WorldWideScience

Sample records for project scientist education

  1. Project BudBurst - Meeting the Needs of Climate Change Educators and Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, S.

    2015-12-01

    It is challenging for many to get a sense of what climate change means as long periods of time are involved - like decades - which can be difficult to grasp. However, there are a number of citizen science based projects, including NEON's Project BudBurst, that provide the opportunity for both learning about climate change and advancing scientific knowledge. In this presentation, we will share lessons learned from Project BudBurst. Project BudBurst is a national citizen science initiative designed to engage the public in observations of phenological (plant life cycle) events and to increase climate literacy. Project BudBurst is important from an educational perspective, but also because it enables scientists to broaden the geographic and temporal scale of their observations. The goals of Project BudBurst are to 1) increase awareness of phenology as an area of scientific study; 2) Increase awareness of the impacts of changing climates on plants at a continental-scale; and 3) increase science literacy by engaging participants in the scientific process. It was important to better understand if and how Project BudBurst is meeting its goals. Specifically, does participation by non-experts advance scientific knowledge? Does participation advance educational goals and outcomes? Is participation an effective approach to advance/enhance science education in both formal and informal settings? Critical examination of Project BudBurst supports advancement of scientific knowledge and realization of educational objectives. Citizen science collected observations and measurements are being used by scientists as evidenced by the increase of such data in scientific publication. In addition, we found that there is a significant increase in educators utilizing citizen science as part of their instruction. Part of this increase is due to the resources and professional development materials available to educators. Working with partners also demonstrated that the needs of both science and

  2. How to Grow Project Scientists: A Systematic Approach to Developing Project Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kea, Howard

    2011-01-01

    The Project Manager is one of the key individuals that can determine the success or failure of a project. NASA is fully committed to the training and development of Project Managers across the agency to ensure that highly capable individuals are equipped with the competencies and experience to successfully lead a project. An equally critical position is that of the Project Scientist. The Project Scientist provides the scientific leadership necessary for the scientific success of a project by insuring that the mission meets or exceeds the scientific requirements. Traditionally, NASA Goddard project scientists were appointed and approved by the Center Science Director based on their knowledge, experience, and other qualifications. However the process to obtain the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities was not documented or done in a systematic way. NASA Goddard's current Science Director, Nicholas White saw the need to create a pipeline for developing new projects scientists, and appointed a team to develop a process for training potential project scientists. The team members were Dr. Harley Thronson, Chair, Dr. Howard Kea, Mr. Mark Goldman, DACUM facilitator and the late Dr. Michael VanSteenberg. The DACUM process, an occupational analysis and evaluation system, was used to produce a picture of the project scientist's duties, tasks, knowledge, and skills. The output resulted in a 3-Day introductory course detailing all the required knowledge, skills and abilities a scientist must develop over time to be qualified for selections as a Project Scientist.

  3. Scientists Involved in K-12 Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robigou, V.

    2004-12-01

    The publication of countless reports documenting the dismal state of science education in the 1980s, and the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS) report (1996) called for a wider involvement of the scientific community in K-12 education and outreach. Improving science education will not happen without the collaboration of educators and scientists working in a coordinated manner and it requires a long-term, continuous effort. To contribute effectively to K-12 education all scientists should refer to the National Science Education Standards, a set of policies that guide the development of curriculum and assessment. Ocean scientists can also specifically refer to the COSEE recommendations (www.cosee.org) that led to the creation of seven regional Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence. Scientists can get involved in K-12 education in a multitude of ways. They should select projects that will accommodate time away from their research and teaching obligations, their talent, and their interest but also contribute to the education reform. A few examples of effective involvement are: 1) collaborating with colleagues in a school of education that can lead to better education of all students and future teachers, 2) acting as a resource for a national program or a local science fair, 3) serving on the advisory board of a program that develops educational material, 4) speaking out at professional meetings about the value of scientists' involvement in education, 5) speaking enthusiastically about the teaching profession. Improving science education in addition to research can seem a large, overwhelming task for scientists. As a result, focusing on projects that will fit the scientist's needs as well as benefit the science reform is of prime importance. It takes an enormous amount of work and financial and personnel resources to start a new program with measurable impact on students. So, finding the right opportunity is a priority, and stepping

  4. From Laboratories to Classrooms: Involving Scientists in Science Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeVore, E. K.

    2001-12-01

    Scientists play a key role in science education: the adventure of making new discoveries excites and motivates students. Yet, American science education test scores lag behind those of other industrial countries, and the call for better science, math and technology education is widespread. Thus, improving American science, math and technological literacy is a major educational goal for the NSF and NASA. Today, funding for research often carries a requirement that the scientist be actively involved in education and public outreach (E/PO) to enhance the science literacy of students, teachers and citizens. How can scientists contribute effectively to E/PO? What roles can scientists take in E/PO? And, how can this be balanced with research requirements and timelines? This talk will focus on these questions, with examples drawn from the author's projects that involve scientists in working with K-12 teacher professional development and with K-12 curriculum development and implementation. Experiences and strategies for teacher professional development in the research environment will be discussed in the context of NASA's airborne astronomy education and outreach projects: the Flight Opportunities for Science Teacher EnRichment project and the future Airborne Ambassadors Program for NASA's Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). Effective partnerships with scientists as content experts in the development of new classroom materials will be described with examples from the SETI Institute's Life in the Universe curriculum series for grades 3-9, and Voyages Through Time, an integrated high school science course. The author and the SETI Institute wish to acknowledge funding as well as scientific and technical support from the National Science Foundation, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Hewlett Packard Company, the Foundation for Microbiology, and the Combined Federated Charities.

  5. Student-to-Scientist (S2S) via the PACA Project: Connecting Astronomers, Educators and Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanamandra-Fisher, P. A.

    2015-12-01

    Student to Scientist (S2S), provides pathways for observational and research tools for K-12 and undergraduate students to improve science proficiency through conducting real scientific observations. Our approach lies in the integration of professional and amateur astronomers, educators, students, and communicators to identify multiple paths for the student to become a scientist. I report on the ensuing project, also known as the PACA Project, which is an ecosystem of various activities that take advantage of the social media and immediate connectivity amongst amateur astronomers worldwide and that can be galvanized to participate in a given observing campaign. The PACA Project has participated in organized campaigns such as NASA Comet ISON Observing Campaign in 2013; NASA Comet Integrated Observations Campaign to observe Comet Siding Spring as it flew by very close to Mars on 19 October 2014. Currently the PACA Project is involved in the Ground-based Amateur campaign to observer ESA/Rosetta mission's target, 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (CG) that is en route to its perihelion on 13 August 2015 (at the time of abstract submission). The PACA Project provides access to the professional community and the student/educator and informal/public communities via various social media like Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Pinterest, Vimeo, Google+. With the popularity of mobile platforms and instant connections with other peers globally, the multi-faceted social universe has become a vital part of engagement of multiple communities. The PACA project currently has initiated a Comet Tails and Disconnection Events campaign to relate to the changing solar wind conditions. Other PACA projects include Saturn Solstice 2017 and outreach projects with Astroproject (India). These and other citizen-science enabled activities and their integration with S2S project will be discussed.

  6. A Tale of Two scientists and their Involvement in Education & Outreach

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonnell, J.

    2004-12-01

    Many scientists, when faced with developing an education and outreach plan for their research proposals, are unclear on what kinds of impacts they can have on broader non scientist audiences. Many scientists feel their only options are to develop a website or invite a teacher to get involved in their sampling or research cruises. Scientists, who are constrained by time and resources, are not aware of the range of education and outreach options available to them and of the great value their involvement can bring to the public. In an recent survey at the National Science Foundation sponsored ORION conference (January 2004), respondents stated that the greatest public benefits to having scientists involved in public education are (1) that they can present the benefits and relevance of research (26%), (2) focus awareness on environmental issues (26%), (3) serve as models for teachers and motivators for children (25%) and (4) increase public understanding, awareness and appreciation of science (about 22%). As a member of the Mid-Atlantic Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (MACOSEE), the Institute of Marine & Coastal Sciences (IMCS) at Rutgers University is dedicated to helping scientists and educators realize the benefits of working together to advance ocean discovery and make known the vital role of the ocean in our lives. A website called "Scientist Connection" (www.macosee.net) was developed to help busy scientists choose a role in education and outreach that will make the most of their talent and time. The goal of the web site is to help scientists produce a worthwhile education project that complements and enriches their research. In this session, the author will present two case studies that demonstrate very different but effective approaches to scientist's involvement in education and outreach projects. In the first case, we will chronicle how a team of biologists and oceanographers in the Rutgers University, Coastal Ocean Observation Laboratory (or

  7. Geoscience Education Research: The Role of Collaborations with Education Researchers and Cognitive Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manduca, C. A.; Mogk, D. W.; Kastens, K. A.; Tikoff, B.; Shipley, T. F.; Ormand, C. J.; Mcconnell, D. A.

    2011-12-01

    Geoscience Education Research aims to improve geoscience teaching and learning by understanding clearly the characteristics of geoscience expertise, the path from novice to expert, and the educational practices that can speed students along this path. In addition to expertise in geoscience and education, this research requires an understanding of learning -the domain of cognitive scientists. Beginning in 2002, a series of workshops and events focused on bringing together geoscientists, education researchers, and cognitive scientists to facilitate productive geoscience education research collaborations. These activities produced reports, papers, books, websites and a blog developing a research agenda for geoscience education research at a variety of scales: articulating the nature of geoscience expertise, and the overall importance of observation and a systems approach; focusing attention on geologic time, spatial skills, field work, and complex systems; and identifying key research questions in areas where new technology is changing methods in geoscience research and education. Cognitive scientists and education researchers played critical roles in developing this agenda. Where geoscientists ask questions that spring from their rich understanding of the discipline, cognitive scientists and education researchers ask questions from their experience with teaching and learning in a wide variety of disciplines and settings. These interactions tend to crystallize the questions of highest importance in addressing challenges of geoscience learning and to identify productive targets for collaborative research. Further, they serve as effective mechanisms for bringing research techniques and results from other fields into geoscience education. Working productively at the intersection of these fields requires teams of cognitive scientists, geoscientists, and education reserachers who share enough knowledge of all three domains to have a common articulation of the research

  8. Angalasut, an education and outreach project to create a bridge between scientists, local population in Greenland and the general public

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bourgain, Pascaline

    2015-04-01

    Bridging Science and Society has now become a necessity for scientists to develop new partnerships with local communities and to raise the public interest for scientific activities. The French-Greenlandic educational project called "Angalasut" reflects this desire to create a bridge between science, local people and the general public. This program was set up on the 2012-2013 school year, as part of an international scientific program dedicated to study the interactions between the ocean and glaciers on the western coast of Greenland, in the Uummannaq fjord. Greenlandic and French school children were involved in educational activities, in classrooms and out on the field, associated with the scientific observations conducted in Greenland (glacier flow, ocean chemical composition and circulation, instrumentation...). In Greenland, the children had the opportunity to come on board the scientific sailing boat, and in France, several meetings were organized between the children and the scientists of the expedition. In the small village of Ikerasak, the children interviewed Elders about sea ice evolution in the area. These activities, coupled to the organization of public conferences and to the creation of a trilingual website of the project (French, Greenlandic, English) aimed at explaining why scientists come to study Greenland environment. This was the opportunity for scientists to discuss with villagers who could testify on their changing environment over the past decades. A first step toward a future collaboration between scientists and villagers that would deserve further development... The project Angalasut was also the opportunity for Greenlandic and French school children to exchange about their culture and their environment through Skype communications, the exchange of mails (drawings, shells...), the creation of a society game about European fauna and flora... A meeting in France between the two groups of children is considered, possibly in summer 2015

  9. Scientists and Science Education: Working at the Interface

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeVore, E. K.

    2004-05-01

    "Are we alone?" "Where did we come from?" "What is our future?" These questions lie at the juncture of astronomy and biology: astrobiology. It is intrinsically interdisciplinary in its study of the origin, evolution and future of life on Earth and beyond. The fundamental concepts of origin and evolution--of both living and non-living systems--are central to astrobiology, and provide powerful themes for unifying science teaching, learning, and appreciation in classrooms and laboratories, museums and science centers, and homes. Research scientists play a key role in communicating the nature of science and joy of scientific discovery with the public. Communicating the scientific discoveries with the public brings together diverse professionals: research scientists, graduate and undergraduate faculty, educators, journalists, media producers, web designers, publishers and others. Working with these science communicators, research scientists share their discoveries through teaching, popular articles, lectures, broadcast and print media, electronic publication, and developing materials for formal and informal education such as textbooks, museum exhibits and documentary television. There's lots of activity in science communication. Yet, the NSF and NASA have both identified science education as needing improvement. The quality of schools and the preparation of teachers receive national attention via "No Child Left Behind" requirements. The number of students headed toward careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is not sufficient to meet national needs. How can the research community make a difference? What role can research scientists fulfill in improving STEM education? This talk will discuss the interface between research scientists and science educators to explore effective roles for scientists in science education partnerships. Astronomy and astrobiology education and outreach projects, materials, and programs will provide the context for

  10. From Local to EXtreme Environments (FLEXE) Student-Scientist Online Forums: hypothesis-based research examining ways to involve scientists in effective science education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goehring, L.; Carlsen, W.; Fisher, C. R.; Kerlin, S.; Trautmann, N.; Petersen, W.

    2011-12-01

    Science education reform since the mid-1990's has called for a "new way of teaching and learning about science that reflects how science itself is done, emphasizing inquiry as a way of achieving knowledge and understanding about the world" (NRC, 1996). Scientists and engineers, experts in inquiry thinking, have been called to help model these practices for students and demonstrate scientific habits of mind. The question, however, is "how best to involve these experts?" given the very real challenges of limited availability of scientists, varying experience with effective pedagogy, widespread geographic distribution of schools, and the sheer number of students involved. Technology offers partial solutions to enable Student-Scientist Interactions (SSI). The FLEXE Project has developed online FLEXE Forums to support efficient, effective SSIs, making use of web-based and database technology to facilitate communication between students and scientists. More importantly, the FLEXE project has approached this question of "how best to do this?" scientifically, combining program evaluation with hypothesis-based research explicitly testing the effects of such SSIs on student learning and attitudes towards science. FLEXE Forums are designed to showcase scientific practices and habits of mind through facilitated interaction between students and scientists. Through these Forums, students "meet" working scientists and learn about their research and the environments in which they work. Scientists provide students with intriguing "real-life" datasets and challenge students to analyze and interpret the data through guiding questions. Students submit their analyses to the Forum, and scientists provide feedback and connect the instructional activity with real-life practice, showcasing their activities in the field. In the FLEXE project, Forums are embedded within inquiry-based instructional units focused on essential learning concepts, and feature the deep-sea environment in contrast

  11. An Earth System Scientist Network for Student and Scientist Partnerships

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ledley, T. S.

    2001-05-01

    Successful student and scientist partnerships require that there is a mutual benefit from the partnership. This means that the scientist needs to be able to see the advantage of having students work on his/her project, and the students and teachers need to see that the students contribute to the project and develop the skills in inquiry and the content knowledge in the geosciences that are desired. Through the Earth System Scientist Network (ESSN) for Student and Scientist Partnerships project we are working toward developing scientific research projects for the participation of high school students. When these research projects are developed they will be posted on the ESSN web site that will appear in the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE). In DLESE teachers and students who are interested in participating in a research program will be able to examine the criteria for each project and select the one that matches their needs and situation. In this paper we will report on how the various ESSN research projects are currently being developed to assure that both the scientist and the students benefit from the partnership. The ESSN scientists are working with a team of scientists and educators to 1) completely define the research question that the students will be addressing, 2) determine what role the students will have in the project, 3) identify the data that the students and teachers will work with, 4) map out the scientific protocols that the students will follow, and 5) determine the background and support materials needed to facilitate students successfully participating in the project. Other issues that the team is addressing include 1) identifying the selection criteria for the schools, 2) identifying rewards and recognition for the students and teacher by the scientist, and 3) identifying issues in Earth system science, relevant to the scientists data, that the students and teachers could use as a guide help develop students investigative

  12. The project scientist's role in scientific spacecraft project management. M.S. Thesis - George Washington Univ.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eller, E. L.

    1976-01-01

    The project scientists is in a position which rates very high in terms of behavioral study recommendations. His influence over objectives is generally considered to be important. He is highly autonomous in a moderately coordinated environment. He has diverse managerial and technical functions and the performance of these functions require him to grow beyond his role as an experimenter. However, the position within the line organization for those interviewed is also very stimulating, rating almost as high by the same criteria. The role of project scientist may not be the dominant means of professional growth for the experienced scientific investigators. The influence which the project scientist exerts on the project and the stimulation of that position for him are determined largely by his position outside the defined project scientist role. The role of the project scientist is changing because the environment of those who become project scientists is changing.

  13. CosmoQuest Year 1.5: Citizen Scientist Behaviors and Site Usage Across Multiple Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gugliucci, Nicole E.; Gay, P. L.; Bracey, G.; CosmoQuest Team

    2013-06-01

    CosmoQuest launched as a citizen science portal in January 2012 and has since expanded to include three projects in planetary surface mapping, one completed project searching for KBOs, and several more on the way with various astrophysical science goals. We take a close look at how our users move through the site, how much time they spend on various tasks, project retention rate, and how many use multiple projects on the site. We are also piloting a citizen science motivation survey given to random site users to find out why citizen scientists join new projects and continue to participate. This is part of a larger project using online and real-life interactions to study citizen scientist behaviors, motivations, and learning with a goal of building better community with researchers, volunteers, educators, and developers.

  14. Engaging Scientists in NASA Education and Public Outreach: Tools for Scientist Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buxner, Sanlyn; Meinke, B. K.; Hsu, B.; Shupla, C.; Grier, J. A.; E/PO Community, SMD

    2014-01-01

    The NASA Science Education and Public Outreach Forums support the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and its education and public outreach (E/PO) community through a coordinated effort to enhance the coherence and efficiency of SMD-funded E/PO programs. The Forums foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. We present tools and resources to support astronomers’ engagement in E/PO efforts. Among the tools designed specifically for scientists are a series of one-page E/PO-engagement Tips and Tricks guides, a sampler of electromagnetic-spectrum-related activities, and NASA SMD Scientist Speaker’s Bureau (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/speaker). Scientists can also locate resources for interacting with diverse audiences through a number of online clearinghouses, including: NASA Wavelength, a digital collection of peer-reviewed Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels (http://nasawavelength.org), and EarthSpace (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/earthspace), a community website where faculty can find and share teaching resources for the undergraduate Earth and space sciences classroom. Learn more about the opportunities to become involved in E/PO and to share your science with students, educators, and the general public at http://smdepo.org.

  15. The Impact of Scientist-Educator Collaborations: an early-career scientist's perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roop, H. A.

    2017-12-01

    A decade ago, a forward-thinking faculty member exposed a group of aspiring scientists to the impacts and career benefits of working directly with K-12 students and educators. Ten years later, as one of those young scientists, it is clear that the relationships born out of this early experience can transform a researcher's impact and trajectory in science. Connections with programs like the NSF-funded PolarTREC program, the teacher-led Scientists in the Classroom effort, and through well-coordinated teacher training opportunities there are clear ways in which these partnerships can a) transform student learning; b) serve as a powerful and meaningful way to connect students to authentic research and researchers; and c) help researchers become more effective communicators by expanding their ability to connect their work to society. The distillation of science to K-12 students, with the expert eye of educators, makes scientists better at their work with tangible benefits to skills that matter in academia - securing funding, writing and communicating clearly and having high-value broader impacts. This invited abstract is submitted as part of this session's panel discussion and will explore in detail, with concrete examples, the mutual benefits of educator-scientist partnerships and how sustained engagement can transform the reach, connection and application of research science.

  16. Toward inclusive science education: University scientists' views of students,instructional practices, and the nature of science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bianchini, Julie A.; Whitney, David J.; Breton, Therese D.; Hilton-Brown, Bryan A.

    2002-01-01

    This study examined the perceptions and self-reported practices of 18 scientists participating in a yearlong seminar series designed to explore issues of gender and ethnicity in science. Scientists and seminar were part of the Promoting Women and Scientific Literacy project, a curriculum transformation and professional development initiative undertaken by science, science education, and women's studies faculty at their university. Researchers treated participating scientists as critical friends able to bring clarity to and raise questions about conceptions of inclusion in science education. Through questionnaires and semistructured interviews, we explored their (a) rationales for differential student success in undergraduate science education; (b) self-reports of ways they structure, teach, and assess courses to promote inclusion; and (c) views of androcentric and ethnocentric bias in science. Statistical analysis of questionnaires yielded few differences in scientists' views and reported practices by sex or across time. Qualitative analysis of interviews offered insight into how scientists can help address the problem of women and ethnic minorities in science education; constraints encountered in attempts to implement pedagogical and curricular innovations; and areas of consensus and debate across scientists and science studies scholars' descriptions of science. From our findings, we provided recommendations for other professional developers working with scientists to promote excellence and equity in undergraduate science education.

  17. Scientists: Get Involved in Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach! Here’s How!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buxner, Sanlyn; Dalton, H.; Shipp, S.; CoBabe-Ammann, E.; Scalice, D.; Bleacher, L.; Wessen, A.

    2013-10-01

    The Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forum is a team of educators, scientists, and outreach professionals funded by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) that supports SMD scientists currently involved in E/PO - or interested in becoming involved in E/PO efforts - to find ways to do so through a variety of avenues. There are many current and future opportunities and resources for scientists to become engaged in E/PO. The Forum provides tools for responding to NASA SMD E/PO funding opportunities (webinars and online proposal guides), a one-page Tips and Tricks guide for scientists to engage in education and public outreach, and a sampler of activities organized by thematic topic and NASA’s Big Questions in planetary science. Scientists can also locate resources for interacting with diverse audiences through a number of online clearinghouses, including: NASA Wavelength, a digital collection of peer-reviewed Earth and space science resources for educators of all levels (http://nasawavelength.org); the Year of the Solar System website (http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss), a presentation of thematic resources that includes background information, missions, the latest in planetary science news, and educational products, for use in the classroom and out, for teaching about the solar system organized by topic - volcanism, ice, astrobiology, etc.; and EarthSpace (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/earthspace), a community website where faculty can find and share resources and information about teaching Earth and space sciences in the undergraduate classroom, including class materials, news, funding opportunities, and the latest education research. Also recently developed, the NASA SMD Scientist Speaker’s Bureau (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/speaker) offers an online portal to connect scientists interested in getting involved in E/PO projects - giving public talks, classroom visits, and virtual connections - with audiences. Learn more about the

  18. The Manhattan Project and its Effects on American Women Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fletcher, Samuel

    2008-04-01

    There have been many detailed historical accounts of the Manhattan Project, but few have recognized the technical role women scientists and engineers crucially played in the Project's success. Despite their absence from these prominent accounts, recent studies have revealed that, in fact, women participated in every non-combat operation associated with the Manhattan Project. With such extensive participation of women and such a former lack of historical attention upon them, little analysis has been done on how the Manhattan Project might have influenced the prospectus of women scientists after the war. This talk has two aims: 1) to recount some of the technical and scientific contributions of women to the Manhattan Project, and 2) to examine what effects these contributions had on the women's careers as scientists. In other words, I intend offer a preliminary explanation of the extent to which the Manhattan Project acted both as a boon and as a detriment to American women scientists. And finally, I will address what this historical analysis could imply about the effects of current efforts to recruit women into science.

  19. SpaceScience@Home: Authentic Research Projects that Use Citizen Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Méndez, B. J. H.

    2008-06-01

    In recent years, several space science research projects have enlisted the help of large numbers of non-professional volunteers, ``citizen scientists'', to aid in performing tasks that are critical to a project, but require more person-time (or computing time) than a small professional research team can practically perform themselves. Examples of such projects include SETI@home, which uses time from volunteers computers to process radio-telescope observation looking for signals originating from extra-terrestrial intelligences; Clickworkers, which asks volunteers to review images of the surface of Mars to identify craters; Spacewatch, which used volunteers to review astronomical telescopic images of the sky to identify streaks made by possible Near Earth Asteroids; and Stardust@home, which asks volunteers to review ``focus movies'' taken of the Stardust interstellar dust aerogel collector to search for possible impacts from interstellar dust particles. We shall describe these and other similar projects and discuss lessons learned from carrying out such projects, including the educational opportunities they create.

  20. Scientists Interacting With University Science Educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spector, B. S.

    2004-12-01

    Scientists with limited time to devote to educating the public about their work will get the greatest multiplier effect for their investment of time by successfully interacting with university science educators. These university professors are the smallest and least publicized group of professionals in the chain of people working to create science literate citizens. They connect to all aspects of formal and informal education, influencing everything from what and how youngsters and adults learn science to legislative rulings. They commonly teach methods of teaching science to undergraduates aspiring to teach in K-12 settings and experienced teachers. They serve as agents for change to improve science education inside schools and at the state level K-16, including what science content courses are acceptable for teacher licensure. University science educators are most often housed in a College of Education or Department of Education. Significant differences in culture exist in the world in which marine scientists function and that in which university science educators function, even when they are in the same university. Subsequently, communication and building relationships between the groups is often difficult. Barriers stem from not understanding each other's roles and responsibilities; and different reward systems, assumptions about teaching and learning, use of language, approaches to research, etc. This presentation will provide suggestions to mitigate the barriers and enable scientists to leverage the multiplier effect saving much time and energy while ensuring the authenticity of their message is maintained. Likelihood that a scientist's message will retain its authenticity stems from criteria for a university science education position. These professors have undergraduate degrees in a natural science (e.g., biology, chemistry, physics, geology), and usually a master's degree in one of the sciences, a combination of natural sciences, or a master's including

  1. Finding Meaningful Roles for Scientists in science Education Reform

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Brenda

    Successful efforts to achieve reform in science education require the active and purposeful engagement of professional scientists. Working as partners with teachers, school administrators, science educators, parents, and other stakeholders, scientists can make important contributions to the improvement of science teaching and learning in pre-college classrooms. The world of a practicing university, corporate, or government scientist may seem far removed from that of students in an elementary classroom. However, the science knowledge and understanding of all future scientists and scientifically literate citizens begin with their introduction to scientific concepts and phenomena in childhood and the early grades. Science education is the responsibility of the entire scientific community and is not solely the responsibility of teachers and other professional educators. Scientists can serve many roles in science education reform including the following: (1) Science Content Resource, (2) Career Role Model, (3) Interpreter of Science (4) Validator for the Importance of Learning Science and Mathematics, (5) Champion of Real World Connections and Value of Science, (6) Experience and Access to Funding Sources, (7) Link for Community and Business Support, (8) Political Supporter. Special programs have been developed to assist scientists and engineers to be effective partners and advocates of science education reform. We will discuss the rationale, organization, and results of some of these partnership development programs.

  2. The PISCES Project: How Teacher-Scientist Partners can Enhance Elementary Science Instruction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reif, C.; Oechel, W.

    2003-12-01

    The PISCES Project (Partnerships Involving the Scientific Community in Elementary Schools www.sdsa.org/pisces) is an innovative program that brings high quality standards-based elementary science curriculum and hands-on laboratory materials into San Diego County's classrooms. The project is funded by the NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) program. The project was designed and is administered through cooperation among faculty at San Diego State University and the Science Department of the San Diego County Office of Education. Undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in science programs in San Diego area universities including San Diego State University, California State University San Marcos, and University of California San Diego partner with elementary school teachers. Through this partnership, the scientist brings scientific expertise to the classroom while the teacher delivers the lesson using current pedagogic methods. This is accomplished during a 3 month partnership in which the scientist joins the teacher in the classroom a few days each week to complete professional kit-based curriculum such as that available from FOSS (Full Option Science System) and STC (Science and Technology for Children). The teachers remain in the program for two years during which they have continuous access to the kit-based curriculum as well as two to three partnership cycles. Teachers receive assistance outside of the classroom as well attending professional development institutes three times a year to establish and maintain effective science teaching methods. The San Diego Science Alliance and other community and industry supporters provide the additionalfunding necessary to provide this teacher professional development Currenty, PISCES is present in over 40 schools and is able to provide partnerships to over 100 classrooms each year. In addition to the work done in San Diego, the project has expanded to Barrow, Alaska with plans to expand to La Paz

  3. High Return on Investments in Scientist-Educator Partnerships: Broader Impact Strategies That Endure and Propagate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peach, C. L.; Franks, S. E.

    2004-12-01

    Tackling the broader impact section of a research proposal need not be a dilemma that "rears its ugly head" with each proposal deadline. By investing in partnerships with informal science education (ISE) organizations, researchers can establish a foundation for efficient, high quality, research-based educational outreach (EO) that can help them fulfill their broader impact obligations for years to come. Just as an interdisciplinary research project requires collaboration among scientists from a variety of disciplines, a research project with exemplary EO requires partnerships with those who specialize in science education. By engaging in such partnerships scientists gain access to professionals who have expertise in translating research topics into concept-centered programs, exhibits and online resources, and to the diverse student, teacher and public audience reached through ISE. By leveraging the intellectual and material resources of researchers and educators, these potentially long-lived relationships provide an efficient and effective means for achieving broader impact. Ultimately, the efficacy of this investment strategy depends on relieving the researcher of the time consuming burden of seeking out appropriate partners, initiating partnerships and conferring with science educators on potential projects. Recognizing this barrier to scientists' participation, the California Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (CACOSEE) has adopted a unique approach - one in which CACOSEE serves primarily as a catalyst and facilitator of researchers EO activities rather than as an EO provider. We have apprised ourselves of the programs, interests and needs of a carefully selected group of ISE organizations and used this information as the basis for creating a spectrum of EO opportunities for researchers. These options are flexible, scalable and easily customized to fit the research interests, time constraints and budgetary limitations of any researcher. Through e

  4. Opportunities and Resources for Scientist Participation in Education and Public Outreach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buxner, Sanlyn; CoBabe-Ammann, E.; Shipp, S.; Hsu, B.

    2012-10-01

    Active engagement of scientists in Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) activities results in benefits for both the audience and scientists. Most scientists are trained in research but have little formal training in education. The Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forum helps the Science Mission Directorate support scientists currently involved in E/PO and to help scientists who are interested in becoming involved in E/PO efforts find ways to do so through a variety of avenues. We will present current and future opportunities and resources for scientists to become engaged in education and public outreach. These include upcoming NASA SMD E/PO funding opportunities, professional development resources for writing NASA SMD E/PO proposals (webinars and other online tools), toolkits for scientists interested in best practices in E/PO (online guides for K-12 education and public outreach), EarthSpace (a community web space where instructors can find and share about teaching space and earth sciences in the undergraduate classroom, including class materials news and funding opportunities, and the latest education research), thematic resources for teaching about the solar system (archived resources from Year of the Solar System), and an online database of scientists interested in connecting with education programs. Learn more about the Forum and find resources at http://smdepo.org/.

  5. British scientists and the Manhattan Project: the Los Alamos years

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Szasz, F.M.

    1992-01-01

    This is a study of the British scientific mission to Los Alamos, New Mexico, from 1943 to 1947, and the impact it had on the early history of the atomic age. In the years following the Manhattan Project and the production of the world's first atomic explosion in 1945, the British contribution to the Project was played down or completely ignored leaving the impression that all the atomic scientists had been American. However, the two dozen or so British scientists contributed crucially to the development of the atomic bomb. First, the initial research and reports of British scientists convinced American scientists that an atomic weapons could be constructed before the likely end of hostilities. Secondly their contribution insured the bomb was available in the shortest possible time. Also, because these scientists became involved in post-war politics and in post-war development of nuclear power, they also helped forge the nuclear boundaries of the mid-twentieth century. (UK)

  6. British scientists and the Manhattan Project: the Los Alamos years

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Szasz, F.M. (New Mexico Univ., Albuquerque, NM (United States))

    1992-01-01

    This is a study of the British scientific mission to Los Alamos, New Mexico, from 1943 to 1947, and the impact it had on the early history of the atomic age. In the years following the Manhattan Project and the production of the world's first atomic explosion in 1945, the British contribution to the Project was played down or completely ignored leaving the impression that all the atomic scientists had been American. However, the two dozen or so British scientists contributed crucially to the development of the atomic bomb. First, the initial research and reports of British scientists convinced American scientists that an atomic weapons could be constructed before the likely end of hostilities. Secondly their contribution insured the bomb was available in the shortest possible time. Also, because these scientists became involved in post-war politics and in post-war development of nuclear power, they also helped forge the nuclear boundaries of the mid-twentieth century. (UK).

  7. The Scientist and the Educational Development Team: An Impedance Mismatch?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pompea, S. M.

    2001-05-01

    This talk describes my experiences and those of several other scientists who have worked on teams to develop new instructional materials and programs. At each stage of the development process we try to communicate our skills and experiences to the rest of the development team. In turn, the experiences of non-scientist educators on the team must be communicated to us. However, in many cases there is an "impedance mismatch" which makes communication difficult. One primary source of this mismatch is the scientist's lack of experience with schools, students, teachers, school administrators, museums, and the public. The result of this mismatch can leave the scientist in one limited, but useful role: proofreader and critic. Unfortunately, this can hardly be described as a partnership. This talk gives some advice, based on 25 years of educational materials and program development work, on how to avoid such a limited role. The talk would be appropriate for those scientists who want to lead, inspire, or significantly contribute to educational initiatives and to share in the frustration and the rewards enjoyed by professional educators and professional educational developers. S. Pompea is an adjunct faculty member of Steward Observatory of the University of Arizona.

  8. Model program for the recruitment and preparation of high ability elementary mathematics/science teachers: A collaborative project among scientists, teacher educators and classroom teachers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-12-01

    This teacher education program will provide a model for recruiting, educating and retaining high ability students to become mathematics and science lead teachers in elementary schools. The quality experiences and support provided these students will help them develop the knowledge and attitudes necessary to provide leadership for elementary mathematics and science programs. Students will have research experiences at the Ames Laboratory, high quality field experiences with nationally recognized mathematics and science teachers in local schools and opportunities to meaningfully connect these two experiences. This program, collaboratively designed and implemented by scientists, teacher educators and classroom teachers, should provide a replicatable model for other teacher education institutions. In addition, materials developed for the project should help other laboratories interface more effectively with K-8 schools and help other teacher education programs incorporate real science and mathematics experience into their curriculum.

  9. Promoting seismology education through collaboration between university research scientists and school teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brunt, M. R.; Ellins, K. K.; Boyd, D.; Mote, A. S.; Pulliam, J.; Frohlich, C. A.

    2012-12-01

    Participation in the NSF-sponsored Texas Earth and Space Science (TXESS) Revolution teacher professional development project paved the way for several teachers to receive educational seismometers and join the IRIS Seismograph in Schools program. This, in turn, has led to secondary school teachers working with university seismologists on research projects. Examples are the NSF-EarthScope SIEDCAR (Seismic Investigation of Edge Driven Convection Associated with the Rio Grande Rift) project; field studies to compile felt-reports for Texas earthquakes, some which may have been induced by human activities; and a seismic study of the Texas Gulf Coast to investigate ocean-continent transition processes along a passive margin. Such collaborations are mutually beneficial in nature. They help scientists to accomplish their research objectives, involve teachers and their students in the authentic, inquiry-based science, promote public awareness of such projects, and open the doors to advancement opportunities for those teachers involved. In some cases, bringing together research scientists and teachers results in collaborations that produce publishable research. In order to effectively integrate seismology research into 7-12 grade education, one of us (Brunt) established the Eagle Pass Junior High Seismology Team in connection with IRIS Seismograph in Schools, station EPTX (AS-1 seismograph), to teach students about earthquakes using authentic real-time data. The concept has sparked interest among other secondary teachers, leading to the creation of two similarly organized seismology teams: WPTX (Boyd, Williams Preparatory School, Dallas) and THTX (Mote, Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders, Austin). Although the educational seismometers are basic instruments, they are effective educational tools. Seismographs in schools offer students opportunities to learn how earthquakes are recorded and how modern seismometers work, to collect and interpret seismic data, and to

  10. The MY NASA DATA Project: Preparing Future Earth and Environmental Scientists, and Future Citizens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chambers, L. H.; Phelps, C. S.; Phipps, M.; Holzer, M.; Daugherty, P.; Poling, E.; Vanderlaan, S.; Oots, P. C.; Moore, S. W.; Diones, D. D.

    2008-12-01

    For the past 5 years, the MY NASA DATA (MND) project at NASA Langley has developed and adapted tools and materials aimed at enabling student access to real NASA Earth science satellite data. These include web visualization tools including Google Earth capabilities, but also GPS and graphing calculator exercises, Excel spreadsheet analyses, and more. The project team, NASA scientists, and over 80 classroom science teachers from around the country, have created over 85 lesson plans and science fair project ideas that demonstrate NASA satellite data use in the classroom. With over 150 Earth science parameters to choose from, the MND Live Access Server enables scientific inquiry on numerous interconnected Earth and environmental science topics about the Earth system. Teachers involved in the project report a number of benefits, including networking with other teachers nationwide who emphasize data collection and analysis in the classroom, as well as learning about other NASA resources and programs for educators. They also indicate that the MND website enhances the inquiry process and facilitates the formation of testable questions by students (a task that is typically difficult for students to do). MND makes science come alive for students because it allows them to develop their own questions using the same data scientists use. MND also provides educators with a rich venue for science practice skills, which are often overlooked in traditional curricula as teachers concentrate on state and national standards. A teacher in a disadvantaged school reports that her students are not exposed to many educational experiences outside the classroom. MND allows inner city students to be a part of NASA directly. They are able to use the same information that scientists are using and this gives them inspiration. In all classrooms, the MND microsets move students out of their local area to explore global data and then zoom back into their homes realizing that they are a part of the

  11. Redefining Scientist-Educator Partnerships: Science in Service at Stanford

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beck, K.

    2005-05-01

    The Stanford Solar Observatories Group and Haas Center for Public Service have created an innovative model for scientist-educator partnerships in which science students are trained and mentored by public service education professionals to create outreach events for local communities. The program, Science in Service, is part of the EPO plan for the Solar Group's participation in NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory mission. Based on the principles of service learning, the Science in Service Program mentors college science students in best practices for communicating science and engages these students in public service projects that center on teaching solar science. The program goals are to - Enhance and expand the learning experiences that pre-college students, from underserved and underrepresented groups in particular, have in science and technology. - Promote leadership in community service in the area of science and engineering among the next generation of scientists and engineers, today's undergraduate students. - Encourage science and engineering faculty to think creatively about their outreach requirements and to create a community of faculty committed to quality outreach programs. This talk will describe the unique advantages and challenges of a research-public service partnership, explain the structure of Stanford's Science in Service Program, and present the experiences of the undergraduates and the outreach communities that have been involved in the program.

  12. Ice Stories: An Educational Collaboration between the Exploratorium and IPY Scientists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mary, M. K.

    2007-12-01

    The Exploratorium, a renowned interactive science museum in San Francisco, has launched a major NSF-funded public education project to highlight research in the Arctic and Antarctic during the International Polar Year. "Ice Stories" will partner museum media and web producers with polar scientists working in the field to bring their research to the Internet and museum audiences via live Webcasts, video clips, blogs, podcasts, and other media platforms. To prepare scientists for their role as field correspondents, the Exploratoirum will train a cohort of 20- 30 young investigators in media collection, production and narrative story telling during an intensive one-week workshop in San Francisco. The museum will curate the polar field reports, and other IPY news and education events, into a continuously updated Web portal on the Exploratorium's award-winning Website and highlight the ongoing research in museum programming, floor demonstrations, and exhibits. These unique collaborations between formal and informal science can serve as a model for other partnerships during major scientific endeavors beyond the International Polar Year.

  13. Scientists and Educators: Joining Forces to Enhance Ocean Science Literacy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keener-Chavis, P.

    2004-12-01

    The need for scientists to work with educators to enhance the general public's understanding of science has been addressed for years in reports like Science for All Americans (1990), NSF in a Changing World (1995), Turning to the Sea: America's Ocean Future (1999), Discovering the Earth's Final Frontier, A U.S. Strategy for Ocean Exploration (2000), and most recently, the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy Report (2004). As reported in The National Science Foundation's Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence (COSEE) Workshop Report (2000), "The Ocean Sciences community did not answer (this) call, even though their discovery that the ocean was a more critical driving force in the natural environment than previously thought possessed great educational significance." It has been further acknowledged that "rapid and extensive improvement of science education is unlikely to occur until it becomes clear to scientists that they have an obligation to become involved in elementary- and secondary-level science (The Role of Scientists in the Professional Development of Science Teachers, National Research Council, 1996.) This presentation will focus on teachers' perceptions of how scientists conduct research, scientists' perceptions of how teachers should teach, and some misconceptions between the two groups. Criteria for high-quality professional development for teachers working with scientists will also be presented, along with a brief overview of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Ocean Exploration program efforts to bring teachers and ocean scientists together to further ocean science literacy at the national level through recommendations put forth in the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy Report (2004).

  14. The droso4schools project: Long-term scientist-teacher collaborations to promote science communication and education in schools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patel, Sanjai; DeMaine, Sophie; Heafield, Joshua; Bianchi, Lynne; Prokop, Andreas

    2017-10-01

    Science communication is becoming an increasingly important part of a scientist's remit, and engaging with primary and secondary schools is one frequently chosen strategy. Here we argue that science communication in schools will be more effective if based on good understanding of the realities of school life, which can be achieved through structured participation and/or collaboration with teachers. For example, the Manchester Fly Facility advocates the use of the fruit fly Drosophila as an important research strategy for the discovery processes in the biomedical sciences. To communicate this concept also in schools, we developed the 'droso4schools' project as a refined form of scientist-teacher collaboration that embraces the expertise and interests of teachers. Within this project, we place university students as teaching assistants in university partner schools to collaborate with teachers and develop biology lessons with adjunct support materials. These lessons teach curriculum-relevant biology topics by making use of the profound conceptual understanding existing in Drosophila combined with parallel examples taken from human biology. By performing easy to implement experiments with flies, we bring living organisms into these lessons, thus endeavouring to further enhance the pupil's learning experience. In this way, we do not talk about flies but rather work with flies as powerful teaching tools to convey mainstream curriculum biology content, whilst also bringing across the relevance of Drosophila research. Through making these lessons freely available online, they have the potential to reach out to teachers and scientists worldwide. In this paper, we share our experiences and strategies to provide ideas for scientists engaging with schools, including the application of the droso4schools project as a paradigm for long-term school engagement which can be adapted also to other areas of science. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All

  15. Frontier Scientists' project probes audience science interests with website, social media, TV broadcast, game, and pop-up book

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connell, E. A.

    2017-12-01

    The Frontier Scientists National Science Foundation project titled Science in Alaska: Using Multimedia to Support Science Education produced research products in several formats: videos short and long, blogs, social media, a computer game, and a pop-up book. These formats reached distinctly different audiences. Internet users, public TV viewers, gamers, schools, and parents & young children were drawn to Frontier Scientists' research in direct and indirect ways. The analytics (our big data) derived from this media broadcast has given us insight into what works, what doesn't, next steps. We have evidence for what is needed to present science as an interesting, vital, and a necessary component for the general public's daily information diet and as an important tool for scientists to publicize research and to thrive in their careers. Collaborations with scientists at several Universities, USGS, Native organizations, tourism organizations, and Alaska Museums promoted accuracy of videos and increased viewing. For example, Erin Marbarger, at Anchorage Museum, edited, and provided Spark!Lab to test parents & child's interest in the pop-up book titled: The Adventures of Apun the Arctic Fox. Without a marketing budget Frontier Scientist's minimum publicity, during the three year project, still drew an audience. Frontier Scientists was awarded Best Website 2016 by the Alaska Press Club, and won a number of awards for short videos and TV programs.

  16. Education and Outreach: Advice to Young Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lopes, R. M. C.

    2005-08-01

    Carl Sagan set an example to all scientists when he encouraged us to reach out to the public and share the excitement of discovery and exploration. The prejudice that ensued did not deter Sagan and, with the passing of years, more and more scientists have followed his example. Although at present scientists at all ranks are encouraged by their institutions to do outreach, the balancing of a successful scientific career with teaching and outreach is often not an easy one. Young scientists, in particular, may worry about how their outreach efforts are viewed in the community and how they will find the time and energy for these efforts. This talk will offer suggestions on how to balance an active science research program with outreach activities, the many different ways to engage in education and public outreach, and how the rewards are truly priceless.

  17. Education and training of future wetland scientists and managers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilcox, D.A.

    2008-01-01

    Wetland science emerged as a distinct discipline in the 1980s. In response, courses addressing various aspects of wetland science and management were developed by universities, government agencies, and private firms. Professional certification of wetland scientists began in the mid-1990s to provide confirmation of the quality of education and experience of persons involved in regulatory, management, restoration/construction, and research involving wetland resources. The education requirements for certification and the need for persons with specific wetland training to fill an increasing number of wetland-related positions identified a critical need to develop curriculum guidelines for an undergraduate wetland science and management major for potential accreditation by the Society of Wetland Scientists. That proposed major contains options directed toward either wetland science or management. Both options include required basic courses to meet the general education requirements of many universities, required upper-level specialized courses that address critical aspects of physical and biological sciences applicable to wetlands, and a minimum of four additional upper-level specialized courses that can be used to tailor a degree to students' interests. The program would be administered by an independent review board that would develop guidelines and evaluate university applications for accreditation. Students that complete the required coursework will fulfill the education requirements for professional wetland scientist certification and possess qualifications that make them attractive candidates for graduate school or entry-level positions in wetland science or management. Universities that offer this degree program could gain an advantage in recruiting highly qualified students with an interest in natural resources. Alternative means of educating established wetland scientists are likewise important, especially to provide specialized knowledge and experience or

  18. A Community of Practice among Educators, Researchers and Scientists for Improving Science Teaching in Southern Mexico

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cisneros-Cohernour, Edith J.; Lopez-Avila, Maria T.; Barrera-Bustillos, Maria E.

    2007-01-01

    This paper presents findings of a project aimed to improve the quality of science education in Southeast Mexico by the creation of a community of practice among scientists, researchers and teachers, involved in the design, implementation and evaluation of a professional development program for mathematics, chemistry, biology and physics secondary…

  19. Exploring project selection behavior of academic scientists in India

    OpenAIRE

    Anju Chawla

    2007-01-01

    This study is based on retrospective accounts of a stratified sample of about 1,100 academic scien-tists in India on the criteria actually used by them in the choice of research projects. A basic objective is to examine the effects of contextual factors such as academic rank, institutional and disciplinary setting, and sources of research funds on the choice of research projects. A struc-tured questionnaire was used to tap the criteria for project selection. The items were factor-analyzed and...

  20. Best Practices in NASA's Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hasan, H.; Smith, D.

    2015-11-01

    NASA's Astrophysics Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program has partnered scientists and educators since its inception almost twenty years ago, leading to authentic STEM experiences and products widely used by the education and outreach community. We present examples of best practices and representative projects. Keys to success include effective use of unique mission science/technology, attention to audience needs, coordination of effort, robust partnerships and publicly accessible repositories of EPO products. Projects are broadly targeted towards audiences in formal education, informal education, and community engagement. All NASA programs are evaluated for quality and impact. New technology is incorporated to engage young students being raised in the digital age. All projects focus on conveying the excitement of scientific discoveries from NASA's Astrophysics missions, advancing scientific literacy, and engaging students in science and technology careers.

  1. Creating Science Education Specialists and Scientific Literacy in Students through a Successful Partnership among Scientists, Science Teachers, and Education Researchers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metoyer, S.; Prouhet, T.; Radencic, S.

    2007-12-01

    The nature of science and the nature of learning are often assumed to have little practical relationship to each other. Scientists conduct research and science teachers teach. Rarely do the scientist and the science teacher have an opportunity to learn from each other. Here we describe results from a program funded by NSF, the Information Technology in Science (ITS) Center for Teaching and Learning. The ITS Center provided the support and structure necessary for successful long-term collaboration among scientists, science teachers, and education researchers that has resulted in the creation of new science education specialists. These specialists are not only among the science teachers, but also include avid recruits to science education from the scientists themselves. Science teachers returned to their classrooms armed with new knowledge of content, inquiry, and ideas for technology tools that could support and enhance students' scientific literacy. Teachers developed and implemented action research plans as a means of exploring educational outcomes of their use and understanding of new technologies and inquiry applied to the classroom. In other words, they tried something different in the class related to authentic inquiry and technology. They then assessed the students' to determine if there was an impact to the students in some way. Many of the scientists, on the other hand, report that they have modified their instructional practices for undergraduate courses based on their experiences with the teachers and the ITS Center. Some joined other collaborative projects pairing scientists and educators. And, many of the scientists continue on-going communication with the science teachers serving as mentors, collaborators, and as an "expert" source for the students to ask questions to. In order to convey the success of this partnership, we illustrate and discuss four interdependent components. First, costs and benefits to the science teacher are discussed through case

  2. One Model for Scientist Involvement in K-12 Education: Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meese, D.; Shipp, S. S.; Porter, M.; Bruccoli, A.

    2002-12-01

    Scientists involved in the NSF-funded Teachers Experiencing Antarctica and the Arctic (TEA) Program integrate a K-12 science teacher into their polar field project. Objectives of the program include: having the science teacher immersed in the experience of research; 2) through the teacher, leveraging the research experience to better inform teaching practices; and 3) sharing the experience with the broader educational and general community. The scientist - or qualified team member - stays involved with the teacher throughout the program as a mentor. Preparation of the teacher involves a week-long orientation presented by the TEA Program, and a two week pre-expedition visit at the scientist's institution. Orientation acquaints teachers with program expectations, logistical information, and an overview of polar science. While at the scientist's institution, the teacher meets the team, prepares for the field, and strengthens content knowledge. In the field, the teacher is a team member and educational liaison, responding to questions from students and colleagues by e-mail, and posting electronic journals describing the research experience. Upon return, the teachers work closely with colleagues to bring the experience of research into classrooms through creation of activities, design of longer-term student investigations, and presentations at scientific, educational, and community meetings. Interaction with the scientific team continues with a visit by the scientist to the teacher's classrooms, collaboration on presentations at scientific meetings, and consultation on classroom activities. In some cases, the teacher may participate in future expeditions. The involvement by scientists in mentor relationships, such as those of the TEA Program, is critical to improving science education. Many teachers of science have not had the opportunity to participate in field research, which offers valuable first-hand experience about the nature of science, as well as about specific

  3. Educating the Next Generation of Lunar Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaner, A. J.; Shipp, S. S.; Allen, J. S.; Kring, D. A.

    2010-12-01

    The Center for Lunar Science and Exploration (CLSE), a collaboration between the Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) and NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC), is one of seven member teams of the NASA Lunar Science Institute (NLSI). In addition to research and exploration activities, the CLSE team is deeply invested in education and outreach. In support of NASA’s and NLSI’s objective to train the next generation of scientists, CLSE’s High School Lunar Research Project is a conduit through which high school students can actively participate in lunar science and learn about pathways into scientific careers. The High School Lunar Research Project engages teams of high school students in authentic lunar research that envelopes them in the process of science and supports the science goals of the CLSE. Most high school students’ lack of scientific research experience leaves them without an understanding of science as a process. Because of this, each team is paired with a lunar scientist mentor responsible for guiding students through the process of conducting a scientific investigation. Before beginning their research, students undertake “Moon 101,” designed to familiarize them with lunar geology and exploration. Students read articles covering various lunar geology topics and analyze images from past and current lunar missions to become familiar with available lunar data sets. At the end of “Moon 101”, students present a characterization of the geology and chronology of features surrounding the Apollo 11 landing site. To begin their research, teams choose a research subject from a pool of topics compiled by the CLSE staff. After choosing a topic, student teams ask their own research questions, within the context of the larger question, and design their own research approach to direct their investigation. At the conclusion of their research, teams present their results and, after receiving feedback, create and present a conference style poster to a panel of

  4. Using Long-Distance Scientist Involvement to Enhance NASA Volunteer Network Educational Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrari, K.

    2012-12-01

    Since 1999, the NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassadors (SSA) and Solar System Educators (SSEP) programs have used specially-trained volunteers to expand education and public outreach beyond the immediate NASA center regions. Integrating nationwide volunteers in these highly effective programs has helped optimize agency funding set aside for education. Since these volunteers were trained by NASA scientists and engineers, they acted as "stand-ins" for the mission team members in communities across the country. Through the efforts of these enthusiastic volunteers, students gained an increased awareness of NASA's space exploration missions through Solar System Ambassador classroom visits, and teachers across the country became familiarized with NASA's STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) educational materials through Solar System Educator workshops; however the scientist was still distant. In 2003, NASA started the Digital Learning Network (DLN) to bring scientists into the classroom via videoconferencing. The first equipment was expensive and only schools that could afford the expenditure were able to benefit; however, recent advancements in software allow classrooms to connect to the DLN via personal computers and an internet connection. Through collaboration with the DLN at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Goddard Spaceflight Center, Solar System Ambassadors and Solar System Educators in remote parts of the country are able to bring scientists into their classroom visits or workshops as guest speakers. The goals of this collaboration are to provide special elements to the volunteers' event, allow scientists opportunities for education involvement with minimal effort, acquaint teachers with DLN services and enrich student's classroom learning experience.;

  5. Scientists feature their work in Arctic-focused short videos by FrontierScientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nielsen, L.; O'Connell, E.

    2013-12-01

    Whether they're guiding an unmanned aerial vehicle into a volcanic plume to sample aerosols, or documenting core drilling at a frozen lake in Siberia formed 3.6 million years ago by a massive meteorite impact, Arctic scientists are using video to enhance and expand their science and science outreach. FrontierScientists (FS), a forum for showcasing scientific work, produces and promotes radically different video blogs featuring Arctic scientists. Three- to seven- minute multimedia vlogs help deconstruct researcher's efforts and disseminate stories, communicating scientific discoveries to our increasingly connected world. The videos cover a wide range of current field work being performed in the Arctic. All videos are freely available to view or download from the FrontierScientists.com website, accessible via any internet browser or via the FrontierScientists app. FS' filming process fosters a close collaboration between the scientist and the media maker. Film creation helps scientists reach out to the public, communicate the relevance of their scientific findings, and craft a discussion. Videos keep audience tuned in; combining field footage, pictures, audio, and graphics with a verbal explanation helps illustrate ideas, allowing one video to reach people with different learning strategies. The scientists' stories are highlighted through social media platforms online. Vlogs grant scientists a voice, letting them illustrate their own work while ensuring accuracy. Each scientific topic on FS has its own project page where easy-to-navigate videos are featured prominently. Video sets focus on different aspects of a researcher's work or follow one of their projects into the field. We help the scientist slip the answers to their five most-asked questions into the casual script in layman's terms in order to free the viewers' minds to focus on new concepts. Videos are accompanied by written blogs intended to systematically demystify related facts so the scientists can focus

  6. Education as an Agent of Social Evolution: The Educational Projects of Patrick Geddes in Late-Victorian Scotland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutherland, Douglas

    2009-01-01

    This paper examines the educational projects of Patrick Geddes in late-Victorian Scotland. Initially a natural scientist, Geddes drew on an eclectic mix of social theory to develop his own ideas on social evolution. For him education was a vital agent of social change which, he believed, had the potential to develop active citizens whose…

  7. Choose Your Own Adventure: Designing an Environment that Supports NASA Scientists' Goals in Education, Outreach, and Inreach

    Science.gov (United States)

    DeWitt, S.

