Physics Education Lecturers Trained on the Usage of Photonics Kits
Lecturers in the Department of Physics Education under the Faculty of Science Education (FSE), University of Education, Winneba (UEW), have undergone a day’s hands-on virtual workshop on the effective usage of photonics kits.
They were educated on how to use the kits to perform fundamental modules in polarisation of light, diffraction and interference, colours, lenses and telescopes.
The training, which provided a wonderful experience for participants in the area of photonics, took place at the Department of Physics Education Laboratory at the South Campus of UEW on Tuesday, 14th September, 2021. It was facilitated virtually by the Outreach and STEM Officer at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel – Brussels Photonics, Tine De Pauw.
In her presentation, she introduced participants to SPIE and indicated the efficacies in international cooperation and exchanges with other universities. She further highlighted the importance of photonics in modern engineering and science education as well as the development of innovative talents in Ghana.
The Vice-Dean of FSE, UEW, Prof. Victor Antwi, in an interview, disclosed the invaluable role of the proactive application of science hence the rationale for the training to equip Lecturers in the Department of Physics Education to sufficiently impart students in the Department.
“Science is not something that you can do without necessarily having a hands-on application. When you know the theory and then you combine it with the practical aspect, it improves your understanding. It gives you a better conceptual understanding and then when you do that, you will have students who can perform very well because the practical aspect in one way or the other reinforces the theory that you will let the students appreciate,” he remarked.
The leader of the photonics group, UEW, Dr. Desmond Appiah, on his part, iterated the readiness of the Department and UEW, in general, to rely on the advantages of photonics and extend it further to Physics students in the University and same to Junior and Senior High Schools in Ghana.
Among UEW Physics Education Lecturers present were Prof. M. K. Amedeker, Prof. K. D. Taale, Dr. Michael Gyan, Mr. Fortune Addo-Wuver, Mr. Emmanuel A. Ahenfo, Ms. Cynthia Jebuni-Adanu, Mr. Isaac K. Acquah, Mr. Anthony B. Yuoni and Mr. Issahaku S. Jakalia.
Eyest, the manufacturer of the Photonics Explorer Kits (PEK) in conjunction with Photonics Ghana organised the virtual training workshop.
Photonics Ghana is a Non-Governmental Organisation founded and headed by an alumnus of UEW, Dr. Prince Bawuah presently at the Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. The organisation is with a clear aim to rekindle the interest of young Ghanaians in photonics and physics through practical teaching and learning. Photonics has wide potential to address global challenges such as sustainable water management and curbing water pollution from heavy metals and chemicals that occur as a result of illegal mining.
