Scientix : the portal for sharing teaching materials and research reports

Scientix is financed under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development. This document reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

Scientix: the portal for sharing teaching materials and research reports

from European science education projects

Eloïse Gérard

Media & Learning 2011, Brussels

Scientix is financed under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development

Network of 31 Ministries of Education in Europe:

• Support schools in bringing about the best use of technology in learning

• Promote the European dimension in schools and education Improve and raise the quality of education in Europe

Mission: To improve and raise the quality of education in Europe

Transforming Education in Europe

www.eun.org


European science, maths and technology projects


Scientix facilitates dissemination and sharing of best practices in science education in Europe

• Scientix portal: www.scientix.eu• European Conference, 6-8 May 2011, Brussels • Workshops for teachers and/or researchers in STEM education


Resource repository


On-demand translation of teaching materials


Online courses:

• Moodle• Twitter• Html• SecondLife• Geogebra• Xperimania• Blogs• Nanoyou

http://moodle.scientix.eu


Brand new features

• Scientix public profiles • User generated content


Scientix public profiles


Public profiles page


User generated content:

• Comments and rating of the Scientix resources


Scientix European Conference6-8 May 2011, Brussels

• Key note speech – Sir John Holman, UK• Posters session• 46 talks• 2 Round tables• 25 stands presenting EU funded projects • 10 mini-workshops• 379 participants from 37 countries


Conference sessions:

• Science education research• Science education – thinking

outside the box• EU projects for researchers iv.

School collaboration• Science & industry and schools• Teachers associations• Portals and resources• Tools and experiments• Science museums and

amusement parks

Scientix European Conference6-8 May 2011, Brussels


Scientix European Conference6-8 May 2011, BrusselsConclusions:

• Key elements of a good science education system: school curriculum, pedagogy and assessment [...however...] the quality of an education system depends ultimately on the quality of its teachers.

• All presentations on innovative approaches to science education --> inquiry-based approach (facts and figures + process of producing scientific knowledge). Practical experience –> learning by doing + first-hand contact with real research.

• To fully exploit the concept of inquiry based learning, teachers have to be properly trained. Teachers should combine excellent knowledge of their subject with excellent pedagogical and assessment skills.

• Take on board more teachers, researchers and science communicators to overcome fragmentation and promote best practices across Europe.


Scientix workshopsPresent, share, highlight and inspire good practices, linked to the specific content offered by Scientix and take into account the latest development in the field of science and maths education and the results produced by EU funded projects.

• GIREP 2010, Reins, France• Eminent 2010, Copenhagen, Denmark• eTwinning Conference 2011, Budapest, Hungary• Pathway summer school 2011, Heraklion, Crete• SPICE summer academy, Prague, Czech Republic


• European Schoolnet Science Programme Manager / Scientix project manager: Dr Agueda Gras-Velazquez, [email protected]

• European Schoolnet Web Editor / Scientix portal content manager: Přemysl Velek, [email protected]

• Scientix Project officer, DG Research, European Commission: Peter Fabian-Hajek, [email protected]

More information

www.scientix.eu

mailto:[email protected]




SPICE is financed with support from the European Commission

Who?Teachers and expertsfrom 14 countries

What for?Analizing , collecting,validating and diffusing

What?Innovative teachingtecniques : the goodPractices (GPs)

In which area?Mathematics andScience

objective

Diffusion of InquiryBased ScienceEducation and theuse of technologyto motivatestudents to the pathof scientific studies

http://spice.eun.org/web/spice

SPICE


SPICE

Evaluation of the GP:

• The GPs were tested in various European countries andhave been evaluated in the spirit of guarantee of quality

• 4 questionaires per student and per teacher were created:General PRE / POSTSpecific PRE / POST

• We compared the group of students that used the GP withthose who did not use the GP to confirm their validity andUtility

• Once validated, the GP s will be made available for allEuropean teachers


SPICE

Preliminary results:

• Success of the GP on the opinion of the teacher


Success of the GP on the opinion of the student

PRE POST

6) The GP helped me understand things on the scientific method and todevelop my ability to use it.8) It helped me understand better the work of a scientist.9) They turned on between me and my companions debates on scientifictopics (and related social issues, such as ecology).