    2015-12-01

    What is your communication goal? That is the opening question asked in NASA's first agency-wide science communication leadership development program. Many scientists know what they want to communicate, some know to whom they'd like to communicate, but few can clearly express why they want to do it. So what? First, being clear about one's goal is critical in being able to measure success. Second, when asked to think critically about communication goals, some scientists may shift their communication behaviors and practices to better achieve those goals. To that end, NASA has designed a deep learning experience for scientists (and engineers and others) to: critically examine their communication goals; learn techniques for getting to know their intended audience; and develop and apply specific communication skills to a project of their choice. Participants in this program come into the classroom with projects that span a wide spectrum including: formal and informal education, public outreach, media interviews, public speaking, stakeholder briefings, and internal awareness-building. Through expert advisors, professional coaches and peer networks, this program provides a supportive environment for individuals to workshop their project in the classroom and receive feedback before, during, and after the project is complete. This program also provides an opportunity for scientists and other participants to learn more about communication at NASA, and to directly influence the agency's science communication culture through action learning. In this presentation, I will summarize NASA's dual-design science communication leadership development program and present some lessons-learned, participant feedback and evaluation data from the initial course offerings.

  8. Science Educational Outreach Programs That Benefit Students and Scientists.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Greg Clark

    2016-02-01

    Full Text Available Both scientists and the public would benefit from improved communication of basic scientific research and from integrating scientists into education outreach, but opportunities to support these efforts are limited. We have developed two low-cost programs--"Present Your PhD Thesis to a 12-Year-Old" and "Shadow a Scientist"--that combine training in science communication with outreach to area middle schools. We assessed the outcomes of these programs and found a 2-fold benefit: scientists improve their communication skills by explaining basic science research to a general audience, and students' enthusiasm for science and their scientific knowledge are increased. Here we present details about both programs, along with our assessment of them, and discuss the feasibility of exporting these programs to other universities.

  9. Parents who influence their children to become scientists: effects of gender and parental education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sonnert, Gerhard

    2009-12-01

    In this paper we report on testing the 'role-model' and 'opportunity-structure' hypotheses about the parents whom scientists mentioned as career influencers. According to the role-model hypothesis, the gender match between scientist and influencer is paramount (for example, women scientists would disproportionately often mention their mothers as career influencers). According to the opportunity-structure hypothesis, the parent's educational level predicts his/her probability of being mentioned as a career influencer (that is, parents with higher educational levels would be more likely to be named). The examination of a sample of American scientists who had received prestigious postdoctoral fellowships resulted in rejecting the role-model hypothesis and corroborating the opportunity-structure hypothesis. There were a few additional findings. First, women scientists were more likely than men scientists to mention parental influencers. Second, fathers were more likely than mothers to be mentioned as influencers. Third, an interaction was found between the scientist's gender and parental education when predicting a parent's nomination as influencer.

  10. Making continental-scale environmental programs relevant locally for educators with Project BudBurst

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goehring, L.; Henderson, S.; Wasser, L.; Newman, S. J.; Ward, D.

    2012-12-01

    Project BudBurst is a national citizen science initiative designed to engage non professionals in observations of phenological (plant life cycle) events that raise awareness of climate change, and create a cadre of informed citizen scientists. Citizen science programs such as Project BudBurst provide excellent opportunities for educators and their students to actively participate in scientific research. Such programs are important not only from an educational perspective, but because they also enable scientists to broaden the geographic and temporal scale of their observations. The goals of Project BudBurst are to 1) increase awareness of phenology as an area of scientific study; 2) increase awareness of the impacts of changing climates on plants at a continental-scale; and 3) increase science literacy by engaging participants in the scientific process. From its 2008 launch, this on-line program has engaged participants of all ages and walks of life in recording the timing of the leafing and flowering of wild and cultivated species found across the continent, and in contemplating the meaning of such data in their local environments. Thus far, thousands of participants from all 50 states have submitted data. This presentation will provide an overview of Project BudBurst educational resources and share lessons learned from educators in implementing the program in formal and informal education settings. Lesson plans and tips from educators will be highlighted. Project BudBurst is co-managed by the National Ecological Observatory Network and the Chicago Botanic Garden.

  11. NASA's SMD Cross-Forum Resources for Supporting Scientist Engagement in Education and Public Outreach Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buxner, S.; Cobabe-Ammann, E. A.; Hsu, B. C.; Sharma, M.; Peticolas, L. M.; Schwerin, T. G.; Shipp, S. S.; Smith, D.

    2012-12-01

    Sharing the excitement of ongoing scientific discoveries is an important aspect of scientific activity for researchers. Directly engaging scientists in education and public outreach (E/PO) activities has the benefit of directly connecting the public to those who engage in scientific activities. A shortage of training in education methods, public speaking, and working with various public audiences increases barriers to engaging scientists in these types in E/PO activities. NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Education and Public forums (astrophysics, earth science, heliophysics, and planetary science) support scientists currently involved in E/PO and who are interested in becoming involved in E/PO through a variety of avenues. Over the past three years, the forums have developed a variety of resources to help engage scientists in education and public outreach. We will showcase the following resources developed through the SMD E/PO cross-forum efforts: Professional development resources for writing NASA SMD E/PO proposals (webinars and other online tools), ongoing professional development at scientific conferences to increase scientist engagement in E/PO activities, toolkits for scientists interested in best practices in E/PO (online guides for K-12 education and public outreach), toolkits to inform scientists of science education resources developed within each scientific thematic community, EarthSpace (a community web space where instructors can find and share about teaching space and earth sciences in the undergraduate classroom, including class materials news and funding opportunities, and the latest education research, http://www.lpi.usra.edu/earthspace/), thematic resources for teaching about SMD science topics, and an online database of scientists interested in connecting with education programs. Learn more about the Forum and find resources at http://smdepo.org/.

  12. Avenues for Scientist Involvement in Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shipp, S. S.; Buxner, S.; Cobabe-Ammann, E. A.; Dalton, H.; Bleacher, L.; Scalice, D.

    2012-12-01

    The Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forum is charged by NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) with engaging, extending, and supporting the community of E/PO professionals and scientists involved in planetary science education activities in order to help them more effectively and efficiently share NASA science with all learners. A number of resources and opportunities for involvement are available for planetary scientists involved in - or interested in being involved in - E/PO. The Forum provides opportunities for community members to stay informed, communicate, collaborate, leverage existing programs and partnerships, and become more skilled education practitioners. Interested planetary scientists can receive newsletters, participate in monthly calls, interact through an online community workspace, and attend annual E/PO community meetings and meetings of opportunity at science and education conferences. The Forum also provides professional development opportunities on a myriad of topics, from common pre-conceptions in planetary science to program evaluation, to delivering effective workshops. Thematic approaches, such as the Year of the Solar System (http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss), are coordinated by the Forum; through these efforts resources are presented topically, in a manner that can be easily ported into diverse learning environments. Information about the needs of audiences with which scientists interact - higher education, K-12 education, informal education, and public - currently is being researched by SMD's Audience-Based Working Groups. Their findings and recommendations will be made available to inform the activities and products of E/PO providers so they are able to better serve these audiences. Also in production is a "one-stop-shop" of SMD E/PO products and resources that can be used in conjunction with E/PO activities. Further supporting higher-education efforts, the Forum coordinates a network of planetary science

  13. Learning with Teachers; A Scientist's Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    Czajkowski, K. P.

    2004-12-01

    Over the past six years, as an Assistant Professor and now as an Associate Professor, I have engaged in educational outreach activities with K-12 teachers and their students. In this presentation I will talk about the successes and failures that I have had as a scientist engaged in K-12 educational outreach, including teaching the Earth System Science Education Alliance (ESSEA) distance learning course, teaching inquiry-based science to pre-service teachers through the NASA Opportunities for Visionary Academics (NOVA) program, GLOBE, school visits, and research projects with teachers and students. I will reflect on the potential impact this has had on my career, negative and positive. I will present ways that I have been able to engage in educational outreach while remaining a productive scientist, publishing research papers, etc. Obtaining grant funding to support a team of educational experts to assist me perform outreach has been critical to my groups success. However, reporting for small educational grants from state agencies can often be overwhelming. The bottom line is that I find working with teachers and students rewarding and believe that it is a critical part of me being a scientist. Through the process of working with teachers I have learned pedagogy that has helped me be a better teacher in the university classroom.

  14. 1HE SCIENTISTS WILL SAVE 1HE WORLD: Environment Education ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Environment Education in An Alienated Society. Jaap Kuiper ... all: is it the input from science and scientists that will deliver the goods .... that the development of school curricula for. Zimbabwe was ..... In the case of informal or adult education,.

  15. Science Writer-At-Sea: A New InterRidge Education Outreach Project Joining Scientists and Future Journalists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kusek, K. M.; Freitag, K.; Devey, C.

    2005-12-01

    The Science Writer-at-Sea program is one small step in a marathon need for improved coverage of science and environmental issues. It targets two significant links in the Earth science communication pipeline: marine scientists and journalists; and attempts to reconnect people with the Earth by boosting their understanding of Earth science and its relevance to society. How it works: Journalism graduate students are invited to participate in oceanographic expeditions affiliated with InterRidge, an international organization dedicated to promoting ocean ridge research. InterRidge's outreach coordinator and science writer prepares each student for the expedition experience using materials she developed based on years of at-sea reporting. The students work side-by-side with the science writer and the scientists to research and write innovative journalistic stories for a general audience that are featured on a uniquely designed multimedia website that includes videos and images. The science, journalism and public communities benefit from this cost-effective program: science research is effectively showcased, scientists benefit from interactions with journalists, science outreach objectives are accomplished; student journalists enjoy a unique hands-on, `boot camp' experience; and the website enhances public understanding of `real' Earth science reported `on scene at sea.' InterRidge completed its first pilot test of the program in August 2005 aboard a Norwegian research cruise. A student writer entering the science journalism program at Columbia University participated. The results exceeded expectations. The team discovered the world's northernmost vent fields on the cruise, which expanded the original scope of the website to include a section specifically designed for the international press. The student was inspired by the cruise, amazed at how much she learned, and said she entered graduate school with much more confidence than she had prior to the program. The site

  16. A community of scientists: cultivating scientific identity among undergraduates within the Berkeley Compass Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aceves, Ana V.; Berkeley Compass Project

    2015-01-01

    The Berkeley Compass Project is a self-formed group of graduate and undergraduate students in the physical sciences at UC Berkeley. Our goals are to improve undergraduate physics education, provide opportunities for professional development, and increase retention of students from populations typically underrepresented in the physical sciences. For students who enter as freshmen, the core Compass experience consists of a summer program and several seminar courses. These programs are designed to foster a diverse, collaborative student community in which students engage in authentic research practices and regular self-reflection. Compass encourages undergraduates to develop an identity as a scientist from the beginning of their university experience.

  17. Internet Links for Science Education: Student-Scientist Partnerships (edited by Karen Cohen)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barden, Linda M.

    1998-10-01

    Plenum: New York, 1997. xx + 260 pp. Figs., tables, photos. 15 x 22.8 cm. ISBN 0-306-45558-7. $27.50. Science education is undergoing an upheaval more fundamental than the one that occurred in the aftermath of Sputnik. Research during the past 40 years has led to a radical change in the way we view children's learning of science. The National Science Education Standards (NSES) suggest a new model for teaching science based upon these research findings. Societal changes, particularly changes in business, have put pressure on schools to alter the emphasis of curricula from rote memory and individual competition to problem solving using a variety of technological skills and teamwork/team competition. This timely book addresses all these issues by describing projects that K-12 teachers can use to achieve the goals set forth by both NSES and business. It also provides scientists with examples of how they and their coworkers might better interact with K-12 science education to encourage a more scientifically literate society. Finally, it includes suggestions for future research in science education.

  18. A Community of Scientists and Educators: The Compass Project at UC Berkeley

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roth, Nathaniel; Schwab, Josiah

    2016-01-01

    The Berkeley Compass Project is a self-formed group of graduate and undergraduate students in the physical sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. Its goals are to improve undergraduate physics education, provide opportunities for professional development, and increase retention of students from populations underrepresented in the physical sciences. For undergraduate students, the core Compass experience consists of a summer program and several seminar courses. These programs are designed to foster a diverse, collaborative student community in which students engage in authentic research practices and regular self-reflection. Graduate students, together with upper-level undergraduates, design and run all Compass programs. Compass strives to incorporate best practices from the science education literature. Experiences in Compass leave participants poised to be successful students researchers, teachers, and mentors.

  19. Educational Mismatch and the Careers of Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bender, Keith A.; Heywood, John S.

    2011-01-01

    Previous research confirms that many employees work in jobs not well matched to their skills and education, resulting in lower pay and job satisfaction. While this literature typically uses cross-sectional data, we examine the evolution of mismatch and its consequences over a career, by using a panel data set of scientists in the USA. The results…

  20. Scientists and Educators Working Together: Everyone Teaches, Everyone Learns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lebofsky, Larry A.; Lebofsky, N. R.; McCarthy, D. W.; Canizo, T. L.; Schmitt, W.; Higgins, M. L.

    2013-10-01

    The primary author has been working with three of the authors (Lebofsky, McCarthy, and Cañizo) for nearly 25 years and Schmitt and Higgins for 17 and 8 years, respectively. This collaboration can be summed up with the phrase: “everyone teaches, everyone learns.” What NASA calls E/PO and educators call STEM/STEAM, requires a team effort. Exploration of the Solar System and beyond is a team effort, from research programs to space missions. The same is true for science education. Research scientists with a long-term involvement in science education have come together with science educators, classroom teachers, and informal science educators to create a powerful STEM education team. Scientists provide the science content and act as role models. Science educators provide the pedagogy and are the bridge between the scientists and the teacher. Classroom teachers and informal science educators bring their real-life experiences working in classrooms and in informal settings and can demonstrate scientists’ approaches to problem solving and make curriculum more engaging. Together, we provide activities that are grade-level appropriate, inquiry-based, tied to the literacy, math, and science standards, and connected directly to up-to-date science content and ongoing research. Our programs have included astronomy camps for youth and adults, professional development for teachers, in-school and after-school programs, family science events, and programs in libraries, science centers, and museums. What lessons have we learned? We are all professionals and can learn from each other. By engaging kids and having them participate in activities and ask questions, we can empower them to be the presenters for others, even their families. The activities highlighted on our poster represent programs and collaborations that date back more than two decades: Use models and engage the audience, do not just lecture. Connect the activity with ongoing science and get participants outside to

  1. Feelings and ethics education: the film dear scientists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Semendeferi, Ioanna

    2014-12-01

    There is an increasing body of evidence that not only cognition but also emotions shape moral judgment. The conventional teaching of responsible conduct of research, however, does not target emotions; its emphasis is on rational analysis. Here I present a new approach, 'the feelings method,' for incorporating emotions into science ethics education. This method is embodied in Dear Scientists, an innovative film that combines humanities with arts and works at the subconscious level, delivering an intense mix of music and images, contrasted by calm narration. Dear Scientists has struck a chord across the science, humanities, and arts communities-a promising sign.

  2. Avenues for Scientist Involvement in Earth and Space Science Education and Public Outreach (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peticolas, L. M.; Gross, N. A.; Hsu, B. C.; Shipp, S. S.; Buxner, S.; Schwerin, T. G.; Smith, D.; Meinke, B. K.

    2013-12-01

    NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forums are charged with engaging, extending, supporting, and coordinating the community of E/PO professionals and scientists involved in Earth and space science education activities. This work is undertaken to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of the overall national NASA science education and outreach effort made up of individual efforts run by these education professionals. This includes facilitating scientist engagement in education and outreach. A number of resources and opportunities for involvement are available for scientists involved in - or interested in being involved in - education or outreach. The Forums provide opportunities for earth and space scientists to stay informed, communicate, collaborate, leverage existing programs and partnerships, and become more skilled education practitioners. Interested scientists can receive newsletters, participate in monthly calls, interact through an online community workspace, and attend E/PO strategic meetings. The Forums also provide professional development opportunities on a myriad of topics, from common pre-conceptions in science, to program evaluation, to delivering effective workshops. Thematic approaches, such as Earth Science Week (http://www.earthsciweek.org), and the Year of the Solar System (http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss) are coordinated by the Forums; through these efforts resources are presented topically, in a manner that can be easily ported into diverse learning environments. Information about the needs of audiences with which scientists interact - higher education, K-12 education, informal education, and public - are provided by SMD's Audience-Based Working Groups. Their findings and recommendations are made available to inform the activities and products of E/PO providers so they are able to better serve these audiences. Also available is a 'one-stop shop' of SMD E/PO products and resources that can be

  3. Tools You Can Use! E/PO Resources for Scientists and Faculty to Use and Contribute To: EarthSpace and the NASA SMD Scientist Speaker’s Bureau

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buxner, Sanlyn; Shupla, C.; CoBabe-Ammann, E.; Dalton, H.; Shipp, S.

    2013-10-01

    The Planetary Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forum has helped to create two tools that are designed to help scientists and higher-education science faculty make stronger connections with their audiences: EarthSpace, an education clearinghouse for the undergraduate classroom; and NASA SMD Scientist Speaker’s Bureau, an online portal to help bring science - and scientists - to the public. Are you looking for Earth and space science higher education resources and materials? Come explore EarthSpace, a searchable database of undergraduate classroom materials for faculty teaching Earth and space sciences at both the introductory and upper division levels! In addition to classroom materials, EarthSpace provides news and information about educational research, best practices, and funding opportunities. All materials submitted to EarthSpace are peer reviewed, ensuring that the quality of the EarthSpace materials is high and also providing important feedback to authors. Your submission is a reviewed publication! Learn more, search for resources, join the listserv, sign up to review materials, and submit your own at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/earthspace. Join the new NASA SMD Scientist Speaker’s Bureau, an online portal to connect scientists interested in getting involved in E/PO projects (e.g., giving public talks, classroom visits, and virtual connections) with audiences! The Scientist Speaker’s Bureau helps educators and institutions connect with NASA scientists who are interested in giving presentations, based upon the topic, logistics, and audience. The information input into the database will be used to help match scientists (you!) with the requests being placed by educators. All Earth and space scientists funded by NASA - and/or engaged in active research using NASA’s science - are invited to become part of the Scientist Speaker’s Bureau. Submit your information into the short form at http://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/speaker.

  4. Strategies for Engaging NASA Earth Scientists in K-12 Education and Public Outreach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meeson, Blanche W.; Gabrys, Robert E.

    2001-01-01

    Engagement of the Earth Science research community in formal education at the kindergarten through high school level and in various aspects of informal education and in professional development of practitioners in related fields has been and continues to be a challenge. A range of approaches is being used and new ones are constantly being tried. Fundamental to our strategies is an understanding of the priorities, skills, academic experiences, motivation, rewards and work experiences of most scientists. It is within this context that efforts to engage a scientist in education efforts are attempted. A key strategy is to limit our requests to activities where the scientist's contribution of time and expertise can have the most impact. Don't waste the scientist's time! Time is one of their most prized resources, it is extremely valuable to you, and to them, we treat their time like a treasured resource. The clearer a scientist's role, their unique contribution and the finite nature of their effort, the more likely they are to participate. It is critical that commitments made to scientists are kept. If they want and can do more, great! Don't expect or assume more will be forthcoming. Another approach that we use is to create periodic venues that, among other things, serve to identify individuals who have an interest or inclination to con , tribute to education efforts. Once identified we strive to determine their interests so that we can make the best match between their interests and the needs of the education program or efforts. In this way, we try to make the best use of their time while engaging them in efforts which will be personally rewarding, and will further the overall education objectives. In addition, we try to make it easier for scientists to participate by providing focused training, such as development of their interviewing skills, and exposure to key concepts, knowledge and skills which are well known among educators but are not common knowledge among

  5. Online Discovery and Mapping of Great Lakes Climate Change Education and Scientific Research Activities: Building an Online Collaborative Learning Community of Scientists and Educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuddenham, P.; Bishop, K.; Walters, H.; Carley, S.

    2011-12-01

    The Great Lakes Climate Change Science and Education Systemic Network (GLCCSESN) project is an NSF-funded CCEP program awarded to Eastern Michigan University in 2010. The College of Exploration is one of the project partners and has conducted a series of online surveys, workshop and focus group to identify a wide range of organizations, individuals, resources and needs related to climate change education and research activities in and about the Great Lakes Region and to provide information about climate change science to the education community. One of the first steps taken to build this community was to build a web site that features a dynamic online map of individuals and organizations concerned about climate change as well as interested in resources and activities specific to the Great Lakes. Individuals and organizations have been, and are still, invited to put themselves on the map at http://greatlakesclimate.org This map of the Great Lakes region provides both a visual representation of activities and resources as well as a database of climate change activities. This map will grow over time as more people and organizations put themselves on the map. The use of online technologies has helped broaden the participation and representation in the GLCCSESN from all states/provinces in the Great Lakes region, encouraging diverse audiences and stakeholders, including scientists, educators, and journalists, etc.to engage with the project. In the fall of 2011 a combined online professional development workshop and focus group is planned. Educators and scientists working on climate change studies and issues related to the Great Lakes will be sharing their work and expertise in an online workshop and focus group. Following the professional development activity a focus group will be conducted online using a model developed as part of a NSF funded COSEE project. The focus group purpose is to review current educational resources and to identify gaps and needs for further

  6. Science Educational Outreach Programs That Benefit Students and Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enyeart, Peter; Gracia, Brant; Wessel, Aimee; Jarmoskaite, Inga; Polioudakis, Damon; Stuart, Yoel; Gonzalez, Tony; MacKrell, Al; Rodenbusch, Stacia; Stovall, Gwendolyn M.; Beckham, Josh T.; Montgomery, Michael; Tasneem, Tania; Jones, Jack; Simmons, Sarah; Roux, Stanley

    2016-01-01

    Both scientists and the public would benefit from improved communication of basic scientific research and from integrating scientists into education outreach, but opportunities to support these efforts are limited. We have developed two low-cost programs—"Present Your PhD Thesis to a 12-Year-Old" and "Shadow a Scientist”—that combine training in science communication with outreach to area middle schools. We assessed the outcomes of these programs and found a 2-fold benefit: scientists improve their communication skills by explaining basic science research to a general audience, and students' enthusiasm for science and their scientific knowledge are increased. Here we present details about both programs, along with our assessment of them, and discuss the feasibility of exporting these programs to other universities. PMID:26844991

  7. Feelings and Ethics Education: The Film 'Dear Scientists'

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ioanna Semendeferi

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available There is an increasing body of evidence that not only cognition but also emotions shape moral judgment. The conventional teaching of responsible conduct of research, however, does not target emotions; its emphasis is on rational analysis. Here I present a new approach, ‘the feelings method,’ for incorporating emotions into science ethics education. This method is embodied in Dear Scientists, an innovative film that combines humanities with arts and works at the subconscious level, delivering an intense mix of music and images, contrasted by calm narration. Dear Scientists has struck a chord across the science, humanities, and arts communities—a promising sign.

  8. Educating the next generation of atmospheric scientists within a European Network of Excellence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuepbach, E.; Uherek, E.; Ladstätter-Weissenmayer, A.; Jacob, M. J.

    In order to promote the next generation of atmospheric scientists, the task Training and Education (T&E) in ACCENT, the European Network of Excellence in Atmospheric Composition Change ( www.accent-network.org) has developed and implemented an Integrated Learning Environment (ILE). For school teachers and their students, the Internet-based "Global Change Magazine" provides up-to-date and freely accessible scientific material in English and five other languages. Additionally, T&E has produced online teaching material for early-career scientists. These e-learning modules are now being used in University Master's courses across Europe. T&E also organised training events for early-career scientists, combining scientific content with development in transferable skills, to focus on interdisciplinary collaboration, interaction with senior scientists, communication with stakeholders, and dissemination to the general public. Evaluation based on participant feedback evidences the effectiveness of these events, e.g., in terms of motivation to remain in the field. Methodologies and materials from T&E are being published in a Handbook on Best Practice, intended for both educators and scientists around the globe who are involved in education in the field of air quality and climate change science.

  9. Scientists “in the making” attend conference

    CERN Document Server

    CERN Bulletin

    2011-01-01

    The aim of the "Be a scientist for a day" project, which began in January (see previous article), was to introduce 9 to 12-year-olds to the methods of experimental science. On Friday 24 June a full-scale conference for the schoolchildren who took part in the project was held at the Globe of Science and Innovation to mark the end of the project.   "So what do you think was in the box?" The answer was finally revealed to the 650 or so schoolchildren taking part in the "Be a scientist for a day" project. Since the beginning of the year, 29 classes from the Pays de Gex and the Canton of Geneva had been taking part in the project, run jointly by CERN, Geneva University's "PhysiScope" group, the education authorities of the Pays de Gex (Inspection de l’éducation nationale) and Geneva (Service de la coordination pédagogique de l’enseignement primaire) and Geneva University's Faculty of Scien...

  10. Web life: The Evil Mad Scientist Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    2009-04-01

    What is it? Have you ever tried to electrocute a hot dog? Wondered how to make a robot out of a toothbrush, watch battery and phone-pager motor? Seen a cantaloupe melon and thought, "Hmm, I could make this look like the Death Star from the original Star Wars films"? If you have not, but you would like to - preferably as soon as you can find a pager motor - then this is the site for you. The Evil Mad Scientist Project (EMSP) blog is packed full of ideas for unusual, silly and frequently physics-related creations that bring science out of the laboratory and into kitchens, backyards and tool sheds.

  11. Helping Scientists Become Effective Partners in Education and Outreach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laursen, Sandra L.; Smith, Lesley K.

    2009-01-01

    How does a scientist find herself standing before a group of lively third-graders? She may be personally motivated-seeking to improve public understanding of scientific issues and the nature of science, or to see her own children receive a good science education-or perhaps she simply enjoys this kind of work [Andrews et al., 2005; Kim and Fortner, 2008]. In addition to internal motivating factors, federal funding agencies have begun to encourage scientists to participate in education and outreach (E/O) related to their research, through NASA program requirements for such activities (see ``Implementing the Office of Space Science Education/Public Outreach Strategy,'' at http://spacescience.nasa.gov/admin/pubs/edu/imp_plan.htm) and the U.S. National Science Foundation's increased emphasis on ``broader impacts'' in merit review of research proposals (see http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2003/nsf032/bicexamples.pdf). Universities, laboratories, and large collaboratives have responded by developing E/O programs that include interaction between students, teachers, and the public in schools; after-school and summer programs; and work through science centers, planetaria, aquaria, and museums.

  12. Project ALERT: Forging New Partnerships to Improve Earth System Science Education for Pre-Service and In-Service Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metzger, E. P.; Ambos, E. L.; Ng, E. W.; Skiles, J.; Simila, G.; Garfield, N.

    2002-05-01

    Project ALERT (Augmented Learning Environment and Renewable Teaching) was founded in 1998, with funding from NASA and the California State University (CSU), to improve earth system science education for pre-service teachers. Project ALERT has formed linkages between ten campuses of the CSU, which prepares about 60 percent of California's teachers, and two NASA centers, Ames Research Center and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. ALERT has also fostered alliances between earth science and science education faculty. The combined expertise of Project ALERT's diverse partners has led to a wide array of activities and products, including: 1) incorporation in university classrooms of NASA-developed imagery, data, and educational resources; 2) creation and/or enhancement of several courses that bring earth systems science to pre-service teachers; 3) fellowships for CSU faculty to participate in collaborative research and education projects at the NASA Centers; 4) development of teaching modules on such varied topics as volcanoes, landslides, and paleoclimate; and 5) a central web site that highlights resources for teaching introductory Earth system science. An outgrowth of Project ALERT is the increased interest on the part of CSU earth scientists in education issues. This has catalyzed their participation in other projects, including NASA's Project NOVA, Earth System Science Education Alliance, and Sun-Earth Connection Education Forum, the Digital Library for Earth System Science Education, and the California Science Project. Project ALERT has also expanded to provide professional development opportunities for in-service teachers, as exemplified by its support of the Bay Area Earth Science Institute (BAESI) at San Jose State University. Each year, BAESI offers 10-15 full-day workshops that supply teachers and teachers-to-be with a blend of science concepts and classroom activities, free instructional materials, and the opportunity to earn inexpensive university credit. These

  13. The Training and Work of Ph.D. Physical Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, S. J.; Schweitzer, A. E.

    2003-05-01

    Doctoral education has often been viewed as the pinnacle of the formal education system. How useful is doctoral training in one's later career? In an NSF-funded project, we set out to perform a study of the training, careers, and work activities of Ph.D. physical scientists. The study included both in-depth interviews and a survey sent out to a sample of Ph.D. holders 4-8 years after graduation. Come and find out the results of this study: What skills are most Ph.D. physical scientists using? What should graduate programs be teaching? Are Ph.D.'s who are working in their specific field of training happier than their counterparts working different jobs? What skills and preparation lead to future job satisfaction, perhaps the most important indicator of the "success" of graduate education? A preprint and further details can be found at the project web site at: spot.colorado.edu/ phdcarer.

  14. Science and students: Yucca Mountain project's education outreach program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gil, A.V.; Larkin, E.L.; Reilly, B.; Austin, P.

    1992-01-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is very concerned about the lack of understanding of basic science. Increasingly, critical decisions regarding the use of energy, technology, and the environment are being made. A well-educated and science-literate public is vital to the success of these decisions. Science education and school instruction are integral parts of the DOE's public outreach program on the Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project (YMP). Project staff and scientists speak to elementary, junior high, high school, and university students, accepting all speaking invitations. The objectives of this outreach program include the following: (1) educating Nevada students about the concept of a high-level nuclear waste repository; (2) increasing awareness of energy and environmental issues; (3) helping students understand basic concepts of earth science and geology in relation to siting a potential repository; and (4) giving students information about careers in science and engineering

  15. The how and why of societal publications for citizen science projects and scientists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Vliet, Arnold J H; Bron, Wichertje A; Mulder, Sara

    2014-05-01

    In the scientific community, the importance of communication to society is often underestimated. Scientists and scientific organisations often lack the skills to organise such communication effectively. The Dutch citizen science phenology network Nature's Calendar has been successful in communicating to the general public via numerous newspaper articles, television appearances, presentations, websites and social media. We refer to these publications as societal publications. Due to active communication to mass media, we frequently reach millions of people. This communication helped us to involve thousands of volunteers in recording the timing of phenological events like the start of flowering, leaf unfolding and bird migration, but also several health-related events like hay fever symptoms and tick bites. In this paper, we analyse and present our experiences with the Nature's Calendar project regarding societal publications. Based on this analysis, we explain the importance of societal publications for citizen science projects and scientists in general, and we show how scientists can increase the news worthiness of scientific information and what factors and activities can increase the chances of media paying attention to this news. We show that societal publications help phenological networks by facilitating the recruitment, retention and instruction of observers. Furthermore, they stimulate the generation of new ideas and partners that lead to an increase in knowledge, awareness and behavioural change of the general public or specific stakeholders. They make projects, and scientists involved, better known to the public and increase their credibility and authority. Societal publications can catalyse the production of new publications, thereby enforcing the previous mentioned points.

  16. The how and why of societal publications for citizen science projects and scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Vliet, Arnold J. H.; Bron, Wichertje A.; Mulder, Sara

    2014-05-01

    In the scientific community, the importance of communication to society is often underestimated. Scientists and scientific organisations often lack the skills to organise such communication effectively. The Dutch citizen science phenology network Nature's Calendar has been successful in communicating to the general public via numerous newspaper articles, television appearances, presentations, websites and social media. We refer to these publications as societal publications. Due to active communication to mass media, we frequently reach millions of people. This communication helped us to involve thousands of volunteers in recording the timing of phenological events like the start of flowering, leaf unfolding and bird migration, but also several health-related events like hay fever symptoms and tick bites. In this paper, we analyse and present our experiences with the Nature's Calendar project regarding societal publications. Based on this analysis, we explain the importance of societal publications for citizen science projects and scientists in general, and we show how scientists can increase the newsworthiness of scientific information and what factors and activities can increase the chances of media paying attention to this news. We show that societal publications help phenological networks by facilitating the recruitment, retention and instruction of observers. Furthermore, they stimulate the generation of new ideas and partners that lead to an increase in knowledge, awareness and behavioural change of the general public or specific stakeholders. They make projects, and scientists involved, better known to the public and increase their credibility and authority. Societal publications can catalyse the production of new publications, thereby enforcing the previous mentioned points.

  17. Space Scientists in Education and Public Outreach: A Summary of NASA Resources for Effective Engagement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grier, Jennifer A.; Buxner, Sanlyn; Schneider, Nick; Meinke, Bonnie; Shipp, Stephanie

    2015-11-01

    The NASA Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forums developed and provided resources for scientists through a five-year cooperative agreement. Through this work, the Fourms have supported scientists who are involved in E/PO and who wish to become involved. Forums have conducted interviews, facilitated education oral and poster sessions, provided ‘Help Desks’ for more information, curated activities, as well as produced guides, pamphlets, and tips sheets. Our interviews with over 30 planetary scientists allowed us to identify needs and target gaps in resources, ensuring we could provide scientists with effective support and products. Interviews were conducted in collaboration with the AAS Division of Planetary Sciences, with the goal of better understanding scientists’ requirements, barriers, attitudes, and perception of education and outreach work. We collected information about how scientists were engaged in E/PO activities (or not), what support they did or did not have, what resources they used in their efforts, and what resources they would like to have to support and improve their E/PO engagement. The Forums have convened and/or supported E/PO oral and poster sessions at a variety of annual meetings. These sessions allowed scientists to network, share lessons learned, and become aware of new resources and products. These meetings included the DPS, AAS, LPSC, AGU, ASP, IAU, and more. ‘Help Desks’ were offered to allow scientists the chance to have extended one-on-one conversations with E/PO providers in order to share their programs, and learn how to become involved. These have been particularly popular with early career scientists looking to extend their E/PO efforts. A host of education activities developed by the space science community have been archived at the NASA site “Wavelength” (nasawavelength.org). Special lists have been curated to allow scientists to easily target those activities that fit their particular needs, from engineering to

  18. Michael Polanyi on the Education and Knowledge of Scientists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobs, Struan

    2000-01-01

    Explains why teachers addressing the nature of science should know the work of Michael Polanyi. Outlines Polanyi's intellectual career and examines his ideas on the education of scientists, research, and knowledge. Polanyi presaged Kuhn, Feyerabend, and the constructivists, yet insisted that science produces true knowledge about reality. (Contains…

  19. Impact of a Scientist-Teacher Collaborative Model on Students, Teachers, and Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shein, Paichi Pat; Tsai, Chun-Yen

    2015-09-01

    Collaborations between the K-12 teachers and higher education or professional scientists have become a widespread approach to science education reform. Educational funding and efforts have been invested to establish these cross-institutional collaborations in many countries. Since 2006, Taiwan initiated the High Scope Program, a high school science curriculum reform to promote scientific innovation and inquiry through an integration of advanced science and technology in high school science curricula through partnership between high school teachers and higher education scientists and science educators. This study, as part of this governmental effort, a scientist-teacher collaborative model (STCM) was constructed by 8 scientists and 4 teachers to drive an 18-week high school science curriculum reform on environmental education in a public high school. Partnerships between scientists and teachers offer opportunities to strengthen the elements of effective science teaching identified by Shulman and ultimately affect students' learning. Mixed methods research was used for this study. Qualitative methods of interviews were used to understand the impact on the teachers' and scientists' science teaching. A quasi-experimental design was used to understand the impact on students' scientific competency and scientific interest. The findings in this study suggest that the use of the STCM had a medium effect on students' scientific competency and a large effect on students' scientific individual and situational interests. In the interviews, the teachers indicated how the STCM allowed them to improve their content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and the scientists indicated an increased knowledge of learners, knowledge of curriculum, and PCK.

  20. Science and scientists in the drawings of European children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paola Rodari

    2007-09-01

    Full Text Available The first step of the SEDEC project has been a survey on teachers and pupils perception of science, scientists, and the European dimension of science. Different research actions have been organized for the different targets, and have been held in the six countries involved in the project: Czech Republic, France, Italy, Portugal, Poland and Romania. This article will present the analysis of more then 1000 drawings realized by 9 and 14 years old pupils and representing "a scientist". Form the drawings emerge stereotypes, fears, desires, expectations and more, a whole imaginery that has to be taken in account for an effective educative adn communicative action.

  1. Survey Exploring Views of Scientists on Current Trends in Chemistry Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vamvakeros, Xenofon; Pavlatou, Evangelia A.; Spyrellis, Nicolas

    2010-01-01

    A survey exploring the views of scientists, chemists and chemical engineers, on current trends in Chemistry Education was conducted in Greece. Their opinions were investigated using a questionnaire focusing on curricula (the content and process of chemistry teaching and learning), as well as on the respondents' general educational beliefs and…

  2. Analysis of an Exemplary Scientists in Schools Project in Forensic Science: Collaboration, Communication and Enthusiasm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howitt, Christine; Lewis, Simon W.; Waugh, Sara

    2009-01-01

    Scientists in Schools (SiS) is an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations that aims to establish and maintain sustained and ongoing partnerships between scientists and school communities as a means of developing more scientifically literate citizens. This paper describes and analyses an…

  3. Symbiosis on Campus: Collaborations of Scientists and Science Educators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duggan-Haas, Don; Moscovici, Hedy; McNulty, Brendan; Gilmer, Penny J.; Eick, Charles J.; Wilson, John

    This symposium will provide insights into collaborations among scientists and science educators in a variety of contexts-large research universities, small state and private institutions, and collaborations involving both pre- service and in-service programs. The session will begin with a brief framing of these collaborations as management of the…

  4. Scientists and Educators in Sync: Exploring the Strengths of Each through a Collaborative Educational "Umbrella" on Space Weather

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cobabe-Ammann, E. A.; Singer, H. J.

    2003-12-01

    Scientists and educators have much to offer formal and informal science education forums (and each other) when brought together in balanced collaboration. New educational opportunities from NASA and NSF have made it easier to develop these collaborations, effectively allowing for the establishment of educational "umbrellas" whereby several separately funded programs focused on a single theme are overseen by a single working group. Here, we explore one such collaboration on space weather developed by CU's Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics, in collaboration with NOAA's Space Environment Center, the Fiske Planetarium, the Space Science Institute and teachers from local school districts. The goal of the collaboration is to develop a new planetarium show, associated curricula and teacher workshops and guidebooks, as well as distance learning programming through the NASA Center for Distance Learning. One hallmark of this collaboration is the recognition that both scientists and educators bring important research-based perspectives to the table - Scientists are primarily responsible for the scientific integrity of the programming; Educators offer effective (tested) educational models for implementing student and teacher experiences. Both bring creativity, ingenuity and innovation to this dynamic environment. Sustainability is enhanced by integrating components and activities into a cogent whole, and efforts are perceived as even more worthwhile since most aspects of this program will be available for national distribution over the next several years.

  5. Research project management 101: insiders' tips from Early Career Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cristini, Luisa; Pabortsava, Katsiaryna; Stichel, Torben

    2016-04-01

    From the very beginning of their career, it is important for Early Career Scientists (ECS) to develop project management skills to be able to organise their research efficiently. ECS are often in charge of specific tasks within their projects or for their teams. However, without specific training or tools, the successful completion of these assignments will depend entirely on the organisational skills of individual researchers. ECS are thus facing "sink-or-swim" situations, which can be either instructive or disastrous for their projects. Here we provide experience-based tips from fellow ECS that can help manage various project activities, including: 1. Communication with supervisors and peers 2. Lab management 3. Field trips (e.g., oceanographic campaigns) 4. Internships and collaborations with other institutions 5. Literature/background research 6. Conference convening These are potential "life buoys" for ECS, which will help them to carry out these tasks efficiently and successfully.

  6. The Elwha Science Education Project (ESEP): Engaging an Entire Community in Geoscience Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, R. S.; Kinner, F.

    2008-12-01

    Native Americans are poorly represented in all science, technology and engineering fields. This under- representation results from numerous cultural, economic, and historical factors. The Elwha Science Education Project (ESEP), initiated in 2007, strives to construct a culturally-integrated, geoscience education program for Native American young people through engagement of the entire tribal community. The ESEP has developed a unique approach to informal geoscience education, using environmental restoration as a centerpiece. Environmental restoration is an increasingly important goal for tribes. By integrating geoscience activities with community tradition and history, project stakeholders hope to show students the relevance of science to their day-to-day lives. The ESEP's strength lies in its participatory structure and unique network of partners, which include Olympic National Park; the non-profit, educational center Olympic Park Institute (OPI); a geologist providing oversight and technical expertise; and the Lower Elwha Tribe. Lower Elwha tribal elders and educators share in all phases of the project, from planning and implementation to recruitment of students and discipline. The project works collaboratively with tribal scientists and cultural educators, along with science educators to develop curriculum and best practices for this group of students. Use of hands-on, place-based outdoor activities engage students and connect them with the science outside their back doors. Preliminary results from this summer's middle school program indicate that most (75% or more) students were highly engaged approximately 90% of the time during science instruction. Recruitment of students has been particularly successful, due to a high degree of community involvement. Preliminary evaluations of the ESEP's outcomes indicate success in improving the outlook of the tribe's youth towards the geosciences and science, in general. Future evaluation will be likewise participatory

  7. Real Science, Real Learning: Bridging the Gap Between Scientists, Educators and Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, Y.

    2006-05-01

    Today as never before, America needs its citizens to be literate in science and technology. Not only must we only inspire a new generation of scientists and engineers and technologists, we must foster a society capable of meeting complex, 21st-century challenges. Unfortunately, the need for creative, flexible thinkers is growing at a time when our young students are lagging in science interest and performance. Over the past 17 years, the JASON Project has worked to link real science and scientists to the classroom. This link provide viable pipeline to creating the next generation scientists and researchers. Ultimately, JASON's mission is to improve the way science is taught by enabling students to learn directly from leading scientists. Through partnerships with agencies such as NOAA and NASA, JASON creates multimedia classroom products based on current scientific research. Broadcasts of science expeditions, hosted by leading researchers, are coupled with classroom materials that include interactive computer-based simulations, video- on-demand, inquiry-based experiments and activities, and print materials for students and teachers. A "gated" Web site hosts online resources and provides a secure platform to network with scientists and other classrooms in a nationwide community of learners. Each curriculum is organized around a specific theme for a comprehensive learning experience. It may be taught as a complete package, or individual components can be selected to teach specific, standards-based concepts. Such thematic units include: Disappearing Wetlands, Mysteries of Earth and Mars, and Monster Storms. All JASON curriculum units are grounded in "inquiry-based learning." The highly interactive curriculum will enable students to access current, real-world scientific research and employ the scientific method through reflection, investigation, identification of problems, sharing of data, and forming and testing hypotheses. JASON specializes in effectively applying

  8. The International Polar Year in Portugal: A New National Polar Programme and a Major Education and Outreach project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendes-Victor, L.; Vieira, G.; Xavier, J.; Canario, A.

    2008-12-01

    Before the International Polar Year, in Portugal polar research was conducted by a very small group of scientists integrated in foreign projects or research institutions. Portugal was not member of the Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR), the European Polar Board (EPB), neither a subscriber of the Antarctic Treaty. In 2004 Portuguese Polar researchers considered the IPY as an opportunity to change this situation and organized the national Committee for the IPY. The objectives were ambitious: to answer the aforementioned issues in defining and proposing a National Polar Programme. In late 2008, close to the end of the IPY, the objectives were attained, except the Antarctic Treaty signature that is, however, in an advanced stage, having been approved by consensus at the National Parliament in early 2007. Portugal joined SCAR in July 2006, the EPB in 2007 and a set of 5 Antarctic research projects forming the roots of the National Polar Programme (ProPolar) have been approved by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT-MCTES). Scientifically, the IPY can already be considered a major success in Portugal with an improvement in polar scientific research, in the number of scientists performing field work in the Antarctic, organizing polar science meetings and producing an expected increase in the number of polar science peer- reviewed papers. The Portuguese IPY scientific activities were accompanied by a major education and outreach project funded by the Agencia Ciência Viva (MCTES): LATITUDE60! Education for the Planet in the IPY. This project lead by the universities of Algarve, Lisbon and by the Portuguese Association of Geography Teachers is heavily interdisciplinary, programmed for all ages, from kindergarten to adults, and hoped to bring together scientists and society. LATITUDE60! was a major success and focussed on showing the importance of the polar regions for Earth's environment, emphasising on the implications of polar change for

  9. NASA’s Universe of Learning: Connecting Scientists, Educators, and Learners

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Denise A.; Lestition, Kathleen; Squires, Gordon K.; Greene, W. M.; Biferno, Anya A.; Cominsky, Lynn R.; Goodman, Irene; Walker, Allyson; Universe of Learning Team

    2017-01-01

    NASA’s Universe of Learning (UoL) is one of 27 competitively awarded education programs selected by NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD) in its newly restructured education effort. Through these 27 programs, SMD aims to infuse NASA science experts and content more effectively and efficiently into learning environments serving audiences of all ages. UoL is a unique partnership between the Space Telescope Science Institute, Chandra X-ray Center, IPAC at Caltech, Jet Propulsion Laboratory Exoplanet Exploration Program, and Sonoma State University that will connect the scientists, engineers, science, technology and adventure of NASA Astrophysics with audience needs, proven infrastructure, and a network of partners to advance SMD education objectives. External evaluation is provided through a partnership with Goodman Research Group and Cornerstone Evaluation Associates. The multi-institutional team is working to develop and deliver a unified, consolidated and externally evaluated suite of education products, programs, and professional development offerings that spans the full spectrum of NASA Astrophysics, including the Cosmic Origins, Physics of the Cosmos, and Exoplanet Exploration themes. Products and programs focus on out-of-school-time learning environments and include enabling educational use of Astrophysics mission data and offering participatory experiences; creating multimedia and immersive experiences; designing exhibits and community programs; and producing resources for special needs and underserved/underrepresented audiences. The UoL team also works with a network of partners to provide professional learning experiences for informal educators, pre-service educators, and undergraduate instructors. This presentation will provide an overview of the UoL team’s approach to partnering scientists and educators to engage learners in Astrophysics discoveries and data; progress to date; and pathways for science community involvement.

  10. Canopy in the Clouds: Integrating Science and Media to Inspire a New Generation of Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goldsmith, G. R.; Fulton, A. D.; Witherill, C. D.

    2008-12-01

    Innovative approaches to science education are critical for inspiring a new generation of scientists. In a world where students are inundated with digital media inviting them to explore exciting, emerging disciplines, science often lags behind in using progressive media techniques. Additionally, science education media often neglects to include the scientists conducting research, thereby disconnecting students from the excitement, adventure, and beauty of conducting research in the field. Here we present initial work from a science education media project entitled Canopy in the Clouds. In particular, we address the goals and approach of the project, the logistics associated with generating educational material at a foreign field site, and the challenges associated with effectively integrating science and media. Canopy in the Clouds is designed to engage students in research, motivate a new generation of young scientists, and promote conservation from the perspective of a current research project being conducted in the canopy of a tropical montane cloud forest located in Monteverde, Costa Rica. The project seeks to generate curriculum based on multiple, immersive forms of novel digital media that attract and maintain student attention. By doing so from the perspective of an adventurous research project in a beautiful and highly biodiverse region, we hope to engage students in science and enhance bioliteracy. However, there are considerable logistic considerations associated with such an approach, including safety, travel, permitting, and equipment maintenance. Additionally, the goals of both the scientific research and the educational media project must be balanced in order to meet objectives in a timely fashion. Finally, materials generated in the field must be translated to viable final products and distributed. Work associated with Canopy in the Clouds will thus provide insight into this process and can serve to inform future science education and outreach

  11. Tools for Engaging Scientists in Education and Public Outreach: Resources from NASA's Science Mission Directorate Forums

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buxner, S.; Grier, J.; Meinke, B. K.; Gross, N. A.; Woroner, M.

    2014-12-01

    The NASA Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forums support the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) and its E/PO community by enhancing the coherency and efficiency of SMD-funded E/PO programs. The Forums foster collaboration and partnerships between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. We will present tools to engage and resources to support scientists' engagement in E/PO efforts. Scientists can get connected to educators and find support materials and links to resources to support their E/PO work through the online SMD E/PO community workspace (http://smdepo.org) The site includes resources for scientists interested in E/PO including one page guides about "How to Get Involved" and "How to Increase Your Impact," as well as the NASA SMD Scientist Speaker's Bureau to connect scientists to audiences across the country. Additionally, there is a set of online clearinghouses that provide ready-made lessons and activities for use by scientists and educators: NASA Wavelength (http://nasawavelength.org/) and EarthSpace (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/earthspace/). The NASA Forums create and partner with organizations to provide resources specifically for undergraduate science instructors including slide sets for Earth and Space Science classes on the current topics in astronomy and planetary science. The Forums also provide professional development opportunities at professional science conferences each year including AGU, LPSC, AAS, and DPS to support higher education faculty who are teaching undergraduate courses. These offerings include best practices in instruction, resources for teaching planetary science and astronomy topics, and other special topics such as working with diverse students and the use of social media in the classroom. We are continually soliciting ways that we can better support scientists' efforts in effectively engaging in E/PO. Please contact Sanlyn Buxner (buxner@psi.edu) or Jennifer Grier (jgrier@psi.edu) to

  12. Pilot Project on Women and Science. A report on women scientists at the University of New Mexico and Los Alamos National Laboratory

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Salvaggio, R. [New Mexico Univ., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    1993-08-01

    In the fall of 1991, through the coordinating efforts of the University of New Mexico and Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Pilot Project on Women and Science was initiated as a year-long study of women scientists at both the university and the laboratory. Its purpose was to gather information directly from women scientists in an attempt to analyze and make recommendations concerning the professional and cultural environment for women in the sciences. This report is an initial attempt to understand the ways in which women scientists view themselves, their profession, and the scientific culture they inhabit. By recording what these women say about their backgrounds and educational experiences, their current positions, the difficult negotiations many have made between their personal and professional lives, and their relative positions inside and outside the scientific community, the report calls attention both to the individual perspectives offered by these women and to the common concerns they share.

  13. Teenagers as scientist - Learning by doing or doing without learning?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapelari, Suzanne; Carli, Elisabeth; Tappeiner, Ulrike

    2010-05-01

    involve scientists and children simulates the research process and has a high impact on skill building for both partners". In the contrary hardly anything do we actually know about how effective these learning environments really are. For the last decades a large body of science education research has predominantly taken place in laboratories and formal educational settings. Significant "blind spots" in the current literature appear when it comes to focusing on "the nature of learning in outdoor education" as well as "learning in research-education partnerships". The Institute of Ecology at the University of Innsbruck, Austria was awarded the project: Top-Klima-Science: Hydrologic Balance and Global Change: Future Prospect for Mountain Areas in the Face of Changes in Land Use and Climate. The University of Innsbruck and the European Academy Bolzano are coordinating their efforts with their partner school HLFS Kematen in Tyrol. Two classes with nearly 60 students age 15 -18 years are involved in all areas of the project. The research project as such is accompanied by an ongoing evaluation of the process, which is carried out by science education researchers from the Science Education Centre at the University to Innsbruck, Austria. Iterative testing of teaching and learning strategies to improve them as they are developed is going along with a front, middle and end evaluation to find out what expectations, fears and motivations pupils, teachers and researchers have before joining in and how these develop in course of the two years working relationship. Evaluators also watch closely on how pupil develop their conceptual understanding of the topic they are investigating and whether their attitude towards science and science research changes in course of working as "real scientists. This talk will present preliminary results from work in progress and will discuss pros and cons of "doing real research" as a long term strategy for science in tomorrow's classrooms.

  14. The ``Adopt A Microbe'' project: Web-based interactive education connected with scientific ocean drilling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orcutt, B. N.; Bowman, D.; Turner, A.; Inderbitzen, K. E.; Fisher, A. T.; Peart, L. W.; Iodp Expedition 327 Shipboard Party

    2010-12-01

    We launched the "Adopt a Microbe" project as part of Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 327 in Summer 2010. This eight-week-long education and outreach effort was run by shipboard scientists and educators from the research vessel JOIDES Resolution, using a web site (https://sites.google.com/site/adoptamicrobe) to engage students of all ages in an exploration of the deep biosphere inhabiting the upper ocean crust. Participants were initially introduced to a cast of microbes (residing within an ‘Adoption Center’ on the project website) that live in the dark ocean and asked to select and virtually ‘adopt’ a microbe. A new educational activity was offered each week to encourage learning about microbiology, using the adopted microbe as a focal point. Activities included reading information and asking questions about the adopted microbes (with subsequent responses from shipboard scientists), writing haiku about the adopted microbes, making balloon and fabric models of the adopted microbes, answering math questions related to the study of microbes in the ocean, growing cultures of microbes, and examining the gases produced by microbes. In addition, the website featured regular text, photo and video updates about the science of the expedition using a toy microbe as narrator, as well as stories written by shipboard scientists from the perspective of deep ocean microbes accompanied by watercolor illustrations prepared by a shipboard artist. Assessment methods for evaluating the effectiveness of the Adopt a Microbe project included participant feedback via email and online surveys, website traffic monitoring, and online video viewing rates. Quantitative metrics suggest that the “Adope A Microbe” project was successful in reaching target audiences and helping to encourage and maintain interest in topics related to IODP Expedition 327. The “Adopt A Microbe” project mdel can be adapted for future oceanographic expeditions to help connect the

  15. Educating elementary-aged English learners in science: Scientists and teachers working together

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banuelos, Gloria Rodriguez

    California's K-12 schools contain 40% of the nation's English learners, the majority of them enrolled at the elementary level. Traditionally, English learners in California have difficulty performing at the same level as their native English speaking counterparts on national achievement tests, such as the National Assessment of Educational Progress. In 1998, California voters passed Proposition 227 mandating that English learners be taught "overwhelmingly" in English, thus making teachers, many without expertise, responsible for teaching multilevel English proficient students subject matter. I studied the use of scientist-teacher partnerships as a resource for teachers of English learners. University scientists (graduate students) partnered with local elementary school teachers designed and implemented integrated science and English lessons for classrooms with at least 30% English learners. The study explored two major foci. First, integrated science and language lessons implemented by six scientist-teacher partnerships were investigated. Second, the responsibilities taken on by the team members during the implementation of integrated science and language lessons were examined. Three data sources were analyzed: (1) six lesson sequences comprised of 28 lessons; (2) 18 lesson worksheet; and (3) 24 participant Retrospective interview transcripts (12 scientists and 12 teachers). Lessons across were examined according to four analytical categories which included the following: (1) nature of the science activities (e.g. hands-on); nature of language activities (e.g. speaking); (2) nature of instructional practices (e.g. student grouping); and (3) responsibilities of teachers and scientists (e.g. classroom). A micro level analysis illustrates how one scientist-teacher team innovatively used a children's story, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, to teach the measurement of length and temperature. A macro level analysis identified three characteristics of science activities

  16. Videos Designed to Watch but Audience Required Telling stories is a cliché for best practice in videos. Frontier Scientists, a NSF project titled Science in Alaska: using Multimedia to Support Science Education stressed story but faced audience limitations. FS describes project's story process, reach results, and hypothesizes better scenarios.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connell, E. A.

