The scientific journey, initiated under the coordination of Üsküdar University Science Communication Coordination and starting in village schools in Ağrı, achieved great success in the 11th TRT Future Communicators Competition.
The “A Child Asked” digital content platform, which brings children's questions together with the language of science, was deemed worthy of the second place award in the Digital Content Management category.
The journey of curiosity that began in village schools in Ağrı came to life on the “Bir Çocuk Sordu” platform under the coordination of Üsküdar University Science Communication Coordination. The project, with Advertising Department students Bahar Mutaf, Melda Zeynep Sarı, and Taha Demirci, and under the mentorship of Asst. Prof. Dr. Nihal Toros and Asst. Prof. Dr. Burak Çeber from the Advertising Department, won an award in the 11th TRT Future Communicators Competition by making children's voices heard through the language of science.
Aiming for scientific knowledge to be accessible to many segments of the public, especially children, 'Bir Çocuk Sordu' stood out as the first digital content platform launched under the coordination of Üsküdar University Science Communication Coordination.
It started with the question “What are you most curious about?”…
The platform serves as a social responsibility project by bringing together questions that children and young people are curious about with the language of the scientific world. This project centers on the journeys of children educated in village schools, beginning with the question “What are you most curious about?”. The second-place award received by the platform in the digital content management category at the 11th TRT Future Communicators Competition, organized nationally by TRT, also demonstrates the project's success in digital content production.
It was carried out under the mentorship of Advertising Department students Bahar Mutaf, Melda Zeynep Sarı, and Taha Demirci, along with Asst. Prof. Dr. Nihal Toros from the Advertising Department, and Asst. Prof. Dr. Burak Çeber, also from the same department and Deputy Coordinator of Science Communication.
“We became the voices of children”
Asst. Prof. Dr. Nihal Toros expressed her thoughts on the project, saying, “I ponder and ask myself why this project is so important. And each time, I get the same answer: because they are children. Instead of remaining silent in the face of the widespread inequality children experience, we implemented this project to be their voice. 30 children born in a tiny village, full of curiosity; sometimes dreaming of becoming a pilot and flying, sometimes a doctor and saving lives. Rüyalar, Ayşeler, Mehmetler, Yusuflar… All of them inspired us. They asked, we answered. As long as they were happy, we could utter a huge ‘thank goodness’.”
Everything that is wondered about is the first step of learning
Asst. Prof. Dr. Burak Çeber also stated, “In today's education world, it is as important to value children's questions as it is to provide them with answers. Because everything that is wondered about is the first step of learning. This project was designed to make children's voices heard, to amplify their curiosities through design, and to inspire other children.”
Information Wheels Ignited the Sense of Discovery
Within the scope of this project, which demonstrates that children's curiosity should be valued, 30 children studying in three different village schools in Ağrı expressed their curiosities with questions spanning a wide range, from seas to the universe, from animals to forests.
These questions were transformed into an original and interactive design on the platform using interactive tools called “Information Wheels” for each category. The project team states that these wheels not only provide information but also stimulate the sense of discovery. Thus, knowledge reaches the user with a sense of discovery, rather than merely being presented.
The project, which can be defined as a point where curiosity meets design, and its award-winning content can be accessed via the link bircocuksordu.com.
