was so insightful and provids a glimpse into the experience of a gifted student performing a high-level research or engineering project. As told above, Woud learned so much about during this endeavor. The main lessons that she provided for other students can be summarized as follows;
- Make an attempt at activities, like a research project, outside the school curriculum. It provides and atmosphere that is hands-on and allows for engagement in a discipline of your interest.
- Follow the processes and road maps provided to you, as this will help with critical personal and scientific skills that you can use the rest of your life.
- Ask questions!!!!
- Never give up. There are many times in research & engineering (or any project) that roadblocks and challenges are presented. It is so important to meet them head on and find the best possible solutions. Woud is a student that cannot be stopped by the hurdles presented in front of her. She always finds a way to push past these problems in order to reach the goals set out in the beginning. This is a trait that can be learned and followed, which will provide successful outcomes in each individual’s chosen journeys in life.