    2016-12-01

    Telling stories is a cliché for best practice in science videos. It's upheld as a method to capture audience attention in many fields. Findings from neurobiology research show character-driven stories cause the release of the neurochemical oxytocin in the brain. Oxytocin motivates cooperation with others and enhances a sense of empathy, in particular the ability to experience others' emotions. Developing character tension- as in our video design showcasing scientists along with their work- holds the viewers' attention, promotes recall of story, and has the potential to clearly broadcast the feelings and behaviors of the scientists. The brain chemical change should help answer the questions: Why should a viewer care about this science? How does it improve the world, or our lives? Is just a story-driven video the solution to science outreach? Answer: Not in our multi-media world. Frontier Scientists (FS) discovered in its three year National Science Foundation project titled 'Science in Alaska: using Multimedia to Support Science Education': the storied video is only part of the effort. Although FS created from scratch and drove a multimedia national campaign throughout the project, major reach was not achieved. Despite FS' dedicated web site, YouTube channel, weekly blog, monthly press release, Facebook and G+ pages, Twitter activity, contact with scientists' institutions, and TV broadcast, monthly activity on the web site seemed to plateau at about 3000 visitors to the FS website per month. Several factors hampered the effort: Inadequate funding for social media limited the ability of FS to get the word to untapped markets: those whose interest might be sparked by ad campaigns but who do not actively explore unfamiliar agencies' science education content. However, when institutions took advantage of promoting their scientists through the FS videos we saw an uptick in video views and the participating scientists were often contacted for additional stories or were

  17. Science Communication versus Science Education: The Graduate Student Scientist as a K-12 Classroom Resource

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strauss, Jeff; Shope, Richard E., III; Terebey, Susan

    2005-01-01

    Science literacy is a major goal of science educational reform (NRC, 1996; AAAS, 1998; NCLB Act, 2001). Some believe that teaching science only requires pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Others believe doing science requires knowledge of the methodologies of scientific inquiry (NRC, 1996). With these two mindsets, the challenge for science educators is to create models that bring the two together. The common ground between those who teach science and those who do science is science communication, an interactive process that galvanizes dialogue among scientists, teachers, and learners in a rich ambience of mutual respect and a common, inclusive language of discourse . The dialogue between science and non-science is reflected in the polarization that separates those who do science and those who teach science, especially as it plays out everyday in the science classroom. You may be thinking, why is this important? It is vital because, although not all science learners become scientists, all K-12 students are expected to acquire science literacy, especially with the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB). Students are expected to acquire the ability to follow the discourse of science as well as connect the world of science to the context of their everyday life if they plan on moving to the next grade level, and in some states, to graduate from high school. This paper posits that science communication is highly effective in providing the missing link for K-12 students cognition in science and their attainment of science literacy. This paper will focus on the "Science For Our Schools" (SFOS) model implemented at California State Univetsity, Los Angeles (CSULA) as a project of the National Science Foundation s GK-12 program, (NSF 2001) which has been a huge success in bridging the gap between those who "know" science and those who "teach" science. The SFOS model makes clear the distinctions that identify science, science communication, science

  18. AGU education and public outreach programs: Empowering future Earth and space scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adamec, Bethany; Asher, Pranoti

    2011-10-01

    The staff and leadership of AGU are committed to fostering excellence in Earth and space science education. While AGU's Strategic Plan does not specifically highlight primary or secondary education among its objectives, outreach in this area plays a significant role in developing and nurturing the next generation of Earth and space scientists. Several educational goals along with specific strategies will help AGU meet its goal related to workforce or talent pool development. Particular emphasis is being placed on building partnerships and collaborations that will increase the effectiveness of AGU's outreach efforts related to education.

  19. SunBlock '99: Young Scientists Investigate the Sun

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, R. W.; Pike, C. D.; Mason, H.; Young, P.; Ireland, J.; Galsgaard, K.

    1999-10-01

    SunBlock `99 is a Web-based Public Understanding of Science and educational project which seeks to present the very latest solar research as seen through the eyes of young British scientists. These ``solar guides'' discuss not only their scientific interests, but also their extra-curricular activities and the reasons they chose scientific careers; in other words the human face of scientific research. The SunBlock '99 pages gather a range of solar images and movies from current solar space observatories and discuss the underlying physics and its relationship to the school curriculum. The instructional level is pitched at UK secondary school children (aged 13-16 years). It is intended that the material should not only provide a visually appealing introduction to the study of the Sun, but that it should help bridge the often wide gap between classroom science lessons and the research scientist `out in the field'. SunBlock '99 is managed by a team from the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and the Universities of St Andrews and Cambridge, together with educational consultants. The production has, in part, been sponsored by PPARC and the Millennium Mathematics Project. Web site addresss: http://www.sunblock99.org.uk

  20. Theoretical and practical fundamentals of scientific and educational projects: a case of Ukraine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olena Bilovodska

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Development of educational and scientific spheres in general and project activity of universities in particular, acquire foreground importance in the modern world. In the article approaches to rendering a term “project” and its basic characteristics are analyzed. Scientific and educational projects are a special type: although they represent a subsidiary activity, they are vital to the image, rankings, prosperity and at some point to competitiveness. The major funding opportunities for scientific and educational projects are generalized. The authors have analyzed the official figures of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine which show the levels of cost funding of scientific and educational projects and describe its main sources in 2010-2015. A study of impact factors on the funding levels of Ukrainian scientific and educational projects by foreign sources was conducted using the method of correlation analysis. According to the results of the conducted analysis, it was determined that activity of international mobility of Ukrainian scientists doesn’t influence the levels of international funding. It was also established that there is a strong inverse relationship between such factors as a share of expenditures on scientific and scientific-technical activities in GDP, a number of organizations involved in scientific and scientific-technical activities and a number of grants for scientific research received from international funds.

  1. The internet radiation oncology journal club - a multi-institutional collaborative education project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldsmith, Brian J.; Donaldson, Sarah S.; Mendenhall, William M.; Recht, Abram; Hoppe, Richard T.; Grigsby, Perry W.; Turrisi, Andrew T.; Tepper, Joel E.; Roach, Mack; Larson, David A.; Withers, H. Rodney; Purdy, James A.

    1997-01-01

    Purpose/Objective: The high volume of literature publication in radiation oncology poses a substantial selection and reading challenge. Busy health care providers may, from time to time, fail to identify and read important papers, resulting in delays in improvement of practice standards. Residency training programs have historically used journal clubs as a solution to this education challenge. In June 1995, radiation oncologists and scientists from nine institutions began the Internet Radiation Oncology Journal Club (IROJC) - a pilot project created to improve radiation oncology education worldwide by identifying noteworthy literature and stimulating an internet-based forum for literature discussion. Materials and Methods: The IROJC is a free-of-charge, moderated e-mailing list hosted by BIOSCI - a set of electronic communication forums used by biological scientists worldwide. Eleven radiation oncologists and scientists with internationally-recognized subspecialty expertise serve as IROJC editors. Each month, editors select noteworthy contemporary literature for inclusion. Selected references, often accompanied by editorial comments, are transmitted over the internet to IROJC readers. Readers request subscription by sending an e-mail message to biosci-server at net.bio.net, with 'subscribe radoncjc' in the body of the message. A website (www.bio.net/hypermail/RADIATION-ONCOLOGY), which includes an archive of back issues, is also available. Results: By February 1997, the IROJC's email-format enrollment numbered more than 670 readers from over 14 countries, its website was browsed by an average of 25 unique readers per week, and both figures were increasing steadily. An exciting online dialogue of literature- and practice-based comments and questions had emerged with increasing readership participation. Conclusion: Our pilot experience with the IROJC project has been promising. The observed increase in enrollment, website use, and readership discourse suggests

  2. NASA GSFC Science Communication Working Group: Addressing Barriers to Scientist and Engineer Participation in Education and Public Outreach Activities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bleacher, L.; Hsu, B. C.; Campbell, B. A.; Hess, M.

    2011-12-01

    The Science Communication Working Group (SCWG) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has been in existence since late 2007. The SCWG is comprised of education and public outreach (E/PO) professionals, public affairs specialists, scientists, and engineers. The goals of the SCWG are to identify barriers to scientist and engineer engagement in E/PO activities and to enable those scientists and engineers who wish to contribute to E/PO to be able to do so. SCWG members have held meetings with scientists and engineers across GSFC to determine barriers to their involvement in E/PO. During these meetings, SCWG members presented examples of successful, ongoing E/PO projects, encouraged active research scientists and engineers to talk about their own E/PO efforts and what worked for them, discussed the E/PO working environment, discussed opportunities for getting involved in E/PO (particularly in high-impact efforts that do not take much time), handed out booklets on effective E/PO, and asked scientists and engineers what they need to engage in E/PO. The identified barriers were consistent among scientists in GSFC's four science divisions (Earth science, planetary science, heliophysics, and astrophysics). Common barriers included 1) lack of time, 2) lack of funding support, 3) lack of value placed on doing E/PO by supervisors, 4) lack of training on doing appropriate/effective E/PO for different audiences, 5) lack of awareness and information about opportunities, 6) lack of understanding of what E/PO really is, and 7) level of effort required to do E/PO. Engineers reported similar issues, but the issues of time and funding support were more pronounced due to their highly structured work day and environment. Since the barriers were identified, the SCWG has taken a number of steps to address and rectify them. Steps have included holding various events to introduce scientists and engineers to E/PO staff and opportunities including an E/PO Open House, brown bag seminars on

  3. Earth2Class Overview: An Innovative Program Linking Classroom Educators and Research Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Passow, M.; Iturrino, G. J.; Baggio, F. D.; Assumpcao, C. M.

    2005-12-01

    The Earth2Class (E2C) workshops, held at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO), provide an effective model for improving knowledge, teaching, and technology skills of middle and high school science educators through ongoing interactions with research scientists and educational technology. With support from an NSF GeoEd grant, E2C has developed monthly workshops, web-based resources, and summer institutes in which classroom teachers and research scientists have produced exemplar curriculum materials about a wide variety of cutting-edge geoscience investigations suitable for dissemination to teachers and students. Some of the goals of this program are focused to address questions such as: (1) What aspects of the E2C format and educational technology most effectively connect research discoveries with classroom teachers and their students? (2) What benefits result through interactions among teachers from highly diverse districts and backgrounds with research scientists, and what benefits do the scientists gain from participation? (3) How can the E2C format serve as a model for other research institution-school district partnerships as a mechanism for broader dissemination of scientific discoveries? E2C workshops have linked LDEO scientists from diverse research specialties-seismology, marine geology, paleoclimatology, ocean drilling, dendrochronology, remote sensing, impact craters, and others-with teachers from schools in the New York metropolitan area. Through the workshops, we have trained teachers to enhance content knowledge in the Earth Sciences and develop skills to incorporate new technologies. We have made a special effort to increase the teaching competency of K-12 Earth Sciences educators serving in schools with high numbers of students from underrepresented groups, thereby providing greater role models to attract students into science and math careers. E2C sponsored Earth Science Teachers Conferences, bringing together educators from New York and New

  4. Engaging Scientists with the CosmoQuest Citizen Science Virtual Research Facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grier, Jennifer A.; Gay, Pamela L.; Buxner, Sanlyn; Noel-Storr, Jacob; CosmoQuest Team

    2016-10-01

    NASA Science Mission Directorate missions and research return more data than subject matter experts (SMEs - scientists and engineers) can effectively utilize. Citizen scientist volunteers represent a robust pool of energy and talent that SMEs can draw upon to advance projects that require the processing of large quantities of images, and other data. The CosmoQuest Virtual Research Facility has developed roles and pathways to engage SMEs in ways that advance the education of the general public while producing science results publishable in peer-reviewed journals, including through the CosmoQuest Facility Small Grants Program and CosmoAcademy. Our Facility Small Grants Program is open to SMEs to fund them to work with CosmoQuest and engage the public in analysis. Ideal projects have a specific and well-defined need for additional eyes and minds to conduct basic analysis and data collection (such as crater counting, identifying lineaments, etc.) Projects selected will undergo design and implementation as Citizen Science Portals, and citizen scientists will be recruited and trained to complete the project. Users regularly receive feedback on the quality of their data. Data returned will be analyzed by the SME and the CQ Science Team for joint publication in a peer-reviewed journal. SMEs are also invited to consider presenting virtual learning courses in the subjects of their choice in CosmoAcademy. The audience for CosmoAcademy are lifelong-learners and education professionals. Classes are capped at 10, 15, or 20 students. CosmoAcademy can also produce video material to archive seminars long-term. SMEs function as advisors in many other areas of CosmoQuest, including the Educator's Zone (curricular materials for K-12 teachers), Science Fair Projects, and programs that partner to produce material for podcasts and planetaria. Visit the CosmoQuest website at cosmoquest.org to learn more, and to investigate current opportunities to engage with us. CosmoQuest is funded

  5. The Education and Outreach Project of ATLAS - A New Participant in Physics Education

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Barnett, R. Michael; Johansson, K. Erik

    2006-01-01

    The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN has a substantial collaborative Education and Outreach project. This article describes its activities and how it promotes physics to students around the world. With the extraordinary possibility to make groundbreaking discoveries, the ATLAS Experiment [1] at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN can play an important role in promoting contemporary physics at school. For many years ATLAS has had a substantial collaborative Education and Outreach (E and O) project in which physicists from various parts of the world take part. When the experiment begins in 2007, students from around the world will be analyzing data using cutting-edge technology. The unprecedented collision energies of the Large Hadron Collider allow ATLAS to decode the 'events' that unfold after the head-on collisions of protons (Fig. 1). The scientific results from these events will reveal much about the basic nature of matter, energy, space, and time. Students and others will be excited as they try to find events that may be signs for dark matter, extra dimensions of space, mini-black holes, string theory, and other fundamental discoveries. Science education and outreach and the promotion of awareness and appreciation of physics research have become important tasks for the research community and should be recognized as a natural and logical part of science research and as an important link between research and society. To be successful these activities have to be done in a systematic and professional way. Leading scientists together with multimedia experts can form a powerful team with teachers and educators in disseminating physics information to school and universities. The ATLAS collaboration has fully recognized the importance of education and outreach. The ATLAS E and O project can be a model for today's large science experiments in promoting science at schools and universities

  6. The Education and Outreach Project of ATLAS - A New Participant inPhysics Education

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barnett, R. Michael; Johansson, K. Erik

    2006-04-15

    The ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN has a substantial collaborative Education and Outreach project. This article describes its activities and how it promotes physics to students around the world. With the extraordinary possibility to make groundbreaking discoveries, the ATLAS Experiment [1] at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN can play an important role in promoting contemporary physics at school. For many years ATLAS has had a substantial collaborative Education and Outreach (E&O) project in which physicists from various parts of the world take part. When the experiment begins in 2007, students from around the world will be analyzing data using cutting-edge technology. The unprecedented collision energies of the Large Hadron Collider allow ATLAS to decode the 'events' that unfold after the head-on collisions of protons (Fig. 1). The scientific results from these events will reveal much about the basic nature of matter, energy, space, and time. Students and others will be excited as they try to find events that may be signs for dark matter, extra dimensions of space, mini-black holes, string theory, and other fundamental discoveries. Science education and outreach and the promotion of awareness and appreciation of physics research have become important tasks for the research community and should be recognized as a natural and logical part of science research and as an important link between research and society. To be successful these activities have to be done in a systematic and professional way. Leading scientists together with multimedia experts can form a powerful team with teachers and educators in disseminating physics information to school and universities. The ATLAS collaboration has fully recognized the importance of education and outreach. The ATLAS E&O project can be a model for today's large science experiments in promoting science at schools and universities.

  7. Engaging Scientists in Meaningful E/PO: How the NASA SMD E/PO Community Addresses Informal Educators' Preferences for PD and Materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartolone, Lindsay; Nelson, Andi; Smith, Denise A.; NASA SMD Astrophysics E/PO Community

    2015-01-01

    The NASA Astrophysics Science Education and Public Outreach Forum (SEPOF) coordinates the work of NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics EPO projects. These teams work together to capitalize on the cutting-edge discoveries of NASA Astrophysics missions to support educators in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and to enable youth to engage in doing STEM inside and outside of school. The Astrophysics Forum assists scientists and educators with becoming involved in SMD E/PO, which is uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise, and makes SMD E/PO resources and expertise accessible to the science and education communities. Informal educators participated in a recent nationally-distributed survey from the NASA SMD SEPOF Informal Education Working Group. The results show the preferences of staff from museums, parks, public libraries, community/afterschool centers, and others with regard to professional development and material resources. The results of the survey will be presented during this session.In addition, we present opportunities for the astronomy community to participate in collaborations supporting the NASA SMD efforts in K-12 Formal Education, Informal Science Education, and Outreach. These efforts focus on enhancing instruction, as well as youth and public engagement, in STEM via use of research-based best practices, collaborations with libraries, partnerships with local and national organizations, and remote engagement of audiences. The Forums' efforts for the Formal, Informal Science Education and Outreach communities include a literature review, appraisal of informal educators' needs, coordination of audience-based NASA resources and opportunities, professional development, plus support with the Next Generation Science Standards. Learn how to join in our collaborative efforts to support the K-12 Formal Education community and to reach the informal

  8. Young scientists in the making

    CERN Multimedia

    Corinne Pralavorio

    2011-01-01

    Some 700 local primary-school children will be trying out the scientific method for themselves from February to June. After "Draw me a physicist", the latest project "Dans la peau d’un chercheur" ("Be a scientist for a day") is designed to give children a taste of what it's like to be a scientist. Both schemes are the fruit of a partnership between CERN, "PhysiScope" (University of Geneva) and the local education authorities in the Pays de Gex and the Canton of Geneva.   Juliette Davenne (left) and Marie Bugnon (centre) from CERN's Communication Group prepare the mystery boxes for primary schools with Olivier Gaumer (right) of PhysiScope. Imagine a white box that rattles and gives off a strange smell when you shake it… How would you go about finding out what's inside it without opening it? Thirty primary-school teachers from the Pays de Gex and the Canton of Geneva tried out this exercise on Wednesday 26 ...

  9. Analyzing the Watershed Dynamics project as an example of successful science and education partnerships

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buzby, C. K.; Jona, K.

    2009-12-01

    The Watershed Dynamics project is a partnership between Northwestern University, the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science (CUAHSI), and the GLOBE Program (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment). The goal of the project is to develop inquiry-based educational materials that use authentic scientific data and analysis techniques to teach students about the watershed. The relationship between Northwestern, CUAHSI, and GLOBE allows each partner to contribute to the development of the project in the area of their expertise. Science researchers from CUAHSI share science content knowledge and data access through the development of their Hydrologic Information System (HIS). Curriculum developers at Northwestern write inquiry-based curriculum using GIS technology to access and analyze live data. The GLOBE Program is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based science education program that provides teacher training opportunities to a network of teachers around the world. This partnership allows each partner to bring their area of expertise to the project and make the best use of one another's resources. The Watershed Dynamics project can serve as a model for future partnerships between the science and education communities. The Office of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education Partnerships (OSEP) at Northwestern is a service organization that supports Northwestern researchers in developing proposals and implementing research projects that incorporate K-12 educational components, particularly in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). OSEP assists faculty with the development of sound plans for education and outreach that reflect current research on learning and educational reform and provides expertise in STEM education materials development, learning technologies, and professional development for K-12 teachers and facilitators in informal education institutions

  10. Challenges in Food Scientist Training in a global setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas Höhl

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Normal 0 21 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE Education and training were an integral part of the MoniQA Network of Excellence. Embedded in the "Spreading of excellence programme", Work Package 9 (Joint education programmes and training tools was responsible for establishing a joint training programme for food safety and quality within and beyond the network. So-called `MoniQA Food Scientist Training' (MoniQA FST was offered to provide technical knowledge on different levels and research management skills as well. Training needs for different regions as well as for different target groups (scientists, industry personnel, authorities had to be considered as well as developing strong collaboration links between network partners and related projects. Beside face-to-face workshops e-learning modules have been developed and web seminars were organized. In order to achieve high quality training, a quality assurance concept has been implemented. It turned out that these types of training are of high value in terms of bringing together scientists from different regions and cultures of the globe, involving highly qualified trainers as basis for a sustainable network in the future.

  11. Waterlust - An Example of How Online Video Can Help Scientists and Educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rynne, P.; Graham, F.; Caster, J.; Adler, J.

    2014-12-01

    Online videos and the social networks used to disseminate them provide scientists, educators, and students an opportunity to reach new audiences on a global scale. The ability to inspire people to think about a given subject that are not otherwise engaged is an important strategy in growing the societal impact of your work. Especially to those working in the field of physical science as it relates to environmental conservation and preservation, targeting new audiences helps avoid "preaching to the choir." Towards this goal, three graduate students at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science began an online film project in 2011 aimed at motivating the general public to think about their relationship with water and the marine environment. Here we present lessons from our first three years that include: tips for making an engaging video, promoting creativity and self-expression in science, video editing tips 101, getting the most out of your GoPro, and how to get your video seen by more people. For more information about our work, visit www.waterlust.org

  12. Tides, Krill, Penguins, Oh My!: Scientists and Teachers Partner in Project CONVERGE to Bring Collaborative Antarctic Research, Authentic Data, and Scientific Inquiry into the Hands of NJ and NY Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunter-thomson, K. I.; Kohut, J. T.; Florio, K.; McDonnell, J. D.; Ferraro, C.; Clark, H.; Gardner, K.; Oliver, M. J.

    2016-02-01

    How do you get middle and high school students excited about scientific inquiry? Have them join a collaborative research team in Antarctica! A comprehensive education program brought ocean science, marine ecology, and climate change impact research to more than 950 students in 2014-15 to increase their exposure to and excitement of current research. The program was integrated into a collaborative research project, involving five universities, that worked to characterize the connection between ocean circulation, plankton distribution, penguin foraging behavior, and climate change around Palmer Station, Antarctica. The scientists and education team co-led a weeklong workshop to expose 22 teachers to the research science, build relationships among the teachers and scientists, and refine the program to most effectively communicate the research to their students. In the fall, teachers taught NGSS-aligned, hands-on, data-focused classroom lessons to provide their students the necessary content to understand the project hypotheses using multiple science practices. Through a professional science blog and live video calls from Antarctica, students followed and discussed the science teams work while they were in the field. To apply the science practices the students had learned about, they designed, conducted, and analyzed their own ocean-related, inquiry-based research investigation as the culminating component of the program (results were presented at a Student Research Symposium attended by the science team). Of their own choosing, roughly half of the students used raw data from the CONVERGE research (including krill, CODAR, penguin, and glider data) for their investigations. This presentation will focus on the evaluation results of the education program to identify the aspects that successfully engaged teachers and students with scientific inquiry, science practices, and authentic data as well as the replicability of this integrated scientist-teacher partnership and

  13. Technology Foresight For Youth: A Project For Science and Technology Education in Sweden

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kendal, Anne Louise

    "Technology Foresight for Youth" is a project run by two science museums, two science centres and "Technology Foresight (Sweden)" an organization in which both business and scientists are represented. The project is designed to strengthen young people's interest in ongoing technological work, research and education. It should give them confidence in their own ability both to understand today's techniques including its influence on people's daily lives, and to influence future developments. One part of the project is aimed at school teachers, teacher cooperation groups and students in the age group 12 to 18 years. A second part encourages dialog and meetings by arranging debates, seminars, theatre, science demonstrations in cooperation with business representatives and scientists. A third important part of the project is a special exhibition to be shown at the four cooperating institutions: "To be where I am not - young people's dreams about the future". The exhibition is meant to be sensual, interactive and partly virtual. It will change and grow with time as young people contribute with their thoughts, visions and challenges. Young people in different parts of the country will be able to interact electronically with each other and with the virtual part of the exhibition. The main aim of the project is to develop new interactive pedagogic methods for science and technology based on young people's own visions about the future.

  14. PROJECT - RESOURCE MANAGEMENT OF INNOVATIONS IN EDUCATION: ANTHROPOLOGICAL PROJECTION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Galina Aleksandrovna Ignat’eva

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of the research was to denote a way to solve the problem of education mana-gement ΄s insufficient efficiency considered from the point of view of education opportunities to influence on the formation of mechanisms for sustainable development of society as a whole and its educational component. The concept «project-resource management of innovation in education» regarded on the basis of the anthropological project-transforming paradigm. Conceptually-categorical context presented by conceptual cluster composed of coordinated concepts «project», «resource», «educational reality», «organizational-resource potential», «project commonality». In the theoretical part of the study on the basis of analysis of the normative and exploratory approaches to educational innovations organization and management it was established the search approach ΄s leading role in the methodological substantiation of project-resource management. The study have indicated that in the presence of variable models of innovation management in education, corresponding to various predictive models of continuing education post-industrial society, project-resource management is an universal mechanism for the transition from separate innovation΄s precedents to the an authentic reality of innovative education. In the technological part of the study the main concern was to submit the project-resource management by the management goal’s system, each of which includes the specific management actions, projected results and the organizational forms. The project-resource management ΄s professional – activity context of the study showed evolution of managerial positions: an effective performer – an effective leader – strategist, implemented during the transition from directly directive management to the project management and further to the project-resource management. Based on the findings identified the key factors of initiatively-problem projects

  15. Analyzing prospective teachers' images of scientists using positive, negative and stereotypical images of scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subramaniam, Karthigeyan; Esprívalo Harrell, Pamela; Wojnowski, David

    2013-04-01

    Background and purpose : This study details the use of a conceptual framework to analyze prospective teachers' images of scientists to reveal their context-specific conceptions of scientists. The conceptual framework consists of context-specific conceptions related to positive, stereotypical and negative images of scientists as detailed in the literature on the images, role and work of scientists. Sample, design and method : One hundred and ninety-six drawings of scientists, generated by prospective teachers, were analyzed using the Draw-A-Scientist-Test Checklist (DAST-C), a binary linear regression and the conceptual framework. Results : The results of the binary linear regression analysis revealed a statistically significant difference for two DAST-C elements: ethnicity differences with regard to drawing a scientist who was Caucasian and gender differences for indications of danger. Analysis using the conceptual framework helped to categorize the same drawings into positive, stereotypical, negative and composite images of a scientist. Conclusions : The conceptual framework revealed that drawings were focused on the physical appearance of the scientist, and to a lesser extent on the equipment, location and science-related practices that provided the context of a scientist's role and work. Implications for teacher educators include the need to understand that there is a need to provide tools, like the conceptual framework used in this study, to help prospective teachers to confront and engage with their multidimensional perspectives of scientists in light of the current trends on perceiving and valuing scientists. In addition, teacher educators need to use the conceptual framework, which yields qualitative perspectives about drawings, together with the DAST-C, which yields quantitative measure for drawings, to help prospective teachers to gain a holistic outlook on their drawings of scientists.

  16. Science Education and the Emergence of the Specialized Scientist in Nineteenth Century Greece

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tampakis, Konstantinos

    2013-04-01

    In this paper, I describe the strong and reciprocal relations between the emergence of the specialized expert in the natural sciences and the establishment of science education, in early Modern Greece. Accordingly, I show how science and public education interacted within the Greek state from its inception in the early 1830, to the first decade of the twentieth century, when the University of Athens established an autonomous Mathematics and Physics School. Several factors are taken into account, such as the negotiations of Western educational theories and practices within a local context, the discourses of the science savants of the University of Athens, the role of the influential Greek pedagogues of the era, the state as an agent which imposed restrictions or facilitated certain developments and finally the intellectual and cultural aspirations of the nation itself. Science education is shown to be of fundamental importance for Greek scientists. The inclusion of science within the school system preceded and promoted the appearance of a scientific community and the institution of science courses was instrumental for the emergence of the first trained Greek scientists. Thus, the conventional narrative that would have science appearing in the classrooms as an aftermath of the emergence of a scientific community is problematized.

  17. Science and Exploration in the Classroom & Beyond: An Interdisciplinary STEAM Curriculum Developed by SSERVI Educators & Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becker, Tracy M.; Runyon, Cassandra; Cynthia, Hall; Britt, Daniel; Tracy Becker

    2017-10-01

    Through NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI), the Center for Lunar and Asteroid Surface Science (CLASS) and the SSERVI Evolution and Environment of Exploration Destinations (SEEED) nodes have developed an interdisciplinary formal and informal hands-on curriculum to bring the excitement of space exploration directly to the students.With a focus on exploring asteroids, this 5-year effort has infused art with traditional STEM practices (creating STEAM) and provides teachers with learning materials to incorporate art, social studies, English language arts, and other courses into the lesson plans. The formal curricula being developed follows Next Generation Standards and incorporates effective and engaging pedagogical strategies, such as problem-based learning (PBL), design thinking, and document based questions, using authentic data and articles, some of which are produced by the SSERVI scientists. From the materials developed for the formal education component, we have built up a collection of informal activities of varying lengths (minutes to weeks-long programs) to be used by museums, girl and boy scouts, science camps, etc.The curricula are being developed by formal and informal educators, artists, storytellers, and scientists. The continual feedback between the educators, artists, and scientists enables the program to evolve and mature such that the material will be accessible to the students without losing scientific merit. Online components will allow students to interact with SSERVI scientists and will ultimately infuse ongoing, exciting research into the student’s lessons.Our Education & Public Engagement (EPE) program makes a strong effort to make educational material accessible to all learners, including those with visual or hearing impairments. Specific activities have been included or independently developed to give all students an opportunity to experience the excitement of the universe.

  18. Humane Education Projects Handbook.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Junior League of Ogden, UT.

    This handbook was developed to promote interest in humane education and to encourage the adoption of humane education projects. Although specifically designed to assist Junior Leagues in developing such projects, the content should prove valuable to animal welfare organizations, zoos, aquariums, nature centers, and other project-oriented groups…

  19. Where The Wild Seafloor Scientists Are: Using Interactive Picture Books To Educate Children About Sub-seafloor Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurtz, K.

    2015-12-01

    Sub-seafloor scientific research has the power to spark the imaginations of elementary age children with its mysterious nature, cutting-edge research, and its connections to kid friendly science topics, such as volcanoes, the extinction of dinosaurs and the search for extraterrestrial life. These factors have been utilized to create two interactive eBooks for elementary students and teachers, integrating high quality science information, highly engaging and age-appropriate illustrations, and rhyming text. One book introduces children to the research and discoveries of the JOIDES Resolution research vessel. The second focuses on the discoveries of microbial life in the sub-seafloor. The eBooks present information as traditional, linear, illustrated children's books, but the eBook format allows the book to be available online for free to anyone and allows teachers to project the book on a classroom screen so all students can easily see the illustrations. The iPad versions also provide an interactive, learner-led educational experience, where cognitively appropriate videos, photos and other forms of information can be accessed with the tap of a finger to answer reader questions and enrich their learning experience. These projects provide an example and model of the products that can result from high level and meaningful partnerships between scientists, educators, artists and writers.

  20. AGU Pathfinder: Career and Professional Development Resources for Earth and Space Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harwell, D. E.; Asher, P. M.; Hankin, E. R.; Janick, N. G.; Marasco, L.

    2017-12-01

    The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is committed to inspiring and educating present and future generations of diverse, innovative, and creative Earth and space scientists. To meet our commitment, AGU provides career and educational resources, webinars, mentoring, and support for students and professionals at each level of development to reduce barriers to achievement and to promote professional advancement. AGU is also working with other organizations and educational institutions to collaborate on projects benefiting the greater geoscience community. The presentation will include an overview of current Pathfinder efforts, collaborative efforts, and an appeal for additional partnerships.

  1. Not going it alone: scientists and their work featured online at FrontierScientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Connell, E. A.; Nielsen, L.

    2015-12-01

    Science outreach demystifies science, and outreach media gives scientists a voice to engage the public. Today scientists are expected to communicate effectively not only with peers but also with a braod public audience, yet training incentiives are sometimes scarce. Media creation training is even less emphasized. Editing video to modern standards takes practice; arrangling light and framing shots isn't intuitive. While great tutorials exist, learning videography, story boarding, editing and sharing techniques will always require a commitment of time and effort. Yet ideally sharing science should be low-hanging fruit. FrontierScientists, a science-sharing website funded by the NSF, seeks to let scientists display their breakthroughs and share their excitement for their work with the public by working closely yet non-exhaustively with a professional media team. A director and videographer join scientists to film first-person accounts in the field or lab. Pictures and footage with field site explanations give media creators raw material. Scientists communicate efficiently and retain editorial control over the project, but a small team of media creators craft the public aimed content. A series of engaging short videos with narrow focuses illuminate the science. Written articles support with explanations. Social media campaigns spread the word, link content, welcome comments and keep abreast of changing web requirements. All FrontierScientists featured projects are aggregated to one mobile-friendly site available online or via an App. There groupings of Arctic-focused science provide a wealth of topics and content to explore. Scientists describe why their science is important, what drew them to it, and why the average American should care. When scientists share their work it's wonderful; a team approach is a schedule-friendly way that lets them serve as science communicators without taking up a handful of extra careers.

  2. From the Brasserie to the Classroom: The Chaîne Des Puys - Limagne Fault Unesco World Heritage Project, Scientists and Non-Scientists Communicating Geoheritage

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Wyk de Vries, B.; Olive-Garcia, C.

    2014-12-01

    Geoheritage is an effective way of transferring scientific knowledge to non-peer audiences of all types. We present our experience of the Chaîne des Puys and Limagne fault UNESCO World heritage project, which shows how geoheritage can be a very successful communication tool, especially as it draws in the non-peers into the geological process at many levels. First and foremost is the local level, as no geoheritage project can be successful without local participation. Few geological localities on Earth are now devoid of human influence or habitation, and thus those who live and work on sites are the necessary first stage custodians. This means that locals must gain some understanding of their geology in order to appreciate their heritage. As such people tend to have a close relationship with their land, this is often half way done: local land use, customs are often easily integrated with geological knowledge. Once this link exists, communicating ideas that can be useful for management or for dealing with hazards is easier. Sometimes more tricky is communication to visitors, tourists and politicians who do not have such as close link to the landscape. Here, the educational strategy has to be different, with a need for them to learn what the landscape is and how it is managed, and lived in. During the development of the World Heritage Chaîne des Puys and Limagne Fault project the project team has been composed of geoscientists actively working on the area, agronomists local administration (such as natural park and local government members), and landscape specialists. Each has engaged in communication at different levels channelled either through personal contacts, or through more formal means, such as exhibitions, talks, and websites. Scientists have become communicators, and non-peers have begun to see the landscape though a geolologist eyes. A Geological landscape has begun to emerge in the popular perception.

  3. Scientists Like Me: Faces of Discovery

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enevoldsen, A. A. G.; Culp, S.; Trinh, A.

    2010-08-01

    During the International Year of Astronomy, Pacific Science Center is hosting a photography exhibit: Scientists Like Me: Faces of Discovery. The exhibit contains photographs of real, current astronomers and scientists working in astronomy and aerospace-related fields from many races, genders, cultural affiliations and walks of life. The photographs were taken and posters designed by Alyssa Trinh and Sarah Culp, high school interns in Discovery Corps, Pacific Science Center's youth development program. The direct contact between the scientists and the interns helps the intended audience of teachers and families personally connect with scientists. The finished posters from this exhibit are available online (http://pacificsciencecenter.org/scientists) for teachers to use in their classrooms, in addition to being displayed at Pacific Science Center and becoming part of Pacific Science Center's permanent art rotation. The objective of this project was to fill a need for representative photographs of scientists in the world community. It also met two of the goals of International Year of Astronomy: to provide a modern image of science and scientists, and to improve the gender-balanced representation of scientists at all levels and promote greater involvement by all people in scientific and engineering careers. We would like to build on the success of this project and create an annual summer internship, with different interns, focusing on creating posters for different fields of science.

  4. Empowering African scientists: evaluating the CD-based installer for Scubuntu

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Fogwill, T

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available and management. The project, with feedback from the user community, continually develops and refines profiles of scientists, based on their computing and software requirements. Based on these profiles, specifications are developed that describe the OSS... and principles behind it are being applied to diverse fields, not only software. These include art, music, education and politics, where new terms like 'open source curricula', 'open source documentary', 'open source movie productions', 'open source politics...

  5. Expedition Earth and Beyond: Engaging Classrooms in Student-Led Research Using NASA Data, Access to Scientists, and Integrated Educational Strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graff, P. V.; Stefanov, W. L.; Willis, K. J.; Runco, S.; McCollum, T.; Baker, M.; Lindgren, C.; Mailhot, M.

    2011-01-01

    Classroom teachers are challenged with engaging and preparing today s students for the future. Activities are driven by state required skills, education standards, and high-stakes testing. Providing educators with standards-aligned, inquiry-based activities that will help them engage their students in student-led research in the classroom will help them teach required standards, essential skills, and help inspire their students to become motivated learners. The Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Education Program, classroom educators, and ARES scientists at the NASA Johnson Space Center created the Expedition Earth and Beyond education program to help teachers promote student-led research in their classrooms (grades 5-14) by using NASA data, providing access to scientists, and using integrated educational strategies.

  6. Geoscientist/Educator Partnerships at the University of Colorado: Strategies and Examples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buhr, S. M.; Hare, J.; Healy, G.

    2005-05-01

    According to a study about the factors that engage and hinder scientists' involvement in education and outreach (Andrews et.al., 2005), the presence of a dedicated outreach coordinator who can provide a point of contact and lessen the burden on scientists is one of the keys to success. For the past nine years, research scientists at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) have worked in partnership with just such a coordinating team, the CIRES Education and Outreach group. As funding agency emphasis on education and social impacts has increased, so have the opportunities to develop educational projects intrinsically linked to current geoscience research. One such effort is Ocean Interactions, a project which began as a ship-shore student communication opportunity at the initiation of the researcher. The roles of each contributor to the partnership will be described, along with the framework through which CIRES supports scientist/educator partnerships of this sort. Andrews, Elisabeth, Alexandra Weaver, Daniel Hanley, Jeff Hovermill, Ginger Melton. 2005. "Scientists and Public Outreach: Participation, Motivations and Impediments." Journal of Geoscience Education in press May 2005.

  7. Scientists Engage South Carolina Community in Earthquake Education and Preparedness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, C.; Beutel, E.; Jaume', S.; Levine, N.; Doyle, B.

    2008-12-01

    Scientists at the College of Charleston are working with the state of South Carolina's Emergency Management Division to increase awareness and understanding of earthquake hazards throughout South Carolina. As part of this mission, the SCEEP (South Carolina Earthquake Education and Preparedness) program was formed at the College of Charleston to promote earthquake research, outreach, and education in the state of South Carolina. Working with local, regional, state and federal offices, SCEEP has developed education programs for everyone from professional hazard management teams to formal and informal educators. SCEEP also works with the media to ensure accurate reporting of earthquake and other hazard information and to increase the public's understanding of earthquake science and earthquake seismology. As part of this program, we have developed a series of activities that can be checked out by educators for use in their classrooms and in informal education venues. These activities are designed to provide educators with the information and tools they lack to adequately, informatively, and enjoyably teach about earthquake and earth science. The toolkits contain seven activities meeting a variety of National Education Standards, not only in Science, but also in Geography, Math, Social Studies, Arts Education, History and Language Arts - providing a truly multidisciplinary toolkit for educators. The activities provide information on earthquake myths, seismic waves, elastic rebound, vectors, liquefaction, location of an epicenter, and then finally South Carolina earthquakes. The activities are engaging and inquiry based, implementing proven effective strategies for peaking learners' interest in scientific phenomena. All materials are provided within the toolkit and so it is truly check and go. While the SCEEP team has provided instructions and grade level suggestions for implementing the activity in an educational setting, the educator has full reign on what to showcase

  8. Space Sciences Education and Outreach Project of Moscow State University

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krasotkin, S.

    2006-11-01

    sciences educational activity of Moscow State University is a non-profit project and is open for all interested parties. “Space schools” for university teachers and students were held in the autumn of 2004 and 2005. The main objective of those schools was to attract interest in space research. Tutors and students who took part in these schools had never before been involved in the space sciences. The idea behind these schools was to join forces: Moscow State University scientists gave space science lectures, students from different universities (Ulianovsk, Samara, Kostroma and other Russian universities) performed the work (prepared educational material) and their university teachers managed the students. After participating in these schools, both students and teachers started to study space science related topics emphasizing the success of these schools. It is important for the educational community to understand what skills future space scientists and space industry employees must be equipped with. In the next years, emphasis is to be placed on space science education at all educational levels and better communication should be practiced between universities and industry.

  9. Career Guidance and Counseling in Educating Female Scientists Of a Developing Nation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olorode, D. O.; Olorode, G. T.

    2009-05-01

    The study area is Nigeria as a developing nation. A nation that must be developed must devote a high percentage of her resources to support the education of her women. To educate a woman is to educate a nation. This paper seeks to understand the problems of women scientists from the high school level. Three high schools were chosen, two of them are females only while one is a mixed school. Observations reveal that the problems encountered in Nigeria, by females in science education has a lot of link with lack of Career Guidance Counselors at the high school level. Where they have, female students are not advised properly in the sciences, hence majority of the girls end up with the arts and humanities. It is concluded therefore that every high school in a developing nation must have Departments of Guidance and Counseling for Science and Arts Faculties.

  10. Lobachevsky Year at Kazan University: Center of Science, Education, Intellectual-Cognitive Tourism "Kazan - GeoNa - 2020+" and "Kazan-Moon-2020+" projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gusev, A.; Trudkova, N.

    2017-09-01

    Center "GeoNa" will enable scientists and teachers of the Russian universities to join to advanced achievements of a science, information technologies; to establish scientific communications with foreign colleagues in sphere of the high technology, educational projects and Intellectual-Cognitive Tourism. The Project "Kazan - Moon - 2020+" is directed on the decision of fundamental problems of celestial mechanics, selenodesy and geophysics of the Moon(s) connected to carrying out of complex theoretical researches and computer modelling.

  11. A Guide for Scientists Interested in Researching Student Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buxner, Sanlyn R.; Anbar, Ariel; Semken, Steve; Mead, Chris; Horodyskyj, Lev; Perera, Viranga; Bruce, Geoffrey; Schönstein, David

    2015-11-01

    Scientists spend years training in their scientific discipline and are well versed the literature, methods, and innovations in their own field. Many scientists also take on teaching responsibilities with little formal training in how to implement their courses or assess their students. There is a growing body of literature of what students know in space science courses and the types of innovations that can work to increase student learning but scientists rarely have exposure to this body of literature. For scientists who are interested in more effectively understanding what their students know or investigating the impact their courses have on students, there is little guidance. Undertaking a more formal study of students poses more complexities including finding robust instruments and employing appropriate data analysis. Additionally, formal research with students involves issues of privacy and human subjects concerns, both regulated by federal laws.This poster details the important decisions and issues to consider for both course evaluation and more formal research using a course developed, facilitated, evaluated and researched by a hybrid team of scientists and science education researchers. HabWorlds, designed and implemented by a team of scientists and faculty at Arizona State University, has been using student data to continually improve the course as well as conduct formal research on students’ knowledge and attitudes in science. This ongoing project has had external funding sources to allow robust assessment not available to most instructors. This is a case study for discussing issues that are applicable to designing and assessing all science courses. Over the course of several years, instructors have refined course outcomes and learning objectives that are shared with students as a roadmap of instruction. The team has searched for appropriate tools for assessing student learning and attitudes, tested them and decided which have worked, or not, for

  12. Joint Science Education Project: Learning about polar science in Greenland

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foshee Reed, Lynn

    2014-05-01

    The Joint Science Education Project (JSEP) is a successful summer science and culture opportunity in which students and teachers from the United States, Denmark, and Greenland come together to learn about the research conducted in Greenland and the logistics involved in supporting the research. They conduct experiments first-hand and participate in inquiry-based educational activities alongside scientists and graduate students at a variety of locations in and around Kangerlussuaq, Greenland, and on the top of the ice sheet at Summit Station. The Joint Committee, a high-level forum involving the Greenlandic, Danish and U.S. governments, established the Joint Science Education Project in 2007, as a collaborative diplomatic effort during the International Polar Year to: • Educate and inspire the next generation of polar scientists; • Build strong networks of students and teachers among the three countries; and • Provide an opportunity to practice language and communication skills Since its inception, JSEP has had 82 student and 22 teacher participants and has involved numerous scientists and field researchers. The JSEP format has evolved over the years into its current state, which consists of two field-based subprograms on site in Greenland: the Greenland-led Kangerlussuaq Science Field School and the U.S.-led Arctic Science Education Week. All travel, transportation, accommodations, and meals are provided to the participants at no cost. During the 2013 Kangerlussuaq Science Field School, students and teachers gathered data in a biodiversity study, created and set geo- and EarthCaches, calculated glacial discharge at a melt-water stream and river, examined microbes and tested for chemical differences in a variety of lakes, measured ablation at the edge of the Greenland Ice Sheet, and learned about fossils, plants, animals, minerals and rocks of Greenland. In addition, the students planned and led cultural nights, sharing food, games, stories, and traditions of

  13. Working Alongside Scientists. Impacts on Primary Teacher Beliefs and Knowledge About Science and Science Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Dayle; Moeed, Azra

    2017-05-01

    Current curriculum demands require primary teachers to teach about the Nature of Science; yet, few primary teachers have had opportunity to learn about science as a discipline. Prior schooling and vicarious experiences of science may shape their beliefs about science and, as a result, their science teaching. This qualitative study describes the impact on teacher beliefs about science and science education of a programme where 26 New Zealand primary (elementary) teachers worked fulltime for 6 months alongside scientists, experiencing the nature of work in scientific research institutes. During the 6 months, teachers were supported, through a series of targeted professional development days, to make connections between their experiences working with scientists, the curriculum and the classroom. Data for the study consisted of mid- and end-of-programme written teacher reports and open-ended questionnaires collected at three points, prior to and following 6 months with the science host and after 6 to 12 months back in school. A shift in many teachers' beliefs was observed after the 6 months of working with scientists in combination with curriculum development days; for many, these changes were sustained 6 to 12 months after returning to school. Beliefs about the aims of science education became more closely aligned with the New Zealand curriculum and its goal of developing science for citizenship. Responses show greater appreciation of the value of scientific ways of thinking, deeper understanding about the nature of scientists' work and the ways in which science and society influence each other.

  14. 500 Women Scientists: Science Advocacy Through Community Action

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohon, W.; Bartel, B. A.; Pendergrass, A. G.; Ramirez, K. S.; Vijayaraghavan, R.; Weintraub, S. R.; Zelikova, T. J.

    2017-12-01

    500 Women Scientists is a grassroots organization formed in late 2016 to empower women to grow to their full potential in science, increase scientific literacy through public engagement, and advocate for science and equality. Our organization is global but we focus on building community relationships through local action. Our "pods," or local chapters, focus on issues that resonate in their communities, rooted in our mission and values. Pod members meet regularly, develop a support network, make strategic plans, and take action. In less than a year, 500 Women Scientists has already formed important partnerships and begun to work on local, regional and national projects. Nationally, we partnered with The Cairn Project to raise money to support girls in science. In an effort led by the DC pod, our members sent postcards sharing stories of how the EPA protects their communities in the #OurEPA postcard campaign. Pods have also participated in marches, including the Women's March, the March for Science and the People's Climate March. The "Summer of Op-Ed" campaign catalyzed pods and individuals to write to their local newspapers to speak up for funding science, climate change action, and general science advocacy. We have organized "strike-teams" that are working on local issues like education, the environment, climate change, and equal access to science. Additionally, pod members serve as mentors, participate in local events, hold workshops and partner with local organizations. As women scientists, we are in the position to take action to increase diversity in science and to draw attention to unacknowledged structural biases that negatively impact historically under-represented groups. 500 Women Scientists enables women in science to embrace this advocacy role, both within our scientific system and within our local communities.

  15. Assessment of the Jabiluka Project - Report of the Supervising Scientist to the World heritage Committee. Supervising Scientist report 138

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Johnston, A.; Prendergast, J.B.

    1999-01-01

    This report has been prepared in response to the request of the World Heritage Committee that the Supervising Scientist conduct a full review of scientific issues raised by the Committee's Mission to Kakadu National Park in October-November 1998. Perceived scientific uncertainty with respect to these issues had led to the Mission's conclusion that the natural values of Kakadu are threatened by the Jabiluka project. This detailed review has demonstrated that there were a number of weaknesses in the hydrological modelling presented by ERA in the EIS and the PER. Accordingly, a number of recommendations have been made which should be implemented by ERA in completing the detailed design of the Jabiluka project. On the other hand, the review has demonstrated quite clearly that, if the design of the water management system proposed by ERA in the PER had been implemented, the risk to the wetlands of Kakadu National Park, and the risk of radiation exposure to people of the region would have been extremely low. This conclusion is valid even in extreme circumstances leading to the complete failure of the structure of the water retention pond at Jabiluka. Copyright (2000) Commonwealth of Australia

  16. The Nuclear and Radiochemistry in Chemistry Education Curriculum Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Robertson, J.D.; Missouri University, Columbia, MO; Kleppinger, E.W.

    2005-01-01

    Given the mismatch between supply of and demand for nuclear scientists, education in nuclear and radiochemistry has become a serious concern. The Nuclear and Radiochemistry in Chemistry Education (NRIChEd) Curriculum Project was undertaken to reintroduce the topics normally covered in a one-semester radiochemistry course into the traditional courses of a four-year chemistry major: general chemistry, organic chemistry, quantitative and instrumental analysis, and physical chemistry. NRIChEd uses a three-pronged approach that incorporates radiochemistry topics when related topics in the basic courses are covered, presents special topics of general interest as a vehicle for teaching nuclear and radiochemistry alongside traditional chemistry, and incorporates the use of non-licensed amounts of radioactive substances in demonstrations and student laboratory experiments. This approach seeks not only to reestablish nuclear science in the chemistry curriculum, but to use it as a tool for elucidating fundamental and applied aspects of chemistry as well. Moreover, because of its relevance in many academic areas, nuclear science enriches the chemistry curriculum by encouraging interdisciplinary thinking and problem solving. (author)

  17. Web-based Tools for Educators: Outreach Activities of the Polar Radar for Ice Sheet Measurements (PRISM) Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Braaten, D. A.; Holvoet, J. F.; Gogineni, S.

    2003-12-01

    (if necessary) by teachers everywhere. The PRISM project has added a search engine for polar related tracks, and has developed numerous new tracks on robotics, polar exploration, and climate change under the guidance of a K-12 teacher advisory group. The PRISM project is also developing and hosting several other web-based lesson design tools and resources for K-12 educators and students on the PRISM project web page (http://www.ku-prism.org). These tools and resources include: i) "Polar Scientists and Explorers, Past and Present" covering the travels and/or unknown fate of polar explorers and scientists; ii) "Polar News" providing links to current news articles related to polar regions; iii) "Letter of Global Concern", which is a tool to help students draft a letter to a politician, government official, or business leader; iv) "Graphic Sleuth", which is an online utility that allows teachers to make lessons for student use; v) "Bears on Ice" for students in grades K - 6 that can follow the adventures of two stuffed bears that travel with scientists into polar regions; and vi) "K-12 Polar Resources," which provides teachers with images, information, TrackStar lessons, and a search engine designed to identify polar related lessons. In our presentation, we will describe and show examples of these tools and resources, and provide an assessment of their popularity with teachers nationwide.

  18. Sea Changes - ACT : Artists and Scientists collaborating to promote ocean activism and conservation. (www.seachanges.org)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lueker, T.

    2012-12-01

    We are a group of ocean scientists, artists, and educators working to publicize the urgent environmental problems facing our ocean environs, including overfishing, climate change and ocean acidification, and environmental degradation due to plastic and other forms of pollution. Our team leader, Kira Carrillo Corser, is an artist and educator known nationally for affecting policy and social change. Our collaboration results from the DNA of Creativity Project - the brainchild of Patricia Frischer, co-ordinator for the San Diego Visual Arts Network (http://dnaofc.weebly.com). The DNA of Creativity funded teams composed of artists and scientists with the goal of fusing the creative energies of both into projects that will enhance the public's perception of creativity, and make the complexities of art and science collaborations accessible to a new and larger audience. Sea Changes - ACT was funded initially by the DNA of Creativity Project. Our project goals are : 1) To entice people to participate in the joys of discovery of art AND science and 2) To motivate the public to work for real, committed and innovative change to protect our oceans. Part of our strategy for achieving our goals is to create a traveling art installation to illustrate the beauty of the oceans and to instill in our viewers the joys of discovery and creativity that we as scientists and artists pursue. And following this, to make the destructive changes occurring in the ocean and the future consequences more visible and understandable. We will develop lesson plans to integrate our ideas into the educational system and we are documenting our collaborative and creative process to inform future art-science collaborations. Finally, after emotionally connecting with our viewers to provide a means to ACT to make real and positive CHANGES for the future. Our project aims to build commitment and action for environmental conservation and stewardship as we combine scientific research with ways to take action

  19. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 45; The Technical Communications Practices of US Aerospace Engineers and Scientists: Results of the Phase 3 US Aerospace Engineering Educators Survey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinelli, Thomas E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

    1996-01-01

    The U.S. government technical report is a primary means by which the results of federally funded research and development (R&D) are transferred to the U.S. aerospace industry. However, little is known about this information product in terms of its actual use, importance, and value in the transfer of federally funded R&D. Little is also known about the intermediary-based system that is used to transfer the results of federally funded R&D to the U.S. aerospace industry. To help establish a body of knowledge, the U.S. government technical report is being investigated as part of the NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. In this report, we summarize the literature on technical reports, present a model that depicts the transfer of federally funded aerospace R&D via the U.S. government technical report, and present the results of research that investigated aerospace knowledge diffusion vis-a-vis the technical communication practices of U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists who were members of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and identified themselves as educators.

  20. The Oratorical Scientist: A Guide for Speechcraft and Presentation for Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lau, G. E.

    2015-12-01

    Public speaking organizations are highly valuable for individuals seeking to improve their skills in speech development and delivery. The methodology of such groups usually focuses on repetitive, guided practice. Toastmasters International, for instance, uses a curriculum based on topical manuals that guide their members through some number of prepared speeches with specific goals for each speech. I have similarly developed a public speaking manual for scientists with the intention of guiding scientists through the development and presentation of speeches that will help them hone their abilities as public speakers. I call this guide The Oratorical Scientist. The Oratorical Scientist will be a free, digital publication that is meant to guide scientists through five specific types of speech that the scientist may be called upon to deliver during their career. These five speeches are: The Coffee Talk, The Educational Talk, Research Talks for General Science Audiences, Research Talks for Specific Subdiscipline Audiences, and Taking the Big Stage (talks for public engagement). Each section of the manual focuses on speech development, rehearsal, and presentation for each of these specific types of speech. The curriculum was developed primarily from my personal experiences in public engagement. Individuals who use the manual may deliver their prepared speeches to groups of their peers (e.g. within their research group) or through video sharing websites like Youtube and Vimeo. Speeches that are broadcast online can then be followed and shared through social media networks (e.g. #OratoricalScientist), allowing a larger audience to evaluate the speech and to provide criticism. I will present The Oratorical Scientist, a guide for scientists to become better public speakers. The process of guided repetitive practice of scientific talks will improve the speaking capabilities of scientists, in turn benefitting science communication and public engagement.

  1. The State of Young Scholars and Scientists in Africa | IDRC ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    ... career decisions and research performance of young scientists in higher education, ... progression Researchers will examine the supporting and limiting factors. ... They will work with scientists, government agencies, and higher education ...

  2. Inquiry Coaching: Scientists & Science Educators Energizing the Next Generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shope, R. E.; Alcantara Valverde, L.