SPICE

Access the SpiceMoodle platformwhere you can findlessons andteaching materials

Access the blogand interact withother teachers andexchange opinions

The Moodle platform & the blog

Nanochannels is financed under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development

Nanochannels: “Engaging European stakeholders in debating NANOtechnology issues using a range of media CHANNELS”

Aim: create a programme of campaigns and events to engage a wide range of stakeholder groups in an open debate of ELSA issues raised by developments in nanotechnology (NT)

Project partners: experienced professionals including major European newspapers, leading educationalists and polling specialists

Project: start: 1 January 2011 end: 31 June 2012



Survey and public opinion poll:

• Aim: explore how communication channels can better inform the general public about NT

• How:

- identify how people with a generally low interest in techno-scientific debates can be better reached and informed about new developments in NT

- Compare the above with information and communication preferences and needs of those people who already have a certain stake in the NT debate

- Additional focus on role of social media & participatory approaches in engaging the public in the NT debate




• The empirical work: carried out in spring 2011 in several European countries and Israel, included:

- focus group discussions with specific target groups (athletes, parents, retailers, and elderly),

- telephone interviews with experts engaged in NT communication,

- and a comprehensive online questionnaire in seven languages (English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Romanian, Hebrew).




• Findings of the study:

general level of awareness of NT is considerably low across countries

Generally positive attitude towards NT but differentiated opinions on specific products and applications => awareness raising without detailed information causes insecurity!

Relatively high trust in national regulatory bodies

Wariness with products applied on the skin and body + with children => people want to be informed about the effects of these products & about reasons why we need NT in a specific product

Broad consensus that NT manufactured products should be labelled in some form





Questioning of usefulness of NT => what’s the extra benefit?

Highest expectations = area of health & medical treatment, + electronics

Highest public awareness = area of medicine & health

Suspicion on advantages of NT product = where the immediate importance of technological research was not so evident (children toys, food containers, cosmetics,…)

Focus groups: debates of a more ethical or philosophical nature

Reluctant to actively seeking information on NT – complexity has a discouraging effect, especially for the older generation.





Children & school = good multipliers effect to spread information (=> parents)

Public & live events = high motivating effect

Demand to make research more participative

Restrain to active participation of lay people in the NT debate > lack of technical knowledge

Big ? For the lay public: How much autonomy should be given to research? => a regulatory body is needed

General distrust in independent science journalism & neutral information flows

Proposed solution: multi-stakeholder committees (politics, science, civil society) to ensure vertical exchange of knowledge




• Findings of the study: Internet as the 1st place to look for information on new technologies

The future of engaging the public in science = use of new & innovative communication channels, including participatory elements and taking up cultural attributes of the audience

Content: scientific developments in the form of stories in connection with lay people’s immediate reality

3 target groups for NT related information:- Representatives of societal values – having general concerns about how far

technology should go- Conscious consumer type- The lifelong learning approach





Conclusion for science communication: there is a clear need for catching up with the diffusion of information on NT related to ethical, legal, social aspects

Another issue of vertical interest is information on the impact and risk assessment of NT that is being done on national, European, and international level.



20 European schools during the 2011-2012 school year:

• 20 live events (“debates”) in the 20 schools around a specific NT topic, involving the local communities (students, parents, friends, politicians, ngo’s, industry, researchers,…)

• Students participation to a social media campaign (YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, or other national social medias, …) writing press articles with the help of professional journalists, producing various content types and uploading it to the social media + to the project portal (www.nanochannels.eu)

=> aim: build online discussions on NT

http://www.nanochannels.eu/



The portal is available in 7 languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Hebrew and Romanian.



El Mundo microsite: http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/nanotecnologia.html

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/nanotecnologia.html

http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/nanotecnologia.html



The Guardian microsite: http://www.guardian.co.uk/nanotechnology-world

http://www.guardian.co.uk/nanotechnology-world

XploreHealth is financed under the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Development

http://www.xplorehealth.eu/

The project adresses:• the need to reconcile the vast amount of knowledge generated continuously within health research

• the need to provide information on health issues to citizens taking into account the varied concerns and expectations within a population of multiple national and cultural backgrounds

• the need to provide citizens, especially patients and students, with easy-access timely research translated into comprehensive language

• the lack of interest of young Europeans in careers in life sciences and biotechnology research

XploreHealth: A European gateway to the science and research of health,through online and offline innovative activities aimed at citizens, patients, pupils and teachers





The project objectives:• Coordinating the expertise in the areas of communication of research in health science

• Outreach in science centres and teaching of science and technology

• Creation of a common work platforms and methodologies

• Providing tools and resources openly accessible to the public on a online portal

• Proposing attending activities across Europe

•New expertise on science communication, exhibition and teaching

• Contribution to the sustainability of the engagement between research and society




The project objectives:Xplore Health: Build and promote an online and offline interactive environment to create an active engagement of society with health science and research around health and FP research projects.

How?• Development of attractive, accessible and rigorous resources • Organisation of attending activities• Dissemination of the portal content to reach families, patient associations and young people above 15 years old and teachers. Overall objective: Convert basic science and specific research projects and results in health into attractive, interactive and innovative communication channel for the selected audiences.



Role of EUN in the project

Contact:

Maïté Debry (Project Manager):

[email protected]


Scientix : the portal for sharing teaching materials and research reports

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