Students in the two sections of the Advanced Physics Class at Fremd High School had the opportunity to test a newer model of a Motorola cell phone, the Atrix 2, and present their research in front of Motorola and AT&T representatives. Students provided the company with valuable feedback as far as what teenagers are looking for in a cell phone from the best possible source — a teenager’s perspective.

The phones were tested on durability, smartphone features, usability and quality of features, and target market analysis, among others. Students relied on information from their classmates, which is Motorola’s intended market. Several students were polled, asked to complete basic tasks and evaluate the device that many young adults use every day.

“It’s a great project to end their high school careers with because it’s a real-world project,” said Jason English, applied technology and science teacher at Fremd High School. “It’s real research for a real company that actually does something with it. Motorola is trying to get more market share, and our students can help with that.”

The Atrix 2 was compared to its competitor’s smartphones. Students presented their results in front of Motorola executives and answered questions. Several students in the class felt this experience was not only fun, but beneficial because they participated in something they said really matters in the real world.

“We learned how to do research and put it into a good presentation,” said recent FHS graduate Devin Crosby. “If we can do that, then when we get into the job world we will be able to perform better.”

This isn’t the first year the partnership has been in place. It has been at FHS for 15 years. However, the program continues to change, just as technology does. In previous years, Motorola had the class evaluate and test devices such as the Backflip. Classes in the program also found that a lot of emphasis was placed on a phone’s appearance. As smart phones continue to advance, this year’s students found marketing plays a big role in the decision making of a teenager. The target market analysis found that students would pick one phone based off of popularity and peers even if it wasn’t as durable or advanced as another phone. Students found that consumer mentality of a teenager is still vastly different than that of an adult.

“The AT&T representatives were very open and honest with their opinions, and that made me feel like my opinion was cared about and valid,” said recent FHS graduate Erika Wickstrom.

Students in the class valued the real-world experience this project gave them, as they functioned independently. English’s role was to guide his students by presenting research ideas and to help them think on a deeper level.

“I liked that this was a lot of doing things on our own,” said recent FHS graduate Amy McEllen. “We weren’t told what to do and how to do it. We needed to figure it out by ourselves. This project was more applicable to how college and the real-world will be.”

English said that he doesn’t anticipate any major changes to this project in the future, but hopes it continues because it’s a unique opportunity from which students can benefit.

“This program is really great for students and that is what D211 and the science and physics department is here for,” English said. “Students have no other experience like this in high school, and I don’t want to replicate something they have already done in other classes. If it’s something they have never done before and very useful for them, then that is exactly what this project is.”

-Submitted by D211