    2007-05-01

    A recent National Academy of Sciences report recommends that science educators focus strategically on teaching the practice of science. To accomplish this, we have devised and implemented the Science Performance Laboratory, a collaborative research, education, and workforce model that brings scientists and science educators together to conduct scientific inquiry. In this session, we demonstrate how to form active inquiry teams around Arctica Science Research content areas related to the International Polar Year. We use the term "Arctica Science Research" to refer to the entire scope of exploration and discovery relating to: polar science and its global connections; Arctic and Antarctic research and climate sciences; ice and cryospheric studies on Earth; polar regions of the Moon, Mars, and Mercury; icy worlds throughout the Solar System, such as Europa, Enceladus, Titan, Pluto and the Comets; cryovolcanism; ice in interstellar space, and beyond. We apply the notion of teaching the practice science by enacting three effective strategies: 1) The Inquiry Wheel Game, in which we develop an expanded understanding of what has been traditionally taught as "the scientific method"; 2) Acting Out the Science Story, in which we develop a physicalized expression of our conceptual understanding; and 3) Selecting Success Criteria for Inquiry Coaching, in which we reframe how we evaluate science learning as we teach the practice of science.

  3. Forensic scientists' conclusions: how readable are they for non-scientist report-users?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howes, Loene M; Kirkbride, K Paul; Kelty, Sally F; Julian, Roberta; Kemp, Nenagh

    2013-09-10

    Scientists have an ethical responsibility to assist non-scientists to understand their findings and expert opinions before they are used as decision-aids within the criminal justice system. The communication of scientific expert opinion to non-scientist audiences (e.g., police, lawyers, and judges) through expert reports is an important but under-researched issue. Readability statistics were used to assess 111 conclusions from a proficiency test in forensic glass analysis. The conclusions were written using an average of 23 words per sentence, and approximately half of the conclusions were expressed using the active voice. At an average Flesch-Kincaid Grade level of university undergraduate (Grade 13), and Flesch Reading Ease score of difficult (42), the conclusions were written at a level suitable for people with some tertiary education in science, suggesting that the intended non-scientist readers would find them difficult to read. To further analyse the readability of conclusions, descriptive features of text were used: text structure; sentence structure; vocabulary; elaboration; and coherence and unity. Descriptive analysis supported the finding that texts were written at a level difficult for non-scientists to read. Specific aspects of conclusions that may pose difficulties for non-scientists were located. Suggestions are included to assist scientists to write conclusions with increased readability for non-scientist readers, while retaining scientific integrity. In the next stage of research, the readability of expert reports in their entirety is to be explored. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Forging School-Scientist Partnerships: A Case of Easier Said than Done?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Falloon, Garry

    2013-12-01

    Since the early 1980s, a number of initiatives have been undertaken worldwide which have involved scientists and teachers working together in projects designed to support the science learning of students. Many of these have attempted to establish school-scientist partnerships. In these, scientists, teachers, and students formed teams engaged in mutually beneficial science-based activities founded on principles such as equal recognition and input, and shared vision, responsibility and risk. This article uses two partnership programmes run by a New Zealand Science Research Institute, to illustrate the challenges faced by scientists and teachers as they attempted to forge meaningful and effective partnerships. It argues that achieving the theorised position of a shared partnership space at the intersection of the worlds of scientists and teachers is problematic, and that scientists must instead be prepared to penetrate deeply into the world of the classroom when undertaking any such interactions. Findings indicate epistemological differences, curriculum and school systems and issues, and teacher efficacy and science knowledge significantly affect the process of partnership formation. Furthermore, it is argued that a re-thinking of partnerships is needed to reflect present economic and education environments, which are very different to those in which they were originally conceived nearly 30 years ago. It suggests that technology has an important role to play in future partnership interactions.

  5. Scientist-Teacher Partnerships as Professional Development: An Action Research Study

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Willcuts, Meredith H. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2009-04-01

    The overall purpose of this action research study was to explore the experiences of ten middle school science teachers involved in a three-year partnership program between scientists and teachers at a Department of Energy national laboratory, including the impact of the program on their professional development, and to improve the partnership program by developing a set of recommendations based on the study’s findings. This action research study relied on qualitative data including field notes recorded at the summer academies and data from two focus groups with teachers and scientists. Additionally, the participating teachers submitted written reflections in science notebooks, participated in open-ended telephone interviews that were transcribed verbatim, and wrote journal summaries to the Department of Energy at the end of the summer academy. The analysis of the data, collaboratively examined by the teachers, the scientists, and the science education specialist acting as co-researchers on the project, revealed five elements critical to the success of the professional development of science teachers. First, scientist-teacher partnerships are a unique contribution to the professional development of teachers of science that is not replicated in other forms of teacher training. Second, the role of the science education specialist as a bridge between the scientists and teachers is a unique and vital one, impacting all aspects of the professional development. Third, there is a paradox for classroom teachers as they view the professional development experience from two different lenses – that of learner and that of teacher. Fourth, learning for science teachers must be designed to be constructivist in nature. Fifth, the principles of the nature of science must be explicitly showcased to be seen and understood by the classroom teacher.

  6. Ask a Scientist: What is Color Blindness?

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... Disease Education Program Glaucoma Education Program Low Vision Education Program ... Eye Ask a Scientist Video Series Glossary The Visual System Your Eyes’ Natural Defenses Eye Health and Safety ...

  7. Automatic jargon identifier for scientists engaging with the public and science communication educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chapnik, Noam; Yosef, Roy; Baram-Tsabari, Ayelet

    2017-01-01

    Scientists are required to communicate science and research not only to other experts in the field, but also to scientists and experts from other fields, as well as to the public and policymakers. One fundamental suggestion when communicating with non-experts is to avoid professional jargon. However, because they are trained to speak with highly specialized language, avoiding jargon is difficult for scientists, and there is no standard to guide scientists in adjusting their messages. In this research project, we present the development and validation of the data produced by an up-to-date, scientist-friendly program for identifying jargon in popular written texts, based on a corpus of over 90 million words published in the BBC site during the years 2012–2015. The validation of results by the jargon identifier, the De-jargonizer, involved three mini studies: (1) comparison and correlation with existing frequency word lists in the literature; (2) a comparison with previous research on spoken language jargon use in TED transcripts of non-science lectures, TED transcripts of science lectures and transcripts of academic science lectures; and (3) a test of 5,000 pairs of published research abstracts and lay reader summaries describing the same article from the journals PLOS Computational Biology and PLOS Genetics. Validation procedures showed that the data classification of the De-jargonizer significantly correlates with existing frequency word lists, replicates similar jargon differences in previous studies on scientific versus general lectures, and identifies significant differences in jargon use between abstracts and lay summaries. As expected, more jargon was found in the academic abstracts than lay summaries; however, the percentage of jargon in the lay summaries exceeded the amount recommended for the public to understand the text. Thus, the De-jargonizer can help scientists identify problematic jargon when communicating science to non-experts, and be implemented

  8. Automatic jargon identifier for scientists engaging with the public and science communication educators.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tzipora Rakedzon

    Full Text Available Scientists are required to communicate science and research not only to other experts in the field, but also to scientists and experts from other fields, as well as to the public and policymakers. One fundamental suggestion when communicating with non-experts is to avoid professional jargon. However, because they are trained to speak with highly specialized language, avoiding jargon is difficult for scientists, and there is no standard to guide scientists in adjusting their messages. In this research project, we present the development and validation of the data produced by an up-to-date, scientist-friendly program for identifying jargon in popular written texts, based on a corpus of over 90 million words published in the BBC site during the years 2012-2015. The validation of results by the jargon identifier, the De-jargonizer, involved three mini studies: (1 comparison and correlation with existing frequency word lists in the literature; (2 a comparison with previous research on spoken language jargon use in TED transcripts of non-science lectures, TED transcripts of science lectures and transcripts of academic science lectures; and (3 a test of 5,000 pairs of published research abstracts and lay reader summaries describing the same article from the journals PLOS Computational Biology and PLOS Genetics. Validation procedures showed that the data classification of the De-jargonizer significantly correlates with existing frequency word lists, replicates similar jargon differences in previous studies on scientific versus general lectures, and identifies significant differences in jargon use between abstracts and lay summaries. As expected, more jargon was found in the academic abstracts than lay summaries; however, the percentage of jargon in the lay summaries exceeded the amount recommended for the public to understand the text. Thus, the De-jargonizer can help scientists identify problematic jargon when communicating science to non-experts, and

  9. Automatic jargon identifier for scientists engaging with the public and science communication educators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rakedzon, Tzipora; Segev, Elad; Chapnik, Noam; Yosef, Roy; Baram-Tsabari, Ayelet

    2017-01-01

    Scientists are required to communicate science and research not only to other experts in the field, but also to scientists and experts from other fields, as well as to the public and policymakers. One fundamental suggestion when communicating with non-experts is to avoid professional jargon. However, because they are trained to speak with highly specialized language, avoiding jargon is difficult for scientists, and there is no standard to guide scientists in adjusting their messages. In this research project, we present the development and validation of the data produced by an up-to-date, scientist-friendly program for identifying jargon in popular written texts, based on a corpus of over 90 million words published in the BBC site during the years 2012-2015. The validation of results by the jargon identifier, the De-jargonizer, involved three mini studies: (1) comparison and correlation with existing frequency word lists in the literature; (2) a comparison with previous research on spoken language jargon use in TED transcripts of non-science lectures, TED transcripts of science lectures and transcripts of academic science lectures; and (3) a test of 5,000 pairs of published research abstracts and lay reader summaries describing the same article from the journals PLOS Computational Biology and PLOS Genetics. Validation procedures showed that the data classification of the De-jargonizer significantly correlates with existing frequency word lists, replicates similar jargon differences in previous studies on scientific versus general lectures, and identifies significant differences in jargon use between abstracts and lay summaries. As expected, more jargon was found in the academic abstracts than lay summaries; however, the percentage of jargon in the lay summaries exceeded the amount recommended for the public to understand the text. Thus, the De-jargonizer can help scientists identify problematic jargon when communicating science to non-experts, and be implemented by

  10. Project Work in Networked Distance Education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Morten; Helbo, Jan; Jensen, Lars Peter

    2000-01-01

    devoted to courses and the other half to project work. A computer conference system, LuvitÒ provides facilities for the courses, as well as structured synchronous and asynchronous communication. Eight times per year two-day seminars are held at the university for intensive lectures, project work......Problem oriented project work has been the foundation for the educational system at Aalborg University since its start 25 years ago. The duration of each student project is one semester, and the students spend half of their time working on the project in groups of typically 5-6 persons....... As the experience since then has proven this to be a very successful innovation in higher education [1], it seems to be an obvious idea also to base our new distance educations on the project study form. Traditionally, however, distance education has been characterized by one-way communication and self...

  11. Astronomy in the Russian Scientific-Educational Project: "KAZAN-GEONA-2010"

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gusev, A.; Kitiashvili, I.

    2006-08-01

    The European Union promotes the Sixth Framework Programme. One of the goals of the EU Programme is opening national research and training programs. A special role in the history of the Kazan University was played by the great mathematician Nikolai Lobachevsky - the founder of non-Euclidean geometry (1826). Historically, the thousand-year old city of Kazan and the two-hundred-year old Kazan University carry out the role of the scientific, organizational, and cultural educational center of the Volga region. For the continued successful development of educational and scientific-educational activity of the Russian Federation, the Republic Tatarstan, Kazan was offered the national project: the International Center of the Sciences and Internet Technologies "GeoNa" (Geometry of Nature - GeoNa - is wisdom, enthusiasm, pride, grandeur). This is a modern complex of conference halls including the Center for Internet Technologies, a 3D Planetarium - development of the Moon, PhysicsLand, an active museum of natural sciences, an oceanarium, and a training complex "Spheres of Knowledge". Center GeoNa promotes the direct and effective channel of cooperation with scientific centers around the world. GeoNa will host conferences, congresses, fundamental scientific research sessions of the Moon and planets, and scientific-educational actions: presentation of the international scientific programs on lunar research and modern lunar databases. A more intense program of exchange between scientific centers and organizations for a better knowledge and planning of their astronomical curricula and the introduction of the teaching of astronomy are proposed. Center GeoNa will enable scientists and teachers of the Russian universities with advanced achievements in science and information technologies to join together to establish scientific communications with foreign colleagues in the sphere of the high technology and educational projects with world scientific centers.

  12. Opportunities for Scientists to Engage the Public & Inspire Students in Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughan, R. G.; Worssam, J.; Vaughan, A. F.

    2014-12-01

    Increasingly, research scientists are learning that communicating science to broad, non-specialist audiences, particularly students, is just as important as communicating science to their peers via peer-reviewed scientific publications. This presentation highlights opportunities that scientists in Flagstaff, AZ have to foster public support of science & inspire students to study STEM disciplines. The goal here is to share ideas, personal experiences, & the rewards, for both students & research professionals, of engaging in science education & public outreach. Flagstaff, AZ, "America's First STEM Community," has a uniquely rich community of organizations engaged in science & engineering research & innovation, including the Flagstaff Arboretum, Coconino Community College, Gore Industries, Lowell Observatory, Museum of Northern Arizona, National Weather Service, National Park Service, National Forest Service, Northern Arizona University, Northern Arizona Center for Entrepreneurship & Technology, US Geological Survey, US Naval Observatory, & Willow Bend Environmental Education Center. These organizations connect with the Northern Arizona community during the yearly Flagstaff Festival of Science - the third oldest science festival in the world - a 10 day long, free, science festival featuring daily public lectures, open houses, interactive science & technology exhibits, field trips, & in-school speaker programs. Many research scientists from these organizations participate in these activities, e.g., public lectures, open houses, & in-school speaker programs, & also volunteer as mentors for science & engineering themed clubs in local schools. An example of a novel, innovative program, developed by a local K-12 science teacher, is the "Scientists-in-the-Classroom" mentor program, which pairs all 7th & 8th grade students with a working research scientist for the entire school year. Led by the student & guided by the mentor, they develop a variety of science / technology

  13. Exploring Project Management Education

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Steven Nijhuis

    2017-01-01

    From the article: "The object of this paper is to explore the actual practice in project management education in the Netherlands and compare it to reference institutions and recent literature. A little over 40% of the Higher Education institutions in the Netherlands mentions PM education in

  14. Women scientists' scientific and spiritual ways of knowing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buffington, Angela Cunningham

    While science education aims for literacy regarding scientific knowledge and the work of scientists, the separation of scientific knowing from other knowing may misrepresent the knowing of scientists. The majority of science educators K-university are women. Many of these women are spiritual and integrate their scientific and spiritual ways of knowing. Understanding spiritual women of science would inform science education and serve to advance the scientific reason and spirituality debate. Using interviews and grounded theory, this study explores scientific and spiritual ways of knowing in six women of science who hold strong spiritual commitments and portray science to non-scientists. From various lived experiences, each woman comes to know through a Passive knowing of exposure and attendance, an Engaged knowing of choice, commitment and action, an Mindful/Inner knowing of prayer and meaning, a Relational knowing with others, and an Integrated lifeworld knowing where scientific knowing, spiritual knowing, and other ways of knowing are integrated. Consequences of separating ways of knowing are discussed, as are connections to current research, implications to science education, and ideas for future research. Understanding women scientists' scientific/ spiritual ways of knowing may aid science educators in linking academic science to the life-worlds of students.

  15. The PACA Project: When Amateur Astronomers Become Citizen Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yanamandra-Fisher, P. A.

    2014-12-01

    The Pro-Am Collaborative Astronomy (PACA) project evolved from the observational campaign of C/2012 S1 or C/ISON in 2013. Following the success of the professional-amateur astronomer collaboration in scientific research via social media, it is now implemented in other comet observing campaigns. While PACA identifies a consistent collaborative approach to pro-am collaborations, given the volume of data generated for each campaign, new ways of rapid data analysis, mining access and storage are needed. Several interesting results emerged from the synergistic inclusion of both social media and amateur astronomers: (1) the establishment of a network of astronomers and related professionals, that can be galvanized into action on short notice to support observing campaigns; (2) assist in various science investigations pertinent to the campaign; (3) provide an alert-sounding mechanism should the need arise; (4) immediate outreach and dissemination of results via our media/blogger members; (5) provide a forum for discussions between the imagers and modelers to help strategize the observing campaign for maximum benefit. In 2014, two new comet observing campaigns involving pro-am collaborations have been initiated: (1) C/2013 A1 (C/SidingSpring) and (2) 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko (CG), target for ESA/Rosetta mission. The evolving need for individual customized observing campaigns has been incorporated into the evolution of PACA portal that currently is focused on comets: from supporting observing campaigns of current comets, legacy data, historical comets; interconnected with social media and a set of shareable documents addressing observational strategies; consistent standards for data; data access, use, and storage, to align with the needs of professional observers. The integration of science, observations by professional and amateur astronomers, and various social media provides a dynamic and evolving collaborative partnership between professional and amateur astronomers

  16. Scientists planning new internet

    CERN Multimedia

    Cookson, C

    2000-01-01

    British scientists are preparing to build the next generation internet - 'The Grid'. The government is expected to announce about 100 million pounds of funding for the project, to be done in collaboration with CERN (1/2 p).

  17. Study of Citizen Scientist Motivations and Effectiveness of Social Media Campaigns

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gugliucci, Nicole E.; Gay, P. L.; Bracey, G.; Lehan, C.; Lewis, S.; Moore, J.; Rhea, J.

    2013-01-01

    CosmoQuest is an online citizen science and astronomy education portal that invites users to explore the universe. Since its launch in January 2012, several thousand citizen scientists have participated in mapping and discovery projects involving the Moon, the Kuiper Belt, and asteroid Vesta. Since our goal is to support community building as well as involving users with citizen science tasks, we are interested in what motivates users to join the site, participate in the science, participate in the forums, and come back to the site over a period of time. We would also like to efficiently target our social media interactions towards activities that are more likely to bring new and existing users to the site. With those goals in mind, we analyze site usage statistics and correlate them with specific, targeted social media campaigns to highlight events or projects that CosmoQuest has hosted in its first year. We also survey our users to get a more detailed look at citizen scientist motivations and the efficacy of our community building activities.

  18. The Teacher As Scientist: A Role Model for Inspiring the Next Generation of Explorers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gabrys, R.; Wasilewski, P. J.

    2003-12-01

    NASA GSFC Education is directly involved with scientists in studies of ice and snow as they seek to gain insight into the effects of snow and ice on the Earth's weather and climate. In parts of the world the water equivalent in the snow has significant cultural and economic consequences. Better techniques for remote determination of water content in the snowpacks depend on the in situ validation of satellite remote sensing. These in situ measurements and supporting lab studies are used by those who support the NASA efforts, and evaluate avalanche hazard are the same measurements and techniques that we teach in our teacher as scientist education program held annually at Lake Placid,New York -the home of the 1932 and 1980 winter Olympics. We developed this program called HOW (History of Winter) in conjunction with scientist Peter Wasilewski, GSFC Laboratory for Extraterrestrial Physics. The program brings together teachers and scientists (the latter having 55 expeditions to the Polar regions and numerous years of Lake Ice studies in their backgrounds) to broadly decipher the history of winter embedded in the measurable record of snowfall and details in lake ice. The concept is to have scientists create the mindset and framework for teacher scientists who can then facilitate the motivation of student scientists via an inquiry based structure. Additionally, we strive to have students view their science teachers not only as teachers, but also as scientists who are actively engaged in research projects in order to provide a stimulus to the students to not only consider teaching as an exciting career, but also science itself. This session will describe how the teachers are directly involved annually in the science role during a 7 day campaign in February, and then follow up with their students upon returning to the classroom. The structure of the program and protocols will be described.

  19. Everyone Knows What a Scientist Looks Like: The Image of a Modern Scientist

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enevoldsen, A. A. G.

    2008-11-01

    Children are inspired to follow career paths when they can imagine themselves there. Seeing pictures of adult individuals who look like them working in a given career can provide this spark to children's imaginations. Most (though not all) of the current available posters of scientists are of Einstein, and Einstein-like scientists. This is not representative of the current face of science. To change this, Pacific Science Center will host a photography exhibit: photographs of real, current scientists from all races, genders, beliefs, and walks of life. Photos will be taken and short biographies written by Discovery Corps Interns (Pacific Science Center's youth development program) to increase the amount of direct contact between students and scientists, and to give the exhibit an emotional connection for local teachers and families. We plan to make the photographs from this exhibit available to teachers for use in their classrooms, in addition to being displayed at Pacific Science Center during the International Year of Astronomy. The objectives of this project are to fill a need for representative photographs of scientists in the world community and to meet two of the goals of the International Year of Astronomy: to provide a modern image of science and scientists, and to improve the gender-balanced representation of scientists at all levels and promote greater involvement by under-represented minorities in scientific and engineering careers.

  20. The NASA-Macquarie University Pilbara Education Project: Connecting the public to `science in the making' via virtual reality and the Internet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliver, C. A.; Fergusson, J.; Bruce, G.; Gaskins, T.

    2006-12-01

    A 2005 international field trip to a key Mars analogue site in Western Australia was used to create a hi-tech education resource for use internationally. The NASA-Macquarie University Pilbara Education Project aims to engage high school students and the broader general community with `science in the making'. A team of educators and communicators, including a US documentary TV crew, joined 25 geologists, microbiologists, geochemists and other experts on the field trip to the Pilbara. The education team captured scientists debating different interpretations of what appears to be the best earliest evidence of life on Earth 3.5 billion years ago in situ. Initially the project was designed as a curriculum product, but difficulties in a range of areas persuaded researchers to chart a different course. While still maintaining high schools as a primary audience, designers refocused on the possibilities outside of the school gates and beyond. The paper describes the prompt for the project, its design and the impact of testing it with end users -- the students and their teachers -- in Australia and the UK.

  1. Professional identity in clinician-scientists: brokers between care and science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kluijtmans, Manon; de Haan, Else; Akkerman, Sanne; van Tartwijk, Jan

    2017-06-01

    Despite increasing numbers of publications, science often fails to significantly improve patient care. Clinician-scientists, professionals who combine care and research activities, play an important role in helping to solve this problem. However, despite the ascribed advantages of connecting scientific knowledge and inquiry with health care, clinician-scientists are scarce, especially amongst non-physicians. The education of clinician-scientists can be complex because they must form professional identities at the intersection of care and research. The successful education of clinician-scientists requires insight into how these professionals view their professional identity and how they combine distinct practices. This study sought to investigate how recently trained nurse- and physiotherapist-scientists perceive their professional identities and experience the crossing of boundaries between care and research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 nurse- and physiotherapist-scientists at 1 year after they had completed MSc research training. Interviews were thematically analysed using insights from the theoretical frameworks of dialogical self theory and boundary crossing. After research training, the initial professional identity, of clinician, remained important for novice clinician-scientists, whereas the scientist identity was experienced as additional and complementary. A meta-identity as broker, referred to as a 'bridge builder', seemed to mediate competing demands or tensions between the two positions. Obtaining and maintaining a dual work position were experienced as logistically demanding; nevertheless, it was considered beneficial for crossing the boundaries between care and research because it led to reflection on the health profession, knowledge integration, inquiry and innovation in care, improved data collection, and research with a focus on clinical applicability. Novice clinician-scientists experience dual professional identities as care

  2. CosmoQuest: Training Educators and Engaging Classrooms in Citizen Science through a Virtual Research Facility

    Science.gov (United States)

    Buxner, Sanlyn; Bracey, Georgia; Summer, Theresa; Cobb, Whitney; Gay, Pamela L.; Finkelstein, Keely D.; Gurton, Suzanne; Felix-Strishock, Lisa; Kruse, Brian; Lebofsky, Larry A.; Jones, Andrea J.; Tweed, Ann; Graff, Paige; Runco, Susan; Noel-Storr, Jacob; CosmoQuest Team

    2016-10-01

    CosmoQuest is a Citizen Science Virtual Research Facility that engages scientists, educators, students, and the public in analyzing NASA images. Often, these types of citizen science activities target enthusiastic members of the public, and additionally engage students in K-12 and college classrooms. To support educational engagement, we are developing a pipeline in which formal and informal educators and facilitators use the virtual research facility to engage students in real image analysis that is framed to provide meaningful science learning. This work also contributes to the larger project to produce publishable results. Community scientists are being solicited to propose CosmoQuest Science Projects take advantage of the virtual research facility capabilities. Each CosmoQuest Science Project will result in formal education materials, aligned with Next Generation Science Standards including the 3-dimensions of science learning; core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices. Participating scientists will contribute to companion educational materials with support from the CosmoQuest staff of data specialists and education specialists. Educators will be trained through in person and virtual workshops, and classrooms will have the opportunity to not only work with NASA data, but interface with NASA scientists. Through this project, we are bringing together subject matter experts, classrooms, and informal science organizations to share the excitement of NASA SMD science with future citizen scientists. CosmoQuest is funded through individual donations, through NASA Cooperative Agreement NNX16AC68A, and through additional grants and contracts that are listed on our website, cosmoquest.org.

  3. Leveraging, Synergies and Cloning: Thoughts on How Scientists can Multiply their Impact on Education and Public Outreach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chambers, L. H.

    2011-12-01

    An individual scientist might look at the huge numbers of students and the public who constitute a potential audience for education and public outreach (EPO) and conclude that he/she has no hope to make a difference. This talk will share some strategies that have the potential to multiply a scientist's for maximum effect, and some evidence that indeed one person CAN make a difference. The first strategy is to leverage: that is, find a person or group who already has an ongoing EPO activity that relates to your subject area, and use it as a way to get your information out to an existing, interested audience. This benefits you because you don't have to begin from scratch to build an audience for your information, and it benefits them because they get great new content to keep their audience interested. The second strategy is to synergize: that is, cooperate or coordinate with an existing EPO group, or with colleagues with similar interests. Use your expertise to develop new resources that fit into an existing program. Cooperate with an existing EPO group so they can help you navigate details like review processes, aligning your resource to education standards, and helping tailor your information to the needs of the education audience. The third strategy is to use technology to approximate cloning: that is, to propagate yourself and your information via multiple channels. However, this strategy should not be used until after you have tested and honed your information through a number of in-person interactions with the audience(s) you seek to reach, and have developed some communications skills that help you connect with students and teachers. One lesson that you may learn from such interactions is that scientists aren't like other people. We have a distinct vocabulary, culture, and habits of mind that distinguish us from others. This is a key strength for science, but sometimes a barrier for EPO. By personal contact with non-scientists, we can learn again how to

  4. Do scientists trace hot topics?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Tian; Li, Menghui; Wu, Chensheng; Yan, Xiao-Yong; Fan, Ying; Di, Zengru; Wu, Jinshan

    2013-01-01

    Do scientists follow hot topics in their scientific investigations? In this paper, by performing analysis to papers published in the American Physical Society (APS) Physical Review journals, it is found that papers are more likely to be attracted by hot fields, where the hotness of a field is measured by the number of papers belonging to the field. This indicates that scientists generally do follow hot topics. However, there are qualitative differences among scientists from various countries, among research works regarding different number of authors, different number of affiliations and different number of references. These observations could be valuable for policy makers when deciding research funding and also for individual researchers when searching for scientific projects.

  5. Climate Projections and Uncertainty Communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joslyn, Susan L; LeClerc, Jared E

    2016-01-01

    Lingering skepticism about climate change might be due in part to the way climate projections are perceived by members of the public. Variability between scientists' estimates might give the impression that scientists disagree about the fact of climate change rather than about details concerning the extent or timing. Providing uncertainty estimates might clarify that the variability is due in part to quantifiable uncertainty inherent in the prediction process, thereby increasing people's trust in climate projections. This hypothesis was tested in two experiments. Results suggest that including uncertainty estimates along with climate projections leads to an increase in participants' trust in the information. Analyses explored the roles of time, place, demographic differences (e.g., age, gender, education level, political party affiliation), and initial belief in climate change. Implications are discussed in terms of the potential benefit of adding uncertainty estimates to public climate projections. Copyright © 2015 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

  6. NQRY Coaching: Scientists and Science Educators Energizing the Next Generation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shope, R. E.

    2007-12-01

    A recent National Academy of Science report recommends that science educators focus strategically on teaching the practice of science. To accomplish this, we have devised and implemented the Science Performance Collaboratory, a collaborative research, education, and workforce model that brings scientists and science educators together to conduct scientific inquiry. In this session, we demonstrate how to form active inquiry teams around Arctica Science Research content areas related to the International Polar Year. We use the term Arctica Science Research to refer to the entire scope of exploration and discovery relating to: polar science and its global connections; Arctic and Antarctic research and climate sciences; ice and cryospheric studies on Earth; polar regions of the Moon, Mars, and Mercury; icy worlds throughout the Solar System, such as Europa, Enceladus, Titan, Pluto and the Comets; cryovolvanism; ice in interstellar space, and beyond. We apply the notion of teaching the practice science by enacting three effective strategies: 1) The Inquiry Wheel Game, in which we develop an expanded understanding of what has been traditionally taught as "the scientific method"; 2) Acting Out the Science Story, in which we develop a physicalized expression of our conceptual understanding; and 3) Selecting Success Criteria for Inquiry Coaching, in which we reframe how we evaluate science learning as we teach the practice of science.

  7. Preparing Planetary Scientists to Engage Audiences

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shupla, C. B.; Shaner, A. J.; Hackler, A. S.

    2017-12-01

    While some planetary scientists have extensive experience sharing their science with audiences, many can benefit from guidance on giving presentations or conducting activities for students. The Lunar and Planetary Institute (LPI) provides resources and trainings to support planetary scientists in their communication efforts. Trainings have included sessions for students and early career scientists at conferences (providing opportunities for them to practice their delivery and receive feedback for their poster and oral presentations), as well as separate communication workshops on how to engage various audiences. LPI has similarly begun coaching planetary scientists to help them prepare their public presentations. LPI is also helping to connect different audiences and their requests for speakers to planetary scientists. Scientists have been key contributors in developing and conducting activities in LPI education and public events. LPI is currently working with scientists to identify and redesign short planetary science activities for scientists to use with different audiences. The activities will be tied to fundamental planetary science concepts, with basic materials and simple modifications to engage different ages and audience size and background. Input from the planetary science community on these efforts is welcome. Current results and resources, as well as future opportunities will be shared.

  8. The relation between project management education and newer streams in project management research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leimbach, Timo; Goodall, Julie Bladt

    2017-01-01

    In the last decades, research in project management (PM) has experienced significant new inputs from a range of new PM methodologies and critical research streams. As a consequence, members of the more critical streams have called for the education of project managers to advance from that of trai......In the last decades, research in project management (PM) has experienced significant new inputs from a range of new PM methodologies and critical research streams. As a consequence, members of the more critical streams have called for the education of project managers to advance from...... that of training technicians, to fostering reflective practitioners that are better equipped to handle the increasing complexity of the profession. This paper is based on a recently commenced re-search project titled "Rethinking Project Management Education – the Role of Universities" that is aimed at analysing...... how the development of PM research is reflected in the education of project managers. On the basis of a short overview of the state of the art of PM education research and practices, the possible challenges for the development of PM education are discussed, and, finding that there is a lack...

  9. Optimising Impact in Astronomy for Development Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grant, Eli

    2015-08-01

    Positive outcomes in the fields of science education and international development are notoriously difficult to achieve. Among the challenges facing projects that use astronomy to improve education and socio-economic development is how to optimise project design in order to achieve the greatest possible benefits. Over the past century, medical scientists along with statisticians and economists have progressed an increasingly sophisticated and scientific approach to designing, testing and improving social intervention and public health education strategies. This talk offers a brief review of the history and current state of `intervention science'. A similar framework is then proposed for astronomy outreach and education projects, with applied examples given of how existing evidence can be used to inform project design, predict and estimate cost-effectiveness, minimise the risk of unintended negative consequences and increase the likelihood of target outcomes being achieved.

  10. Gender, Ethnicity, and Physics Education: Understanding How Black Women Build Their Identities as Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosa, Katemari Diogo da

    This research focuses on the underrepresentation of minoritized groups in scientific careers. The study is an analysis of the relationships between race, gender, and those with careers in the sciences, focusing on the lived experiences of Black women physicists, as viewed through the lens of women scientists in the United States. Although the research is geographically localized, the base-line question is clear and mirrors in the researcher's own intellectual development: "How do Black women physicists describe their experiences towards the construction of a scientific identity and the pursuit of a career in physics?" Grounded on a critical race theory perspective, the study uses storytelling to analyze how these women build their identities as scientists and how they have negotiate their multiple identities within different communities in society. Findings show that social integration is a key element for Black women physicists to enter study groups, which enables access to important resources for academic success in STEM. The study has implications for physics education and policymakers. The study reveals the role of the different communities that these women are part of, and the importance of public policies targeted to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in science, especially through after-school programs and financial support through higher education.

  11. Projects: viable alternatives in the Environmental Education?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marcos Jose Terossi

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available In this article we are going to develop the reflection about the projects, its genesis, its use in education and environmental education.To this end, we will promote the discussion about the so-called "method of projects" and "projects pedagogy", with a comparison between them and outlining the approach that we consider most appropriate to EA, its limits and possibilities within the critical perspective, manufacturing and emancipatory education.

  12. Romanian Educational Seismic Network Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tataru, Dragos; Ionescu, Constantin; Zaharia, Bogdan; Grecu, Bogdan; Tibu, Speranta; Popa, Mihaela; Borleanu, Felix; Toma, Dragos; Brisan, Nicoleta; Georgescu, Emil-Sever; Dobre, Daniela; Dragomir, Claudiu-Sorin

    2013-04-01

    Romania is one of the most active seismic countries in Europe, with more than 500 earthquakes occurring every year. The seismic hazard of Romania is relatively high and thus understanding the earthquake phenomena and their effects at the earth surface represents an important step toward the education of population in earthquake affected regions of the country and aims to raise the awareness about the earthquake risk and possible mitigation actions. In this direction, the first national educational project in the field of seismology has recently started in Romania: the ROmanian EDUcational SEISmic NETwork (ROEDUSEIS-NET) project. It involves four partners: the National Institute for Earth Physics as coordinator, the National Institute for Research and Development in Construction, Urban Planning and Sustainable Spatial Development " URBAN - INCERC" Bucharest, the Babeş-Bolyai University (Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Engineering) and the software firm "BETA Software". The project has many educational, scientific and social goals. The main educational objectives are: training students and teachers in the analysis and interpretation of seismological data, preparing of several comprehensive educational materials, designing and testing didactic activities using informatics and web-oriented tools. The scientific objective is to introduce into schools the use of advanced instruments and experimental methods that are usually restricted to research laboratories, with the main product being the creation of an earthquake waveform archive. Thus a large amount of such data will be used by students and teachers for educational purposes. For the social objectives, the project represents an effective instrument for informing and creating an awareness of the seismic risk, for experimentation into the efficacy of scientific communication, and for an increase in the direct involvement of schools and the general public. A network of nine seismic stations with SEP seismometers

  13. An innovative educational approach to professional development of medical laboratory scientists in Botswana

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magowe MK

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Mabel KM Magowe,1 Jenny H Ledikwe,2,3 Ishmael Kasvosve,1 Robert Martin,2 Kabo Thankane,3 Bazghina-werq Semo2,31Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana; 2Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA; 3Botswana International Training and Education Center for Health, Gaborone, BotswanaPurpose: To address the shortage of laboratory scientists in Botswana, an innovative, one-year academic bridging program was initiated at the University of Botswana, to advance diploma-holding laboratory technicians towards becoming laboratory scientists holding Bachelor’s degrees. An evaluation was conducted, which described the outcomes of the program and the lessons learned from this novel approach to meeting human resource needs.Methods: This was a cross-sectional, mixed-methods evaluation. Qualitative interviews were conducted with graduates of the Bachelor of Science (BSc Medical Laboratory Sciences (MLS bridging program, along with the graduates’ current supervisors, and key informants who were involved in program development or implementation. The quantitative data collected included a written questionnaire, completed by program graduates, with a retrospective pre-test/post-test survey of graduates’ confidence, in terms of key laboratory competencies.Results: The BSc MLS bridging program produced thirty-three laboratory scientists over 3 years. There was a significant increase in confidence among graduates, for specified competencies, after the program (P<0.05. Graduates reported acquiring new skills and, often, accepting new responsibilities at their former workplace, particularly in relationship to leadership and management. Five graduates enrolled in advanced degree programs. Most graduates assumed increased responsibility. However, only two graduates were promoted after completing the training program. The lessons learned include: the importance of stakeholder involvement, the need for

  14. Preparing Teachers to Train the Next Generation of Scientists with the AMS DataStreme Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abshire, W. E.; Geer, I. W.; Weinbeck, R. S.; Mills, E. W.; Nugnes, K. A.; Stimach, A. E.

    2016-12-01

    K-12 teacher professional development rich in content and pedagogical methods and materials for implementation of STEM concepts in the classroom will enhance teacher preparation and practice, and ultimately student learning is the purpose of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) DataStreme Project. DataStreme Atmosphere, Ocean, and Earth's Climate System (ECS) are offered each fall and spring semester by Local Implementation Teams across the country in coordination with AMS Education Program scientists and educators. Participants may receive 3 tuition-free graduate credits through State University of New York's The College at Brockport upon completion of each course and construction of a Plan of Action for peer-training. Peer training is a key focus of DataStreme. Based on survey results, a DataStreme participant impacts an average of up to 10 other teachers and over 350 students within two years of training. Therefore, the 220 teachers who completed a DataStreme course in fall 2015 will likely reach over 2000 teachers and close to 77,000 students within two years. Further, DataStreme improves teachers' pedagogical abilities. According to the fall 2015 pre-survey of DataStreme ECS participants, approximately 15% of participants rated their pedagogical abilities in the Superior or Exemplary levels (highest rankings). On the post-survey, 59% of participants fell in these categories, clearly highlighting the positive shift. This survey also revealed teachers' ability to use climate-science content to stimulate student interests. The AMS looks to further this success with redevelopment of a previously offered K-12 teacher professional development course focused on water. From 2001-2008, AMS offered DataStreme Water in the Earth System, training 3145 teachers on the global water cycle. AMS is eager to continue helping teachers and students improve their understanding of water processes and overall environmental science literacy.

  15. Exploring Native American Students' Perceptions of Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laubach, Timothy A.; Crofford, Geary Don; Marek, Edmund A.

    2012-07-01

    The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore Native American (NA) students' perceptions of scientists by using the Draw-A-Scientist Test and to determine if differences in these perceptions exist between grade level, gender, and level of cultural tradition. Data were collected for students in Grades 9-12 within a NA grant off-reservation boarding school. A total of 133 NA students were asked to draw a picture of a scientist at work and to provide a written explanation as to what the scientist was doing. A content analysis of the drawings indicated that the level of stereotype differed between all NA subgroups, but analysis of variance revealed that these differences were not significant between groups except for students who practised native cultural tradition at home compared to students who did not practise native cultural tradition at home (p educational and career science, technology, engineering, and mathematics paths in the future. The educational implication is that once initial perceptions are identified, researchers and teachers can provide meaningful experiences to combat the stereotypes.

  16. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 28: The technical communication practices of Russian and US aerospace engineers and scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinelli, Thomas E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Keene, Michael L.; Flammia, Madelyn; Kennedy, John M.

    1993-01-01

    As part of Phase 4 of the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project, two studies were conducted that investigated the technical communication practices of Russian and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists. Both studies had the same five objectives: first, to solicit the opinions of aerospace engineers and scientists regarding the importance of technical communication to their professions; second, to determine the use and production of technical communication by aerospace engineers and scientists; third, to seek their views about the appropriate content of the undergraduate course in technical communication; fourth, to determine aerospace engineers' and scientists' use of libraries, technical information centers, and on-line databases; and fifth, to determine the use and importance of computer and information technology to them. A self administered questionnaire was distributed to Russian aerospace engineers and scientists at the Central Aero-Hydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) and to their U.S. counterparts at the NASA Ames Research Center and the NASA Langley Research Center. The completion rates for the Russian and U.S. surveys were 64 and 61 percent, respectively. Responses of the Russian and U.S. participants to selected questions are presented in this paper.

  17. Broader Impact Guidance for Florida Ocean Scientists: Process, Products and Outcomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, S.

    2016-02-01

    In response to the 2011 National Science Board report National Science Foundation's Merit Review Criteria: Review and Revision, in 2012 significant changes were made to the portions of the National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Grant Proposal Guide that describe the Foundation's expectations with respect to the Broader Impacts (BI) criterion and what reviewers should look for in assessing the quality of the required BI components of proposals. Over the past 5 years, COSEE Florida (the Florida Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence) has provided individualized content and editorial `coaching' on Broader Impacts for Florida scientists and educators submitting proposals to NSF. As of September 2015, 32% of the plans prepared with our guidance have been associated with projects that have received support. This presentation will review 1) the current BI guidance provided by NSF in the 2012 and subsequent editions of the Grant Proposal Guide, 2) the administrative process used by COSEE Florida to identify and assist scientists in understanding these changes and preparing fundable BI plans, 3) the characteristics of submitted plans in terms of type of plan, PI career stage and demographics 4) `lessons learned' about plan strengths and weaknesses and 5) the products developed (or currently under development) as COSEE Florida legacy documents to guide current and future scientists in addressing the Broader Impacts criterion. Resources developed by other Centers in the national COSEE network and the new National Alliance for Broader Impacts (NABI) will also be described.

  18. Involving Practicing Scientists in K-12 Science Teacher Professional Development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertram, K. B.

    2011-12-01

    The Science Teacher Education Program (STEP) offered a unique framework for creating professional development courses focused on Arctic research from 2006-2009. Under the STEP framework, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training was delivered by teams of practicing Arctic researchers in partnership with master teachers with 20+ years experience teaching STEM content in K-12 classrooms. Courses based on the framework were offered to educators across Alaska. STEP offered in-person summer-intensive institutes and follow-on audio-conferenced field-test courses during the academic year, supplemented by online scientist mentorship for teachers. During STEP courses, teams of scientists offered in-depth STEM content instruction at the graduate level for teachers of all grade levels. STEP graduate-level training culminated in the translation of information and data learned from Arctic scientists into standard-aligned lessons designed for immediate use in K-12 classrooms. This presentation will focus on research that explored the question: To what degree was scientist involvement beneficial to teacher training and to what degree was STEP scientist involvement beneficial to scientist instructors? Data sources reveal consistently high levels of ongoing (4 year) scientist and teacher participation; high STEM content learning outcomes for teachers; high STEM content learning outcomes for students; high ratings of STEP courses by scientists and teachers; and a discussion of the reasons scientists indicate they benefited from STEP involvement. Analyses of open-ended comments by teachers and scientists support and clarify these findings. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze teacher and scientist qualitative feedback. Comments were coded and patterns analyzed in three databases. The vast majority of teacher open-ended comments indicate that STEP involvement improved K-12 STEM classroom instruction, and the vast majority of scientist open-ended comments

  19. AITI and GELATI - Initiatives to promote education and training for the next generation of educators and scientists during the IPY 2007/08 and beyond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, S. W.; Bouchard, M.; Das, S.; Gillermann, J.; Greve, R.; Matsuoka, K.; Pasotti, J.; Tweedie, C.

    2005-05-01

    The fourth International Polar Year (IPY) in 2007/08 provides a unique opportunity to enhance international collaboration in research and education. Here we present an IPY-teaching initiative (AITI), which proposes to develop an interdisciplinary international short course series promoting and fostering education and training of the next generation(s) of scientists and educators interested in natural and social sciences related to Polar Regions; a short course series (GELATI) focusing on the impact of the cryosphere on the Earth system. The main goals of the short course series are to: a) provide education and training for the next generation of graduate students, science teachers, researchers in science related to Polar Regions; b) provide training for junior faculty c) integrate research and education; d) create awareness for Polar Regions related questions in class-rooms and beyond; e) create international partnerships in education and training; f) promote multidisciplinary thinking; g) increase gender diversity in science and teaching; h) encourage minority participation. To achieve these goals it is intended to develop a curriculum of specialized and interdisciplinary courses considering various aspects of science and scientific activities, which study, or are concerned with processes/developments in Polar Regions. Due to the vast dimensions and distribution of Polar Regions across international boundaries as well as the complexity of environmental studies in Polar Regions these courses will internationally pool students and instructors. Pooling of experts and students internationally will not only ensure highest standards but also foster international partnership. To allow the integration of research and teaching and to provide the best possible study environment the up to two to three weeklong, courses will be held at international field stations or will be incorporated into large research projects. To ensure training of the next generation of

  20. Campania Region's Educational Quality Facilities Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ponti, Giorgio

    2009-01-01

    This article describes the Educational Quality Facilities project undertaken by Italy's Campania Region to provide quality facilities to all of its communities basing new spaces on the "Flexible Learning Module". The objectives of the five-year project are to: build and equip new educational spaces; improve the quality of existing…

  1. Project Management in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alpert, Shannon Atkinson

    2011-01-01

    This study identified factors that influenced the use of project management in higher education research projects. Using a qualitative grounded theory approach that included in-depth interviews with assistant professors, the researcher examined how these individuals were using project management processes and tools and factors that enabled,…

  2. Ask a Scientist: What is Color Blindness?

    Medline Plus

    Full Text Available ... History of the NEI NEI 50th Anniversary NEI Women Scientists Advisory Committee (WSAC) Board of Scientific Counselors ... Emily Y. Chew, M.D., Deputy Clinical Director Education Programs National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) Diabetic ...

  3. Using the Draw-a-Scientist Test for Inquiry and Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miele, Eleanor

    2014-01-01

    The Draw-a-Scientist Test (DAST) is a tool to assess stereotypical imagery of scientists. This paper describes the use of the DAST as both a model for inquiry and as a method of assessing the affective domain. The DAST was administered in a science education methods course for undergraduate students of elementary education, a methods course for…

  4. Project Work in Networked Distance Education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Morten; Helbo, Jan; Jensen, Lars Peter

    2000-01-01

    -study, whereas the project study form is based on collaboration and dialogue. Consequently, successful implementation of project work in distance education requires extensive utilisation of new information and communication technology. In this paper the experiences of project work in a new Master of Industrial...... devoted to courses and the other half to project work. A computer conference system, LuvitÒ provides facilities for the courses, as well as structured synchronous and asynchronous communication. Eight times per year two-day seminars are held at the university for intensive lectures, project work......Problem oriented project work has been the foundation for the educational system at Aalborg University since its start 25 years ago. The duration of each student project is one semester, and the students spend half of their time working on the project in groups of typically 5-6 persons...

  5. Citizen Science Opportunity With the NASA Heliophysics Education Consortium (HEC)-Radio JOVE Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fung, S. F.; Higgins, C.; Thieman, J.; Garcia, L. N.; Young, C. A.

    2016-12-01

    The Radio JOVE project has long been a hands-on inquiry-based educational project that allows students, teachers and the general public to learn and practice radio astronomy by building their own radio antenna and receiver system from an inexpensive kit that operates at 20.1 MHz and/or using remote radio telescopes through the Internet. Radio JOVE participants observe and analyze natural radio emissions from Jupiter and the Sun. Within the last few years, several Radio JOVE amateurs have upgraded their equipment to make semi-professional spectrographic observations in the frequency band of 15-30 MHz. Due to the widely distributed Radio JOVE observing stations across the US, the Radio JOVE observations can uniquely augment observations by professional telescopes, such as the Long Wavelength Array (LWA) . The Radio JOVE project has recently partnered with the NASA Heliophysics Education Consortium (HEC) to work with students and interested amateur radio astronomers to establish additional spectrograph and single-frequency Radio JOVE stations. These additional Radio JOVE stations will help build a larger amateur radio science network and increase the spatial coverage of long-wavelength radio observations across the US. Our presentation will describe the Radio JOVE project within the context of the HEC. We will discuss the potential for citizen scientists to make and use Radio JOVE observations to study solar radio bursts (particularly during the upcoming solar eclipse in August 2017) and Jovian radio emissions. Radio JOVE observations will also be used to study ionospheric radio scintillation, promoting appreciation and understanding of this important space weather effect.

  6. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 15: Technical uncertainty and project complexity as correlates of information use by US industry-affiliated aerospace engineers and scientists: Results of an exploratory investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinelli, Thomas E.; Glassman, Nanci A.; Affelder, Linda O.; Hecht, Laura M.; Kennedy, John M.; Barclay, Rebecca O.

    1993-01-01

    An exploratory study was conducted that investigated the influence of technical uncertainty and project complexity on information use by U.S. industry-affiliated aerospace engineers and scientists. The study utilized survey research in the form of a self-administered mail questionnaire. U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists on the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) mailing list served as the study population. The adjusted response rate was 67 percent. The survey instrument is appendix C to this report. Statistically significant relationships were found to exist between technical uncertainty, project complexity, and information use. Statistically significant relationships were found to exist between technical uncertainty, project complexity, and the use of federally funded aerospace R&D. The results of this investigation are relevant to researchers investigating information-seeking behavior of aerospace engineers. They are also relevant to R&D managers and policy planners concerned with transferring the results of federally funded aerospace R&D to the U.S. aerospace industry.

  7. UPDATING THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF PROJECT EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY IN FUTURE MUSIC TEACHERS’ VOCAL AND CHORAL TRAINING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liang Haiye

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to characterizing features of implementing project technology into future music teachers’ vocal and choral training. The analysis of scientific papers of outstanding scientists in philosophy, psychology, and art education, which deal with modern directions of using project technology, highlight its role in art education process. A methodological base is supported by considering contemporary scientific researches, in particular the theory and methodology of musical studies in accordance with forming students’ independence in the process of solving educational problems by means of project technology; developing principles of students’ professional training optimization on the basis of project activity; innovative development of future music teachers’ professional training that gives to the presented material novelty and presentable appearance. Studying future music teachers’ vocal and choral training as a process of constructing that has a special purpose of improving the quality descriptions of educational vocal and choral collective sound functioning, the author of the article discloses the basic principles of implementing project technology into future music teachers’ vocal and choral training. The author of the article pays the special attention to revealing specific features and maintenance of project technology in vocal and choral training of future leaders of child's art groups. An emphasis is made on the following basic factors that influence development of students’ creative individuality: constructing projects of their own becoming; setting aims, tasks, strategies and facilities of vocal and choral work; directing to the result; independent creative activity; presentation, reflection and correction of a project. On the basis of the obtained data the following principles of project technology are put forward in future music teachers’ vocal and choral training: principle of independence; principle of

  8. Youth Education - Programs / Projects

    OpenAIRE

    2004-01-01

    Christine Bozak: 4-H Steers that Work. Rebecca Brooks: Relationship Skills Education. Travis Burke: Defining Competency in the 4-H Professional’s Job. Holly L. Hays Butler: 4-H at the Indiana School for the Deaf . Kevin D. Chilek: Quality Assurance Program for Youth Livestock Exhibitors. Graham Cochran: Lessons from an Innovative Urban Youth Education Center. Steve Cramer: Use Activities Fun and Humor to Teach Character Education. Annette Devitt: Life on the Farm Project. Janet Edwards: Emot...

  9. [Academician Vladas Lasas -- distinguished Lithuanian scientist, organizer and educator].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Padegimas, Bernardas; Abraitis, Romualdas

    2002-01-01

    The material of this publication is dedicated to the memory of Professor Vladas Lasas, honored scientist of Lithuania, member of Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and corresponding member of the Academy of Medicine of the USSR. V. Lasas was born on January 13th, 1892, on a farmstead in Rokiskis region, Lithuania. He died on January 2nd, 1966 in Kaunas. V. Lasas studied medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of Tartu (Dorpat) University and graduated from it in 1918. In 1921 he was invited to deliver lectures on physiology at the newly organized Higher Courses in Kaunas. During 1920-1924 he attended higher educational establishments of Prague, Berlin, Lausanne and Paris. In 1924 V. Lasas worked on probation in Lausanne under supervision of famous scientist M. Arthus, the founder of experimental allergy--anaphylaxis, in the field of experimental anaphylaxis, desensibilization, enteral sensibilization and resorption of native albumins, transfer of allergic state from mother to fetus, the role of interoceptors and biologically active substances in the formation and development of anaphylaxis. Over 40 scientific papers were published and 12 doctoral these were maintained, dealing with these problems. From 1924 to 1940 and from 1944 to 1946 V. Lasas acted as dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Kaunas University. During this period he displayed great organizational talent, and on his initiative three basic clinical buildings were built for the Faculty of Medicine. In 1946 V. Lasas was elected as academician and appointed as secretary-in-charge of natural mathematical and applied science of the Academy of Sciences of Lithuania. V. Lasas was the founder and longstanding chairman of the Lithuanian Physiological Society. Alone and with coauthors he has published 16 original textbooks. The list of his bibliography accounts to 229 publications.

  10. Group Organized Project Work in Distance Education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Helbo, Jan; Knudsen, Morten; Jensen, Lars Peter

    2001-01-01

    Project organized problem based learning is a successful concept for on-campus education at Aalborg University. Recently this "Aalborg concept" has been used in networked distance education as well. This paper describes the experiences from two years of Internet-mediated project work in a new...... Master of Information Technology education. The main conclusions are, that the project work is a strong learning motivator, enhancing peer collaboration, for off-campus students as well. However, the concept cannot be directly transferred to off-campus learning. The main reasons are that the students...... must communicate electronically, and that they are under a fierce time strain, studying part time and typically with a full time job and a family. In this paper, the main problems experienced with group organized project work in distance education are described, and some possible solutions are listed...

  11. Project organized Problem-based learning in Distance Education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Lars Peter; Helbo, Jan; Knudsen, Morten

    2002-01-01

    Project organized problem based learning is a successful concept for on-campus engineering education at Aalborg University. Recently this "Aalborg concept" has been used in networked distance education as well. This paper describes the experiences from two years of Internet-mediated project work...... in a new Master of Information Technology education. The main conclusions are, that the project work is a strong learning motivator, enhancing peer collaboration, for off-campus students as well. However, the concept cannot be directly transferred to off-campus learning. In this paper, the main problems...... experienced with group organized project work in distance education are described, and some possible solutions are listed....

  12. Project-Organized Problem-Based Learning in Distance Education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Lars Peter; Helbo, Jan; Knudsen, Morten

    2003-01-01

    Project organized problem based learning is a successful concept for on-campus engineering education at Aalborg University. Recently this "Aalborg concept" has been used in networked distance education as well. This paper describes the experiences from two years of Internet-mediated project work...... in a new Master of Information Technology education. The main conclusions are, that the project work is a strong learning motivator, enhancing peer collaboration, for off-campus students as well. However, the concept cannot be directly transferred to off-campus learning. In this paper, the main problems...... experienced with group organized project work in distance education are described, and some possible solutions are listed....

  13. Educational radio to encourage the scientific vocations: The ‘Laboratory Mice’ project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Martín-Pena

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the scientific dissemination project ‘Laboratory mice’ is to approach to science, through education radio, to elementary students in Extremadura (Spain. This innovative initiative has allowed to reach nearly half a thousand students between 9 and 13 years old. An informative experience with a novel work methodology consisting in the elaboration of radio spaces where the leads have been the students themselves, who have previously received practical workshops carried out by researchers from the University of Extremadura and who explain the scientific issues of daily life. In this article is hoped to explain all the stages of Project and investigation instruments that have been used to know the student experiences and how have actions influenced in the public perception of science between the school community at an early ages. The main conclusion has been the improvement of the perception by the student of the work done by the scientists and the increase of the interest in the subjects connected to the scientific scope in favor of the STEM vocations.

  14. Tools for Scientist Engagement in E/PO: NASA SMD Community Workspace and Online Resources

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dalton, H.; Shipp, S. S.; Grier, J.; Gross, N. A.; Buxner, S.; Bartolone, L.; Peticolas, L. M.; Woroner, M.; Schwerin, T. G.

    2014-12-01

    The Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) Forums are here to help you get involved in E/PO! The Forums have been developing several online resources to support scientists who are - or who are interested in becoming - involved in E/PO. These include NASA Wavelength, EarthSpace, and the SMD E/PO online community workspace. NASA Wavelength is the one-stop shop of all peer-reviewed NASA education resources to find materials you - or your audiences - can use. Browse by audience (pre-K through 12, higher education, and informal education) or topic, or choose to search for something specific by keyword and audience. http://nasawavelength.org. EarthSpace, an online clearinghouse of Earth and space materials for use in the higher education classroom, is driven by a powerful search engine that allows you to browse the collection of resources by science topic, audience, type of material or key terms. All materials are peer-reviewed before posting, and because all submissions receive a digital object identifier (doi), submitted materials can be listed as publications. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/earthspace. The SMD E/PO online community workspace contains many resources for scientists. These include one-page guides on how to get involved, tips on how to make the most of your time spent on E/PO, and sample activities, as well as news on funding, policy, and what's happening in the E/PO community. The workspace also provides scientists and the public pathways to find opportunities for participation in E/PO, to learn about SMD E/PO projects and their impacts, to connect with SMD E/PO practitioners, and to explore resources to improve professional E/PO practice, including literature reviews, information about the Next Generation Science Standards, and best practices in evaluation and engaging diverse audiences. http://smdepo.org.

  15. Science Education and Public Outreach Forums (SEPOF): Providing Coordination and Support for NASA's Science Mission Directorate Education and Outreach Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendez, B. J.; Smith, D.; Shipp, S. S.; Schwerin, T. G.; Stockman, S. A.; Cooper, L. P.; Peticolas, L. M.

    2009-12-01

    NASA is working with four newly-formed Science Education and Public Outreach Forums (SEPOFs) to increase the overall coherence of the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program. SEPOFs support the astrophysics, heliophysics, planetary and Earth science divisions of NASA SMD in three core areas: * E/PO Community Engagement and Development * E/PO Product and Project Activity Analysis * Science Education and Public Outreach Forum Coordination Committee Service. SEPOFs are collaborating with NASA and external science and education and outreach communities in E/PO on multiple levels ranging from the mission and non-mission E/PO project activity managers, project activity partners, and scientists and researchers, to front line agents such as naturalists/interpreters, teachers, and higher education faculty, to high level agents such as leadership at state education offices, local schools, higher education institutions, and professional societies. The overall goal for the SEPOFs is increased awareness, knowledge, and understanding of scientists, researchers, engineers, technologists, educators, product developers, and dissemination agents of best practices, existing NASA resources, and community expertise applicable to E/PO. By coordinating and supporting the NASA E/PO Community, the NASA/SEPOF partnerships will lead to more effective, sustainable, and efficient utilization of NASA science discoveries and learning experiences.

  16. Scientists in the Classroom Mentor Model Program - Bringing real time science into the K - 12 classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Worssam, J. B.

    2017-12-01

    Field research finally within classroom walls, data driven, hands on with students using a series of electronic projects to show evidence of scientific mentor collaboration. You do not want to miss this session in which I will be sharing the steps to develop an interactive mentor program between scientists in the field and students in the classroom. Using next generation science standards and common core language skills you will be able to blend scientific exploration with scientific writing and communication skills. Learn how to make connections in your own community with STEM businesses, agencies and organizations. Learn how to connect with scientists across the globe to make your classroom instruction interactive and live for all students. Scientists, you too will want to participate, see how you can reach out and be a part of the K-12 educational system with students learning about YOUR science, a great component for NSF grants! "Scientists in the Classroom," a model program for all, bringing real time science, data and knowledge into the classroom.

  17. The Cosmic Ray Observatory Project: Results of a Summer High-School Student, Teacher, University Scientist Partnership Using a Capstone Research Experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shell, Duane F.; Snow, Gregory R.; Claes, Daniel R.

    2011-01-01

    This paper reports results from evaluation of the Cosmic Ray Observatory Project (CROP), a student, teacher, scientist partnership to engage high-school students and teachers in school based cosmic ray research. Specifically, this study examined whether an intensive summer workshop experience could effectively prepare teacher-student teams to…

  18. Sun-Earth Scientists and Native Americans Collaborate on Sun-Earth Day

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, C. Y.; Lopez, R. E.; Hawkins, I.

    2004-12-01

    Sun-Earth Connection scientists have established partnerships with several minority professional societies to reach out to the blacks, Hispanics and Native American students. Working with NSBP, SACNAS, AISES and NSHP, SEC scientists were able to speak in their board meetings and national conferences, to network with minority scientists, and to engage them in Sun-Earth Day. Through these opportunities and programs, scientists have introduced NASA research results as well indigenous views of science. They also serve as role models in various communities. Since the theme for Sun-Earth Day 2005 is Ancient Observatories: Timeless Knowledge, scientists and education specialists are hopeful to excite many with diverse backgrounds. Sun-Earth Day is a highly visible annual program since 2001 that touches millions of students and the general public. Interviews, classroom activities and other education resources are available on the web at sunearthday.nasa.gov.

  19. Involvement of scientists in the NASA Office of Space Science education and public outreach program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beck-Winchatz, Bernhard

    2005-01-01

    Since the mid-1990's NASA's Office of Space Science (OSS) has embarked on an astronomy and space science education and public outreach (E/PO) program. Its goals are to share the excitement of space science discoveries with the public, and to enhance the quality of science, mathematics and technology education, particularly at the precollege level. A key feature of the OSS program is the direct involvement of space scientists. The majority of the funding for E/PO is allocated to flight missions, which spend 1%-2% of their total budget on E/PO, and to individual research grants. This paper presents an overview of the program's goals, objectives, philosophy, and infrastructure

  20. Project-Based Collaborative Learning in Distance Education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Morten; Bajard, C.; Helbo, Jan

    2003-01-01

    This article describes the experiences drawn from an experiment in transferring positive experience with a project-organised on-campus engineering programme to a technology supported distance education programme. Three years of experience with the Master of Industrial Information Technology (MII)......, didactic adjustments have been made based on feedback, in particular from evaluation questionnaires. This process has been very constructive in approaching the goal: a successful model for project organized learning in distance education.......) programme indicates, however, that adjustments are required in transforming the on-campus model to distance education. The main problem is that while project work is an excellent regulator of the learning process for on-campus students, this does not seem to be the case for off-campus students. Consequently......This article describes the experiences drawn from an experiment in transferring positive experience with a project-organised on-campus engineering programme to a technology supported distance education programme. Three years of experience with the Master of Industrial Information Technology (MII...

  1. To Crowdfund Research, Scientists Must Build an Audience for Their Work.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrnes, Jarrett E K; Ranganathan, Jai; Walker, Barbara L E; Faulkes, Zen

    2014-01-01

    As rates of traditional sources of scientific funding decline, scientists have become increasingly interested in crowdfunding as a means of bringing in new money for research. In fields where crowdfunding has become a major venue for fundraising such as the arts and technology, building an audience for one's work is key for successful crowdfunding. For science, to what extent does audience building, via engagement and outreach, increase a scientist's abilities to bring in money via crowdfunding? Here we report on an analysis of the #SciFund Challenge, a crowdfunding experiment in which 159 scientists attempted to crowdfund their research. Using data gathered from a survey of participants, internet metrics, and logs of project donations, we find that public engagement is the key to crowdfunding success. Building an audience or "fanbase" and actively engaging with that audience as well as seeking to broaden the reach of one's audience indirectly increases levels of funding. Audience size and effort interact to bring in more people to view a scientist's project proposal, leading to funding. We discuss how projects capable of raising levels of funds commensurate with traditional funding agencies will need to incorporate direct involvement of the public with science. We suggest that if scientists and research institutions wish to tap this new source of funds, they will need to encourage and reward activities that allow scientists to engage with the public.

  2. Institutional projects in Educational Scientific activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oscar Ovidio Calzadilla Pérez

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Criteria are dealt, in particular, about the conceptual connotation and practice of the institutional project or the school as a particular type of educative project, because it is a developing, participative and sustainable way for the generation of the Educational and Scientific Activity aimed at the search of quality and excelence in the Cuban pedagogical context nowadays. The considerations stat ed have been lived by the authors through the “Centro Consultor para la Estimulación del Talento Verbal” Project performance in the Provincial Elementary School of Referente “Dalquis Sánchez Pupo”, in Holguin province.

  3. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 14: An analysis of the technical communications practices reported by Israeli and US aerospace engineers and scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barclay, Rebecca O.; Pinelli, Thomas E.; Elazar, David; Kennedy, John M.

    1991-01-01

    As part of Phase 4 of the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project, two pilot studies were conducted that investigated the technical communications practices of Israeli and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists. Both studies had the same five objectives: first, to solicit the opinions of aerospace engineers and scientists regarding the importance of technical communications to their profession; second, to determine the use and production of technical communications by aerospace engineers and scientists; third, to seek their view about the appropriate content of an undergraduate course in technical communications; fourth, to determine aerospace engineers' and scientists' use of libraries, technical information centers, and on-line databases; and fifth, to determine the use and importance of computer and information technology to them. A self-administered questionnaire was mailed to randomly selected U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists who are working in cryogenics, adaptive walls, and magnetic suspension. A slightly modified version was sent to Israeli aerospace engineers and scientists working at Israel Aircraft Industries, LTD. Responses of the Israeli and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists to selected questions are presented in this paper.

  4. Impact evaluation in multicultural educational projects : case: ADAPTYKES project

    OpenAIRE

    Kuusisto, Miika

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this thesis was to examine the common evaluation concepts of the European Union’s funded projects. Such concepts inter alia are effectiveness, impacts and sustainability. The aim was to study how these are realized in multicultural educational case–project in a context, where the project is funded by the European Commission’s Leonardo DaVinci Programme. Thesis introduces two evaluation approaches, which are Logical Framework Approach and Realistic evaluation model. The fi...

  5. Scientists' perspectives on the ethical issues of stem cell research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Longstaff, Holly; Schuppli, Catherine A; Preto, Nina; Lafrenière, Darquise; McDonald, Michael

    2009-06-01

    This paper describes findings from an ethics education project funded by the Canadian Stem Cell Network (SCN). The project is part of a larger research initiative entitled "The Stem Cell Research Environment: Drawing the Evidence and Experience Together". The ethics education study began with a series of focus groups with SCN researchers and trainees as part of a "needs assessment" effort. The purpose of these discussions was to identify the main ethical issues associated with stem cell (SC) research from the perspective of the stem cell community. This paper will focus on five prominent themes that emerged from the focus group data including: (1) the source of stem cells; (2) the power of stem cells; (3) working within a charged research environment; (4) the regulatory context; and (5) ethics training for scientists. Additional discussions are planned with others involved in Canadian stem cell research (e.g., research ethics board members, policy makers) to supplement initial findings. These assessment results combined with existing bioethics literature will ultimately inform a web-based ethics education module for the SCN. We believe that our efforts are important for those analyzing the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) in this area because our in depth understanding of stem cell researcher perspectives will enable us to develop more relevant and effective education material, which in turn should help SC researchers address the important ethical challenges in their area.

  6. Think Big! The Human Condition Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Metcalfe, Gareth

    2014-01-01

    How can educators provide children with a genuine experience of carrying out an extended scientific investigation? And can teachers change the perception of what it means to be a scientist? These were key questions that lay behind "The Human Condition" project, an initiative funded by the Primary Science Teaching Trust to explore a new…

  7. Professionals and Emerging Scientists Sharing Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Graff, P. V.; Allen, J. S.; Tobola, K.

    2010-01-01

    The Year of the Solar System (YSS) celebration begins in the fall of 2010. As YSS provides a means in which NASA can inspire members of the public about exciting missions to other worlds in our solar system, it is important to remember these missions are about the science being conducted and new discoveries being made. As part of the Year of the Solar System, Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Education, at the NASA Johnson Space Center, will infuse the great YSS celebration within the Expedition Earth and Beyond Program. Expedition Earth and Beyond (EEAB) is an authentic research program for students in grades 5-14 and is a component of ARES Education. Students involved in EEAB have the opportunity to conduct and share their research about Earth and/or planetary comparisons. ARES Education will help celebrate this exciting Year of the Solar System by inviting scientists to share their science. Throughout YSS, each month will highlight a topic related to exploring our solar system. Additionally, special mission events will be highlighted to increase awareness of the exciting missions and exploration milestones. To bring this excitement to classrooms across the nation, the Expedition Earth and Beyond Program and ARES Education will host classroom connection events in which scientists will have an opportunity to share discoveries being made through scientific research that relate to the YSS topic of the month. These interactive presentations will immerse students in some of the realities of exploration and potentially inspire them to conduct their own investigations. Additionally, scientists will share their own story of how they were inspired to pursue a STEM-related career that got them involved in exploration. These career highlights will allow students to understand and relate to the different avenues that scientists have taken to get where they are today. To bring the sharing of science full circle, student groups who conduct research by

  8. One More Legacy of Paul F. Brandwein: Creating Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fort, Deborah C.

    2011-06-01

    This paper studies the influence of Paul F. Brandwein, author, scientist, teacher and mentor, publisher, humanist, and environmentalist, on gifted youngsters who later became scientists, based primarily on information gathered from surveys completed by 25 of his students and one colleague. It also traces his profound interactions with science educators. It illuminates the theories of Brandwein and his protégés and colleagues about the interaction of environment, schooling, and education and Brandwein's belief in having students do original research (that is, research whose results are unknown) on their way to discovering their future scientific paths. It tests Brandwein's 1955 hypothesis on the characteristics typical of the young who eventually become scientists, namely: Three factors are considered as being significant in the development of future scientists: a Genetic Factor with a primary base in heredity (general intelligence, numerical ability, and verbal ability); a Predisposing Factor, with a primary base in functions which are psychological in nature; an Activating Factor, with a primary base in the opportunities offered in school and in the special skills of the teacher. High intelligence alone does not make a youngster a scientist (p xix).

  9. Education and Labour Market in the OECD-CERI Educational Indicators Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Micali, Aurea

    The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD-CERI) Educational Indicators Project (INES), initiated in 1988, is described in this paper, which focuses on the development of "Network B" to study education and labor market destinations (Network B is one of four networks set up by the project, each of which was assigned a different…

  10. Taking the Plunge: Next Steps in Engaged Learning: Project Kaleidoscope-Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges Conference for Science Educators.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frederick, Jennifer

    2010-09-01

    College and university science educators from across Connecticut gathered at Yale's West Campus in April 2010 for a Project Kaleidoscope (PKAL) program entitled "Taking the Plunge: Next Steps in Engaged Learning." Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and co-sponsored by the Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges (CCIC) and Yale's McDougal Graduate Teaching Center, the event was the latest in a PKAL series of one-day conferences aimed at equipping science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) instructors with effective approaches to engaging students and training future scientists.

  11. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 16: A comparison of the technical communications practices of Russian and US aerospace engineers and scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinelli, Thomas E.; Kennedy, John M.; Barclay, Rebecca O.

    1993-01-01

    As part of Phase 4 of the NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Project, two studies were conducted that investigated the technical communications practices of Russian and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists. Both studies have the same five objectives: first, to solicit the opinions of aerospace engineers and scientists regarding the importance of technical communications to their profession; second, to determine the use and production of technical communications by aerospace engineers and scientists; third, to seek their views about the appropriate content of an undergraduate course in technical communications; fourth, to determine aerospace engineers' and scientists' use of libraries, technical information centers, and on-line data bases; and fifth, to determine the use and importance of computer and information technology to them. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to aerospace engineers and scientists at the Central Aero-Hydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI), NASA ARC, and NASA LaRC. The completion rates for the Russian and U.S. surveys were 64 and 61 percent, respectively. The responses of the Russian and U.S. participants, to selected questions, are presented in this report.

  12. Educating the surgeon-scientist: A qualitative study evaluating challenges and barriers toward becoming an academically successful surgeon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kodadek, Lisa M; Kapadia, Muneera R; Changoor, Navin R; Dunn, Kelli Bullard; Are, Chandrakanth; Greenberg, Jacob A; Minter, Rebecca M; Pawlik, Timothy M; Haider, Adil H

    2016-12-01

    The advancement of surgical science relies on educating new generations of surgeon-scientists. Career development awards (K Awards) from the National Institutes of Health, often considered a marker of early academic success, are one way physician-scientists may foster skills through a mentored research experience. This study aimed to develop a conceptual framework to understand institutional support and other factors leading to a K Award. A national, qualitative study was conducted with academic surgeons. Participants included 15 K Awardees and 12 surgery department Chairs. Purposive sampling ensured a diverse range of experiences. Semistructured, in-depth telephone interviews were conducted. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim, and 2 reviewers analyzed the transcripts using Grounded Theory methodology. Participants described individual and institutional factors contributing to success. K Awardees cited personal factors such as perseverance and team leadership skills. Chairs described the K Awardee as an institutional "investment" requiring protected time for research, financial support, and mentorship. Both K Awardees and Chairs identified a number of challenges unique to the surgeon-scientist, including financial strains and competing clinical demands. Institutional support for surgeons pursuing K Awards is a complex investment with significant initial costs to the department. Chairs act as stewards of institutional resources and support those surgeon-scientists most likely to be successful. Although the K Award pathway is one way to develop surgeon-scientists, financial burdens and challenges may limit its usefulness. These findings, however, may better prepare young surgeons to develop career plans and identify new mechanisms for academic productivity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. From Research Scientist to Public Outreach: A Personal Journey

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stewart, R.

    2004-12-01

    Over the past six years I have made the transition from research oceanographer to an educator and public outreach specialist. The transition has been rewarding but difficult. On the way I had to learn the vocabulary and concepts of education (e.g. authentic assessment), effective web-page styles, and the difference between science and education--they are very different. I also met many enthusiastic and caring teachers who greatly eased my transition to educator. Some lessons learned. First, partner with experts. Successful outreach is a team effort. I was luck to have the opportunity to work closely with a great professor of education, Robert James, a wonderful middle-school teacher and Presidential Awardee, Margaret Hammer, and talented students, Jon Reisch and Don Johnson, from our School of ArchitectureAƒAøAøâ_sA¬Aøâ_zAøs Visualization Laboratory, who combined art and technology. Second, if you are a scientist, realize that scientists are too critical. We look for the one right answer, and for the flaws in data and theory. Educators look for the many ways to present ideas, all equally valid, and they value the worth of all students. AƒAøAøâ_sA¬A.â_oSo radical are the differences between the worlds of science and human affairs that their demands are sometimes in conflict.AƒAøAøâ_sA¬A_A¿A 1/2 -Philander: Our Affair With El Nino, p.5. Second, the web is a very efficient way of reaching many people. Thus, web skills are essential. Third, I am learning to be humble. There is much I need to learn. The skills necessary to be a successful research scientist are not sufficient for being a successful educator. Fourth, assess, assess, and assess. DonAƒAøAøâ_sA¬Aøâ_zAøt assume that what you create serves its purpose. Get feedback from educators, students, and scientists of all levels of experience.

  14. Scientists' Prioritization of Communication Objectives for Public Engagement.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anthony Dudo

    Full Text Available Amid calls from scientific leaders for their colleagues to become more effective public communicators, this study examines the objectives that scientists' report drive their public engagement behaviors. We explore how scientists evaluate five specific communication objectives, which include informing the public about science, exciting the public about science, strengthening the public's trust in science, tailoring messages about science, and defending science from misinformation. We use insights from extant research, the theory of planned behavior, and procedural justice theory to identify likely predictors of scientists' views about these communication objectives. Results show that scientists most prioritize communication designed to defend science from misinformation and educate the public about science, and least prioritize communication that seeks to build trust and establish resonance with the public. Regression analyses reveal factors associated with scientists who prioritize each of the five specific communication objectives. Our findings highlight the need for communication trainers to help scientists select specific communication objectives for particular contexts and audiences.

  15. Scientist Spotlight Homework Assignments Shift Students' Stereotypes of Scientists and Enhance Science Identity in a Diverse Introductory Science Class.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schinske, Jeffrey N; Perkins, Heather; Snyder, Amanda; Wyer, Mary

    2016-01-01

    Research into science identity, stereotype threat, and possible selves suggests a lack of diverse representations of scientists could impede traditionally underserved students from persisting and succeeding in science. We evaluated a series of metacognitive homework assignments ("Scientist Spotlights") that featured counterstereotypical examples of scientists in an introductory biology class at a diverse community college. Scientist Spotlights additionally served as tools for content coverage, as scientists were selected to match topics covered each week. We analyzed beginning- and end-of-course essays completed by students during each of five courses with Scientist Spotlights and two courses with equivalent homework assignments that lacked connections to the stories of diverse scientists. Students completing Scientist Spotlights shifted toward counterstereotypical descriptions of scientists and conveyed an enhanced ability to personally relate to scientists following the intervention. Longitudinal data suggested these shifts were maintained 6 months after the completion of the course. Analyses further uncovered correlations between these shifts, interest in science, and course grades. As Scientist Spotlights require very little class time and complement existing curricula, they represent a promising tool for enhancing science identity, shifting stereotypes, and connecting content to issues of equity and diversity in a broad range of STEM classrooms. © 2016 J. N. Schinske et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

  16. To Crowdfund Research, Scientists Must Build an Audience for Their Work.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jarrett E K Byrnes

    Full Text Available As rates of traditional sources of scientific funding decline, scientists have become increasingly interested in crowdfunding as a means of bringing in new money for research. In fields where crowdfunding has become a major venue for fundraising such as the arts and technology, building an audience for one's work is key for successful crowdfunding. For science, to what extent does audience building, via engagement and outreach, increase a scientist's abilities to bring in money via crowdfunding? Here we report on an analysis of the #SciFund Challenge, a crowdfunding experiment in which 159 scientists attempted to crowdfund their research. Using data gathered from a survey of participants, internet metrics, and logs of project donations, we find that public engagement is the key to crowdfunding success. Building an audience or "fanbase" and actively engaging with that audience as well as seeking to broaden the reach of one's audience indirectly increases levels of funding. Audience size and effort interact to bring in more people to view a scientist's project proposal, leading to funding. We discuss how projects capable of raising levels of funds commensurate with traditional funding agencies will need to incorporate direct involvement of the public with science. We suggest that if scientists and research institutions wish to tap this new source of funds, they will need to encourage and reward activities that allow scientists to engage with the public.

  17. System design projects for undergraduate design education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batill, S. M.; Pinkelman, J.

    1993-01-01

    Design education has received considerable in the recent past. This paper is intended to address one aspect of undergraduate design education and that is the selection and development of the design project for a capstone design course. Specific goals for a capstone design course are presented and their influence on the project selection are discussed. The evolution of a series of projects based upon the design of remotely piloted aircraft is presented along with students' perspective on the capstone experience.

  18. The Azimuth Project: an Open-Access Educational Resource

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baez, J. C.

    2012-12-01

    The Azimuth Project is an online collaboration of scientists, engineers and programmers who are volunteering their time to do something about a wide range of environmental problems. The project has several aspects: 1) a wiki designed to make reliable, sourced information easy to find and accessible to a technically literate nonexperts, 2) a blog featuring expository articles and news items, 3) a project to write programs that explain basic concepts of climate physics and illustrate principles of good open-source software design, and 4) a project to develop mathematical tools for studying complex networked systems. We discuss the progress so far and some preliminary lessons. For example, enlisting the help of experts outside academia highlights the problems with pay-walled journals and the benefits of open access, as well as differences between how software development is done commercially, in the free software community, and in academe.

  19. Analysis of the Image of Scientists Portrayed in the Lebanese National Science Textbooks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yacoubian, Hagop A.; Al-Khatib, Layan; Mardirossian, Taline

    2017-07-01

    This article presents an analysis of how scientists are portrayed in the Lebanese national science textbooks. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, to develop a comprehensive analytical framework that can serve as a tool to analyze the image of scientists portrayed in educational resources. Second, to analyze the image of scientists portrayed in the Lebanese national science textbooks that are used in Basic Education. An analytical framework, based on an extensive review of the relevant literature, was constructed that served as a tool for analyzing the textbooks. Based on evidence-based stereotypes, the framework focused on the individual and work-related characteristics of scientists. Fifteen science textbooks were analyzed using both quantitative and qualitative measures. Our analysis of the textbooks showed the presence of a number of stereotypical images. The scientists are predominantly white males of European descent. Non-Western scientists, including Lebanese and/or Arab scientists are mostly absent in the textbooks. In addition, the scientists are portrayed as rational individuals who work alone, who conduct experiments in their labs by following the scientific method, and by operating within Eurocentric paradigms. External factors do not influence their work. They are engaged in an enterprise which is objective, which aims for discovering the truth out there, and which involves dealing with direct evidence. Implications for science education are discussed.

  20. Green Action through Education: A Model for Fostering Positive Attitudes about STEM

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wheland, Ethel R.; Donovan, William J.; Dukes, J. Thomas; Qammar, Helen K.; Smith, Gregory A.; Williams, Bonnie L.

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes an innovative collaboration between instructors of non-STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses and scientists who teach STEM courses in the GATE (Green Action Through Education) learning community. The scientists in this project presented engaging science--in such diverse locations as a sewage…

  1. A Project-Centric Course on Cyberinfrastructure to Support High School STEM Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daphne Rainey

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Recent rapid advances in information technology pose new challenges for teachers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM fields to incorporate the latest knowledge and technical expertise into courses in a way that will be applicable to students as future scientists. A demonstration project was designed, developed, and deployed by university faculty and high school teachers for their students to explore the use of the components of cyberinfrastructure. The project explored the introduction of cyberinfrastructure through the use of bioinformatics and the use of team science. This paper describes the high school course that was deployed at Galileo Magnet High School (GMHS in collaboration with the scientists at Virginia Tech University, and details its overall assessment. Implementation of a project-centric teaching paradigm to engage students in applying the concepts of cyberinfrastructure by integrating the disciplines of biology, computer science, mathematics, and statistics through bioinformatics was an integral part of this study.

  2. Collaboration between research scientists and educators in implementation of a Masters program for training new Earth Science teachers in New York State

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadeau, P. A.; Flores, K. E.; Zirakparvar, N. A.; Grcevich, J.; Ustunisik, G. K.; Kinzler, R. J.; Macdonald, M.; Mathez, E. A.; Mac Low, M.

    2012-12-01

    Educators and research scientists at the American Museum of Natural History are collaborating to implement a teacher education program with the goal of addressing a critical shortage of qualified Earth Science teachers in New York State (NYS), particularly in high-needs schools with diverse populations. This pilot program involves forging a one-of-a-kind partnership between a world-class research museum and high-needs schools in New York City. By placing teaching candidates in such schools, the project has potential to engage, motivate, and improve Earth Science achievement and interest in STEM careers of thousands of students from traditionally underrepresented populations including English language learners, special education students, and racial minority groups. The program, which is part of the state's Race to the Top initiative, is approved by the NYS Board of Regents and will prepare a total of 50 candidates in two cohorts to earn a Board of Regents-awarded Masters of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree with a specialization in Earth Science for grades 7-12. The museum is in a unique position of being able to break traditional educational barriers as a result of a long history of interdisciplinary collaborations between educators and research scientists, as well as being the only stand-alone science graduate degree-granting museum in the United States. The intensive 15-month curriculum for MAT candidates comprises one summer of museum teaching residency, a full academic year of residency in high-needs public schools, one summer of science research residency, and concurrent graduate-level courses in Earth and space sciences, pedagogy, and adolescent psychology. We emphasize field-based geological studies and experiential learning, in contrast to many traditional teacher education programs. In an effort to ensure that MAT candidates have a robust knowledge base in Earth science, and per NYS Department of Education requirements, we selected candidates with strong

  3. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 36: Technical uncertainty as a correlate of information use by US industry-affiliated aerospace engineers and scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinelli, Thomas E.; Glassman, Nanci A.; Affelder, Linda O.; Hecht, Laura M.; Kennedy, John M.; Barclay, Rebecca O.

    1994-01-01

    This paper reports the results of an exploratory study that investigated the influence of technical uncertainty on the use of information and information sources by U.S. industry-affiliated aerospace engineers and scientists in completing or solving a project, task, or problem. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Survey participants were U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists whose names appeared on the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) mailing list. The results support the findings of previous research and the following study assumptions. Information and information-source use differ for projects, problems, and tasks with high and low technical uncertainty. As technical uncertainty increases, information-source use changes from internal to external and from informal to formal sources. As technical uncertainty increases, so too does the use of federally funded aerospace research and development (R&D). The use of formal information sources to learn about federally funded aerospace R&D differs for projects, problems, and tasks with high and low technical uncertainty.

  4. Communicating the Needs of Climate Change Policy Makers to Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Molly E.; Escobar, Vanessa M.; Lovell, Heather

    2012-01-01

    This chapter will describe the challenges that earth scientists face in developing science data products relevant to decision maker and policy needs, and will describe strategies that can improve the two-way communication between the scientist and the policy maker. Climate change policy and decision making happens at a variety of scales - from local government implementing solar homes policies to international negotiations through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Scientists can work to provide data at these different scales, but if they are not aware of the needs of decision makers or understand what challenges the policy maker is facing, they are likely to be less successful in influencing policy makers as they wished. This is because the science questions they are addressing may be compelling, but not relevant to the challenges that are at the forefront of policy concerns. In this chapter we examine case studies of science-policy partnerships, and the strategies each partnership uses to engage the scientist at a variety of scales. We examine three case studies: the global Carbon Monitoring System pilot project developed by NASA, a forest biomass mapping effort for Silvacarbon project, and a forest canopy cover project being conducted for forest management in Maryland. In each of these case studies, relationships between scientists and policy makers were critical for ensuring the focus of the science as well as the success of the decision-making.

  5. Meet EPA Scientist Jeff Szabo, Ph.D.

    Science.gov (United States)

    EPA scientist Jeff Szabo, Ph.D., has worked for the EPA’s National Homeland Security Research Center since 2005. He conducts and manages water security research projects at EPA’s Test and Evaluation facility.

  6. Building an early career network through outreach projects: The "mon océan & moi" example

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbieux, M.; Scheurle, C.; Ardyna, M.; Harmel, T.; Ferraris, M.; Jessin, T.; Lacour, L.; Mayot, N.; Organelli, E.; Pasqueron De Fommervault, O.; Penkerc'h, C.; Poteau, A.; Uitz, J.; Ramondec, S.; Sauzède, R.; Velluci, V.; Claustre, H.

    2016-02-01

    The ocean plays an important role in the global processes of our planet, from climate change to sea level rise, uptake of carbon dioxide to fisheries stocks. In addition, its scientific importance, extraordinary beauty and public fascination provide perfect ingredients for both education and public outreach. Four years ago, after the launch of the "mon océan & moi" outreach project, an early career network (Ph.D. students and postdocs) has been formed to "promote collaborations/exchanges between the scientific and educational worlds in order to co-elaborate a teaching method for raising the awareness of school children on marine environments". Scientists are pursuing new research yielding improved knowledge and new documentation resources. However, they lack the communication skills to make the subject accessible to the general public. On the other hand, teachers must be informed of recent discoveries and of new resources for educational purposes. To fill this gap, the early career scientists developed, in collaboration with a school authority and an experienced science communicators team, both a trail education program tested directly in middle and high schools and innovative supporting material (i.e., animations, educative video clips and experiments, interactive maps and quizzes). Here we outline a set of guidelines as to how to improve science outreach across a variety of disciplines (e.g., science, technology, engineering) and how this may impact the experience of early career scientists. These tips will be useful for other early career scientists and science outreach projects, large or small, regional, national or international. Such novel outreach initiatives will help educate current and next generations about the importance of ocean environments and the relevance of ocean sciences for the society, and may serve as an example of teamwork for other young scientists.

  7. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel: An Engineer Scientist

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 14; Issue 9. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel: An Engineer Scientist. Ananth Ramaswamy. General Article Volume 14 Issue 9 September 2009 pp 840-848. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link:

  8. Building Pipelines for Information: Developing Partnerships Between Scientists, Educators, and Community Groups to Learn More About Hydraulic Fracturing in Colorado

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hafich, K. A.; Hannigan, M.; Martens, W.; McDonald, J. E.; Knight, D.; Gardiner, L. S.; Collier, A. M.; Fletcher, H.; Polmear, M.

    2015-12-01

    Hydraulic fracturing is a highly contentious issue, and trusted sources of information about the impacts and benefits are difficult to find. Scientific research is making strides to catch up with rapidly expanding unconventional oil and gas development, in part, to meet the need for information for policy, regulation, and public interest. A leader in hydraulic fracturing research, the AirWaterGas Sustainability Research Network is a multi-institution, multi-disciplinary team of researchers working to understand the environmental, economic, and social tradeoffs of oil and gas development. AirWaterGas recently restructured and implemented our education and outreach program around a partnership with the CU-Boulder Office for Outreach and Engagement that leverages existing campus infrastructure, networks, and expertise to disseminate research results and engage the public. The education and outreach team is working with formal and informal K-12 educators through several programs: a yearlong teacher professional development program, a rural classroom air quality monitoring program, and a community partnership grant program. Each program brings together scientists and educators in different environments such as the classroom, online learning, in-person workshops, and community lectures. We will present best practices for developing and implementing a viable outreach and education program through building and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships that bridge the gap between scientists and the public.

  9. Web site lets solar scientists inform and inspire students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hauck, Karin

    2012-07-01

    Where on the Web can a middle school girl ask a female solar scientist about solar storms, the course and behavior of charged solar particles, and the origin of the Sun's dynamo—and also find out what the scientist was like as a child, whether the scientist has tattoos or enjoys snowboarding, what she likes and dislikes about her career, and how she balances her energy for work and family life? These kinds of exchanges happen at Solar Week (http://www.solarweek.org; see Figure 1). Established in 2000, Solar Week is an online resource for middle and lower high school students about the science of the Sun, sponsored by the Center for Science Education at the Space Sciences Laboratory (CSE@SSL) at the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley). The Web site's goals are to educate students about the Sun and solar physics and to encourage future careers in science—especially for girls. One way is by giving solar scientists the chance to be relatable role models, to answer students' questions, and to share their experiences in an online forum.

  10. 2009 ESMD Space Grant Faculty Project Final Report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murphy, Gloria; Ghanashyam, Joshi; Guo, Jiang; Conrad, James; Bandyopadhyay, Alak; Cross, William

    2009-01-01

    The Constellation Program is the medium by which we will maintain a presence in low Earth orbit, return to the moon for further exploration and develop procedures for Mars exploration. The foundation for its presence and success is built by the many individuals that have given of their time, talent and even lives to help propel the mission and objectives of NASA. The Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) Faculty Fellows Program is a direct contributor to the success of directorate and Constellation Program objectives. It is through programs such as the ESMD Space Grant program that students are inspired and challenged to achieve the technological heights that will propel us to meet the goals and objectives of ESMD and the Constellation Program. It is through ESMD Space Grant programs that future NASA scientists, engineers, and mathematicians begin to dream of taking America to newer heights of space exploration. The ESMD Space Grant program is to be commended for taking the initiative to develop and implement programs that help solidify the mission of NASA. With the concerted efforts of the Kennedy Space Center educational staff, the 2009 ESMD Space Grant Summer Faculty Fellows Program allowed faculty to become more involved with NASA personnel relating to exploration topics for the senior design projects. The 2009 Project was specifically directed towards NASA's Strategic Educational Outcome 1. In-situ placement of Faculty Fellows at the NASA field Centers was essential; this allowed personal interactions with NASA scientists and engineers. In particular, this was critical to better understanding the NASA problems and begin developing a senior design effort to solve the problems. The Faculty Fellows are pleased that the ESMD Space Grant program is taking interest in developing the Senior Design courses at the university level. These courses are needed to help develop the NASA engineers and scientists of the very near future. It has been a pleasure to be

  11. Women scientists joining Rokkasho women to sciences

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aratani, Michi [Office of Regional Collaboration, Institute for Environmental Sciences, Rokkasho, Aomori (Japan); Sasagawa, Sumiko

    1999-09-01

    Women scientists generally play a great role in the public acceptance (PA) for the national policy of atomic energy developing in Japan. The reason may be that, when a woman scientist stands in the presence of women audience, she will be ready to be accepted by them as a person with the same gender, emotion and thought to themselves. A case of interchange between the Rokkasho women and the women scientists either resident at the nuclear site of Rokkasho or staying for a short time at Rokkasho by invitation has been described from the viewpoint of PA for the national policy of atomic energy developing, and more fundamentally, for promotion of science education. (author)

  12. Women scientists joining Rokkasho women to sciences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aratani, Michi; Sasagawa, Sumiko

    1999-01-01

    Women scientists generally play a great role in the public acceptance (PA) for the national policy of atomic energy developing in Japan. The reason may be that, when a woman scientist stands in the presence of women audience, she will be ready to be accepted by them as a person with the same gender, emotion and thought to themselves. A case of interchange between the Rokkasho women and the women scientists either resident at the nuclear site of Rokkasho or staying for a short time at Rokkasho by invitation has been described from the viewpoint of PA for the national policy of atomic energy developing, and more fundamentally, for promotion of science education. (author)

  13. Making NASA Earth Observing System Satellite Data Accessible to the K-12 and Citizen Scientist Communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Susan W.; Phelps, Carrie S.; Chambers, Lin H.

    2004-01-01

    The Atmospheric Sciences Data Center (ASDC) at NASA s Langley Research Center houses over 700 data sets related to Earth s radiation budget, clouds, aerosols and tropospheric chemistry. These data sets are produced to increase academic understanding of the natural and anthropogenic perturbations that influence global climate change. The Mentoring and inquirY using NASA Data on Atmospheric and earth science for Teachers and Amateurs (MY NASA DATA) project has been established to systematically support educational activities at all levels of formal and informal education by reducing these large data holdings to microsets that will be easily explored and understood by the K-12 and the amateur scientist communities

  14. Project-based Collaborative learning in distance education

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knudsen, Morten; Bajard, Christine; Helbo, Jan

    2004-01-01

    ) programme indicates, however, that adjustments are required in transforming the on-campus model to distance education. The main problem is that while project work is an excellent regulator of the learning process for on-campus students, this does not seem to be the case for off-campus students. Consequently......This article describes the experiences drawn from an experiment in transferring positive experience with a project-organised on-campus engineering programme to a technology supported distance education programme. Three years of experience with the Master of Industrial Information Technology (MII......, didactic adjustments have been made based on feedback, in particular from evaluation questionnaires. This process has been very constructive in approaching the goal: a successful model for project organized learning in distance education....

  15. Change Project-Based Learning in Teacher Education in Botswana ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Environmental education (EE) and education for sustainable development (ESD) pedagogies are intricate, and to enhance learning, teacher education has to be innovative in teaching approach. This article investigates how the change project approach enhances project-based learning in practice. The investigation is ...

  16. Educating Engaged Citizens: Four Projects from Ireland

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Flaherty, Joanne; Liddy, Mags; Tansey, Lorraine; Roche, Cathy

    2011-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to describe the four education projects that demonstrate how Irish education provision is adapting to meet social and economic changes: Ubuntu Network working to integrate education for sustainable development (ESD) into teacher education; Community Knowledge Initiative (CKI) facilitating service learning modules at higher…

  17. Developing Earth and Space Scientists for the Future

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manduca, Cathryn A.; Cifuentes, Inés

    2007-09-01

    As the world's largest organization of Earth and space scientists, AGU safeguards the future of pioneering research by ensuring that ``the number and diversity of Earth and space scientists continue to grow through the flow of young talent into the field'' (AGU Strategic Plan 2008, Goal IV). Achieving this goal is the focus of the AGU Committee on Education and Human Resources (CEHR), one of the Union's three outreach committees.

  18. Reducing Flood Impacts for Wellbeing of Arctic Communities through Collaboration among Community and Tribal Leaders, Scientists, and Emergency Man

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kontar, Y. Y.

    2016-12-01

    In Alaska and the Sakha Republic (Siberia), multiple communities are exposed to flooding every spring. A bilateral and multidisciplinary team was established, as part of the U.S. State Department FY2015-16 U.S.-Russia Peer-to-Peer Dialogue Initiative, to conduct the project Reducing Spring Flood Impacts for Wellbeing of Communities of the North. The project comprised community-based participatory research, education, and cultural activities that used flood sites in Alaska and Siberia as case studies. A diverse and bilateral team (community leaders, scientists, students, and emergency managers) was established to share experiences and identify best practices in mitigating the risk of and improving response to floods.This science-community collaboration has inspired a dialogue between present and future decision makers and community residents. Preliminary analysis revealed that community members in both regions are interested in collaborations with scientists to reduce flood risks and impacts. They are eager to share their experiences. However, scientists have to earn the trust of and develop a rapport with local leaders beforehand. Conflicts arise when communities perceive scientists as governmental representatives due to the fact that most scientific funds come from federal and state grants. Scientists are also held responsible for disasters, due to their roles in disaster forecasting and warnings. In both regions, impacted populations often blame the government for flood impacts; not unreasonably. Originally nomadic, native populations were forced to settle in floodplains by governments. Now, exposed to floods, they regard damage reimbursement as a predominantly governmental responsibility. Scientists can offer long-term solutions that would benefit communities at risk and governmental entities. However, it is important for scientists not to impose solutions, but instead initiate and maintain a dialogue about alternatives, especially as sensitive as relocation.

  19. Science experiences of citizen scientists in entomology research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynch, Louise I.

    Citizen science is an increasingly popular collaboration between members of the public and the scientific community to pursue current research questions. In addition to providing researchers with much needed volunteer support, it is a unique and promising form of informal science education that can counter declining public science literacy, including attitudes towards and understanding of science. However, the impacts of citizen science programs on participants' science literacy remains elusive. The purpose of this study was to balance the top-down approach to citizen science research by exploring how adult citizen scientists participate in entomology research based on their perceptions and pioneer mixed methods research to investigate and explain the impacts of citizen science programs. Transference, in which citizen scientists transfer program impacts to people around them, was uncovered in a grounded theory study focused on adults in a collaborative bumble bee research program. Most of the citizen scientists involved in entomology research shared their science experiences and knowledge with people around them. In certain cases, expertise was attributed to the individual by others. Citizen scientists then have the opportunity to acquire the role of expert to those around them and influence knowledge, attitudinal and behavioral changes in others. An intervention explanatory sequential mixed methods design assessed how entomology-based contributory citizen science affects science self-efficacy, self-efficacy for environmental action, nature relatedness and attitude towards insects in adults. However, no statistically significant impacts were evident. A qualitative follow-up uncovered a discrepancy between statistically measured changes and perceived influences reported by citizen scientists. The results have important implications for understanding how citizen scientists learn, the role of citizen scientists in entomology research, the broader program impacts and

  20. Project as an education method in teaching of physics

    OpenAIRE

    ŽAHOUREK, Martin

    2011-01-01

    The diploma thesis ?Project as an educational method for teaching physics ?deals with the possibilities of using project-based method for teaching physics at primary schools. Not only does it contain the theoretical background of project-based teaching, but also deals with practical issues in the form of an implementation of a chosen project ?Physics and physical education?. The aim of said project was to evaluate the efficiency of project-based teaching as far as the knowledge of pupils and ...

  1. Scientists are from Mars, educators are from Venus: Relationships in the ecosystem of science teacher preparation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Duggan-Haas, Don Andrew

    2000-10-01

    Great problems exist in science teaching from kindergarten through the college level (NRC, 1996; NSF, 1996). The problem may be attributed to the failure of teachers to integrate their own understanding of science content with appropriate pedagogy (Shulman, 1986, 1987). All teachers were trained by college faculty and therefore some of the blame for these problems rests on those faculty. This dissertation presents three models for describing secondary science teacher preparation. Two Programs, Two Cultures adapts C. P. Snow's classic work (1959) to describe the work of a science teacher candidate as that of an individual who navigates between two discrete programs: one in college science and the second in teacher education. The second model, Scientists Are from Mars, Educators Are from Venus adapts the popular work of John Gray to describe the system of science teacher education as hobbled by the dysfunctional relationships among the major players and describes the teacher as progeny from this relationship. The third model, The Ecosystem of Science Teacher Preparation reveals some of the deeper complexities of science teacher education and posits that the traditional college science approach treats students as a monoculture when great diversity in fact exists. The three models are described in the context of a large Midwestern university's teacher education program as that program is construed for future biology teachers. Four undergraduate courses typically taken by future biology teachers were observed and described: an introductory biology course; an introductory teacher education course; an upper division course in biochemistry and a senior level science teaching methods course. Seven second semester seniors who were biological Science majors were interviewed. All seven students had taken all of the courses observed. An organization of scientists and educators working together to improve science teaching from kindergarten through graduate school is also

  2. Supporting Students as Scientists: One Mission's Efforts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taylor, J.; Chambers, L. H.; Trepte, C. R.

    2012-12-01

    NASA's CALIPSO satellite mission provides an array of opportunities for teachers, students, and the general public. In developing our latest plan for education and public outreach, CALIPSO focused on efforts that would support students as scientists. CALIPSO EPO activities are aimed at inspiring young scientists through multiple avenues of potential contact, including: educator professional development, student-scientist mentoring, curriculum resource development, and public outreach through collaborative mission efforts. In this session, we will explore how these avenues complement one another and take a closer look at the development of the educator professional development activities. As part of CALIPSO's EPO efforts, we have developed the GLOBE Atmosphere Investigations Programs (AIP). The program encourages students to engage in authentic science through research on the atmosphere. The National Research Council (NRC) has emphasized the importance of teaching scientific inquiry in the National Science Education Standards (1996, 2000) and scientific practice in the recent Framework for K-12 Science Education (2011). In order to encourage student-centered science inquiry, teacher training utilizing GLOBE Atmosphere Investigations and GLOBE's Student Research Process are provided to middle and high school teachers to assist them in incorporating real scientific investigations into their classroom. Through participation in the program, teachers become a part of GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) - an international community of teachers, students, and scientists studying environmental science in over 24,000 schools around the world. The program uses NASA's satellites and the collection of atmosphere data by students to provide an engaging science learning experience for the students, and teachers. The GLOBE Atmosphere Investigations program offers year-long support to both teachers and students through direct involvement with NASA

  3. The transformative experiences of a scientist-professor with teacher candidates

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lashley, Terry Lee Hester

    This case study documented the pedagogical and philosophical change experiences of a senior research scientist-professor at a large Research I University as he implemented an open inquiry immersion course with secondary science teacher candidates. The 4-semester hour graduate-level credit course (Botany 531) is titled "Knowing and Teaching Science: Just Do-It!" The students were 5th-year education students who possessed an undergraduate degree in the biological sciences. The premise for the course is that to teach science effectively, one must be able to DO science. Students were provided with extensive opportunities to design and carry out experiments and communicate the results both orally and in a written format. The focus of this dissertation was on changes in the pedagogical philosophy and practice of the scientist-professor as he taught this course over a 4-year period, 1997--2000. The data used in this study include the scientist-professor's reflective journals (1997--2000), the students' journals (1997--2000), and interviews with the scientist-professor (2001--2002). HyperRESEARCH 2.03 software was used to code and analyze the reflective journals and transcribed interviews. Data were reviewed and then placed into original codes. The codes were then grouped into themes for analysis. Identified themes included (1) Reflective Practice, (2) Social Construction of Knowledge, (3) Legitimate Peripheral Participation, and (4) the Zone of Proximal Development. There is clear evidence that the scientist-professor experienced transformative changes in his philosophy and practice over the 4-year period. This is shown by (1) differences in learning outcomes and expectations for Do-It! course students and traditional course students, (2) documentation of the scientist-professor's movement through the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) Stages of Concern, (3) increased collaboration and support from the college of education, (4) development and delivery of two other

  4. Final project memorandum: sea-level rise modeling handbook: resource guide for resource managers, engineers, and scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doyle, Thomas W.

    2015-01-01

    Coastal wetlands of the Southeastern United States are undergoing retreat and migration from increasing tidal inundation and saltwater intrusion attributed to climate variability and sea-level rise. Much of the literature describing potential sea-level rise projections and modeling predictions are found in peer-reviewed academic journals or government technical reports largely suited to reading by other Ph.D. scientists who are more familiar or engaged in the climate change debate. Various sea-level rise and coastal wetland models have been developed and applied of different designs and scales of spatial and temporal complexity for predicting habitat and environmental change that have not heretofore been synthesized to aid natural resource managers of their utility and limitations. Training sessions were conducted with Federal land managers with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserves as well as state partners and nongovernmental organizations across the northern Gulf Coast from Florida to Texas to educate and to evaluate user needs and understanding of concepts, data, and modeling tools for projecting sea-level rise and its impact on coastal habitats and wildlife. As a result, this handbook was constructed from these training and feedback sessions with coastal managers and biologists of published decision-support tools and simulation models for sea-level rise and climate change assessments. A simplified tabular context was developed listing the various kinds of decision-support tools and ecological models along with criteria to distinguish the source, scale, and quality of information input and geographic data sets, physical and biological constraints and relationships, datum characteristics of water and land elevation components, utility options for setting sea-level rise and climate change scenarios, and ease or difficulty of storing, displaying, or interpreting model output. The handbook is designed

  5. 360 Degrees Project: Final Report of 1972-73. National Career Education Television Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wisconsin Univ., Madison. Univ. Extension.

    Project 360 Degrees was a mass-media, multi-State, one-year effort in adult career education initiated by WHA-TV, the public television station of the University of Wisconsin-Extension, and funded by the U.S. Office of Education. The overall goal of the project was to provide, through a coordinated media system, information and motivation that…

  6. Research goes to School: understanding the content and the procedures of Science through a new dialogue among students, teachers and scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    L'Astorina, Alba; Tomasoni, Irene

    2015-04-01

    The Education system is increasingly interested in a more interactive dialogue with scientists in order to make science taught at school more aware of the models and the ways in which knowledge is produced, revised and discussed within the scientific community. Not always, in fact, the ministerial programs, the media, and the textbooks adopted by schools seem to be able to grasp the content and the procedures of the scientific knowledge as it is today being developed, sometimes spreading the idea of a monolithic and static science, with no reference to revisions, uncertainties, errors and disputes that, on the opposite, characterize the debate about science. On the other side, scientists, that in several surveys define students and teachers as one of the key groups that are most important to communicate with, often do not seem to be aware that scientific knowledge is continuously revised by the school and its protagonists. Science teaching, in all classes, has a highly educational role, as it offers the opportunity to value individual differences, to make students acquire specific tools and methods that enable them understand the world and critically interact with it. In this process of conscious learning, in which teachers play the role of tutors, the student participates actively bringing his tacit knowledge and beliefs. In this context, an educational proposal has recently been developed by the Italian National Research Council (CNR), aimed at starting a new dialogue between Education and Research. It's a way to encourage the technical and scientific culture among young people and a mutual exchange between the two main actors of the scientific production and promotion, considering weaknesses and strengths of the relationship between these two systems. In this proposal, students and teachers follow side by side a group of CNR scientists involved in an ongoing research project based on the use of innovative methodologies of aerospace Earth Observation (EO) for

  7. Global Climate Models for the Classroom: The Educational Impact of Student Work with a Key Tool of Climate Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bush, D. F.; Sieber, R.; Seiler, G.; Chandler, M. A.; Chmura, G. L.

    2017-12-01

    Efforts to address climate change require public understanding of Earth and climate science. To meet this need, educators require instructional approaches and scientific technologies that overcome cultural barriers to impart conceptual understanding of the work of climate scientists. We compared student inquiry learning with now ubiquitous climate education toy models, data and tools against that which took place using a computational global climate model (GCM) from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Our study at McGill University and John Abbott College in Montreal, QC sheds light on how best to teach the research processes important to Earth and climate scientists studying atmospheric and Earth system processes but ill-understood by those outside the scientific community. We followed a pre/post, control/treatment experimental design that enabled detailed analysis and statistically significant results. Our research found more students succeed at understanding climate change when exposed to actual climate research processes and instruments. Inquiry-based education with a GCM resulted in significantly higher scores pre to post on diagnostic exams (quantitatively) and more complete conceptual understandings (qualitatively). We recognize the difficulty in planning and teaching inquiry with complex technology and we also found evidence that lectures support learning geared toward assessment exams.

  8. To Be or Not to Be... a Scientist?

    OpenAIRE

    Chevalier, Arnaud

    2012-01-01

    Policy makers generally advocate that to remain competitive countries need to train more scientists. Employers regularly complain of qualified scientist shortages blaming the higher wages in other occupations for luring graduates out of scientific occupations. Using a survey of recent British graduates from Higher Education we report that fewer than 50% of science graduates work in a scientific occupation three years after graduation. The wage premium observed for science graduates stems from...

  9. To be or not to be... a scientist?

    OpenAIRE

    Chevalier, Arnaud

    2012-01-01

    Policy makers generally advocate that to remain competitive countries need to train more scientists. Employers regularly complain of qualified scientist shortages blaming the higher wages in other occupations for luring graduates out of scientific occupations. Using a survey of recent British graduates from Higher Education we report that fewer than 50% of science graduates work in a scientific occupation three years after graduation. The wage premium observed for science graduates stems from...

  10. SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS AND ATTITUDES ABOUT SCIENTISTS

    OpenAIRE

    Muhammed Doğukan Balçın; Ayşegül Ergün

    2018-01-01

    This research was carried out to determine secondary school students’ perceptions and attitudes towards scientists. The study group consists of 53 fifth and sixth grade students receiving education in a state secondary school in Turkey. Convergent parallel design among mixed research methods was used during the research. Research data were collected using “Questionnaire on attitudes towards scientists” and “Draw A Scientist (DAS)” forms. Descriptive and inferential statistical methods and con...

  11. Yelavarthy Nayudamma: Scientist, Leader, and Mentor Extraordinary

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 19; Issue 10. Yelavarthy Nayudamma: Scientist, Leader, and Mentor Extraordinary. J Raghava Rao T Ramasami. General Article Volume 19 Issue 10 October 2014 pp 887-899 ...

  12. Earth2Class: Bringing the Earth to the Classroom-Innovative Connections between Research Scientists, Teachers, and Students

    Science.gov (United States)

    Passow, M. J.

    2017-12-01

    "Earth2Class" (E2C) is a unique program offered through the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. It connects research scientists, classroom teachers, middle and high school students, and others in ways that foster broader outreach of cutting-edge discoveries. One key component are Saturday workshops offered during the school year. These provide investigators with a tested format for sharing research methods and results. Teachers and students learn more about "real"science than what is found in textbooks. They discover that Science is exciting, uncertain, and done by people not very different from themselves. Since 1998, we have offered more than 170 workshops, partnering with more than 90 LDEO scientists. E2C teachers establishe links with scientists that have led to participation in research projects, the LDEO Open House, and other programs. Connections developed between high school students and scientists resulted in authentic science research experiences. A second key component of the project is the E2C website, https://earth2class.org/site/. We provide archived versions of monthly workshops. The website hosts a vast array of resources geared to support learning Earth Science and other subjects. Resources created through an NSF grant to explore strategies which enhance Spatial Thinking in the NYS Regents Earth Science curriculum are found at https://earth2class.org/site/?page_id=2957. The site is well-used by K-12 Earth Science educators, averaging nearly 70k hits per month. A third component of the E2C program are week-long summer institutes offering opportunities to enhance content knowledge in weather and climate; minerals, rocks, and resources; and astronomy. These include exploration of strategies to implement NGSS-based approaches within the school curriculum. Participants can visit LDEO lab facilities and interact with scientists to learn about their research. In the past year, we have begun to create a "satellite" E2C program at UFVJM

  13. Intercultural Education in Primary School: A Collaborative Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Marta; Araújo e Sá, Maria Helena; Simões, Ana Raquel

    2014-01-01

    In this article, we present and discuss a collaborative project on intercultural education developed by a group of educational partners. The group was made up of 12 people representing different institutions in the community, namely primary schools, cultural and social associations and the local council. The project takes an intercultural approach…

  14. Quality of educational services in the field of Project management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zlatko Barilović

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The growth and development of any business system depends on effectively and successfully implemented projects. Considering that the number of projects worldwide has been constantly increasing, developing project skills in individuals which will be involved in a project is of crucial importance. In the Republic of Croatia, the number of institutions offering education programmes in project management has been steadily growing. Each of these institutions will have to build its competitiveness on the marketing concept. Lately, the quality of educational services has been recognized as an increasingly important element of marketing. One of the education programmes in the field of project management in Croatia is the Specialist Graduate Professional Study Programme in Project Management offered at the Baltazar Adam Krčelić College of Business and Management in Zaprešić. In this paper the authors examine the competitiveness of the above education programme through a survey on the quality of educational service conducted in 2012 with a sample of 202 students with the aim of further defining the guidelines for improvement of its market competitiveness

  15. The NASA Climate Change Research Initiative - A Scientist's Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    LeGrande, A. N.; Pearce, M. D.; Dulaney, N.; Kelly, S. M.

    2017-12-01

    For the last four years, I have been a lead mentor in the NASA GISS Climate Change Research Initiative (CCRI) program, a component in the NASA GSFC Office of Education portfolio. It creates a multidisciplinary; vertical research team including a NYC metropolitan teacher, graduate student, undergraduate student, and high school student. While the college and high school members of this research team function like a more traditional internship component, the teacher component provides a powerful, direct way to connect state-of-the art research with students in the classroom. Because the teacher internship lasts a full year, it affords a similar relationship with a teacher that normally only exists between a PhD student and scientist. It also provides an opportunity to train the teacher in using the extensive data archives and other information maintained on NASA's publicly available websites. This time and access provide PhD-level training in the techniques and tools used in my climate research to the high school teacher. The teacher then uses his/her own pedagogical expertise to translate these techniques into age/level appropriate lesson plans for the classroom aligned with current STEM education trends and expectations. Throughout the process, there is an exchange of knowledge between the teacher and scientist that is very similar to the training given to PhD level graduate students. The teacher's understanding of the topic and implementation of the tools is done under a very close collaboration with the scientist supervisor and the NASA Education Program Specialist. This vertical team model encourages collegial communication between teachers and learners from many different educational levels and capitalizes on the efficacy of near peer mentoring strategies. This relationship is important in building trust through the difficult, iterative process that results in the development of highly accurate and quality (continuously discussed and vetted) curriculum composed

  16. New synchrotron radiation facility project. Panel on new synchrotron radiation facility project

    CERN Document Server

    Sato, S; Kimura, Y

    2003-01-01

    The project for constructing a new synchrotron radiation facility dedicated to the science in VUV (or EUV) and Soft X-ray (SX) region has been discussed for these two years at the Panel on New Synchrotron Radiation Facility Project. The Panel together with the Accelerator Design Working Group (WG), Beamline Design WG and Research Program WG suggested to the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports the construction of a 1.8 GeV electron storage ring suitable for 'Top-Up' operation and beamlines and monochromators designed for undulator radiation. The scientific programs proposed by nationwide scientists are summarized with their requirements of the characteristics of the beam. (author)

  17. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 41: Technical communication practices of Dutch and US aerospace engineers and scientists: International perspective on aerospace

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barclay, Rebecca O.; Pinelli, Thomas E.; Kennedy, John M.

    1994-01-01

    As part of Phase 4 of the NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project, studies were conducted that investigated the technical communications practices of Dutch and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists. The studies had the following objectives: (1) to solicit the opinions of aerospace engineers and scientists regarding the importance of technical communication to their professions, (2) to determine the use and production of technical communication by aerospace engineers and scientists, (3) to investigate their use of libraries and technical information centers, (4) to investigate their use of and the importance to them of computer and information technology, (5) to examine their use of electronic networks, and (6) to determine their use of foreign and domestically produced technical reports. Self-administered (mail) questionnaires were distributed to Dutch aerospace engineers and scientists at the National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR) in the Netherlands, the NASA Ames Research Center in the U.S., and the NASA Langley Research Center in the U.S. Responses of the Dutch and U.S. participants to selected questions are presented in this paper.

  18. Cost Effective Polymer Solar Cells Research and Education

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sun, Sam-Shajing [Norfolk State Univ, Norfolk, VA (United States)

    2015-10-13

    The technical or research objective of this project is to investigate and develop new polymers and polymer based optoelectronic devices for potentially cost effective (or cost competitive), durable, lightweight, flexible, and high efficiency solar energy conversion applications. The educational objective of this project includes training of future generation scientists, particularly young, under-represented minority scientists, working in the areas related to the emerging organic/polymer based solar energy technologies and related optoelectronic devices. Graduate and undergraduate students will be directly involved in scientific research addressing issues related to the development of polymer based solar cell technology.

  19. Current Crisis in Science Education? Women in Science and Problems for the Behavioral Scientists. Some Perspectives of a Physicist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dresselhaus, Mildred S.

    A number of problems exist in society which require the cooperation of physical and social scientists. One of these problems is the current crisis in science education. There are several aspects to this problem, including the declining interest of students in math and science at a time when functioning in our society requires more, not less,…

  20. Scientific Value and Educational Goals: Balancing Priorities and Increasing Adult Engagement in a Citizen Science Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sickler, Jessica; Cherry, Tammy Messick; Allee, Leslie; Smyth, Rebecca Rice; Losey, John

    2014-01-01

    The Lost Ladybug Project is a citizen science project that engages individuals and groups in research and learning about ladybug population dynamics. With a dual purpose of advancing scientists' research about ladybug populations and achieving learning outcomes with participants, the project's summative evaluation led to critical reflection on the…

  1. Scientists and Faith Communities in Dialogue - Finding Common Ground to Care for our Common Home

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jablonski, L. M.

    2017-12-01

    World-wide, faith communities are a key place for education and outreach to the general adult population. The sacred responsibility to care for the earth, living sustainability and concern for the poor are nearly universal priorities across faith communities. Scientists and people of faith share in common experiences of awe and wonder and ethical roles as citizens. The majority of faith communities have statements on climate changes, environmental justice, and stewardship, and respond with education, action plans and advocacy. People of faith are increasingly seeking science expertise to better understand the science and best solutions to implement. Transformation of point of view often requires heart-felt motivation (domain of religion) as well as knowledge (science). Scientists can participate in alleviating environmental justice by providing data and education to communities. Expert testimony is a critical service. Pope Francis' environmental encyclical Laudato si, engaged diverse scientists in its writing and outreach. Francis invites our continued dialogue with people of faith and goodwill of all societal sectors and fields to achieve an integral ecology that integrates science, economics, and impacts on the poor. For scientists to be most effective in sharing expertise, and building understanding and trust in scientific findings, skill- building is needed in: communication, finding common ground, intercultural competency, working with diverse populations and religious literacy. Educational initiatives bridging scientists and faith-communities will be highlighted including within: the Ecological Society of America, American Assn for Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, faith-based & Environmental Justice networks, Nature centers, Higher Education (including Seminary) Initiatives and the Hanley Sustainability Institute, and interfaith religious organizations engaged with scientists. Bridge-building and ongoing partnerships of scientists, EJ

  2. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 29: A comparison of the technical communications practices of Japanese and US aerospace engineers and scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinelli, Thomas E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

    1994-01-01

    As part of Phase 4 of the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project, two studies were conducted that investigated the technical communications practices of Japanese and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists. Both studies have the same seven objectives: first, to solicit the opinions of aerospace engineers and scientists regarding the importance of technical communications to their profession; second, to determine the use and production of technical communications by aerospace engineers and scientists; third; to seek their views about the appropriate content of an undergraduate course in technical communications; fourth, to determine aerospace engineers' and scientists' use of libraries, technical information centers, and on-line data bases; fifth, to determine the use and importance of computer and information technology to them; sixth, to determine their use of electronic networks; and seventh, to determine their use of foreign and domestically produced technical reports. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to aerospace engineers and scientists in Japan and at the NASA Ames Research Center and the NASA Langley Research Center. The completion rates for the Japanese and U.S. surveys were 85 and 61 percent, respectively. Responses of the Japanese and U.S. participants to selected questions are presented in this report.

  3. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 17: A comparison of the technical communication practices of Dutch and US aerospace engineers and scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barclay, Rebecca O.; Pinelli, Thomas E.; Kennedy, John M.

    1993-01-01

    As part of Phase 4 of the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project, two studies were conducted that investigated the technical communications practices of Dutch and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists. Both studies have the same seven objectives: first, to solicit the opinions of aerospace engineers and scientists regarding the importance of technical communications to their profession; second, to determine the use and production of technical communications by aerospace engineers and scientists; third, to seek their views about the appropriate content of an undergraduate course in technical communications; fourth, to determine aerospace engineers' and scientists' use of libraries, technical information centers, and on-line data bases; fifth, to determine the use and importance of computer and information technology to them; sixth, to determine their use of electronic networks; and seventh, to determine their use of foreign and domestically produced technical reports. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to aerospace engineers and scientists at the National Aerospace Laboratory (NLR), and NASA Ames Research Center, and the NASA Langley Research Center. The completion rates for the Dutch and U.S. surveys were 55 and 61 percent, respectively. Responses of the Dutch and U.S. participants to selected questions are presented.

  4. Transdisciplinary designer-scientist collaboration in child oncology

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Remko van der Lugt; Fenne Verhoeven; Aeltsje Brinksma; Matthijs Roumen

    2015-01-01

    Integrating knowledge and expertise from designers and scientists proposes solutions to complex problems in a flexible and open-minded way. However, little insight is available in how this collaboration works. Therefore, we reflected on a research project aimed at supportive care interventions for

  5. Expert system application education project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzelez, Avelino J.; Ragusa, James M.

    1988-01-01

    Artificial intelligence (AI) technology, and in particular expert systems, has shown potential applicability in many areas of operation at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). In an era of limited resources, the early identification of good expert system applications, and their segregation from inappropriate ones can result in a more efficient use of available NASA resources. On the other hand, the education of students in a highly technical area such as AI requires an extensive hands-on effort. The nature of expert systems is such that proper sample applications for the educational process are difficult to find. A pilot project between NASA-KSC and the University of Central Florida which was designed to simultaneously address the needs of both institutions at a minimum cost. This project, referred to as Expert Systems Prototype Training Project (ESPTP), provided NASA with relatively inexpensive development of initial prototype versions of certain applications. University students likewise benefit by having expertise on a non-trivial problem accessible to them at no cost. Such expertise is indispensible in a hands-on training approach to developing expert systems.

  6. Workshop initial report: Expanding the geoscience pipeline by connecting educators with early career IODP scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lewis, J. C.; Cooper, S. K.; Hovan, S. A.; Leckie, R. M.; White, L. D.

    2017-12-01

    The U.S. is facing challenges in attracting, retaining and diversifying the workforce in the geosciences. A likely contributing factor is the homogeneity of the pool of mentors/role models available both within the workforce and in the U.S. professoriate. Another probable factor is "exposure gaps" among U.S. student populations; i.e., differing access to engaging facets of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). In response, we organized an 18-day School of Rock workshop onboard the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) drilling vessel JOIDES Resolution during a July 2017 transit in the western Pacific. Our objectives were diversity driven, focusing on measures to broaden participation at all levels (i.e., K-12, undergraduate and beyond) in innovative ways (e.g., from place-base curriculum to longitudinal peer mentoring through extracurricular STEM communities). To accomplish this, we designed a recruiting scheme to attract pairs of participants, specifically a teacher from a diverse community and a nearby early-career scientist with an interest in IODP science. By partnering in this way we sought to foster connections that might not naturally emerge, and therein to establish new mechanisms for increased engagement, broader recruitment, enhanced support, and improved retention of students from underrepresented communities in STEM education. We report on initial workshop outcomes that include new curriculum proposals, nascent funding proposals, and innovative connections among secondary educators and early-career scientists. Survey results of our participants gauge the expected impacts of the workshop on perceptions and on plans for future actions aimed at broadening participation.

  7. Development and implementation of a science training course for breast cancer activists: Project LEAD (leadership, education and advocacy development).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dickersin, K; Braun, L; Mead, M; Millikan, R; Wu, A M; Pietenpol, J; Troyan, S; Anderson, B; Visco, F

    2001-12-01

    To develop and implement Project LEAD (leadership, education, and advocacy development), a science course for breast cancer activists. Students were breast cancer activists and other consumers, mainly affiliated with advocacy organizations in the United States of America. Project LEAD is offered by the National Breast Cancer Coalition; the course takes place over 5 days and is offered 4 times a year, in various cities in the United States of America. The Project LEAD curriculum has developed over 5 years to include lectures, problem-based study groups, case studies, interactive critical appraisal sessions, a seminar by an 'expert' scientist, role play, and homework components. A core faculty has been valuable for evaluating and revising the course and has proved necessary to provide consistent high quality teaching. Course evaluations indicated that students gained critical appraisal skills, enhanced their knowledge and developed confidence in selected areas of basic science and epidemiology. Project LEAD comprises a unique curriculum for training breast cancer activists in science and critical appraisal. Course evaluations indicate that students gain confidence and skills from the course.

  8. History and Outcomes of 50 Years of Physician-Scientist Training in Medical Scientist Training Programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harding, Clifford V; Akabas, Myles H; Andersen, Olaf S

    2017-10-01

    Physician-scientists are needed to continue the great pace of recent biomedical research and translate scientific findings to clinical applications. MD-PhD programs represent one approach to train physician-scientists. MD-PhD training started in the 1950s and expanded greatly with the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), launched in 1964 by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) at the National Institutes of Health. MD-PhD training has been influenced by substantial changes in medical education, science, and clinical fields since its inception. In 2014, NIGMS held a 50th Anniversary MSTP Symposium highlighting the program and assessing its outcomes. In 2016, there were over 90 active MD-PhD programs in the United States, of which 45 were MSTP supported, with a total of 988 trainee slots. Over 10,000 students have received MSTP support since 1964. The authors present data for the demographic characteristics and outcomes for 9,683 MSTP trainees from 1975-2014. The integration of MD and PhD training has allowed trainees to develop a rigorous foundation in research in concert with clinical training. MSTP graduates have had relative success in obtaining research grants and have become prominent leaders in many biomedical research fields. Many challenges remain, however, including the need to maintain rigorous scientific components in evolving medical curricula, to enhance research-oriented residency and fellowship opportunities in a widening scope of fields targeted by MSTP graduates, to achieve greater racial diversity and gender balance in the physician-scientist workforce, and to sustain subsequent research activities of physician-scientists.

  9. Phobias and underutilization of university scientists

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mandra, Y.T.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reports that there is an urgent need for a large scale, nationwide education program designed to correct the almost ubiquitous misconceptions that exist because of the public's misinformation about commercial nuclear power. It is suggested that this program use only university professors and that it have a precisely defined target of community colleges. To do this a Distinguished Visiting Scientist Program needs to be established by the Department of Energy. This would be the means by which these visiting scientists could get invited for 2-day visits at community colleges. When on campus the visiting scientist would give lectures in the morning and it the afternoon to student and professors on just two topics dealing with commercial nuclear power: nuclear plants and disposal of the waste. It is suggested that a pilot program be done in California and selected hub-centers, and that it be evaluated by an independent agency so that it can be improved

  10. Communicating through humour: A project of stand-up comedy about science.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinto, Bruno; Marçal, David; Vaz, Sofia G

    2015-10-01

    A study of a project on science stand-up comedy developed in Portugal between 2009 and 2013 is presented, in which thirteen scientists, coordinated by a science communicator and a professional actor, created and presented comedy acts. Eleven of these scientists were asked about their motivations to participate, the process of performance development and the perceived value of the project. Personal motivations were highly important, but professional reasons were also mentioned. Working in a group with the guidance of coordinators, testing and re-writing the texts and gradually gaining confidence on stage were considered fundamental in the development of the shows. Additionally, a questionnaire revealed that the audience, most of whom were young adults, and held a higher education degree, were satisfied with the show. Overall, both participating scientists and audience members considered that stand-up comedy has potential for science communication. © The Author(s) 2013.

  11. Project of intercultural education in kindergarten

    OpenAIRE

    Erman, Mojca

    2015-01-01

    Third year students have been performing in winter semester a project called intercultural education in language and ethnically heterogeneous classes. Project was performed in kindergarten Šentvid, unit Sapramiška. The purpose of this project was to raise awareness of children about acceptation or not acceptation of difference, to promote awareness of their own diversity with social games and to strengthen the ethical judgment using an inductive approach (Kroflič, 2007). I have followed and e...

  12. Sunray project - A long-term, nationwide educational process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nikula, Anneli

    2000-01-01

    The Sunray project is a nationwide educational process coordinated by the Economic Information Bureau (TaT Group) for ninth graders in Finnish comprehensive schools. The project aims at giving thorough and versatile information on radiation within the framework of various subjects (physics, biology, domestic science, history, European languages, mother tongue, health education etc.). The Sunray project covers all ninth graders of the existing 600 Finnish comprehensive schools; in all involving some 65 000 pupils. The project, which has been repeated five times, was initiated as part of the European Science and Technology week in 1995. During the first two years it was strongly linked with the science week as natural sciences were seen as a good framework for the chosen perspective. Since 1997, the project has been run as an event in its own right. The project has applied the method of processing integrated groups of themes, which is an objective of the comprehensive school system and the experimental method of science. As schools make their own decisions about the educational programmes to be adopted every semester, the project has been marketed to schools at the beginning of May. The TaT Group has arranged marketing events in some 10 localities in Finland. The Economic Information Bureau of Finland coordinates the project and in 1995-2000 the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK), the Finnish Energy Industries' Federation, the Finnish Electricity Association, Fortum Oyj and Teollisuuden Voima Oy have participated in the project

  13. Purist or Pragmatist? UK Doctoral Scientists' Moral Positions on the Knowledge Economy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hancock, Sally; Hughes, Gwyneth; Walsh, Elaine

    2017-01-01

    Doctoral scientists increasingly forge non-academic careers after completing the doctorate. Governments and industry in advanced economies welcome this trend, since it complements the "knowledge economy" vision that has come to dominate higher education globally. Knowledge economy stakeholders consider doctoral scientists to constitute…

  14. Photo Animation Brings Scientists Back to Life in the Classroom

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lara K. Goudsouzian

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available In biology textbooks and in lecture slides, it is customary to describe the significance of a historical scientific experiment alongside a still photograph of the scientist who performed the work.  This method communicates information about the scientists' works, but can be a dry method to describe an exciting and dynamic historical individual.  I have developed a method to animate still photographs and engravings of historical scientists and narrate them in the first person.  This method is rapid, inexpensive, and does not require more than average technical ability.  The animated historical scientists directly address the students to educate them about their own personal lives, struggles, and achievements.

  15. Faculty development projects for international health professions educators: Vehicles for institutional change?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burdick, William P; Friedman, Stacey R; Diserens, Deborah

    2012-01-01

    Projects are an important tool in faculty development, and project emphasis may offer insights into perceived education priorities. Impact of projects has been focused on individuals, not institutions or health. Education innovation projects of Fellows in an international faculty development program were examined to better understand perceived needs in health professions education and institutional impact of projects. Four hundred and thirty-five projects were analyzed to identify focus areas. Fellows were asked to identify changes in their schools and communities resulting from their projects. New education methods and curriculum change were common project focus areas. Regional differences were evident with a higher percentage of education methods projects by Fellows residing in India (52%), compared with South Africa (25%) and Brazil (24%). Fifty-six percent of projects were incorporated into the curriculum and/or incorporated as institutional policy. One-third to two-thirds of respondents noted improved teaching quality, collaboration, education research interest, assessment, student performance, and curriculum alignment with community health needs. National differences in project focus may offer insight into local conditions and needs. High rates of diffusion of projects and impact on faculty, students, and curriculum suggest that faculty development projects may be a strategy for institutional change in resource limited environments.

  16. The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perry, Jill Alexa

    2015-01-01

    Beginning with 21 US schools of education, the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) has created a network of education faculty who are differentiating the EdD from the PhD in order to better meet the needs of their practitioner-scholar students. Their discussions center on two questions: "What are the knowledge, skills, and…

  17. Report of the IAEA/RCA-NDT education project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ooka, Kiichi; Terada, Kunio; Ohtani, Kiyoshi; Niwa, Noboru.

    1988-01-01

    The Japan Non-Destructive Test (NDT) Association has been carried out an NDT technical education project with support from IAEA. Phase I of the project was successfully completed last year. The present report briefly outlines the second five-year plan (Phase II) to be carried out under the project. The project was first established in 1981 after receiving a request from IAEA to provide NDT education for participants from the RCA countries (13 countries in Asian and Pacific area). Phase I was mainly designed to provide lectures on NDT techniques. Prior to the start of Phase II, the International Education Subcommittee was established in December 1986 to take the leadership in carrying out Phase II of the project. In addition, the NDT Expert Working Group (formally called Advisory Group) has been installed which consists of representative from Japan. Australia India and Singapore. The Group held nine meetings during Phase I. Three lecture meetings at Singapore and another three at Tokyo were held to provide education according to a plan developed by the Group. It has been decided that Japan be support the lecture meetings to be held during Phase II. To conduct such meetings, a group comprising all of the National Coordinators from the RCA countries was set up to replace the Working Group. The National Coordinator Conference was held four times since its establishment. (N.K.)

  18. Report of the IAEA/RCA-NDT education project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ooka, Kiichi; Terada, Kunio; Ohtani, Kiyoshi; Niwa, Noboru

    1988-11-01

    The Japan Non-Destructive Test (NDT) Association has been carried out an NDT technical education project with support from IAEA. Phase I of the project was successfully completed last year. The present report briefly outlines the second five-year plan (Phase II) to be carried out under the project. The project was first established in 1981 after receiving a request from IAEA to provide NDT education for participants from the RCA countries (13 countries in Asian and Pacific area). Phase I was mainly designed to provide lectures on NDT techniques. Prior to the start of Phase II, the International Education Subcommittee was established in December 1986 to take the leadership in carrying out Phase II of the project. In addition, the NDT Expert Working Group (formally called Advisory Group) has been installed which consists of representative from Japan. Australia India and Singapore. The Group held nine meetings during Phase I. Three lecture meetings at Singapore and another three at Tokyo were held to provide education according to a plan developed by the Group. It has been decided that Japan be support the lecture meetings to be held during Phase II. To conduct such meetings, a group comprising all of the National Coordinators from the RCA countries was set up to replace the Working Group. The National Coordinator Conference was held four times since its establishment. (N.K.).

  19. "Teaching Physics as one of the humanities": The history of (harvard) project Physics, 1961-1970

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meshoulam, David

    In the United States after World War II, science had come to occupy a central place in the minds of policy makers, scientists, and the public. Negotiating different views between these groups proved a difficult task and spilled into debates over the role and scope of science education. To examine this process, this dissertation traces the history of Harvard Project Physics (HPP), a high-school physics curriculum from the 1960s that incorporated a humanistic and historical approach to teaching science. The narrative begins with the rise of General Education in the 1940s. Under the leadership of Harvard president James Conant, faculty at Harvard developed several Natural Science courses that connected science to history as a way to teach students about science and its relationship to culture. By the late 1950s this historical approach faced resistance from scientists who viewed it as misrepresenting their disciplines and called for students to learn specialized subject matter. With the support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), in the early 1960s scientists' vision of science education emerged in high-school classrooms across the country. By the mid 1960s, with the passage of the Civil Rights Act, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the Daddario Amendment to the NSF, the political and education landscape began to change. These laws transformed the goals of two of the NSF and the Office of Education (USOE). These organizations faced demands to work together to develop projects that would speak to domestic concerns over equity and diversity. Their first joint educational venture was HPP. In order to succeed, HPP had to speak to the needs of disciplinary-minded scientists at the NSF, equity-minded educators at the USOE, and results-focused politicians in Congress. This work argues that HPP succeeded because it met the needs of these various stakeholders regarding the roles of science and education in American society.

  20. The NEED (National Energy Education Development) Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hogan, D.; Spruill, M.

    2012-04-01

    The NEED (National Energy Education Development) Project is a non-profit organization which provides a wide range of K-12 curriculum on energy education topics. The curriculum is specific for primary, elementary, intermediate and secondary levels with age appropriate activities and reading levels. The NEED Project covers a wide range of topics from wind energy, nuclear energy, solar energy, hydropower, hydrogen, fossil fuels, energy conservation, energy efficiency and much more. One of the major strengths of this organization is its Teacher Advisory Board. The curriculum is routinely revised and updated by master classroom teachers who use the lessons and serve on the advisory board. This ensures it is of the highest quality and a useful resource. The NEED Project through a variety of sponsors including businesses, utility companies and government agencies conducts hundreds of teacher professional development workshops each year throughout the United States and have even done some workshops internationally. These workshops are run by trained NEED facilitators. At the workshops, teachers gain background understanding of the energy topics and have time to complete the hands on activities which make up the curriculum. The teachers are then sent a kit of equipment after successfully completing the workshop. This allows them to teach the curriculum and have their students perform the hands on labs and activities in the classroom. The NEED Project is the largest provider of energy education related curriculum in the United States. Their efforts are educating teachers about energy topics and in turn educating students in the hope of developing citizens who are energy literate. Many of the hands on activities used to teach about various energy sources will be described and demonstrated.

  1. Credit. 1991-92 NCCE/AT&T Projects. Consumer Education Programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eastern Michigan Univ., Ypsilanti. National Inst. for Consumer Education.

    Summaries are provided of 37 projects that address the credit education and information needs of consumers. The projects are supported by AT&T Universal Card Services Corp. through a fund managed by the National Coalition for Consumer Education. Each summary provides a project description, grant recipient, and address/telephone number. The…

  2. Non-Profit/Higher Education Project Management Series: Project Management (PM) Foundations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burgher, Karl E.; Snyder, Michael B.

    2012-01-01

    This is the first in a series of forum articles on applying project management (PM) techniques and tools to the nonprofit sector with a focus on higher education. The authors will begin with a traditional look at project management because they believe that the integration of the tools and the processes associated with PM into many campus offices…

  3. Scientist-teacher collaboration: Integration of real data from a coastal wetland into a high school life science ecology-based research project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hagan, Wendy L.

    Project G.R.O.W. is an ecology-based research project developed for high school biology students. The curriculum was designed based on how students learn and awareness of the nature of science and scientific practices so that students would design and carry out scientific investigations using real data from a local coastal wetland. This was a scientist-teacher collaboration between a CSULB biologist and high school biology teacher. Prior to implementing the three-week research project, students had multiple opportunities to practice building requisite skills via 55 lessons focusing on the nature of science, scientific practices, technology, Common Core State Standards of reading, writing, listening and speaking, and Next Generation Science Standards. Project G.R.O.W. culminated with student generated research papers and oral presentations. Outcomes reveal students struggle with constructing explanations and the use of Excel to create meaningful graphs. They showed gains in data organization, analysis, teamwork and aspects of the nature of science.

  4. SALT: How two Norwegian Early Career Scientists made a living out of their passion for marine Science and Education, Outreach, and Communication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rokkan Iversen, K.; Busch, K. T.

    2011-12-01

    Many Early Career Scientists (ECS) share a heart and mind for engaging in Eduaction, Outreach, and Communication (EOC) activities. They often also experience the same frustration due to the limited resources and financial incentives available to support such important projects. The story of the knowledge-based company SALT is a tale of two Norwegian ECSs with a passion for marine science and EOC living their dream - due to the support of private and public funding sources. SALT is located in the small village Svolvær, in the Lofoten Archipelago in Northern-Norway. This small company delivers services and products within research, outreach and consultancy regarding the marine environment. Situated in the very middle of one of the most productive and unique oceanic areas in the world, SALT has a first-row perspective on blue resources, possibilities and challenges. The SALT vision is to provide marine knowledge to politicians and stakeholders, as well as the general public. EOC-projects are an important and prioritized area of this vision, and SALT has taken a broad approach to set such projects into life. SALT are building commercial projects directed towards the tourist and conference industry, as well as more idealistic projects designed to educate and engage children and youth. The total EOC-portifolio of SALT, is therefore as varied as the mixture of different sources funding them. During the first year in business, SALT has proven that it is possible to get funding for innovative EOC-projects in Norway. With the support of Innovation Norway (IN), The Norwegian Research Council (NRC), The RENATE Centre, The Norwegian Centre for Science Education, Nordland County, The Confederation of Norwegian Enterprise (NHO), and an inspiring hub of creative business partners in Lofoten, SALT has managed to realize several EOC-project within a year. SALT is especially grateful that the national structures have acknowledged the importance of innovative EOC- activities also

  5. Evaluating Quality in Educational Spaces: OECD/CELE Pilot Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Ahlefeld, Hannah

    2009-01-01

    CELE's International Pilot Project on Evaluating Quality in Educational Spaces aims to assist education authorities, schools and others to maximise the use of and investment in learning environments. This article provides an update on the pilot project, which is currently being implemented in Brazil, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal and the United…

  6. Transforming Research in Oceanography through Education, Ethnography and Rapidly Evolving Technologies: An NSF-INSPIRE project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    German, C. R.; Croff Bell, K. L.; Pallant, A.; Mirmalek, Z.; Jasanoff, S.; Rajan, K.

    2014-12-01

    This paper will discuss a new NSF-INSPIRE project that brings together research conducted in the fields of Ocean Sciences, Education & Human Resources and Computer and Information Science & Engineering. Specifically, our objective is to investigate new methods by which telepresence can be used to conduct cutting edge research and provide authentic educational experiences to undergraduate students, remotely. We choose to conduct this research in an Oceanographic context for two reasons: first with the move toward smaller research ships in the national Oceanographic research fleet, we anticipate that access to berth space at sea will continue to be at a premium. Any component of traditional oceanographic research that can be ported to shore without loss of effectiveness would be of immediate benefit to the Ocean Sciences. Equally, however, we argue that any improvements to work place and/or education practices that we can identify while delivering research and education from the bottom of the deep ocean should be readily mappable to any other scientific or engineering activities that seek to make use of telepresence in less extreme remote environments. Work on our TREET project, to-date, has included recruitment of 6 early career scientists keen to take advantage of the research opportunity provided, together with two senior science mentors with experience using Telepresence and a cohort of undergraduate students at three of the ECS partner Universities, spanning 4 time zones across the continental US. Following a 12-week synchronous on-line seminar series taught in Spring-Summer 2014, the entire team joined together at the Inner Space Center in Sept-Oct 2014 to participate, virtually, in a cruise of research and exploration to the Kick'Em Jenny underwater volcano and adjacent cold seep sites, conducted by the Ocean Exploration Trust's ROV Hercules aboard the Exploration Vessel Nautilus. Our presentation will include preliminary results from that cruise.

  7. The REVEL Project: Long-Term Investment in K-12 Education at a RIDGE 2000 Integrated Study Site

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robigou, V.

    2005-12-01

    The REVEL Project has provided dozens of science teachers from throughout the U.S. an opportunity to explore the links between mid-ocean ridge processes and life along the RIDGE 2000 Juan de Fuca Ridge Integrated Study Site. In turn, these educators have facilitated deep-sea, research-based teaching and learning in hundreds of classrooms, contributed to mid-ocean ridge curriculum and programs development ranging from IMAX movies and museum exhibits to the R2K-SEAS (Student Experiment At Sea) program. In addition, the REVEL educators take on the mission to champion the importance of science in education and to bring ocean sciences into their local and regional communities. For the scientific community, research in an environment as large, dynamic and remote as the ocean intrinsically requires long-term investment to advance the understanding of the interactions between the processes shaping our planet. Similarly, research-based education requires long-term investment to incrementally change the way science is taught in schools, informal settings or even at home. It takes even longer to perceptibly measure the result of new teaching methods on students' learning and the impact of these methods on citizens' scientific literacy. Research-based education involving teachers practicing research in the field, and collaborating with scientists to experience and understand the process of science is still in its infancy - despite 20 years of NSF's efforts in teachers' professional development. This poster reports on strategies that the REVEL Project has designed over 9 years to help teachers that adopt research-based education transform their way of teaching in the classroom and bring cutting-edge, exciting science into schools through rigorous science learning. Their teaching approaches encourage students' interest in science, and engage students in the life-long skills of reasoning and decision making through the practice of science. Evaluation results of how the research

  8. Young engineers and scientists - a mentorship program emphasizing space education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boice, Daniel; Asbell, Elaine; Reiff, Patricia

    Young Engineers and Scientists (YES) is a community partnership between Southwest Research Institute (SwRI), and local high schools in San Antonio, Texas (USA) during the past 16 years. The YES program provides talented high school juniors and seniors a bridge between classroom instruction and real world, research experiences in physical sciences (including space science) and engineering. The first component of YES is an intensive three-week summer workshop held at SwRI where students experience the research environment first-hand; develop skills and acquire tools for solving scientific problems, attend mini-courses and seminars on electronics, computers and the Internet, careers, science ethics, and other topics; and select individual research projects to be completed during the academic year. Afterwards, students complete individual research projects under the guidance of their mentors during the academic year and earn honors credit. At the end of the school year, students publicly present and display their work, acknowledging their accomplishments and spreading career awareness to other students and teachers. During these years, YES has developed a website for topics in space science from the perspective of high school students, including NASA's Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission (MMS) (http://yesserver.space.swri.edu). High school science teachers participate in the workshop and develop space-related lessons for classroom presentation in the academic year. Student evaluations indicate the effectiveness of YES on their academic preparation and choice of college majors. Over the past 16 years, all YES graduates have entered college, several have worked for SwRI, one business has started, and three scientific publications have resulted. Acknowledgements. We acknowledge funding and support from the NASA MMS Mission, Texas Space Grant Consortium, Northside Independent School District, SwRI, and several local charitable foundations.

  9. Education Projects: Elaboration, Financing and Management. Fundamentals of Educational Planning, No. 38.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnen, Andre

    In many developing countries, the translation of political objectives to action projects is made difficult by the lack of training of staff of the ministry of education planning and managing units. This booklet deals with the implementation of these projects within the framework of the planning process. After defining projects, chapter 1 shows the…

  10. Status of Project Management Education in Pakistan

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arain, Faisal Manzoor; Tipu, Syed Awais Ahmad

    2009-01-01

    Emerging contractual delivery systems, collaborative partnerships, new management initiatives, and global product markets require professionals and students to have a broader awareness of construction methods and project management issues. This paper presents the state of the project management education in Pakistan. The analysis is based on…

  11. Engaged Service Learning--Implications for Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Webb, Tony; Burgin, Shelley

    2009-01-01

    Dwindling resources for tertiary education, has resulted in reduced emphasis on intensive, small group, staff-student collaborative project-based service learning. However, training scientists to manage significant issues, such as sustainable water use, requires an ability to engage both industry and community stakeholders. This paper describes…

  12. Has ADVANCE Affected Senior Compared to Junior Women Scientists Differently?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosser, Sue

    2015-01-01

    Substantial evidence exists to demonstrate that the NSF ADVANCE Inititiative has made a positive impact upon institutions. Since it began in 2001, ADVANCE has changed the conversation, policies, and practices in ways to remove obstacles and systemic barriers preventing success for academic women scientists and engineers. Results from ADVANCE projects on campuses have facilitated consensus nationally about policies and practices that institutions may implement to help to alleviate issues, particularly for junior women scientists.Although getting women into senior and leadership positions in STEM constituted an initial impetus for ADVANCE, less emphasis was placed upon the needs of senior women scientists. Surveys of academic women scientists indicate that the issues faced by junior and senior women scientists differ significantly. The focus of ADVANCE on junior women in many ways seemed appropriate--the senior cohort of women scinetists is fed by the junior cohort of scientists; senior women serve as mentors, role models, and leaders for the junior colleagues, while continuing to struggle to achieve full status in the profession. This presentation will center on the differences in issues faced by senior compared to junior women scientists to explore whether a next step for ADVANCE should be to address needs of senior academic women scientists.

  13. Engaging Scientists in Meaningful E/PO: How the NASA SMD E/PO Community Addresses the needs of Underrepresented Audiences through NASA Science4Girls and Their Families

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meinke, Bonnie K.; Smith, Denise A.; Bleacher, Lora; Hauck, Karin; Soeffing, Cassie; NASA SMD E/PO Community

    2015-01-01

    The NASA Astrophysics Science Education and Public Outreach Forum (SEPOF) coordinates the work of individual NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics EPO projects and their teams to bring the NASA science education resources and expertise to libraries nationwide. The Astrophysics Forum assists scientists and educators with becoming involved in SMD E/PO (which is uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise) and makes SMD E/PO resources and expertise accessible to the science and education communities. The NASA Science4Girls and Their Families initiative partners NASA science education programs with public libraries to provide NASA-themed hands-on education activities for girls and their families. As such, the initiative engages girls in all four NASA science discipline areas (Astrophysics, Earth Science, Planetary Science, and Heliophysics), which enables audiences to experience the full range of NASA science topics and the different career skills each requires. The events focus on engaging this particular underserved and underrepresented audience in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) via use of research-based best practices, collaborations with libraries, partnerships with local and national organizations, and remote engagement of audiences.

  14. From cases to projects in problem-based medical education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Diana Stentoft

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Problem-based learning (PBL based on patient cases has become a well-established worldwide educational approach in medical education. Recent studies indicate that case-based PBL when used throughout an entire curriculum may develop into a counter-productive routine for students as well as teachers. Consequently, there is a need to develop PBL approaches further allowing students to work with more ill-defined problems and alternative learning structures. In this paper, we argue that this can be realised by introducing project-PBL into the medical curriculum, as in the medical education at Aalborg University, Denmark. We outline organisations of case- and project- PBL in the medical curriculum and present an explorative study of 116 first and second year students’ experiences working in the two settings of PBL. Results reveal that students generally rate their PBL experiences positively however, project-PBL is rated more positively than case-PBL on all parameters studied. These results invite further consideration of the differences in working with cases and projects. Two central differences are discussed; the nature of the problem as the trigger of learning and students' possibilities for directing their own learning processes. The study demonstrates that introducing project-PBL may contribute significantly in problem-based medical education. However, the need for extensive research into advantages and limitations of the combined use of case- and project-PBL is also emphasised.

  15. On the road for education: Turning business travel into E/PO opportunities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, A.; Jasnow, M.; Srinivasan, M.; Rosmorduc, M.; Blanc, F.

    2003-04-01

    One seemingly universal characteristic of the research scientist and their associates is the necessity for travel. Members of the joint NASA/CNES TOPEX/Poseidon/Jason-1 (T/P/J) Education and Public Outreach Team are promoting a concept that benefits both the scientist on business travel, and the general public. "On the Road for Education" is a program whereby members of the Project take a few hours in their travel schedule to visit a school, informal education venue, or a community group located in the destination city. Formal and informal educators, and civic group officers always welcome visits by professional scientists to give lectures on their research activities, do some hands-on demonstrations in a science center, or just talk to a group of students about career opportunities in science and engineering. The T/P/J outreach team has an educator mailing list that includes members across the country. When contacted in advance of a science team member's travel schedule, outreach team members are happy to locate a school, museum or science center in or near the destination city and arrange an outreach opportunity for the scientist. We can also provide support with handouts for both public and educational uses. It is a goal of NASA to inspire the public and the next generation of explorers. "On the Road for Education" provides an easy mechanism for involvement by any scientist, and may help to make that next business trip even more enjoyable.

  16. University/Science Center Collaborations (A Science Center Perspective): Developing an Infrastructure of Partnerships with Science Centers to Support the Engagement of Scientists and Engineers in Education and Outreach for Broad Impact

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marshall, Eric

    2009-03-01

    Science centers, professional associations, corporations and university research centers share the same mission of education and outreach, yet come from ``different worlds.'' This gap may be bridged by working together to leverage unique strengths in partnership. Front-end evaluation results for the development of new resources to support these (mostly volunteer-based) partnerships elucidate the factors which lead to a successful relationship. Maintaining a science museum-scientific community partnership requires that all partners devote adequate resources (time, money, etc.). In general, scientists/engineers and science museum professionals often approach relationships with different assumptions and expectations. The culture of science centers is distinctly different from the culture of science. Scientists/engineers prefer to select how they will ultimately share their expertise from an array of choices. Successful partnerships stem from clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Scientists/engineers are somewhat resistant to the idea of traditional, formal training. Instead of developing new expertise, many prefer to offer their existing strengths and expertise. Maintaining a healthy relationship requires the routine recognition of the contributions of scientists/engineers. As professional societies, university research centers and corporations increasingly engage in education and outreach, a need for a supportive infrastructure becomes evident. Work of TryScience.org/VolTS (Volunteers TryScience), the MRS NISE Net (Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network) subcommittee, NRCEN (NSF Research Center Education Network), the IBM On Demand Community, and IEEE Educational Activities exemplify some of the pieces of this evolving infrastructure.

  17. Soviet scientists speak out

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Holloway, D.

    1993-01-01

    In this article, Russian bomb designers answer the KGB's claim that espionage, not science, produced the Soviet bomb. Yuli Khariton and Yuri Smirnov wholly reject the argument that Soviet scientists can claim little credit for the first Soviet bomb. In a lecture delivered at the Kurchatov Institute, established in 1943 when Igor Kurchatov became the director of the Soviet nuclear weapons project, Khariton and Smironov point to the work done by Soviet nuclear physicists before 1941 and refute assertions that have been made in Western literature regarding the hydrogen bomb

  18. NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 18: A comparison of the technical communication practices of aerospace engineers and scientists in India and the United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinelli, Thomas E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

    1993-01-01

    As part of Phase 4 of the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project, two studies were conducted that investigated the technical communications practices of India and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists. Both studies have the same seven objectives: first, to solicit the opinions of aerospace engineers and scientists regarding the importance of technical communications to their profession; second, to determine the use and production of technical communications by aerospace engineers and scientists; third, to seek their views about the appropriate content of an undergraduate course in technical communications; fourth, to determine aerospace engineers' and scientists' use of libraries, technical information centers, and on-line data bases; fifth, to determine the use and importance of computer and information technology to them; sixth, to determine their use of electronic networks; and seventh, to determine their use of foreign and domestically produced technical reports. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to aerospace engineers and scientists at the Indian Institute of Science and the NASA Langley Research Center. The completion rates for the India and U.S. surveys were 48 and 53 percent, respectively. Responses of the India and U.S. participants to selected questions are presented in this report.

  19. Technical Assistance in Evaluating Career Education Projects. Final Report. Volume II: Final Career Education Evaluation Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stenner, A. Jackson; And Others

    This document contains the second of five volumes reporting the activities and results of a career education evaluation project conducted to accomplish the following two objectives: (1) to improve the quality of evaluations by career education projects funded by the United States Office of Career Education (OCE) through the provision of technical…

  20. The Human Genome Project and Biology Education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McInerney, Joseph D.

    1996-01-01

    Highlights the importance of the Human Genome Project in educating the public about genetics. Discusses four challenges that science educators must address: teaching for conceptual understanding, the nature of science, the personal and social impact of science and technology, and the principles of technology. Contains 45 references. (JRH)

  1. COMPARATIVE RESEARCH ON PROJECT MANAGEMENT APPROACH IN THE EUROPEAN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

    OpenAIRE

    Armenia ANDRONICEANU; Bianca RISTEA

    2015-01-01

    Nowadays, project management is common for many areas and industries, including the educational sector. The international cooperation between educational institutions and the students’ international mobility are built on major projects and programs established through European and national institutions. The aim of this article is to review the best practices of project management implementation in public secondary education. The analysis is focused on three European countries: France, Spain a...

  2. Connecting Alaskan Youth, Elders, and Scientists in Climate Change Research and Community Resilience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spellman, K.; Sparrow, E.

    2017-12-01

    Integrated science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) solutions and effective, relevant learning processes are required to address the challenges that a changing climate presents to many Arctic communities. Learning that can both enhance a community's understanding and generate new knowledge about climate change impacts at both local and continental scales are needed to efficiently build the capacity to navigate these changes. The Arctic and Earth STEM Integrating GLOBE and NASA (SIGNs) program is developing a learning model to engage Alaskan rural and indigenous communities in climate change learning, research and action. Youth, elders, educators, community leaders and scientists collaborate to address a pressing local climate change concern. The program trains teams of educators and long-time community members on climate change concepts and environmental observing protocols in face-to-face or online workshops together with Arctic and NASA subject matter experts. Community teams return to their community to identify local data or information needs that align with their student's interests and the observations of local elders. They deepen their understanding of the subject through culturally responsive curriculum materials, and collaborate with a scientist to develop an investigation with their students to address the identified need. Youth make observations using GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment) protocols that best fit the issue, analyze the data they have collected, and utilize indigenous or knowledge, and NASA data to address the issue. The use of GLOBE protocols allow for communities to engage in climate change research at both local and global scales, as over 110 nations worldwide are using these standardized protocols. Teams work to communicate their investigation results back to their community and other scientists, and apply their results to local stewardship action or climate adaptation projects. In this

  3. Energy-related doctoral scientists and engineers in the United States, 1975

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1977-11-01

    The pursuit of a vigorous research and development program to provide renewable and other resources to meet U. S. energy needs in the next century is an important objective of President Carter's National Energy Plan. A highly educated and motivated pool of engineers and scientists must be available for energy research and development if this objective is to be achieved. This report provides, for the first time, information about the number and characteristics of doctoral-level engineers and scientists in primarily energy-related activities. These data for the year 1975 will become part of the data base for a program of continuing studies on the employment and utilization of all scientists and engineers involved in energy-related activities. Information is provided for employment in the following fields: mathematics; physics/astronomy; chemistry; Earth, Environment, and Marine Sciences; Engineering; Life Sciences; Psychology; Social Sciences; Arts and Humanities; and Education and Business.

  4. A NASA Community of Practice for Scientists and Educators Working with American Indians and Alaskan Natives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scalice, D.; Sparrow, E. B.; Johnson, T. A.; Allen, J. E.; Gho, C. L.

    2016-12-01

    One size does not fit all. This is especially true in education, where each learner meets new information from a unique standpoint, bringing prior experiences and understandings to the learning space. It is the job of the educator to be sensitive to these unique perspectives, and work with them to bring learners to new levels of knowledge. This principle is foundational to conducting science education with Native American communities, as they have a distinct history in the US, especially where education is concerned. Many scientists and educators at agencies like NASA are engaging in science education with Native communities across the US, and are approaching the work from varied prior experiences, levels of knowledge of the history of Native America, and desired outcomes. Subsequently, there are varied levels of success, and in some cases, oppressive patterns may be perpetuated. It is therefore the responsibility of the science educator to become informed and sensitized to the unique situation of Native Americans and their history with education and science. It is incumbent on science educators to ensure that the goals they have for Native youth are derived from the goals Native leaders have for their youth, and programming is co-created with Native partners. Toward supporting its science education community to do this, NASA's Science Mission Directorate has initiated a Working Group of individuals, teams, and organizations that are involved in science education with Native American communities via K-12 and/or tribal college programming, and/or grant-making. The purpose is to cultivate a Community of Practice through the sharing of information, knowledge, wisdom, ideas, experience, and best practices, and through the leveraging of resources, assets, and networks. The ultimate goal is the improvement and increased cultural competence of the programs implemented and managed by the group's members.

  5. Media and the making of scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Keeffe, Moira

    This dissertation explores how scientists and science students respond to fictional, visual media about science. I consider how scientists think about images of science in relation to their own career paths from childhood onwards. I am especially interested in the possibility that entertainment media can inspire young people to learn about science. Such inspiration is badly needed, as schools are failing to provide it. Science education in the United States is in a state of crisis. Studies repeatedly find low levels of science literacy in the U.S. This bleak situation exists during a boom in the popularity of science-oriented television shows and science fiction movies. How might entertainment media play a role in helping young people engage with science? To grapple with these questions, I interviewed a total of fifty scientists and students interested in science careers, representing a variety of scientific fields and demographic backgrounds, and with varying levels of interest in science fiction. Most respondents described becoming attracted to the sciences at a young age, and many were able to identify specific sources for this interest. The fact that interest in the sciences begins early in life, demonstrates a potentially important role for fictional media in the process of inspiration, perhaps especially for children without access to real-life scientists. One key aspect to the appeal of fiction about science is how scientists are portrayed as characters. Scientists from groups traditionally under-represented in the sciences often sought out fictional characters with whom they could identify, and viewers from all backgrounds preferred well-rounded characters to the extreme stereotypes of mad or dorky scientists. Genre is another aspect of appeal. Some respondents identified a specific role for science fiction: conveying a sense of wonder. Visual media introduce viewers to the beauty of science. Special effects, in particular, allow viewers to explore the

  6. Plate Boundary Observatory Infrastructure and Data Products in Education and Outreach

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eriksson, S. C.; Barbour, K.; Lee, E.

    2005-12-01

    As one of three major components of NSF's EarthScope program, the Plate Boundary Observatory (PBO) encourages the integration of research and education. Informing various communities about the current work of PBO and the scientific discoveries related to the use of this instrumentation has contributed to the success of PBO during the first two years of the EarthScope project. UNAVCO(PBO), IRIS (USArray), and the EarthScope project office work together to integrate Education and Outreach (E&O) opportunities into a program that is greater than the sum of its parts and yet maintains the identity of each organization. Building and maintaining the PBO website, documenting and archiving activities of PBO, providing short courses for professional development of scientists using EarthScope data, and developing higher level data products with an appropriate educational framework are a few of the activities that provide both challenges and opportunities. The internet, particularly the World Wide Web, has become the primary tool for disseminating information to various audiences. The primary goals of the PBO website are to provide current information on the progress of GPS and Strainmeter facility construction; to provide access to different levels of data products; and to facilitate networking with and among scientists. Challenges for the PBO website include publishing current stories on installation projects while coordinating with field engineers on a regular basis; providing near to real time updates and maintaining quality assurance processes; and defining personnel requirements for a maintaining a dynamic website. Currently, archived photographs, web diaries, and numerous web highlights document PBO's success and provide a visual record of PBO's accomplishments and behind-the-scene activities over the last two years. The community charged PBO with increasing the number of scientists using its data. UNAVCO does this by providing short courses for professional development

  7. Preparing Earth Data Scientists for 'the sexiest job of the 21st century'

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kempler, S. J.

    2014-12-01

    What Exactly do Earth Data Scientists do, and What do They Need to Know, to do It? There is not one simple answer, but there are many complex answers. Data Science, and data analytics, are new and nebulas, and takes on different characteristics depending on: The subject matter being analyzed, the maturity of the research, and whether the employed subject specific analytics is descriptive, diagnostic, discoveritive, predictive, or prescriptive, in nature. In addition, in a, thus far, business driven paradigm shift, university curriculums teaching data analytics pertaining to Earth science have, as a whole, lagged behind, and/or have varied in approach. This presentation attempts to breakdown and identify the many activities that Earth Data Scientists, as a profession, encounter, as well as provide case studies of specific Earth Data Scientist and data analytics efforts. I will also address the educational preparation, that best equips future Earth Data Scientists, needed to further Earth science heterogeneous data research and applications analysis. The goal of this presentation is to describe the actual need for Earth Data Scientists and the practical skills to perform Earth science data analytics, thus hoping to initiate discussion addressing a baseline set of needed expertise for educating future Earth Data Scientists.

  8. Preparing Earth Data Scientists for 'The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century'

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kempler, Steven

    2014-01-01

    What Exactly do Earth Data Scientists do, and What do They Need to Know, to do It? There is not one simple answer, but there are many complex answers. Data Science, and data analytics, are new and nebulas, and takes on different characteristics depending on: The subject matter being analyzed, the maturity of the research, and whether the employed subject specific analytics is descriptive, diagnostic, discoveritive, predictive, or prescriptive, in nature. In addition, in a, thus far, business driven paradigm shift, university curriculums teaching data analytics pertaining to Earth science have, as a whole, lagged behind, andor have varied in approach.This presentation attempts to breakdown and identify the many activities that Earth Data Scientists, as a profession, encounter, as well as provide case studies of specific Earth Data Scientist and data analytics efforts. I will also address the educational preparation, that best equips future Earth Data Scientists, needed to further Earth science heterogeneous data research and applications analysis. The goal of this presentation is to describe the actual need for Earth Data Scientists and the practical skills to perform Earth science data analytics, thus hoping to initiate discussion addressing a baseline set of needed expertise for educating future Earth Data Scientists.

  9. Development of Teachers as Scientists in Research Experiences for Teachers Programs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Faber, Courtney; Hardin, Emily; Klein-Gardner, Stacy; Benson, Lisa

    2014-11-01

    This study examined the teachers' development as scientists for participants in three National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Teachers. Participants included secondary science and math teachers with varying levels of education and experience who were immersed in research environments related to engineering and science topics. Teachers' functionality as scientists was assessed in terms of independence, focus, relationships with mentors, structure, and ability to create new concepts. Hierarchies developed within these constructs allowed tracking of changes in functionality throughout the 6-week programs. Themes were further identified in teachers' weekly journal entries and exit interviews through inductive coding. Increases in functionality as scientists were observed for all teachers who completed both the program and exit interview ( n = 27). Seven of the 27 teachers reached high science functionality; however, three of the teachers did not reach high functionality in any of the constructs during the program. No differences were observed in demographics or teaching experience between those who did and did not reach high functionality levels. Inductive coding revealed themes such as teachers' interactions with mentors and connections made between research and teaching, which allowed for descriptions of experiences for teachers at high and low levels of functionality. Teachers at high functionality levels adjusted to open-ended environments, transitioned from a guided experience to freedom, felt useful in the laboratory, and were self-motivated. In contrast, teachers at low functionality levels did not have a true research project, primarily focused on teaching aspects of the program, and did not display a transition of responsibilities.

  10. Developing Marine Science Instructional Materials Using Integrated Scientist-Educator Collaborative Design Teams: A Discussion of Challenges and Success Developing Real Time Data Projects for the COOL Classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonnell, J.; Duncan, R. G.; Glenn, S.

    2007-12-01

    Current reforms in science education place increasing demands on teachers and students to engage not only with scientific content but also to develop an understanding of the nature of scientific inquiry (AAAS, 1993; NRC, 1996). Teachers are expected to engage students with authentic scientific practices including posing questions, conducting observations, analyzing data, developing explanations and arguing about them using evidence. This charge is challenging for many reasons most notably the difficulty in obtaining meaningful data about complex scientific phenomena that can be used to address relevant scientific questions that are interesting and understandable to K-12 students. We believe that ocean sciences provide an excellent context for fostering scientific inquiry in the classroom. Of particular interest are the technological and scientific advances of Ocean Observing Systems, which allow scientists to continuously interact with instruments, facilities, and other scientists to explore the earth-ocean- atmosphere system remotely. Oceanographers are making long-term measurements that can also resolve episodic oceanic processes on a wide range of spatial and temporal scales crucial to resolving scientific questions related to Earth's climate, geodynamics, and marine ecosystems. The availability of a diverse array of large data sets that are easily accessible provides a unique opportunity to develop inquiry-based learning environments in which students can explore many important questions that reflect current research trends in ocean sciences. In addition, due to the interdisciplinary nature of the ocean sciences these data sets can be used to examine ocean phenomena from a chemical, physical, or biological perspective; making them particularly useful for science teaching across the disciplines. In this session we will describe some of the efforts of the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence- Mid Atlantic (COSEE MA) to develop instructional materials

  11. "Physics and Life" - Teachers Meet Scientists at Major EIROforum Event [

    Science.gov (United States)

    2003-11-01

    More than 400 selected delegates from 22 European countries will take part in "Physics on Stage 3" , organised by the EIROforum [1] research organisations (CERN, EFDA, EMBL, ESA, ESO, ESRF, ILL) at the ESA ESTEC site (Noordwijk, The Netherlands). It is the culmination of a year-long educational programme and is a central event during the EC-sponsored European Science and Technology Week (November 8-15, 2003). Following the vastly successful preceeding events in 2000 and 2002, the main theme this year is "Physics and Life", reflecting the decision to broaden the Physics on Stage activities to encompass more of the natural sciences within an interdisciplinary approach. As before, European teachers, scientists, curricula organisers and others connected to the national education systems in Europe will gather with the main goal of exploring solutions to stimulate the interest of young people in science, by means of exciting and innovative teaching methods and materials. The rich one-week programme has many components: spectacular and original performances by students and professional actors, intensive encounters at a central fair where each country will present the latest developments from its teaching community at their stands, workshops about a host of crucial themes related to the central mission of this programme, seminars where EIROforum scientists and experienced high school teachers get together to discuss new teaching opportunities based on the latest results from front-line research projects at Europe's leading science centres, as well as a publishers fair that will also serve as an international exchange for new educational materials. A mystery cultural event will surprise everyone with its originality. And last but not least, the annual European Science Teaching Awards - the highest distinction in this field - will be presented at the end of the meeting. "Physics on Stage" is a joint project organised by EIROforum, together with the European Physical Society

  12. Learning Design, Social Ontology and Unintended Functionalism in Education Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Mark William

    2016-01-01

    For many years there have been well-funded project opportunities for developing educational innovations, both pedagogical and technological, to fulfil the educational ambitions of national governments and European agencies. Projects have been funded on the basis of competitive bidding against themes identified by funders. Calls for funding…

  13. The Educational Work and Life Project Professional college student. A necessary relationship in Higher Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Noraida Garbizo Flores Montes de Oca

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available The new tendencies of the superior Cuban education, require of an educational renewing practice after contributing to the integral formation of the graduate future university, by achieving it harmonize the formation of sk ills and attitudes habits knowledges and the construction of a project of professional life sustained in values. In this sense the academic year constitutes the cell of the educational work to this level. Therefore at present it works try to get evaluate the necessary question between the educational labor and the project of professional life of the university student, with emphasis in the |protagónico| role of the social actors of the educational process.

  14. Cultural isolation of third-world scientists

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadiq, A.

    1981-10-01

    The isolation of third world scientists from the modes of production and from the culture of their countries seems to be related to the alienation of the urban culture of these countries from their respective rural backgrounds. It is suggested that this alienation may be overcome by directly interfacing modern science and technology to the corresponding elements in their rural culture through the process of education. (author)

  15. Partnering Students, Scientists, and the Local Community in a Regionally-focused Field Campaign

    Science.gov (United States)

    McLaughlin, J. W.; Lemone, M. A.; Seavey, M. M.; Washburne, J. C.

    2006-05-01

    The GLOBE Program (www.globe.gov) involves students and scientists in a worldwide environmental data collection effort. The GLOBE ONE field campaign (www.globe.gov/globeone) represents a model for a focused implementation of GLOBE via a geographically-specific project. The campaign, which occurred in Black Hawk County, Iowa from February 2004 to February 2006, was developed by GLOBE Principal Investigators (PIs), the GLOBE Program Office, and GLOBE Iowa. The central scientific objective was to compare quantitatively the environmental effects of various soil tillage techniques. In addition, student research projects were supported that spanned a variety of Earth science topics. The campaign established a partnership between students and scientists to collect a structured, multidisciplinary data set and also increase GLOBE visibility. The fact that GLOBE ONE occurred in a focused geographic area made it necessary to form a network for local support. This started with choosing an active GLOBE partner, namely the Iowa Academy of Science, who had the ability to oversee the local implementation of such a project. Once this partner was chosen, additional local groups needed to be recruited to support the project. The local network included K-12 schools, the County Conservation Board, the University of Northern Iowa, Hawkeye Community College, and community volunteers. This network collected data via automated instrumentation, first-hand observations, and through special events organized with a focus on a specific measurement. The first major step in supporting student research was a teacher training workshop held in March of 2006 that helped to provide tools for, and increase comfort levels with, promoting scientific inquiry in the classroom. Student-scientists interactions were promoted via scientist visits, video conferences, letters, and email exchanges. The culminating event was a Student Research Symposium held in February 2006 which gave students and scientists a

  16. Where the Wild Microbes Are: Education and Outreach on Sub-Seafloor Microbes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooper, S. K.; Kurtz, K.; Orcutt, B.; Strong, L.; Collins, J.; Feagan, A.

    2014-12-01

    Sub-seafloor microbiology has the power to spark the imaginations of children, students and the general public with its mysterious nature, cutting-edge research, and connections to the search for extraterrestrial life. These factors have been utilized to create a number of educational and outreach products to bring subsurface microbes to non-scientist audiences in creative and innovative ways. The Adopt a Microbe curriculum for middle school students provides hands-on activities and investigations for students to learn about microbes and the on-going research about them, and provides opportunities to connect with active expeditions. A new series of videos engages non-scientists with stories about research expeditions and the scientists themselves. A poster and associated activities explore the nature of science using a microbiologist and her research as examples. A new e-book for young children will engage them with age-appropriate text and illustrations. These projects are multidisciplinary, involve science and engineering practices, are available to all audiences and provide examples of high level and meaningful partnerships between scientists and educators and the kinds of products that can result. Subseafloor microbiology projects such as these, aimed at K-12 students and the general public, have the potential to entice the interest of the next generation of microbe scientists and increase general awareness of this important science.

  17. The EuroSprite2005 Observational Campaign: an example of training and outreach opportunities for CAL young scientists

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. Chanrion

    2007-07-01

    Full Text Available The four year "Coupling of Atmospheric Layers (CAL" EU FP5 Research Training Network project studied unanswered questions related to transient luminous events (sprites, jets and elves in the upper atmosphere. Consisting of ten scientific work-packages CAL also included intensive training and outreach programmes for the young scientists hired. Educational activities were based on the following elements: national PhD programmes, activities at CAL and other meetings, a dedicated summer school, and two European sprite observational campaigns. The young scientists were strongly involved in the latter and, as an example, the "EuroSprite2005" observational campaign is presented in detail. Some of the young scientists participated in the instrument set-up, others in the campaign logistics, some coordinated the observations, and others gathered the results to build a catalogue. During the four-month duration of this campaign, all of them took turns in operating the system and making their own night observations. The ongoing campaign activities were constantly advertised and communicated via an Internet blog. In summary the campaign required all the CAL young scientists to embark on experimental work, to develop their organisational skills, and to enhance their ability to communicate their activities. The campaign was a unique opportunity to train and strengthen skills that will be an asset to their future careers and, overall, was most successful.

  18. A Community-Building Framework for Collaborative Research Coordination across the Education and Biology Research Disciplines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pelaez, Nancy; Anderson, Trevor R.; Gardner, Stephanie M.; Yin, Yue; Abraham, Joel K.; Barlett, Edward L.; Gormally, Cara; Hurney, Carol A.; Long, Tammy M.; Newman, Dina L.; Sirum, Karen; Stevens, Michael T.

    2018-01-01

    Since 2009, the U.S. National Science Foundation Directorate for Biological Sciences has funded Research Coordination Networks (RCN) aimed at collaborative efforts to improve participation, learning, and assessment in undergraduate biology education (UBE). RCN-UBE projects focus on coordination and communication among scientists and educators who…

  19. EPLANET: the Europe-Latin America alliance for physics research and education

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN Bulletin

    2011-01-01

    Twenty-nine partner institutions participate in EPLANET – the EU-funded project aimed at strengthening the links between the physics communities in Europe and Latin America. The project will help the Latin-American scientific community to reach and consolidate the critical scientific mass, and profit from the educational, technological and industrial impact of high-energy physics.   Officially launched in February 2011, EPLANET has now reached its “cruising-speed” with the first ten scientists arriving at CERN in June and July from Argentina, Brazil and Chile. The first ten EPLANET participants will stay at CERN for 39 months; they are involved in the ATLAS and CMS experiments. In the four-year lifetime of the project, CERN will welcome around 256 scientists for a total of 956 months from Chile, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. In total, EPLANET will provide 379 grants (equivalent to 1203 months) to junior and senior scientists from Latin American countries to be detac...

  20. Education in Sustainable Energy by European Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanescu, Corina; Stefureac, Crina

    2010-05-01

    Our schools have been involved in several European projects having with the primary objective of educating the young generation to find ways for saving energy and for using the renewable energy. Small changes in our behaviour can lead to significant energy savings and a major reduction in emissions. In our presentation we will refer to three of them: - The Comenius 1 project "Energy in the Consumers' Hands" tried to improve the quality of education for democratic citizenship in all participant schools by creating a model of curricula concerning the integrative teaching of democratic citizenship using the topic approaches based on key concept - energy as important element of the community welfare. The students studied on the following topics: • Sources of energy • The clean use of fossil based resources; • The rational use of energy • Energy and the environment - The project "Solar Schools Forum" (SSF) focuses on environmental education in schools, in particular addressing the topics of Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE). The youth need to become more aware of energy-related problems, and how they can change their own lifestyles to limit environmental damage caused by the daily use of energy. As the decision-makers of tomorrow we need to empower them to make the right choices. The SSF is aimed at improving knowledge about RE and EE among children and young people, using a fun approach and aimed at generating greater enthusiasm for clean energy. The youth will also be encouraged to help raise awareness and so act as multipliers in their own communities, starting with their families and friends. As a result of this project we involved in developing and implementing an optional course for high school students within the Solar Schools Forum project. The optional course entitled "Sustainable energy and the environment" had a great deal of success, proof of this success being the fact that it is still taught even today, three years after its

  1. Managing Complex Distance Education Projects in a Telework Environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ally, Mohamed; Cleveland-Innes, Marti; Wiseman, Colin

    2010-01-01

    The advances of communication technologies have allowed professionals to work on distance education projects in a telework environment. Managers of these projects must have the skills to manage the projects from a distance. They must be able to select the appropriate team members to work on the project, orient team members, and monitor team…

  2. Oral health promotion and education messages in Live.Learn.Laugh. projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Horn, Virginie; Phantumvanit, Prathip

    2014-10-01

    The FDI-Unilever Live.Learn.Laugh. phase 2 partnership involved dissemination of the key oral health message of encouraging 'twice-daily toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste' and education of people worldwide by FDI, National Dental Associations, the Unilever Oral Care global team and local brands. The dissemination and education process used different methodologies, each targeting specific groups, namely: mother and child (Project option A); schoolchildren (Project option B); dentists and patients (Project option C); and specific communities (Project option D). Altogether, the partnership implemented 29 projects in 27 countries. These consisted of educational interventions, evaluations including (in some cases) clinical assessment, together with communication activities at both global and local levels, to increase the reach of the message to a broader population worldwide. The phase 2 experience reveals the strength of such a public-private partnership approach in tackling global oral health issues by creating synergies between partners and optimising the promotion and education process. © 2014 FDI World Dental Federation.

  3. Project based learning for reactor engineering education

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Narabayashi, Tadashi; Tsuji, Masashi; Shimazu, Yoichiro

    2009-01-01

    Trial in education of nuclear engineering in Hokkaido University has proved to be quite attractive for students. It is an education system called Project Based Learning (PBL), which is not based on education by lecture only but based mostly on practice of students in the classroom. The system was adopted four years ago. In the actual class, we separated the student into several groups of the size about 6 students. In the beginning of each class room time, a brief explanations of the related theory or technical bases. Then the students discuss in their own group how to precede their design calculations and do the required calculation and evaluation. The target reactor type of each group was selected by the group members for themselves at the beginning of the semester as the first step of the project. The reactor types range from a small in house type to that for a nuclear ship. At the end of the semester, each group presents the final design. The presentation experience gives students a kind of fresh sensation. Nowadays the evaluation results of the subject by the students rank in the highest in the faculty of engineering. Based on the considerations above, we designed the framework of our PBL for reactor engineering. In this paper, we will present some lessons learned in this PBL education system from the educational points of view. The PBL education program is supported by IAE/METI in Japan for Nuclear Engineering Education. (author)

  4. The UK-Japan Young Scientist Workshop Programme...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albone, Eric; Okano, Toru

    2012-01-01

    The authors have been running UK-Japan Young Scientist Workshops at universities in Britain and Japan since 2001: for the past three years in England with Cambridge University and, last year, also with Kyoto University and Kyoto University of Education. For many years they have worked jointly with colleagues in a group of Super Science High…

  5. What can scientific practice look like in a classroom? Insights from scientists' critique of high school students' climate change argumentation practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walsh, E.; McGowan, V. C.

    2015-12-01

    The Next Generation Science Standards promote a vision in which learners engage in authentic knowledge in practice to tackle personally consequential science problems in the classroom. However, there is not yet a clear understanding amongst researchers and educators of what authentic practice looks like in a classroom and how this can be accomplished. This study explores these questions by examining interactions between scientists and students on a social media platform during two pilot enactments of a project-based curriculum focusing on the ecological impacts of climate change. During this unit, scientists provided feedback to students on infographics, visual representations of scientific information meant to communicate to an audience about climate change. We conceptualize the feedback and student work as boundary objects co-created by students and scientists moving between the school and scientific contexts, and analyze the structure and content of the scientists' feedback. We find that when giving feedback on a particular practice (e.g. argumentation), scientists would provide avenues, critiques and questions that incorporated many other practices (e.g. data analysis, visual communication); thus, scientists encouraged students to participate systemically in practices instead of isolating one particular practice. In addition, scientists drew attention to particular habits of mind that are valued in the scientific community and noted when students' work aligned with scientific values. In this way, scientists positioned students as capable of participating "scientifically." While traditionally, incorporating scientific inquiry in a classroom has emphasized student experimentation and data generation, in this work, we found that engaging with scientists around established scientific texts and data sets provided students with a platform for developing expertise in other important scientific practices during argment construction.

  6. Nobelist TD LEE Scientist Cooperation Network and Scientist Innovation Ability Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin-Qing Fang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Nobelist TD Lee scientist cooperation network (TDLSCN and their innovation ability are studied. It is found that the TDLSCN not only has the common topological properties both of scale-free and small-world for a general scientist cooperation networks, but also appears the creation multiple-peak phenomenon for number of published paper with year evolution, which become Nobelist TD Lee’s significant mark distinguished from other scientists. This new phenomenon has not been revealed in the scientist cooperation networks before. To demonstrate and explain this new finding, we propose a theoretical model for a nature scientist and his/her team innovation ability. The theoretical results are consistent with the empirical studies very well. This research demonstrates that the model has a certain universality and can be extended to estimate innovation ability for any nature scientist and his/her team. It is a better method for evaluating scientist innovation ability and his/her team for the academic profession and is of application potential.

  7. Core competencies for pharmaceutical physicians and drug development scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Silva, Honorio; Stonier, Peter; Buhler, Fritz; Deslypere, Jean-Paul; Criscuolo, Domenico; Nell, Gerfried; Massud, Joao; Geary, Stewart; Schenk, Johanna; Kerpel-Fronius, Sandor; Koski, Greg; Clemens, Norbert; Klingmann, Ingrid; Kesselring, Gustavo; van Olden, Rudolf; Dubois, Dominique

    2013-01-01

    Professional groups, such as IFAPP (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Physicians and Pharmaceutical Medicine), are expected to produce the defined core competencies to orient the discipline and the academic programs for the development of future competent professionals and to advance the profession. On the other hand, PharmaTrain, an Innovative Medicines Initiative project, has become the largest public-private partnership in biomedicine in the European Continent and aims to provide postgraduate courses that are designed to meet the needs of professionals working in medicines development. A working group was formed within IFAPP including representatives from PharmaTrain, academic institutions and national member associations, with special interest and experience on Quality Improvement through education. The objectives were: to define a set of core competencies for pharmaceutical physicians and drug development scientists, to be summarized in a Statement of Competence and to benchmark and align these identified core competencies with the Learning Outcomes (LO) of the PharmaTrain Base Course. The objectives were successfully achieved. Seven domains and 60 core competencies were identified and aligned accordingly. The effective implementation of training programs using the competencies or the PharmaTrain LO anywhere in the world may transform the drug development process to an efficient and integrated process for better and safer medicines. The PharmaTrain Base Course might provide the cognitive framework to achieve the desired Statement of Competence for Pharmaceutical Physicians and Drug Development Scientists worldwide. PMID:23986704

  8. Core Competencies for Pharmaceutical Physicians and Drug Development Scientists

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Honorio eSilva

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available Professional groups, such as IFAPP (International Federation of Pharmaceutical Physicians and Pharmaceutical Medicine, are expected to produce the defined core competencies to orient the discipline and the academic programs for the development of future competent professionals and to advance the profession. On the other hand, PharmaTrain, an Innovative Medicines Initiative project, has become the largest public-private partnership in biomedicine in the European Continent and aims to provide postgraduate courses that are designed to meet the needs of professionals working in medicines development. A working group was formed within IFAPP including representatives from PharmaTrain, academic institutions and national member associations, with special interest and experience on Quality Improvement through education. The objectives were: to define a set of core competencies for pharmaceutical physicians and drug development scientists, to be summarized in a Statement of Competence and to benchmark and align these identified core competencies with the Learning Outcomes of the PharmaTrain Base Course. The objectives were successfully achieved. Seven domains and 60 core competencies were identified and aligned accordingly. The effective implementation of training programs using the competencies or the PharmaTrain Learning Outcomes anywhere in the world may transform the drug development process to an efficient and integrated process for better and safer medicines. The PharmaTrain Base Course might provide the cognitive framework to achieve the desired Statement of Competence for Pharmaceutical Physicians and Drug Development Scientists worldwide.

  9. Engaging Climate Change Mitigation Strategies as Citizen-Scientists at SUNY College at Oneonta

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellis, T. D.; McEnroe, N. A.

    2009-12-01

    At SUNY College at Oneonta, we have developed a new course on Global Climate Change that seeks to educate students on the science and policy considerations related to the ongoing discussion of the causes and effects of climatic change. In this course, taught by the Department of Earth Sciences, we engage not only the science behind how and why the climate is changing, but there is a curricular emphasis on improving how we communicate about climate change science. Class activities include developing personal action plans that include evaluation of how effective their plans will be and the challenges they will face; a mock town-hall meeting that will help student-scientists put themselves into different roles in the community and attempt to see things from different perspectives, and a term-project where students will go in-depth on a proposed mitigation plan (local, regional, national, or international), weigh the pros and cons, and recommend a course of action in terms that a lay person can understand. Our goal is to produce citizen-scientists who can communicate more effectively in public about the science and the stakes of mitigating climate change.

  10. Revisiting the physics education projects in a Bakhitinian perspective

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Ortega

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available In this article, we point out correlations between the 1970s social-historical context and the of physics teaching sphere at the time, through the analysis of utterances expressed in two educational projects texts: The Physics Project at Harvard University and the Project of Physical Education at the University of Sao Paulo. Given the infinity and complexity of mediations between society and projects, we focus on mediations that refer to the broader spheres of social activity. We want to outline the socio-historical mediations that allow us to identify the social and historical limits to which they were submitted. Therefore, it is in this dialectical relationship between educational work and the historical horizon of a society that we take the bakhtinian concept of discursive genre, which allows representing the relations between history and discourse. Within this relationship social teleology, communicative intentions and the discursive choices of the subjects of human activity are established. Thus our discursive, social, and historical perspective of analysis indicates that the educational discourses they produced, is an expression of the needs, values and commitments of organized social groups of those societies, and that their ideological productions were reflected and refracted in the thematic content, composition and genre style produced within the teaching in that context.

  11. Telematic Tools to Support Group Projects in Higher Education

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Veen, Johan (CTIT); Collis, Betty

    We describe ongoing evaluations and new research on the use of telematic tools to support project work in higher education. Practical experience at our University has shown that project work can be implemented using the World Wide Web for many aspects of the project activities. The possibilities

  12. Telematic tools to support group projects in higher education

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Veen, Johan (CTIT); Collis, Betty; Muldner, T.; Reeves, T.C.

    1997-01-01

    We describe ongoing evaluations and new research on the use of telematic tools to support project work in higher education. Practical experience at our University has shown that project work can be implemented using the World Wide Web for many aspects of the project activities. The possibilities

  13. Engaging STEM Ethics Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kelly Ann Joyce

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available The automation of knowledge via algorithms, code and big data has brought new ethical concerns that computer scientists and engineers are not yet trained to identify or mediate. We present our experience of using original research to develop scenarios to explore how STS scholars can produce materials that facilitate ethics education in computer science, data science, and software engineering. STS scholars are uniquely trained to investigate the societal context of science and technology as well as the meaning STEM researchers attach to their day-to-day work practices. In this project, we use a collaborative, co-constitutive method of doing ethics education that focuses on building an ethical framework based on empirical practices, highlighting two issues in particular: data validity and the relations between data and inequalities. Through data-grounded scenario writing, we demonstrate how STS scholars and other social scientists can apply their expertise to the production of educational materials to spark broad ranging discussions that explore the connections between values, ethics, STEM, politics, and social contexts.

  14. Integrating Scientific Content with Context to Connect Educators with the Complexities and Consequences of Climate Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Low, R.; Gosselin, D. C.; Oglesby, R. J.; Larson-Miller, C.; Thomas, J.; Mawalagedara, R.

    2011-12-01

    Over the past three years the Nebraska Earth Systems Education Network has designed professional development opportunities for K-12 and extension educators that integrates scientific content into the context of helping educators connect society with the complexities and consequences of climate change. Our professional development approach uses learner-, knowledge-, assessment-, and community-centered strategies to achieve our long-term goal: collaboration of scientists, educators and learners to foster civic literacy about climate change. Two NASA-funded projects, Global Climate Change Literacy for Educators (GCCE, 2009-2012), and the Educators Climatologists Learning Community (ECLC, 2011-2013), have provided the mechanism to provide teachers with scientifically sound and pedagogically relevant educational materials to improve climate and Earth systems literacy among educators. The primary product of the GCCE program is a 16-week, online, distance-delivered, asynchronous course entitled, Laboratory Earth: Human Dimensions of Climate Change. This course consists of four, four-week modules that integrate climate literacy, Earth Systems concepts, and pedagogy focused on active learning processes, building community, action research, and students' sense of place to promote action at the local level to address the challenges of climate change. Overall, the Community of Inquiry Survey (COI) indicated the course was effective in teaching content, developing a community of learners, and engaging students in experiences designed to develop content knowledge. A pre- and post- course Wilcoxan Signed Ranks Test indicated there was a statistically significant increase in participant's beliefs about their personal science teaching efficacy. Qualitative data from concept maps and content mastery assignments support a positive impact on teachers' content knowledge and classroom practice. Service Learning units seemed tohelp teachers connect course learning to their classroom

  15. Grandma's Games Project: Bridging Tradition and Technology Mediated Education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marina Vasileva

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available This article presents a project entitled "Grandma’s games", following a research idea to enrich the educational process of K9 students by introducing the traditional children games of our ancestors in the learning environment, revived and adapted for modern students with the aid of information and communication technology. While creating a strong connection between our heritage and the modern educational trends, the project’s intention goes beyond mere fulfilment of educational goals, striving to increase the interest and motivation of primary education students to develop their creativity and originality while learning, with respect of their own personal preferences and cultural heritage. The "Grandma’s games" research project engaged twelve traditional games in the educational activities at primary schools from both rural and non-rural environments in Republic of Macedonia. Descriptive statistics was applied on the data set sampled from the extensive survey conducted among teachers in these schools, to illustrate the benefits from the application of the Grandma’s games in educational process.

  16. Optimization education after project implementation: sharing "lessons learned" with staff.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaughn, Susan

    2011-01-01

    Implementations involving healthcare technology solutions focus on providing end-user education prior to the application going "live" in the organization. Benefits to postimplementation education for staff should be included when planning these projects. This author describes the traditional training provided during the implementation of a bar-coding medication project and then the optimization training 8 weeks later.

  17. American and Greek Children's Visual Images of Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christidou, Vasilia; Bonoti, Fotini; Kontopoulou, Argiro

    2016-08-01

    This study explores American and Greek primary pupils' visual images of scientists by means of two nonverbal data collection tasks to identify possible convergences and divergences. Specifically, it aims to investigate whether their images of scientists vary according to the data collection instrument used and to gender. To this end, 91 third-grade American ( N = 46) and Greek ( N = 45) pupils were examined. Data collection was conducted through a drawing task based on Chambers (1983) `Draw-A-Scientist-Test' (DAST) and a picture selection task during which the children selected between 14 pairs of illustrations those that were most probable to represent scientists. Analysis focused on stereotype indicators related with scientists' appearance and work setting. Results showed that the two groups' performance varied significantly across the tasks used to explore their stereotypic perceptions, although the overall stereotypy was not differentiated according to participants' ethnic group. Moreover, boys were found to use more stereotypic indicators than girls, while the picture selection task elicited more stereotypic responses than the drawing task. In general, data collected by the two instruments revealed convergences and divergences concerning the stereotypic indicators preferred. Similarities and differences between national groups point to the influence of a globalized popular culture on the one hand and of the different sociocultural contexts underlying science curricula and their implementation on the other. Implications for science education are discussed.

  18. The VeTOOLS Project: an example of how to strengthen collaboration between scientists and Civil Protections in disaster risk reduction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marti, Joan; Bartolini, Stefania; Becerril, Laura

    2016-04-01

    VeTOOLS is a project funded by the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO), and aims at creating an integrated software platform specially designed to assess and manage volcanic risk. The project facilitates interaction and cooperation between scientists and Civil Protection Agencies in order to share, unify, and exchange procedures, methodologies and technologies to effectively reduce the impacts of volcanic disasters. The project aims at 1) improving and developing volcanic risk assessment and management capacities in active volcanic regions; 2) developing universal methodologies, scenario definitions, response strategies and alert protocols to cope with the full range of volcanic threats; 4) improving quantitative methods and tools for vulnerability and risk assessment; and 5) defining thresholds and protocols for civil protection. With these objectives, the VeTOOLS project points to two of the Sendai Framework resolutions for implementing it: i) Provide guidance on methodologies and standards for risk assessments, disaster risk modelling and the use of data; ii) Promote and support the availability and application of science and technology to decision-making, and offers a good example on how a close collaboration between science and civil protection is an effective way to contribute to DRR. European Commission ECHO Grant SI2.695524

  19. Scientist's Perceptions of Uncertainty During Discussions of Global Climate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romanello, S.; Fortner, R.; Dervin, B.

    2003-04-01

    This research examines the nature of disagreements between natural and social scientists during discussions of global climate change. In particular, it explores whether the disagreements between natural and social scientists are related to the ontological, epistemological, or methodological nature of the uncertainty of global climate change during these discussions. A purposeful sample of 30 natural and social scientists recognized as experts in global climate change by the United States Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and National Academies Committee on Global Change were interviewed to elicit their perceptions of disagreements during their three most troublesome discussions on global climate change. A mixed-method (qualitative plus quantitative research) approach with three independent variables was used to explore nature of uncertainty as a mediating variable in the relationships between academic training, level of sureness, level of knowledge, and position on global climate change, and the nature of disagreements and bridging strategies of natural and social scientists (Patton, 1997; Frechtling et al., 1997). This dissertation posits that it is the differences in the nature of uncertainty communicated by natural and social scientists and not sureness, knowledge, and position on global climate change that causes disagreements between the groups. By describing the nature of disagreements between natural and social scientists and illuminating bridging techniques scientists use during these disagreements, it is hoped that information collected from this research will create a better dialogue between the scientists studying global climate change by providing communication strategies which will allow those versed in one particular area to speak to non-experts whether they be other scientists, media officials, or the public. These tangible strategies can then be used by government agencies to create better communications and education plans, which can

  20. The Impact of Entrepreneurship Education and Project-based Education on Students’ Personal Development and Entrepreneurial Intentions at the Lower Levels of the Educational System

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Moberg, Kåre

    I present an analysis of a survey in which the effect of entrepreneurship education and project-based education on students at lower secondary level is investigated. The results are based on a random sample of 2000 Danish students. The analysis indicates that entrepreneurship education has...... a positive effect on students’ personal development, and that its effect on entrepreneurial intentions is fully mediated by its effect on students’ self-conception. A finding with important policy implications is that there is a negative interaction effect between entrepreneurship education and project......-based education regarding impact on students’ self-conception. The implication of the results is that we should replace project-based education with entrepreneurship education rather than having them run in parallel....

  1. The Project-Based Learning Approach in Environmental Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Genc, Murat

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of project-based learning on students' attitudes toward the environment. In the study that was performed with 39 students who take the "Environmental Education" course, attitude changes toward the environment were investigated in students who developed projects on environmental…

  2. Research Natural Areas on National Forest System lands in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, and Western Wyoming: A guidebook for scientists, managers, and educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angela G. Evenden; Melinda Moeur; J. Stephen Shelly; Shannon F. Kimball; Charles A. Wellner

    2001-01-01

    This guidebook is intended to familiarize land resource managers, scientists, educators, and others with Research Natural Areas (RNAs) managed by the USDA Forest Service in the Northern Rocky Mountains and Intermountain West. This guidebook facilitates broader recognition and use of these valuable natural areas by describing the RNA network, past and current research...

  3. The Tri-Agency Climate Education (TrACE) Catalog: Promoting collaboration, effective practice, and a robust portfolio by sharing educational resources developed across NASA, NOAA & NSF climate education initiatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDougall, C.; Martin, A.; Givens, S. M.; Yue, S.; Wilson, C. E.; Karsten, J. L.

    2012-12-01

    The Tri-Agency Climate Education (TrACE) Catalog is an online, interactive, searchable and browsable web product driven by a database backend. TrACE was developed for and by the community of educators, scientists, and Federal agency representatives involved in a tri-agency collaboration for climate education. NASA, NOAA, and NSF are working together to strategically coordinate and support a portfolio of projects focused on climate literacy and education in formal and informal learning environments. The activities of the tri-agency collaboration, including annual meetings for principal investigators and the ongoing development of a nascent common evaluation framework, have created a strong national network for effectively engaging diverse audiences with the principles of climate literacy (see Eos Vol. 92, No. 24, 14 June 2011). TrACE is a tool for the climate education community that promotes the goals of the tri-agency collaboration to leverage existing resources, minimize duplicate efforts, and facilitate communication among this emergent community of scientists and educators. TrACE was born as "The Matrix," a product of the 2011 Second Annual NASA, NOAA and NSF Climate Change Education Principal Investigators Meeting (see McDougall, Wilson, Martin & Knippenberg, 2011, Abstract ED21B-0583 presented at 2011 Fall Meeting, AGU, San Francisco, CA.) Meeting attendees were asked to populate a pen-and-paper matrix with all of the activities or deliverables they had created or anticipated creating as part of their NOAA/NASA/NSF-funded project. During the 2012 Third Annual Tri-Agency PI Meeting, projects were given the opportunity to add and update their products and deliverables. In the intervening year, the dataset comprising the Matrix was converted to a MySQL database, with a standardized taxonomy and minimum criteria for inclusion, and further developed into the interactive TrACE Catalog. In the fall of 2012, the TrACE Catalog web product will be made publicly

  4. Using partnerships with scientists to enhance teacher capacity to address the NGSS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavelsky, T.; Haine, D. B.; Drostin, M.

    2013-12-01

    Increasingly, scientists are seeking outreach experts to assist with the education and outreach components of their research grants. These experts have the skills and expertise to assist with translating scientific research into lessons and activities that are aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) as well as state standards, are STEM-focused and that address the realities of the K-12 science classroom. Since 2007, the Institute for the Environment (IE) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been conducting teacher professional development and high school student science enrichment programs to promote climate literacy. Partnering with scientists to deepen content knowledge and promote engagement with technology and real data has been a successful strategy for cultivating increased climate literacy among teachers and students. In this session, we will share strategies for effectively engaging scientists in K-12 educational activities by providing specific examples of the various ways in which scientists can be integrated into programming and their research translated into relevant classroom activities. Engaging scientists and translating their research into classroom activities is an approach that becomes even more relevant with the advent of the NGSS. The NGSS's Disciplinary Core Ideas (DCIs) that encompass climate literacy can be addressed by partnering with scientists to provide teachers with current content knowledge and technological tools needed to promote integration of relevant science and engineering practices and cross-cutting themes. Here we highlight a successful partnership in which IE science educators collaborated with with a faculty member to develop a lesson for North Carolina teachers introducing them to new research on satellite remote sensing of the water cycle, while also promoting student engagement with local data. The resulting lesson was featured during a two-day, IE-led teacher workshop for 21 North Carolina

  5. Development of a Career Enhancement Training is Inherent Part of an Educational Project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gabdrakhmanova R.G.

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Career enhancement training is common for teachers, yet participating in the project requires special training. Project training courses expose project objectives and allow getting necessary skills, materials and tools to determine the results. Training course have to include a content for which teachers will need to make a report. R. A. Valeeva, Ph.D., Professor, was the manager of a project “Development and testing of new modules and rules for the implementing of the basic bachelor educational program in an "Education and Pedagogy" aggregated group (psycho-pedagogical training direction, which implies academic mobility of students studying education science (non-educational training directions in the context of networking”. To implement the project, it was decided to establish close partnerships with five higher educational institutions in the country. We have developed training courses to prepare teaching and resource staff of our university, as well as our partners to strong partnership in the project execution.

  6. Teacher-Scientist-Communicator-Learner Partnerships: Reimagining Scientists in the Classroom.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noel-Storr, Jacob; Terwilliger, Michael; InsightSTEM Teacher-Scientist-Communicator-Learner Partnerships Team

    2016-01-01

    We present results of our work to reimagine Teacher-Scientist partnerships to improve relationships and outcomes. We describe our work in implementing Teacher-Scientist partnerships that are expanded to include a communicator, and the learners themselves, as genuine members of the partnership. Often times in Teacher-Scientist partnerships, the scientist can often become more easily described as a special guest into the classroom, rather than a genuine partner in the learning experience. We design programs that take the expertise of the teacher and the scientist fully into account to develop practical and meaningful partnerships, that are further enhanced by using an expert in communications to develop rich experiences for and with the learners. The communications expert may be from a broad base of backgrounds depending on the needs and desires of the partners -- the communicators include, for example: public speaking gurus; journalists; web and graphic designers; and American Sign Language interpreters. Our partnership programs provide online support and professional development for all parties. Outcomes of the program are evaluated in terms of not only learning outcomes for the students, but also attitude, behavior, and relationship outcomes for the teachers, scientists, communicators and learners alike.

  7. Superheroes and supervillains: reconstructing the mad-scientist stereotype in school science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avraamidou, Lucy

    2013-04-01

    Background. Reform recommendations around the world call for an understanding about the nature of science and the work of scientists. However, related research findings provide evidence that students hold stereotypical views of scientists and the nature of their work. Purpose The aim of this case study was to examine the impact of an intervention on 15 elementary school students' views of scientists. Sample An urban, fifth-grade, European elementary school classroom defined the context of this study. Design and method The intervention was an 11-week-long investigation of a local problem concerning water quality. In carrying out this investigation the students collaborated with a young metrology scientist to collect and analyse authentic data that would help them to construct a claim about the quality of the water. The students' initial views of scientists were investigated through a drawing activity, classroom discussions and interviews. Results Analysis of these data indicated that all students but one girl held very stereotypical views on scientists and the nature of their work. Analysis of interviews with each student and classroom discussions after the intervention illustrated that they reconstructed their stereotypical views of scientists and the nature of their work owing to their personal engagement in the investigation and their collaboration with the scientist. Conclusions The findings of this study suggest that more in-depth study into project-based approaches, out-of-school learning and school-scientist partnerships is warranted, for the purpose of determining appropriate pedagogies that support students in developing up-to-date understanding about scientists and the nature of their work.

  8. A View on a Successful International Educational Project in Software Engineering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zoran Budimac

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a successful and fruitful joint project will be presented. The project joins participants from 9 countries and from 15 universities. Since it started in 2001, this project entitled “Software Engineering: Computer Science Education and Research Cooperation” helped participants to gain excellent, up to date educational material, apply modern teaching methods, exchange experiences with other participants, and work jointly on the further development of lectures, case-studies, assignments, examination questions, and other necessary elements of a course. Project works under auspices of Stability Pact of South-Eastern Europe, and is supported by DAAD. The project started with the creation of a common beginning course in “Software Engineering”, but over time it grew and the number of other courses was developed. Finished almost completely are the courses in “Object-oriented programming”, “Software Project Management”, “Advanced Compiler Construction”, and “Data Structures and Algorithms”, and some other courses are under development. Aside from the educational collaboration, project members also developed good scientific cooperation, and published several research papers.

  9. Expanding Horizons Teachers and Scientists Collabortaing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teres, A.

    2017-12-01

    As a participant in PolarTrec, I joined the crew of NASA's Operation IceBridge in Greenland for the month of April 2017. As an active member of the team I learned the ins and outs of field research, and I learned about the work done by Operation IceBridge. As a result of participating in this project, I grew as a teacher and a scientist. I took my experiences and shared them with my classroom through stories, pictures, videos, and my lesson plans. By seeing the Artic through my experiences the class became enraptured by the subject matter. I was no longer talking about a distant or abstract place instead I was talking about an experience. This enabled my students to take an active part in the discussion and to feel like the cryosphere was part of their life too. Not only did I learn about the science but I leaned about logistics of field research. I reached out to my community and local communications outlets before and after my trip to Greenland to familiarize whomever I could connect with about my experience. I contacted a local news station and they did an interview with me about my trip. I emailed a local newspaper about my trip and was interviewed before I left and after I returned. Due to the newscast, I was contacted by my college sorority and was interviewed for the sorority's national newsletter which is distributed throughout the United States. Each connection helped to spread the word. I'm continuing to spread the word by volunteering to present my experience to schools throughout Broward County in Florida. I've already connected with teachers and schools to set up my presentation in the calendar. Having these types of experiences is critical for teachers to continue their growth within the scientific field and education. Effective teachers are those not constrained by the walls of their classroom. Having the opportunity to work with scientists and do research in the field has expanded my horizons. The people I met I am still in contact with and I am

  10. Paths and Perspectives on Being a Data Scientist: Anatomy and Physiology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fox, P. A.

    2015-12-01

    While many educators are trying to look forward and develop or adapt degree programs, curricula and even courses for prospective data scientists, not many are able to reflect on and draw from the long look back into their career path and choices related to data science. Given the considerable hype and co-opting of the term Data Science by business and government, its roots are in numerous scientific research fields. This contribution offers the author's path in data science, assessed and framed in terms of the anatomy and physiology of a data scientist; quite literally the "body" parts and functions and the function of the "body", or the data scientist as-a-whole. Pivoting to the prospectives for both data science research and education, course, curricula and degree programs are mapped to data science functions and how they work together. The conclusion is that data science must become embedded in all degree and continuing programs, lest it be misconstrued as a separate discipline. Ideas and experience on how this embedding may be accomplished are also offered for discussion.

  11. Should Scientists Be Involved in Teaching Science Writing and If So, How?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goodell, Rae

    Realizing the importance of writing skills in communicating with other professionals and in educating the public, scientists and scientific institutions have renewed their interest in the writing education of science students. Informal surveys show that technological and engineering schools are reinstituting writing requirements and staffing the…

  12. Building Ocean Learning Communities: A COSEE Science and Education Partnership

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robigou, V.; Bullerdick, S.; Anderson, A.

    2007-12-01

    The core mission of the Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE) is to promote partnerships between research scientists and educators through a national network of regional and thematic centers. In addition, the COSEEs also disseminate best practices in ocean sciences education, and promote ocean sciences as a charismatic interdisciplinary vehicle for creating a more scientifically literate workforce and citizenry. Although each center is mainly funded through a peer-reviewed grant process by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the centers form a national network that fosters collaborative efforts among the centers to design and implement initiatives for the benefit of the entire network and beyond. Among these initiatives the COSEE network has contributed to the definition, promotion, and dissemination of Ocean Literacy in formal and informal learning settings. Relevant to all research scientists, an Education and Public Outreach guide for scientists is now available at www.tos.org. This guide highlights strategies for engaging scientists in Ocean Sciences Education that are often applicable in other sciences. To address the challenging issue of ocean sciences education informed by scientific research, the COSEE approach supports centers that are partnerships between research institutions, formal and informal education venues, advocacy groups, industry, and others. The COSEE Ocean Learning Communities, is a partnership between the University of Washington College of Ocean and Fishery Sciences and College of Education, the Seattle Aquarium, and a not-for-profit educational organization. The main focus of the center is to foster and create Learning Communities that cultivate contributing, and ocean sciences-literate citizens aware of the ocean's impact on daily life. The center is currently working with volunteer groups around the Northwest region that are actively involved in projects in the marine environment and to empower these diverse groups

  13. Technology Education Professional Enhancement Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hughes, Thomas A., Jr.

    1996-01-01

    The two goals of this project are: the use of integrative field of aerospace technology to enhance the content and instruction delivered by math, science, and technology teachers through the development of a new publication entitled NASA Technology Today, and to develop a rationale and structure for the study of technology, which establishes the foundation for developing technology education standards and programs of the future.

  14. MUSIC EDUCATION AND MULTIMEDIA PROJECTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Orlova Elena V.

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The article deals with the prerequisites of shift of music education paradigm in the XXI century, tells about emergence of new forms in the creative efforts of musicians enrolled in primary schools, and at secondary and highest education levels. Different types and genres of the multimedia creativity are considered. They were in demand by musicians at various events-contests, including Russian and international festivals and competitions in terms of which the music was called upon to play a leading role. Criteria of estimates of new forms of artistic expression are developed. The article contains some video examples given the varying multimedia projects noted by juries of several international competitions held in Moscow (Russia in 2008-2013.

  15. IPMA Standard Competence Scope in Project Management Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bartoška, Jan; Flégl, Martin; Jarkovská, Martina

    2012-01-01

    The authors of the paper endeavoured to find out key competences in IPMA standard for educational approaches in project management. These key competences may be used as a basis for project management university courses. An incidence matrix was set up, containing relations between IPMA competences described in IPMA competence baseline. Further,…

  16. Homeless Education Project 1996-97. Scope of Program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    West Contra Costa Unified School District, CA.

    The documents in this collection relate to the Homeless Education Project conducted in the elementary and secondary schools of the West Contra Costa Unified School District (California). The first document is a chart describing the project and its main goals: (1) an accelerated curriculum in reading and mathematics; (2) effective procedures for…

  17. International Deaf Education Teacher-Training Projects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moulton, Robert; Chinn, Kathleen

    2002-01-01

    This article discusses the need and challenges of developing nations regarding audiological and educational services for children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. Stellar international programs are described. Availability and use of current computer technology is discussed and suggestions are made for international projects in audiology and deaf…

  18. Interdisciplinary Project-Based Learning: An Online Wiki Experience in Teacher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biasutti, Michele; EL-Deghaidy, Heba

    2015-01-01

    In the current research study the use of Wikis as an online didactic tool to apply project-based learning in higher education was reported. The study was conducted in university teacher education programmes. During the online activities, participants developed interdisciplinary projects for the primary school working collaboratively in small…

  19. Adult-Rated Oceanography Part 1: A Project Integrating Ocean Sciences into Adult Basic Education Programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cowles, S.; Collier, R.; Torres, M. K.

    2004-12-01

    Busy scientists seek opportunities to implement education and outreach efforts, but often don't know where to start. One easy and tested method is to form collaborations with federally-funded adult education and adult literacy programs. These programs exist in every U.S. state and territory and serve underrepresented populations through such major initiatives as adult basic education, adult secondary education (and GED preparation), and English language acquisition. These students are workers, consumers, voters, parents, grandparents, and members of every community. They have specific needs that are often overlooked in outreach activities. This presentation will describe the steps by which the Oregon Ocean Science and Math Collaborative program was developed. It is based on a partnership between the Oregon Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development, Oregon State University College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon Sea Grant, and the OSU Hatfield Marine Science Center. It includes professional development through instructor institutes; teachers at sea and informal education opportunities; curriculum and web site development. Through the partnership described here, instructors in adult basic education programs participate in a yearlong experience in which they develop, test, and adapt innovative instructional strategies to meet the specific needs of adult learners. This, in turn, leads to new prospects for study in the areas of ocean science and math and introduces non-academic careers in marine science to a new community. Working directly with instructors, we have identified expertise level, instructional environment, instructor background and current teaching strategies used to address science literacy and numeracy goals of the adult learners in the State of Oregon. Preliminary evaluation of our ongoing project in meeting these goals will be discussed. These efforts contribute to national goals of science literacy for all, by providing

  20. Will there be enough engineers and scientists to revive the nuclear industry?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cox, B.

    1991-01-01

    The author adduces statistics of university entry and graduation to predict a shortage of scientists and engineers available to enter the Canadian nuclear industry over the next ten years. Since the industry will need more than three times as many new engineers as new scientists, the shortage of engineers will be particularly acute. The cause of the trouble is partly the declining popularity of science and engineering, partly declining educational standards

  1. Governance of Higher Education--Implementation of Project Governance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Macheridis, Nikos

    2017-01-01

    This article focuses on coordination between governance actors in higher education. The object of the study is a department at a public university, seen as a multi-project environment. The purpose of this article is to illustrate and analyze project governance as a tool that allows departmental management to coordinate with the authorities, the…

  2. Scientists: Engage the Public!

    OpenAIRE

    Shugart, Erika C.; Racaniello, Vincent R.

    2015-01-01

    ABSTRACT Scientists must communicate about science with public audiences to promote an understanding of complex issues that we face in our technologically advanced society. Some scientists may be concerned about a social stigma or ?Sagan effect? associated with participating in public communication. Recent research in the social sciences indicates that public communication by scientists is not a niche activity but is widely done and can be beneficial to a scientist?s career. There are a varie...

  3. European Scientists prepare to test the limits of Physics

    CERN Multimedia

    2007-01-01

    "European Scientists are gearing up for a series of experiments that will probe deeper into the nature of matter than ever before. At the end of August the Scientific Information Port (PIC), a centre for technology based at the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB) began work on the first stage of the European project Large Hadron Collider (LHC). The aim of the project is to study the origins of mater by reproducing conditions similar to those produced during the Big Bang." (1 page)

  4. Long live the Data Scientist, but can he/she persist?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wyborn, L. A.

    2011-12-01

    In recent years the fourth paradigm of data intensive science has slowly taken hold as the increased capacity of instruments and an increasing number of instruments (in particular sensor networks) have changed how fundamental research is undertaken. Most modern scientific research is about digital capture of data direct from instruments, processing it by computers, storing the results on computers and only publishing a small fraction of data in hard copy publications. At the same time, the rapid increase in capacity of supercomputers, particularly at petascale, means that far larger data sets can be analysed and to greater resolution than previously possible. The new cloud computing paradigm which allows distributed data, software and compute resources to be linked by seamless workflows, is creating new opportunities in processing of high volumes of data to an increasingly larger number of researchers. However, to take full advantage of these compute resources, data sets for analysis have to be aggregated from multiple sources to create high performance data sets. These new technology developments require that scientists must become more skilled in data management and/or have a higher degree of computer literacy. In almost every science discipline there is now an X-informatics branch and a computational X branch (eg, Geoinformatics and Computational Geoscience): both require a new breed of researcher that has skills in both the science fundamentals and also knowledge of some ICT aspects (computer programming, data base design and development, data curation, software engineering). People that can operate in both science and ICT are increasingly known as 'data scientists'. Data scientists are a critical element of many large scale earth and space science informatics projects, particularly those that are tackling current grand challenges at an international level on issues such as climate change, hazard prediction and sustainable development of our natural resources

  5. PRACTICE OF DRAFTING AND IMPLEMENTING OF FINANCING PROJECTS IN NON-FORMAL EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    BUZOIANU Daniela Angela

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In Petroleum and Gas University, besides teaching and research activities, a priority is non-formal education area. In the academic center of Ploiesti, the activities of non-formal education take place through Center for Porjects, Programs and Cultural - Artistic events (CPPECA and Student’s Culture House, located in the University campus (CCS. The mission of the Center for Projects, Programs and Cultural - Artistic events and Student’s Culture House is: - To offer a big diversity of activities in non-formal education area for students and teachers; - To become an essential and defining pillar in continous formation of young people. The purpose is to promote excellence also in non-formal education fied , starting from the value and tradition of university education in Romanian oil area The Center for Project, Programs and Cultural - Artistic events (CPPECA and Student’s House of Culture have: • An educational function; • A real multidirectional cultural vocation through: - initiating,implementing and developing cultural projects and programs; - organizing and developing specific events like shows, festivals, national and international contests. The paper presents practical aspects in development and implementation of financing projects in non-formal education field.

  6. Project WEST: Fostering Scientific Inquiry and Collaborations From K Through Gray

    Science.gov (United States)

    Godsey, H. S.; Chapman, D. S.

    2007-12-01

    WEST (Water, the Environment, Science and Teaching) is a science education and outreach program at the University of Utah. WEST partners graduate students in the sciences with K-12 teachers to enhance inquiry- based science teaching in the Salt Lake City urban area. WEST has capitalized on the expertise of faculty and graduate students, scientists from state and federal agencies, local advocacy groups, and K-12 teachers to develop several placed-based scientific field projects for K-12 students. University members provide science content and ideas; state and federal researchers provide practical application and, often times, financial support; advocacy groups provide a tie to the community, and teachers provide a conduit for translating complex science concepts to students. These collaborations are built around a mutual interest in science education and anthropogenic influences on the quality and quantity of water resources critical to life in the arid West. Participants are relied upon to bring their unique perspective to each of the projects in order to meet a number of criteria: 1) projects should involve students in the entire scientific process from developing a hypothesis, making observations, data collection and analysis, 2) projects should be place-based and address interactions of water, the environment and society, and 3) projects should be directly tied to state education standards at appropriate grade levels. Examples of these projects include a water-quality study of Great Salt Lake where students participated in a research project on the lake. Students learned about navigation tools, collected and examined brine shrimp, and measured sulfide and chlorophyll concentrations as indicators of anthropogenic influences to Great Salt Lake. Hydrologists from the University of Utah and U.S. Geological Survey helped design this project and the Utah Dept. of Environmental Quality provided critical funds and supplies. In another project, students were involved in

  7. Big Data Science Cafés: High School Students Experiencing Real Research with Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walker, C. E.; Pompea, S. M.

    2017-12-01

    The Education and Public Outreach group at the National Optical Astronomy Observatory has designed an outside-of-school education program to excite the interest of talented youth in future projects like the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) and the NOAO (archival) Data Lab - their data approaches and key science projects. Originally funded by the LSST Corporation, the program cultivates talented youth to enter STEM disciplines and serves as a model to disseminate to the 40+ institutions involved in LSST. One Saturday a month during the academic year, high school students have the opportunity to interact with expert astronomers who work with large astronomical data sets in their scientific work. Students learn about killer asteroids, the birth and death of stars, colliding galaxies, the structure of the universe, gravitational waves, dark energy, dark matter, and more. The format for the Saturday science cafés has been a short presentation, discussion (plus food), computer lab activity and more discussion. They last about 2.5 hours and have been planned by a group of interested local high school students, an undergraduate student coordinator, the presenting astronomers, the program director and an evaluator. High school youth leaders help ensure an enjoyable and successful program for fellow students. They help their fellow students with the activities and help evaluate how well the science café went. Their remarks shape the next science café and improve the program. The experience offers youth leaders ownership of the program, opportunities to take on responsibilities and learn leadership and communication skills, as well as foster their continued interests in STEM. The prototype Big Data Science Academy was implemented successfully in the Spring 2017 and engaged almost 40 teens from greater Tucson in the fundamentals of astronomy concepts and research. As with any first implementation there were bumps. However, staff, scientists, and student leaders all

  8. Profile of currently employed European Food Scientists and Technologists: Education, experience and skills

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katherine Flynn

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available The food & drink (F&D sector in Europe ranks low in innovation and the European F&D industry has been losing importance in the global market. The food professionals, i.e., food scientists and technologists (FSTs, may not be meeting the varied demands of the sector. Here, we identify education, experience and skills of current FSTs and compare  geographic regions and employment areas. Between 2009 and 2012, 287 questionnaires representing over 4000 FSTs were collected from employers in 16 countries. Analyses showed that more than 80% of FSTs have a university degree; but only in Industry in the Central European region are most degrees in food science/technology. More than half of FSTs, and almost 60% in the South, have less than 10 years’ experience. The most common FST job title is Quality Manager, but with several variations based on region and employment area. Among skills, the most common is Communicating; found in over 90% of FSTs in all regions and employment areas. Food Safety is the most common of the food sector-specific skills, present in more than 75% of FSTs, yet there are differences in food sector skills based on employment area. Overall, these data suggest similarities among currently employed food professionals throughout Europe; they are young and highly educated, but also differences, especially in their food sector-specific skills. An understanding of the current FST should contribute to the improvement of FST training and thus benefit the European food sector.

  9. A scientist's guide to engaging decision makers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vano, J. A.

    2015-12-01

    Being trained as a scientist provides many valuable tools needed to address society's most pressing environmental issues. It does not, however, provide training on one of the most critical for translating science into action: the ability to engage decision makers. Engagement means different things to different people and what is appropriate for one project might not be for another. However, recent reports have emphasized that for research to be most useful to decision making, engagement should happen at the beginning and throughout the research process. There are an increasing number of boundary organizations (e.g., NOAA's Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessment program, U.S. Department of the Interior's Climate Science Centers) where engagement is encouraged and rewarded, and scientists are learning, often through trial and error, how to effectively include decision makers (a.k.a. stakeholders, practitioners, resource managers) in their research process. This presentation highlights best practices and practices to avoid when scientists engage decision makers, a list compiled through the personal experiences of both scientists and decision makers and a literature review, and how this collective knowledge could be shared, such as through a recent session and role-playing exercise given at the Northwest Climate Science Center's Climate Boot Camp. These ideas are presented in an effort to facilitate conversations about how the science community (e.g., AGU researchers) can become better prepared for effective collaborations with decision makers that will ultimately result in more actionable science.

  10. BRONX HEALTH EDUCATION PROJECT FOR WEST AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Rebecca Dover; Elgoghail, Nadia

    2016-01-01

    The transition from a traditional West African diet and lifestyle to a modern diet has a significant impact on health and the risk of chronic disease. To implement a health education program for West African immigrants in the U.S. to address health risks associated with the modern diet. A health education program model targeted at West African immigrants in the Bronx was determined based on existing health education programs with educational materials, group education sessions, and targeted individual counseling. A health education program was successfully implemented at a clinic comprised of West African immigrant patients in the Bronx. This project demonstrates an example of a targeted health education program for West African immigrants to address health risks related to diet.

  11. Commentary: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Educators Launch National Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bailey, Cheryl; Bell, Ellis; Johnson, Margaret; Mattos, Carla; Sears, Duane; White, Harold B.

    2010-01-01

    The American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB) has launched an National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded 5 year project to support biochemistry and molecular biology educators learning what and how students learn. As a part of this initiative, hundreds of life scientists will plan and develop a rich central resource for…

  12. Educational integrating projects as a method of interactive learning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Иван Николаевич Куринин

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The article describes a method of interactive learning based on educational integrating projects. Some examples of content of such projects for the disciplines related to the study of information and Internet technologies and their application in management are presented.

  13. Inspiring our future citizens and scientists: follow the Blue Paths (Percorsi nel Blu)!

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mioni, Erika; Stroobant, Mascha; Merlino, Silvia; Traverso, Roberto

    2016-04-01

    project of Biological Sciences, carried out in a pilot school of La Spezia (ISA 2 "2 Giugno"), and that since several years involves students aged 4 to 18 years (and their families) in a long-term training program for environmental awareness and marine scientific research. The project is aimed at monitoring marine biocenosis (flora and fauna) from the upper and middle shore, using and integrating the Reef-Check Protocol (C.E.M. Coastal Environment Monitoring Protocol) with a new approach that motivates students to science, continuously over the years and bringing them closer to the work of Marine Scientists, raising awareness on biodiversity loss and the pollution within a specific area such as that of the Pelagos Sanctuary in the North Tyrrhenian and Ligurian Seas. Blue Paths (Percorsi nel Blu) is, hence, an example of education with a wider communication spectrum (not focused only to form a single class of students, but a whole community) and made possible thanks to a network of partners (including technology clusters, Institutions, Museums, Research Centers, Marine Protected Areas etc.). The presence of the network has allowed the enhancement of the Project under different points of view, including: - transformation in a participatory research project (the scientific results obtained by students are real products of research) of citizen science; - increase of educational opportunities (peer education, intergenerational education, tutoring); - increased visibility thanks to the participation in European projects for the Science Communication (European Researchers' Night project funded by the European Commission under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions); - enrichment of students' curriculum thanks to an adequate and real acquisition of key skills for future careers that can also inspire their actions as future citizens.

  14. Bringing Space Scientists, Teachers, and Students Together With The CINDI E/PO Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urquhart, M.; Hairston, M.

    2007-12-01

    We will report on the activities, challenges, and successes of the ongoing collaboration between the William B. Hanson Center for Space Sciences (CSS) and the Department of Science/Mathematics Education (SME) at the University of Texas at Dallas. At the core of our partnership is the Education and Public Outreach program for the Coupled Ion / Neutral Dynamics Investigation (CINDI) instrument. CINDI is a NASA-funded program on the Air Force's Communication / Navigation Outage Forecast Satellite (C/NOFS) which will be launched in summer 2008. The CSS faculty and research scientists and the SME faculty and students have created a dynamic program that brings scientists and K-12 teachers together. Our activities include middle and high school curriculum development, teachers workshops, graduate course work for teachers, creation of the popular "Cindi in Space" educational comic book, and bringing K-12 teachers and students to work and/or visit with the CINDI scientists. We will present the outcomes of this collaborative effort as well as our recent experience of having a physics teacher from a local high school as our Teacher in Residence at CSS in summer 2007.

  15. Merging Regular and Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs: The Integrated Special Education-English Project (ISEP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Darcy E.

    1991-01-01

    Describes the Integrated Special Education-English Project (ISEP) which facilitated the gradual integration of special education and English teacher preparation programs. A description of the ISEP model and a case study are included. The case study indicated student teachers who participated in the ISEP improved special education and English…

  16. The Prison Education Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reese, Renford

    2017-12-01

    This article briefly compares the prison system in the United States with progressive correctional systems in the world, before pivoting to discuss the lessons learned from the author's development of the Prison Education Project (PEP). PEP has expanded educational opportunities for inmates in 12 Californian correctional facilities. With the assistance of 800 university student and faculty volunteers, PEP has serviced approximately 5,000 inmates in these facilities since 2011. By providing academic, life skills and career development programming, PEP aims to educate, empower and transform the lives of incarcerated individuals. This article is a summary of the development of PEP, examining programme outcomes and highlighting implementation, fundraising and branding strategies. The robust spirit of volunteerism is also a central component of the discussion, with the phenomenon of "reciprocal reflex" at the heart of the PEP volunteer experience. This reflex ignites the passion and gratitude of both volunteers and inmates. The volunteers learn just as much as they teach, and the inmates teach just as much as they learn. The fact that each group shows deep gratitude to the other for the learning experience creates an exciting symbiotic loop and an esprit de corps which inspires and empowers all involved. The "reciprocal reflex" leads to lifelong learning. This article captures the intricate dynamics of how PEP has evolved into the largest volunteer-based prison education programme of its kind in the United States.

  17. Monitoring in educational development projects : the development of a monitoring system

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Plomp, T.; Huijsman, Hari; Kluyfhout, Eric

    1992-01-01

    Monitoring in education is usually focused on the monitoring of educational systems at different levels. Monitoring of educational projects receives only recently explicit attention. The paper discusses first the concepts of educational monitoring and evaluation. After that, the experience with

  18. Groves and the scientists: Compartmentalization and the building of the bomb

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goldberg, S.

    1995-01-01

    The general understood that although the contributions of the scientists were crucial, their work was only one of a host of critical components that made up the totality of the Manhattan Project. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

  19. BudBurst Buddies: A New Tool for Engaging the Youngest Citizen Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gardiner, L. S.; Henderson, S.; Ward, D.

    2010-12-01

    BudBurst Buddies (www.budburstbuddies.org) introduces elementary school age children to the science of observing plants and the timing of phenological (life cycle) events. BudBurst Buddies is a new part of the Project BudBurst national citizen science initiative (www.budburst.org), which allows individuals to engage in the scientific process, contributing to a better understanding of climate change while increasing public awareness of phenology and the impacts of climate change on plants. As a first step towards engaging the next generation of citizen scientists, BudBurst Buddies provides the opportunity for children to gain experience with scientific research and increases awareness of how plants change throughout the year. Children can participate in BudBurst Buddies on their own, with their families, or in formal or informal education settings. Each child who participates creates a journal about a plant of his or her choosing, makes observations of the plant over the growing season and submits findings online, earning an official BudBurst Buddies certificate. An online storybook for kids tells how two children, Lily and Sage, observed plants in their neighborhood and became BudBurst Buddies. This presentation will provide an overview of the BudBurst Buddies newly developed resources. BudBurst Buddies is a part of Project BudBurst, a national citizen science program coordinated by the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) and the Chicago Botanic Garden. Funding for this resource was provided by NEON, NSF, NASA, and the National Geographic Education Foundation.

  20. Earth system science K-12 scientist-student partnerships using paleontological materials

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harnik, P. G.; Ross, R. M.; Chiment, J. J.; Sherpa, J. M.

    2001-05-01

    Reducing the discrepancy between the dynamic science that researchers experience and the static fact-driven science education in which k-12 students participate at school is an important component to national science education reform. Scientist-student partnerships (SSPs) involving whole classes in Earth systems research provide a solution to this problem, but existing models have often lacked rigorous scientific data quality control and/or evaluation of pedagogical effectiveness. The Paleontological Research Institution has been prototyping two SSPs with an eye toward establishing protocols to insure both scientific and educational quality of the partnership. Data quality analysis involves making statistical estimates of data accuracy and employing robust statistical techniques for answering essential questions with noisy data. Educational evaluation takes into account affective variables, such as student motivation and interest, and compares the relative pedagogical effectiveness of SSPs with more traditional hands-on activities. Paleontology is a natural subject for scientist-student partnerships because of its intrinsic appeal to the general public, and because its interdisciplinary content serves as a springboard for meeting science education standards across the physical and life sciences. The "Devonian Seas" SSP involves classes in identifying fossil taxa and assessing taphonomic characteristics from Devonian-aged Hamilton Group shales in Central New York. The scientific purpose of the project is to establish at high stratigraphic resolution the sequence of dysoxic biofacies composition, which will shed light on the sensitivity of epeiric sea communities to environmental (e.g., sea level) changes. The project is undertaken in upper elementary school and secondary school Earth science classes, and in some cases has involved field-based teacher training and collection of samples. Students in small teams collaborate to identify taxa within the samples, then

  1. An Evaluation of the Science Education Component of the Cross River State Science and Technical Education Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ekuri, Emmanuel Etta

    2012-01-01

    The Cross River State Science and Technical Education Project was introduced in 1992 by edict number 9 of 20 December 1991, "Cross River State Science and Technical Education Board Edit, 20 December, 1991", with the aim of improving the quality of science teaching and learning in the state. As the success of the project depends…

  2. The how and why of societal publications for citizen science projects and scientists

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vliet, van A.J.H.; Bron, W.A.; Mulder, S.

    2014-01-01

    In the scientific community, the importance of communication to society is often underestimated. Scientists and scientific organisations often lack the skills to organise such communication effectively. The Dutch citizen science phenology network Nature’s Calendar has been successful in

  3. Facilitating the Transition of Nurse Clinician to Nurse Scientist: Significance of Entry PhD Courses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Armstrong, Deborah K; McCurry, Mary; Dluhy, Nancy M

    Transitioning into the role of nurse scientist requires the acquisition of new knowledge but also involves the development of new scholarly skills and the appropriation of the unique values and goals of the new role. Students engaged in doctor of philosophy education in all practice disciplines are confronted with a necessary shift in perspective and identity from that of the practice expert to the research scientist and experience a tension referred to as the research-practice dualism. The purpose of this article is to examine the ramifications of this identity shift in nursing doctor of philosophy education and to detail one program's strategy to address the inherent tension. This transition into the role of nurse scientist includes learning to value scholarly literature, expanding one's philosophical and disciplinary vocabulary, cultivating disciplinary inquisitiveness, learning scholarly communication and dissemination skills, and developing new collegial relationships. It is essential that this process of transitioning from clinician to scholar be purposively supported from the outset of the program. Faculty must critically examine current educational strategies and design new approaches to more effectively integrate the practice and science worlds, thereby enhancing program completion and graduating nurse scientists who are equipped to contribute to the knowledge of the discipline. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Scientists as writers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yore, Larry D.; Hand, Brian M.; Prain, Vaughan

    2002-09-01

    This study attempted to establish an image of a science writer based on a synthesis of writing theory, models, and research literature on academic writing in science and other disciplines and to contrast this image with an actual prototypical image of scientists as writers of science. The synthesis was used to develop a questionnaire to assess scientists' writing habits, beliefs, strategies, and perceptions about print-based language. The questionnaire was administered to 17 scientists from science and applied science departments of a large Midwestern land grant university. Each respondent was interviewed following the completion of the questionnaire with a custom-designed semistructured protocol to elaborate, probe, and extend their written responses. These data were analyzed in a stepwise fashion using the questionnaire responses to establish tentative assertions about the three major foci (type of writing done, criteria of good science writing, writing strategies used) and the interview responses to verify these assertions. Two illustrative cases (a very experienced, male physical scientist and a less experienced, female applied biological scientist) were used to highlight diversity in the sample. Generally, these 17 scientists are driven by the academy's priority of publishing their research results in refereed, peer-reviewed journals. They write their research reports in isolation or as a member of a large research team, target their writing to a few journals that they also read regularly, use writing in their teaching and scholarship to inform and persuade science students and other scientists, but do little border crossing into other discourse communities. The prototypical science writer found in this study did not match the image based on a synthesis of the writing literature in that these scientists perceived writing as knowledge telling not knowledge building, their metacognition of written discourse was tacit, and they used a narrow array of genre

  5. Scientists Shaping the Discussion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abraham, J. A.; Weymann, R.; Mandia, S. A.; Ashley, M.

    2011-12-01

    Scientific studies which directly impact the larger society require an engagement between the scientists and the larger public. With respect to research on climate change, many third-party groups report on scientific findings and thereby serve as an intermediary between the scientist and the public. In many cases, the third-party reporting misinterprets the findings and conveys inaccurate information to the media and the public. To remedy this, many scientists are now taking a more active role in conveying their work directly to interested parties. In addition, some scientists are taking the further step of engaging with the general public to answer basic questions related to climate change - even on sub-topics which are unrelated to scientists' own research. Nevertheless, many scientists are reluctant to engage the general public or the media. The reasons for scientific reticence are varied but most commonly are related to fear of public engagement, concern about the time required to properly engage the public, or concerns about the impact to their professional reputations. However, for those scientists who are successful, these engagement activities provide many benefits. Scientists can increase the impact of their work, and they can help society make informed choices on significant issues, such as mitigating global warming. Here we provide some concrete steps that scientists can take to ensure that their public engagement is successful. These steps include: (1) cultivating relationships with reporters, (2) crafting clear, easy to understand messages that summarize their work, (3) relating science to everyday experiences, and (4) constructing arguments which appeal to a wide-ranging audience. With these steps, we show that scientists can efficiently deal with concerns that would otherwise inhibit their public engagement. Various resources will be provided that allow scientists to continue work on these key steps.

  6. STEM Education Efforts in the Ares Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doreswamy, Rajiv; Armstrong, Robert C.

    2010-01-01

    According to the National Science Foundation, of the more than 4 million first university degrees awarded in science and engineering in 2006, students in China earned about 21%, those in the European Union earned about 19%, and those in the United States earned about 11%. Statistics like these are of great interest to NASA's Ares Projects, which are responsible for building the rockets for the U.S. Constellation Program to send humans beyond low-Earth orbit. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics students are essential for the long-term sustainability of any space program. Since the Projects creation, the Ares Outreach Team has used a variety of STEM-related media, methods, and materials to engage students, educators, and the general public in Constellation's mission. Like Project Apollo, the nation s exploration destinations and the vehicles used to get there can inspire students to learn more about STEM. Ares has been particularly active in public outreach to schools in Northern Alabama; on the Internet via outreach and grade-specific educational materials; and in more informal social media settings such as YouTube and Facebook. These combined efforts remain integral to America s space program, regardless of its future direction.

  7. FOREIGN EXPERIENCE OF THE USE OF "MINECRAFT: EDUCATION EDITION" IN PROJECT ACTIVITY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Konevshchynska O.

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The relevance of the rapid development of Internet technologies in today's digital society, causing rapid changes in education is substantiated in the article. A thorough analysis of the foreign experience of using the educational version of "MINECRAFT: EDUCATION EDITION" in the project activity has been carried out. Internet sources, psychological-pedagogical and educational-methodical literature on the research problem are analyzed. The main educational trends, including remote and mobile learning, MOOC, supplemented reality, cloud LMS, personalization, BigData, gamification, which change the content of education and its impact on quality are named. It is proved that the use of gaming models and techniques for educational purposes can have a positive effect on the effectiveness of children teaching. The content of the sections and the main directions of using the educational platform in the educational process and the project activity of the students and teachers are considered. The results of joint work of children in mathematics, language and literature, history and geography are presented. The important aspects that are necessary in the information society are the cooperation, self-study and effective communication of subjects of the educational process for the implementation of project-oriented, educational-cognitive and innovative activities in educational practice. A promising area for further research is the design of Minecraft: Education Edition game scenarios methodology for the further implementation in domestic educational practice.

  8. CERN-BINP Workshop for Young Scientists in $e^{+}e^{-}$ Colliders

    CERN Document Server

    Linssen, Lucie; eCOL 2016

    2017-01-01

    The "CERN-BINP workshop for young scientists in e+e- colliders" is organised in the framework of the EU-funded CREMLIN project. The CREMLIN project aims at strengthening science cooperation between six Russian megascience facilities and related research infrastructure counterparts in Europe. BINP and CERN coordinate a dedicated CREMLIN work package focusing on a future super-charm-tau factory (SCT) at BINP. SCT aims at producing e+e- collisions with up to 5 GeV centre-of-mass energy and at very high luminosity. In parallel CERN is hosting design studies for two possible high-energy e+e- colliders: FCC-ee and CLIC. In matters of physics, design and technologies the BINP and CERN studies address technological and scientific questions of common interest. Similar issues are dealt with in the framework of other flavour factories and energy frontier e+e- colliders worldwide. The 3-day workshop provides young scientists (at the student and postdoc level) opportunities to present their work and exchange experiences. ...

  9. ECNS '99 - Young scientists forum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ceretti, M.; Janssen, S.; McMorrow, D.F.

    2000-01-01

    The Young Scientists Forum is a new venture for ECNS and follows the established tradition of an active participation by young scientists in these conferences. At ECNS '99 the Young Scientists Forum brought together 30 young scientists from 13 European countries. In four working groups, they disc......The Young Scientists Forum is a new venture for ECNS and follows the established tradition of an active participation by young scientists in these conferences. At ECNS '99 the Young Scientists Forum brought together 30 young scientists from 13 European countries. In four working groups......, they discussed emerging scientific trends in their areas of expertise and the instrumentation required to meet the scientific challenges. The outcome was presented in the Young Scientists Panel on the final day of ECNS '99. This paper is a summary of the four working group reports prepared by the Group Conveners...

  10. The gap between what is needed and offered in project management education

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Steven Nijhuis

    2017-01-01

    From the article: A process focus for project management education is suggested based on a small qualitative sample as an alternative to competence focus. Commercial offerings of project management education are more focused on processes than competences. Review of the courses reveals that there is

  11. Cassini Scientist for a Day: a tactile experience

    Science.gov (United States)

    Canas, L.; Altobelli, N.

    2012-09-01

    In September 2011, the Cassini spacecraft took images of three targets and a challenge was launched to all students: to choose the one target they thought would provide the best science and to write an essay explaining their reasons (more information on the "Cassini Scientist for a Day" essay contest official webpage in: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/education/scientistforaday10thedition/, run by NASA/JPL) The three targets presented were: Hyperion, Rhea and Titan, and Saturn. The idea behind "Cassini Scientist for a Day: a tactile experience" was to transform each of these images into schematic tactile images, highlighting relevant features apprehended through a tactile key, accompanied by a small text in Braille with some additional information. This initial approach would allow reach a broader community of students, more specifically those with visual impairment disabilities. Through proper implementation and careful study cases the adapted images associated with an explanatory key provide more resources in tactile astronomy. As the 2012 edition approaches a new set of targeted objet images will be once again transformed and adapted to visually impaired students and will aim to reach more students into participate in this international competition and to engage them in a quest to expand their knowledge in the amazing Cassini discoveries and the wonders of Saturn and its moons. As the winning essays will be published on the Cassini website and contest winners invited to participate in a dedicated teleconference with Cassini scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this initiative presents a great chance to all visually impaired students and teachers to participate in an exciting experience. These initiatives must be complemented with further information to strengthen the learning experience. However they stand as a good starting point to tackle further astronomical concepts in the classroom, especially this field that sometimes lacks the resources. Although

  12. Project BudBurst: Continental-scale citizen science for all seasons

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henderson, S.; Newman, S. J.; Ward, D.; Havens-Young, K.; Alaback, P.; Meymaris, K.

    2011-12-01

    Project BudBurst's (budburst.org) recent move to the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) has benefitted both programs. NEON has been able to use Project BudBurst as a testbed to learn best practices, network with experts in the field, and prototype potential tools for engaging people in continental-scale ecology as NEON develops its citizen science program. Participation in Project BudBurst has grown significantly since the move to NEON. Project BudBurst is a national citizen science initiative designed to engage the public in observations of phenological (plant life cycle) events that raise awareness of climate change, and create a cadre of informed citizen scientists. Citizen science programs such as Project BudBurst provide the opportunity for students and interested laypersons to actively participate in scientific research. Such programs are important not only from an educational perspective, but because they also enable scientists to broaden the geographic and temporal scale of their observations. The goals of Project BudBurst are to 1) increase awareness of phenology as an area of scientific study; 2) Increase awareness of the impacts of changing climates on plants at a continental-scale; and 3) increase science literacy by engaging participants in the scientific process. From its 2008 launch in February, this on-line educational and data-entry program, engaged participants of all ages and walks of life in recording the timing of the leafing and flowering of wild and cultivated species found across the continent. Thus far, thousands of participants from all 50 states have submitted data. This presentation will provide an overview of Project BudBurst and will report on the results of the 2010 field campaign and discuss plans to expand Project BudBurst in 2012 including the use of mobile phones applications for data collection and reporting from the field. Project BudBurst is co-managed by the National Ecological Observatory Network and the Chicago

  13. Evaluation of Career Education Projects, 1976-1977. Report #7829.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chern, Hermine J.; And Others

    Evaluations of thirty career education projects in the school district of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania are contained in this report. Fifteen of the projects concern classroom or shop instruction, six concern development and/or field testing of curriculum materials, and the remainder involve staff development, installation of shop equipment, job…

  14. [Project HRANAFINA--Croatian anatomical and physiological terminology].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vodanović, Marin

    2012-01-01

    HRANAFINA--Croatian Anatomical and Physiological Terminology is a project of the University of Zagreb School of Dental Medicine funded by the Croatian Science Foundation. It is performed in cooperation with other Croatian universities with medical schools. This project has a two-pronged aim: firstly, building of Croatian anatomical and physiological terminology and secondly, Croatian anatomical and physiological terminology usage popularization between health professionals, medical students, scientists and translators. Internationally recognized experts from Croatian universities with medical faculties and linguistics experts are involved in the project. All project activities are coordinated in agreement with the National Coordinator for Development of Croatian Professional Terminology. The project enhances Croatian professional terminology and Croatian language in general, increases competitiveness of Croatian scientists on international level and facilitates the involvement of Croatian scientists, health care providers and medical students in European projects.

  15. Design principles for engaging and retaining virtual citizen scientists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wald, Dara M; Longo, Justin; Dobell, A R

    2016-06-01

    Citizen science initiatives encourage volunteer participants to collect and interpret data and contribute to formal scientific projects. The growth of virtual citizen science (VCS), facilitated through websites and mobile applications since the mid-2000s, has been driven by a combination of software innovations and mobile technologies, growing scientific data flows without commensurate increases in resources to handle them, and the desire of internet-connected participants to contribute to collective outputs. However, the increasing availability of internet-based activities requires individual VCS projects to compete for the attention of volunteers and promote their long-term retention. We examined program and platform design principles that might allow VCS initiatives to compete more effectively for volunteers, increase productivity of project participants, and retain contributors over time. We surveyed key personnel engaged in managing a sample of VCS projects to identify the principles and practices they pursued for these purposes and led a team in a heuristic evaluation of volunteer engagement, website or application usability, and participant retention. We received 40 completed survey responses (33% response rate) and completed a heuristic evaluation of 20 VCS program sites. The majority of the VCS programs focused on scientific outcomes, whereas the educational and social benefits of program participation, variables that are consistently ranked as important for volunteer engagement and retention, were incidental. Evaluators indicated usability, across most of the VCS program sites, was higher and less variable than the ratings for participant engagement and retention. In the context of growing competition for the attention of internet volunteers, increased attention to the motivations of virtual citizen scientists may help VCS programs sustain the necessary engagement and retention of their volunteers. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

  16. Engaging Scientists in Meaningful E/PO: How the NASA SMD E/PO Community Addresses the Needs of the Higher Ed Community

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manning, James; Meinke, Bonnie K.; Schultz, Gregory R.; Smith, Denise A.; Lawton, Brandon L.; Gurton, Suzanne; NASA Astrophysics E/PO Community

    2015-01-01

    The NASA Astrophysics Science Education and Public Outreach Forum (SEPOF) coordinates the work of NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics EPO projects and their teams to bring cutting-edge discoveries of NASA missions to the introductory astronomy college classroom. The Astrophysics Forum assists scientist and educator involvement in SMD E/PO (uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise) and makes SMD E/PO resources and expertise accessible to the science and education communities. We present three new opportunities for college instructors to bring the latest NASA discoveries in Astrophysics into their classrooms.To address the expressed needs of the higher education community, the Astrophysics Forum collaborated with the Astrophysics E/PO community, researchers, and Astronomy 101 instructors to place individual science discoveries and learning resources into context for higher education audiences. Among these resources are two Resource Guides on the topics of cosmology and exoplanets, each including a variety of accessible sources.The Astrophysics Forum also coordinates the development of the Astro 101 slide set series--5 to 7-slide presentations on new discoveries from NASA Astrophysics missions relevant to topics in introductory astronomy courses. These sets enable Astronomy 101 instructors to include new discoveries not yet in their textbooks into the broader context of the course: http://www.astrosociety.org/education/astronomy-resource-guides/.The Astrophysics Forum also coordinated the development of 12 monthly Universe Discovery Guides, each featuring a theme and a representative object well-placed for viewing, with an accompanying interpretive story, strategies for conveying the topics, and supporting NASA-approved education activities and background information from a spectrum of NASA missions and programs: http://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/news-display.cfm?News_ID=611

  17. Who trusts scientists for information about climate change? Nuclear power? Vaccines?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamilton, L.

    2015-12-01

    US public acceptance/rejection of science on the topic of climate change has become highly polarized, with a demographic profile well established through survey research. Trust in scientists for information about climate change tends to increase with education, decrease with age, and is higher among self-identified liberals and moderates than among conservatives. Demographic profiles of people who do or do not trust scientists regarding other disputed topics are less well established. Some observers have argued that certain domains such as vaccines, nuclear power or genetically modified organisms (GMOs) could present a mirror image of climate change, with liberals instead of conservatives disproportionately rejecting science on that topic. Evidence for this mirror-image hypothesis has been mainly anecdotal, however. Here we test it systematically using statewide survey data on more than 1200 interviews, comparing five similarly worded questions that ask respondents whether they trust, don't trust, or are unsure about scientists as a source of information about ... climate change, vaccines, evolution, nuclear power safety, or GMOs. Climate change proves to be the most polarized of these topics, but all five exhibit roughly similar age, education and ideological effects -- contrary to the mirror-image hypothesis. The common patterns across five science domains, chosen for their hypothetical contrasts, map out an unexpectedly cohesive picture of who trusts scientists for information, and who does not. Implications of these survey results for public outreach and science communication are explored.

  18. Entrepreneurship for Creative Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, Dawood; Raghu, Surya; Brooks, Richard

    2018-05-01

    Through patenting and commercialization, scientists today can develop their work beyond a publication in a learned journal. Indeed, universities and governments are encouraging today's scientists and engineers to break their research out of the laboratory and into the commercial world. However, doing so is complicated and can be daunting for those more used to a research seminar than a board room. This book, written by experienced scientists and entrepreneurs, deals with businesses started by scientists based on innovation and sets out to clarify for scientists and engineers the steps necessary to take an idea along the path to commercialization and maximise the potential for success, regardless of the path taken.

  19. Planning, starting, and operating an educational incentives project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Finnigan, O D; Sun, T H

    1972-01-01

    The article presents a summary of activities in an educational savings project in Taiwan. The project rewards couples who limit their family size. The reward is in the form of funds which enable the couples to send their children to secondary schools or universities. According to a 1970 survey in Taiwan the ideal number of children remained at 4. Consistent with traditional Chinese values, Taiwanese expect their children to take care of them in their old-age. They also place a strong emphasis on education and when surveyed 40% cited education costs as a reason for saving money. A rural township, Changua county, was selected for the pilot project. The project offers to couples with 0, 1, or 2 children an annual deposit in a savings account for each year that they do not exceed 2 living children. If a couple has a third child the value of the savings account is reduced by 50%. If they have a fourth child the account is cancelled and all funds are returned to the bank. In this particular study it was decided to include couples who already had 3 children. The account can be closed by a 1 time withdrawal from 10-14 years after enrollment. After 10 years it is worth US $267.50. After 14 years its value is US $384.60. 961 married women less than 30 years old with 3 or fewer children were contacted to join the project. Village leaders and administrators were invited to a meeting to gain their support before registration took place. After mailing and meetings, 727 or 69% of those eligible joined the project. By September 1973 the investigators hoped to be able to measure the effect of the program on family size ideals, number of additional children wanted, and practice of contraception. By September 1975 they hope to begin to measure the program effect on fertility.

  20. Technical Assistance in Evaluating Career Education Projects. Final Report. Volume I: Summary Volume.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stenner, A. Jackson; And Others

    This document contains the first of five volumes reporting the activities and results of a career education evaluation project conducted to accomplish the following two objectives: (1) to improve the quality of evaluations by career education projects funded by the United States Office of Career Education (OCE) through the provision of technical…

  1. Promoting Health Literacy through the Health Education Assessment Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marx, Eva; Hudson, Nancy; Deal, Tami B.; Pateman, Beth; Middleton, Kathleen

    2007-01-01

    Background: The Council of Chief State School Officers' State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards Health Education Assessment Project (SCASS-HEAP) allows states to pool financial and human resources to develop effective ready-to-use health education assessment resources through a collaborative process. The purpose of this article is…

  2. The Comprehensive Health Education Workers Project and Caring Professionals as Asset-Builders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lévesque, Michel

    2017-01-01

    The Comprehensive Health Education Workers (CHEW) Project is a community-based initiative that educates sexual and gender minority (SGM or LGBTQ) young people about comprehensive--mental, physical, sexual, and social--health and that supports their comprehensive health needs with other services. Since October 2014, CHEW Project staff have served…

  3. Modelling in Evaluating a Working Life Project in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarja, Anneli; Janhonen, Sirpa; Havukainen, Pirjo; Vesterinen, Anne

    2012-01-01

    This article describes an evaluation method based on collaboration between the higher education, a care home and university, in a R&D project. The aim of the project was to elaborate modelling as a tool of developmental evaluation for innovation and competence in project cooperation. The approach was based on activity theory. Modelling enabled a…

  4. Qualitative versus Quantitative Evaluation of Scientists' Impact: A Medical Toxicology Tale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reza Afshari

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Evaluation of scientists working in a specific area of science is necessary, as they may strive for same limited resources, grants and academic promotions. One of the most common and accepted methods of assessing the performance and impact of a scientist is calculating the number of citations for their publications. However, such method suffer from certain shortcomings. It has become more and more obvious that evaluation of scientists should be qualitative in addition to quantitative. Moreover, the evaluation process should be pragmatic and reflective of the priorities of an institution, a country or an intended population. In this context, a scoring scale called "360-degree researcher evaluation score" is proposed in this paper. Accordingly, scientists are evaluated in 5 independent domains including (I science development, (II economic impact, (III policy impact, (IV societal impact and (V stewardship of research. This scale is designed for evaluation of impacts resulted from research activities and thus it excludes the educational programs done by a scientist. In general, it seems necessary that the evaluation process of a scientist’s impact moves from only scintometric indices to a combination of quantitative and qualitative indices.

  5. МULTI-STAKEHOLDER MODEL OF EDUCATION PROJECT QUALITY MANAGEMENT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Юлия Юрьевна ГУСЕВА

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The analysis of approaches to the definition of higher education projects’ stakeholders is conducted. A model of education project quality management with the influence of stakeholders is formed. A mechanism of recognition of new groups of project’s stakeholders on the basis of set theory is offered.

  6. International environmental and occupational health: From individual scientists to networked science Hubs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenthal, Joshua; Jessup, Christine; Felknor, Sarah; Humble, Michael; Bader, Farah; Bridbord, Kenneth

    2012-12-01

    For the past 16 years, the International Training and Research in Environmental and Occupational Health program (ITREOH) has supported projects that link U.S. academic scientists with scientists from low- and middle-income countries in diverse research and research training activities. Twenty-two projects of varied duration have conducted training to enhance the research capabilities of scientists at 75 institutions in 43 countries in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and Latin America, and have built productive research relationships between these scientists and their U.S. partners. ITREOH investigators and their trainees have produced publications that have advanced basic sciences, developed methods, informed policy outcomes, and built institutional capacity. Today, the changing nature of the health sciences calls for a more strategic approach. Data-rich team science requires greater capacity for information technology and knowledge synthesis at the local institution. More robust systems for ethical review and administrative support are necessary to advance population-based research. Sustainability of institutional research capability depends on linkages to multiple national and international partners. In this context, the Fogarty International Center, the National Institute of Environmental Sciences and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, have reengineered the ITREOH program to support and catalyze a multi-national network of regional hubs for Global Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (GEOHealth). We anticipate that these networked science hubs will build upon previous investments by the ITREOH program and will serve to advance locally and internationally important health science, train and attract first-class scientists, and provide critical evidence to guide policy discussions. Published in 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  7. Drawings of Scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    experiment can be reduplicated. He/she must check and double-check all of his/her work. A scientist is very , environment, nutrition, and other aspects of our daily and future life." . . . Marisa The scientists

  8. Becoming Little Scientists: Technologically-Enhanced Project-Based Language Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dooly, Melinda; Sadler, Randall

    2016-01-01

    This article outlines research into innovative language teaching practices that make optimal use of technology and Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) for an integrated approach to Project-Based Learning. It is based on data compiled during a 10- week language project that employed videoconferencing and "machinima" (short video clips…

  9. Nobelist TD LEE Scientist Cooperation Network and Scientist Innovation Ability Model

    OpenAIRE

    Fang, Jin-Qing; Liu, Qiang

    2013-01-01

    Nobelist TD Lee scientist cooperation network (TDLSCN) and their innovation ability are studied. It is found that the TDLSCN not only has the common topological properties both of scale-free and small-world for a general scientist cooperation networks, but also appears the creation multiple-peak phenomenon for number of published paper with year evolution, which become Nobelist TD Lee’s significant mark distinguished from other scientists. This new phenomenon has not been revealed in the scie...

  10. Advertising a "Healthy Lifestyle:" A Cypriot Health Education Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ioannou, Soula

    2006-01-01

    This paper describes a health education program entitled "Young Consumer" project, financed by the European Union and implemented by the Cyprus Consumer Association between March and June 2004. The aim of the project was to promote a healthy lifestyle among a group of Cypriot primary school pupils (11-12 years old). Participants were…

  11. On genies and bottles: scientists' moral responsibility and dangerous technology R&D.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koepsell, David

    2010-03-01

    The age-old maxim of scientists whose work has resulted in deadly or dangerous technologies is: scientists are not to blame, but rather technologists and politicians must be morally culpable for the uses of science. As new technologies threaten not just populations but species and biospheres, scientists should reassess their moral culpability when researching fields whose impact may be catastrophic. Looking at real-world examples such as smallpox research and the Australian "mousepox trick", and considering fictional or future technologies like Kurt Vonnegut's "ice-nine" from Cat's Cradle, and the "grey goo" scenario in nanotechnology, this paper suggests how ethical principles developed in biomedicine can be adjusted for science in general. An "extended moral horizon" may require looking not just to the effects of research on individual human subjects, but also to effects on humanity as a whole. Moreover, a crude utilitarian calculus can help scientists make moral decisions about which technologies to pursue and disseminate when catastrophes may result. Finally, institutions should be devised to teach these moral principles to scientists, and require moral education for future funding.

  12. Promoting Pre-college Science Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, R. L.

    1999-11-01

    The Fusion Education Program, with support from DOE, continues to promote pre-college science education for students and teachers using multiple approaches. An important part of our program is direct scientist-student interaction. Our ``Scientist in a Classroom'' program allows students to interact with scientists and engage in plasma science activities in the students' classroom. More than 1000 students from 11 schools have participated in this exciting program. Also, this year more than 800 students and teachers have visited the DIII--D facility and interacted with scientists to cover a broad range of technical and educational issues. Teacher-scientist interaction is imperative in professional development and each year more than 100 teachers attend workshops produced by the fusion education team. We also participate in unique learning opportunities. Members of the team, in collaboration with the San Diego County Office of Education, held a pioneering Internet-based Physics Olympiad for American and Siberian students. Our teamwork with educators helps shape material that is grade appropriate, relevant, and stimulates thinking in educators and students.

  13. Nuclear Waste Education Project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-01-01

    In summary, both the Atlanta and Albuquerque pilot seminars achieved the Nuclear Waste Education Project's goal of informing citizens on both the substance and the process of nuclear waste policy so that they can better participate in future nuclear waste decisions. Nuclear waste issues are controversial, and the seminars exposed the nature of the controversy, and utilized the policy debates to create lively and provocative sessions. The format and content of any citizen education curriculum must be made to fit the particular goal that has been chosen. If the Department of Energy and the LWVEF decide to continue to foster an informed dialogue among presenters and participants, the principles of controversial issues education would serve this goal well. If, however, the Department of Energy and/or the LWVEF decide to go beyond imparting information and promoting a lively discussion of the issues, towards some kind of consensus-building process, it would be appropriate to integrate more interactive sessions into the format. As one evaluator wrote, ''In-depth participation in finding solutions or establishing policy -- small group discussion'' would have been preferable to the plenary sessions that mostly were in the form of lectures and expert panel discussion. The evaluator continued by saying, ''Since these [small group discussions] would require more time commitment, they might be part of follow-up workshops focused on particular topics.''

  14. Introducing a New Concept Inventory on Climate Change to Support Undergraduate Instruction, Teacher Education, Education Research, and Project Evaluation (Invited)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrow, C. A.; Monsaas, J.; Katzenberger, J.; Afolabi, C. Y.

    2013-12-01

    The Concept Inventory on Climate Change (CICC) is a new research-based, multiple-choice 'test' that provides a powerful new assessment tool for undergraduate instructors, teacher educators, education researchers, and project evaluators. This presentation will describe the features and the development process of the (CICC). This includes insights about how the development team (co-authors) integrated and augmented their multi-disciplinary expertise. The CICC has been developed in the context of a popular introductory undergraduate weather and climate course at a southeastern research university (N~400-500 per semester). The CICC is not a test for a grade, but is intended to be a useful measure of how well a given teaching and learning experience has succeeded in improving understanding about climate change and related climate concepts. The science content addressed by the CICC is rooted in the national consensus document, 'Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science'. The CICC has been designed to support undergraduate instruction, and may be valuable in comparable contexts that teach about climate change. CICC results can help to inform decisions about the effectiveness of teaching strategies by 1) flagging conceptual issues (PRE-instruction); and 2) detecting conceptual change (POST-instruction). Specific CICC items and their answer choices are informed by the research literature on common misunderstandings about climate and climate change. Each CICC item is rated on a 3-tier scale of the cognitive sophistication the item is calling for, and there is a balance among all three tiers across the full instrument. The CICC development process has involved data-driven changes to successive versions. Data sources have included item statistics from the administration of progressively evolved versions of the CICC in the weather and climate course, group interviews with students, and expert review by climate scientists, educators, and project evaluators

  15. Scientists must speak

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Walters, D. Eric; Walters, Gale Climenson

    2011-01-01

    .... Scientists Must Speak: Bringing Presentations to Life helps readers do just that. At some point in their careers, the majority of scientists have to stand up in front of an inquisitive audience or board and present information...

  16. Hands on CERN: A Well-Used Physics Education Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johansson, K. E.

    2006-01-01

    The "Hands on CERN" education project makes it possible for students and teachers to get close to the forefront of scientific research. The project confronts the students with contemporary physics at its most fundamental level with the help of particle collisions from the DELPHI particle physics experiment at CERN. It now exists in 14 languages…

  17. Code Sharing and Collaboration: Experiences From the Scientist's Expert Assistant Project and Their Relevance to the Virtual Observatory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korathkar, Anuradha; Grosvenor, Sandy; Jones, Jeremy; Li, Connie; Mackey, Jennifer; Neher, Ken; Obenschain, Arthur F. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    In the Virtual Observatory (VO), software tools will perform the functions that have traditionally been performed by physical observatories and their instruments. These tools will not be adjuncts to VO functionality but will make up the very core of the VO. Consequently, the tradition of observatory and system independent tools serving a small user base is not valid for the VO. For the VO to succeed, we must improve software collaboration and code sharing between projects and groups. A significant goal of the Scientist's Expert Assistant (SEA) project has been promoting effective collaboration and code sharing among groups. During the past three years, the SEA project has been developing prototypes for new observation planning software tools and strategies. Initially funded by the Next Generation Space Telescope, parts of the SEA code have since been adopted by the Space Telescope Science Institute. SEA has also supplied code for the SIRTF (Space Infrared Telescope Facility) planning tools, and the JSky Open Source Java library. The potential benefits of sharing code are clear. The recipient gains functionality for considerably less cost. The provider gains additional developers working with their code. If enough users groups adopt a set of common code and tools, de facto standards can emerge (as demonstrated by the success of the FITS standard). Code sharing also raises a number of challenges related to the management of the code. In this talk, we will review our experiences with SEA--both successes and failures, and offer some lessons learned that might promote further successes in collaboration and re-use.

  18. Scientists in the public sphere: Interactions of scientists and journalists in Brazil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massarani, Luisa; Peters, Hans P

    2016-06-07

    In order to map scientists' views on media channels and explore their experiences interacting with journalists, the authors conducted a survey of about 1,000 Brazilian scientists. Results indicate that scientists have clear and high expectations about how journalists should act in reporting scientific information in the media, but such expectations, in their opinion, do not always seem to be met. Nonetheless, the results show that surveyed scientists rate their relation with the media positively: 67% say that having their research covered by media has a positive impact on their colleagues. One quarter of the respondents expressed that talking to the media can facilitate acquisition of more funds for research. Moreover, 38% of the total respondents believe that writing about an interesting topic for release on media channels can also facilitate research publication in a scientific journal. However, 15% of the respondents outright agree that research reported in the media beforehand can threaten acceptance for publication by a scientific journal. We hope that these results can foster some initiatives for improving awareness of the two cultures, scientists and journalists; increasing the access of journalists to Brazilian scientific endeavors; stimulating scientists to communicate with the public via social networks.

  19. Should We All be Scientists? Re-thinking Laboratory Research as a Calling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bezuidenhout, Louise; Warne, Nathaniel A

    2017-07-19

    In recent years there have been major shifts in how the role of science-and scientists-are understood. The critical examination of scientific expertise within the field of Science and Technology Studies (STS) are increasingly eroding notions of the "otherness" of scientists. It would seem to suggest that anyone can be a scientist-when provided with the appropriate training and access to data. In contrast, however, ethnographic evidence from the scientific community tells a different story. Scientists are quick to recognize that not everyone can-or should-be a scientist. Appealing to notions such as "good hands" or "gut feelings", scientists narrate a distinction between good and bad scientists that cannot be reduced to education, access, or opportunity. The key to good science requires scientists to express an intuitive feeling for their discipline, but also that individuals derive considerable personal satisfaction from their work. Discussing this personal joy in-and "fittingness" of-scientific occupations using the fields of STS, ethics and science policy is highly problematic. In this paper we turn to theology discourse to analyze the notion of "callings" as a means of understanding this issue. Callings highlight the identification and examination of individual talents to determine fit occupations for specific persons. Framing science as a calling represents a novel view of research that places the talents and dispositions of individuals and their relationship to the community at the center of flourishing practices.

  20. BudBurst Buddies: Introducing Young Citizen Scientists to Plants and Environmental Change

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, D.; Gardiner, L. S.; Henderson, S.

    2011-12-01

    As part of Project BudBurst, the BudBurst Buddies recently moved to the National Ecological Network (NEON) as part of its Education and Public Engagement efforts. The BudBurst Buddies (www.budburstbuddies.org) were created to engage elementary school age children in the science of observing plants and the timing of phenological (life cycle) events. BudBurst Buddies is a part of the Project BudBurst national citizen science initiative (www.budburst.org), which allows individuals to engage in the scientific process, contributing to a better understanding of climate change while increasing public awareness of phenology and the impacts of climate change on plants. As a first step towards engaging the next generation of citizen scientists, BudBurst Buddies provides the opportunity for children to gain experience with scientific research and increases awareness of how plants change throughout the year. Hundreds of young students have participated in the inaugural year of BudBurst Buddies. Children can participate in BudBurst Buddies on their own, with their families, or in formal or informal education settings. The program was recently highlighted by education staff at the New York Hall of Science and numerous classrooms have been implementing this resource as part of their curriculum. Each child who participates creates a journal about a plant of his or her choosing, makes observations of the plant over the growing season and submits findings online, earning an official BudBurst Buddies certificate. An online storybook for kids tells how two children, Lily and Sage, observed plants in their neighborhood and became BudBurst Buddies. This presentation will provide an overview of the BudBurst Buddies resources including a new implementation guide and will also share feedback from the first year of implementation.

  1. International Science Education: A Study of UNESCO Science Education Improvement Projects in Selected Anglophone Countries of Africa: Project Problems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nichter, Richard

    1984-01-01

    Discusses some of the problems faced by technical advisors implementing projects for the improvement of science education in Africa and reasons for these problems. Problem areas considered include underdevelopment, underestimating the process, finances, personality conflict and motivation, and opposition from key groups. (A list of major UNESCO…

  2. Energy-related scientists and engineers: a statistical profile of recent entrants into the work force, 1978

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bell, Sharon E.

    1979-12-01

    This report examines the educational and employment characteristics of scientists and engineers who graduated during the years 1972, 1974, 1975, and 1976, with special attention to those whose work involves energy. The characteristics of energy-related graduates are also compared to those of more experienced scientists and engineers involved in energy activities. Information is based on the results of the 1976 and 1978 National Surveys of Recent Science and Engineering Graduates, and the 1976 National Survey of Natural and Social Scientists and Engineers, sponsored by the National Science Foundation and the US Department of Energy. Tabulations are included for the first time on employment involving specific energy sources and activities. Other characteristics discussed include educational level, salary, primary work activity, type of employer, and the proportion of graduates who found employment in their major field.

  3. Kids as Airborne Mission Scientists: Designing PBL To Inspire Kids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koszalka, Tiffany A.; Grabowski, Barbara L.; Kim, Younghoon

    Problem-based learning (PBL) has great potential for inspiring K-12 learning. KaAMS, a NASA funded project and an example of PBL, was designed to help teachers inspire middle school students to learn science. The students participate as scientists investigating environmental problems using NASA airborne remote sensing data. Two PBL modules were…

  4. Preparing new Earth Science teachers via a collaborative program between Research Scientists and Educators

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grcevich, Jana; Pagnotta, Ashley; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Shara, Michael; Flores, Kennet; Nadeau, Patricia A.; Sessa, Jocelyn; Ustunisik, Gokce; Zirakparvar, Nasser; Ebel, Denton; Harlow, George; Webster, James D.; Kinzler, Rosamond; MacDonald, Maritza B.; Contino, Julie; Cooke-Nieves, Natasha; Howes, Elaine; Zachowski, Marion

    2015-01-01

    The Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Program at the American Museum of Natural History is a innovative program designed to prepare participants to be world-class Earth Science teachers. New York State is experiencing a lack of qualified Earth Science teachers, leading in the short term to a reduction in students who successfully complete the Earth Science Regents examination, and in the long term potential reductions in the number of students who go on to pursue college degrees in Earth Science related disciplines. The MAT program addresses this problem via a collaboration between practicing research scientists and education faculty. The faculty consists of curators and postdoctoral researchers from the Departments of Astrophysics, Earth and Planetary Sciences, and the Division of Paleontology, as well as doctoral-level education experts. During the 15-month, full-time program, students participate in a residency program at local urban classrooms as well as taking courses and completing field work in astrophysics, geology, earth science, and paleontology. The program targets high-needs schools with diverse populations. We seek to encourage, stimulate interest, and inform the students impacted by our program, most of whom are from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds, about the rich possibilities for careers in Earth Science related disciplines and the intrinsic value of the subject. We report on the experience of the first and second cohorts, all of whom are now employed in full time teaching positions, and the majority in high needs schools in New York State.

  5. Sitting with the scientists: a collaborative approach to STEM content development

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattson, Barbara

    2018-01-01

    For over two decades, the Goddard Astrophysics Education Team has been an integrated part of NASA Goddard’s Astrophysics Science Division. As part of NASA’s largest astrophysics organization, our team is in a unique position to collaborate with the division’s scientists, engineers, and technical personnel - our subject matter experts (SMEs) - in a variety of capacities. We often seek input from our SMEs to help implement our education programs - to ensure our programs’ scientific accuracy, to help us employ cutting-edge topics, and to promote authentic science processes. At the same time, we act as education experts for our SMEs to help them implement their ideas. We see this as a true partnership, with many opportunities for SME participation. Our current STEM Activation programs, Afterschool Universe and NASA Family Science Night, were created with strong involvement from division scientists, and our latest sessions on galaxies were developed in collaboration with an active researcher. In addition to our own programming, we have been tasked with providing NASA astrophysics content and expertise to the Goddard Office of Education, the Heliophysics Education Consortium (and their cross-division efforts), and the NASA Science Mission Directorate STEM Activation Community. This talk will provide an overview of our team’s current efforts and the ways in which we partner with our division’s SMEs.

  6. John P. Craig, MD, MPH. Physician-Scientist, Educator, and Mentor. 1923-2016.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haseeb, M A; Imperato, Pascal James

    2017-10-01

    John P. Craig (1923-2016) was an eminent physician-scientist, gifted educator, and greatly valued mentor. Born in West Liberty, Ohio on 29 November 1923, he attended Oberlin College, and received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine. This was followed by an internship at Yale University Medical Center, and then service in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He was a battalion surgeon, preventive medicine officer, and epidemiologist. While in Korea, he conducted important investigations of hemorrhagic fever among American troops. His observations led to the recognition of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, now called Korean hemorrhagic fever. He also identified a new Hanta virus. Craig received his Master of Public Health degree magna cum laude from the Harvard School of Public Health. He then worked with Nobel Laureate, Max Theiler, at the Rockefeller Foundation. Soon afterwards, he joined the faculty of the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, where he established a new research laboratory. Over the years, his research focused on diphtheria infections and cholera. He became internationally respected for his work on cholera, and specifically on cholera toxin and its relationship to vascular permeability. He served for over 6 years as the Chair of the Cholera Panel of the U.S.-Japan Cooperative Program, and in this position set the direction for future research. The author of over 100 articles published in the peer-reviewed scientific literature, he also gave numerous presentations at national and international scientific meetings on a wide range of microbial diseases. Craig was highly regarded by colleagues and students as a superb teacher. He was a leader in initiating patient-oriented problem-solving (POPS) exercises for medical students. He also led curricular reform in the medical school in the 1990s whose purpose was to reduce lecture hours and

  7. Speech acts and performances of scientific citizenship: Examining how scientists talk about therapeutic cloning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marks, Nicola J

    2014-07-01

    Scientists play an important role in framing public engagement with science. Their language can facilitate or impede particular interactions taking place with particular citizens: scientists' "speech acts" can "perform" different types of "scientific citizenship". This paper examines how scientists in Australia talked about therapeutic cloning during interviews and during the 2006 parliamentary debates on stem cell research. Some avoided complex labels, thereby facilitating public examination of this field. Others drew on language that only opens a space for publics to become educated, not to participate in a more meaningful way. Importantly, public utterances made by scientists here contrast with common international utterances: they did not focus on the therapeutic but the research promises of therapeutic cloning. Social scientists need to pay attention to the performative aspects of language in order to promote genuine citizen involvement in techno-science. Speech Act Theory is a useful analytical tool for this.

  8. A Proposal to Build an Education Research and Development Program: The Kamehameha Early Education Project Proposal. Technical Report #3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallimore, Ronald; And Others

    This report summarizes the programmatic features of a proposal for the Kamehameha Early Education Project (KEEP), a program aimed at the development, demonstration, and dissemination of methods for improving the education of Hawaiian and part-Hawaiian children. A brief description of the proposed project goals, structure, organization, and…

  9. ISS National Laboratory Education Project: Enhancing and Innovating the ISS as an Educational Venue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melvin, Leland D.

    2011-01-01

    The vision is to develop the ISS National Laboratory Education Project (ISS NLE) as a national resource for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, utilizing the unique educational venue of the International Space Station per the NASA Congressional Authorization Act of 2005. The ISS NLE will serve as an educational resource which enables educational activities onboard the ISS and in the classroom. The ISS NLE will be accessible to educators and students from kindergarten to post-doctoral studies, at primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities. Additionally, the ISS NLE will provide ISS-related STEM education opportunities and resources for learners of all ages via informal educational institutions and venues Though U.S. Congressional direction emphasized the involvement of U.S. students, many ISS-based educational activities have international student and educator participation Over 31 million students around the world have participated in several ISS-related education activities.

  10. Continuing Evaluation of S'COOL, an Educational Outreach Project Focused on NASA's CERES Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chambers, L. H.; Costulis, P. K.; Young, D. F.; Detweiler, P. T.; Sepulveda, R.; Stoddard, D. B.

    2002-12-01

    The Students' Cloud Observations On-Line (S'COOL) project began in early 1997 with 3 participating teachers acting as test sites. In the nearly 6 years since then, S'COOL has grown by leaps and bounds. Currently over 1250 sites in 61 countries are registered to participate. On the face of it, this seems like a huge success. However, to ensure that this effort continues to be useful to educators, we continue to use a variety of evaluation methods. S'COOL is a modest outreach effort associated with the Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument of NASA's Earth Observing System. For most of its existence S'COOL has been run on the part-time efforts of a couple of CERES scientists, one or two web and database specialists, and a teacher-in-residence. Total funding for the project has never exceeded \\$300,000 per year, including everyone's time. Aside from the growth in registered participants, the number of cloud observations is also tracked. 6,500 were submitted in the past year, averaging about 20 per actively participating class, for a total of over 15,000 observations to date. S'COOL participation has always been at the discretion of the teacher; we do not require a set number of observations. Due to various difficulties with CERES data processing, only about 1,000 satellite matches to the observations are currently in the S'COOL database. However, examination of these matches has already provided some useful information about the problem of cloud detection from space. Less objective information is provided by extensive surveys of teachers attending our summer teacher workshops (run for 4 years and reaching 78 teachers so far), the on-line EDCATS survey run by NASA HQ which we ask our teachers to fill out annually, and day-to-day interaction with teachers - whether participants, conference attendees, or other interested educators. A new survey instrument is being designed (the last participant survey was in Fall 2000) and will be administered

  11. Final Scientifc Report - Hydrogen Education State Partnership Project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Leon, Warren

    2012-02-03

    Under the leadership of the Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cells program, Clean Energy States Alliance (CESA) educated and worked with state leaders to encourage wider deployment of fuel cell and hydrogen technologies. Through outreach to state policymakers, legislative leaders, clean energy funds, energy agencies, and public utility commissions, CESA worked to accomplish the following objectives of this project: 1. Provide information and technical assistance to state policy leaders and state renewable energy programs in the development of effective hydrogen fuel cell programs. 2. Identify and foster hydrogen program best practices. 3. Identify and promote strategic opportunities for states and the Department of Energy (DOE) to advance hydrogen technology deployment through partnerships, collaboration, and targeted activities. Over the three years of this project, CESA, with our partner National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), was able to provide credible information on fuel cell policies, finance, and technical assistance to hundreds of state officials and other stakeholders. CESA worked with its membership network to effectively educate state clean energy policymakers, program managers, and decision makers about fuel cell and hydrogen technologies and the efforts by states to advance those technologies. With the assistance of NCSL, CESA gained access to an effective forum for outreach and communication with state legislators from all 50 states on hydrogen issues and policies. This project worked to educate policymakers and stakeholders with the potential to develop and deploy stationary and portable fuel cell technologies.

  12. Birth of prominent scientists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyes Gonzalez, Leonardo; González Brambila, Claudia N; Veloso, Francisco

    2018-01-01

    This paper analyzes the influence key scientists have in the development of a science and technology system. In particular, this work appraises the influence that star scientists have on the productivity and impact of young faculty, as well as on the likelihood that these young researchers become a leading personality in science. Our analysis confirms previous results that eminent scientist have a prime role in the development of a scientific system, especially within the context of an emerging economy like Mexico. In particular, in terms of productivity and visibility, this work shows that between 1984 and 2001 the elite group of physicists in Mexico (approximate 10% of all scientists working in physics and its related fields) published 42% of all publications, received 50% of all citations and bred 18% to 26% of new entrants. In addition our work shows that scientists that enter the system by the hand of a highly productive researcher increased their productivity on average by 28% and the ones that did it by the hand of a highly visible scientist received on average 141% more citations, vis-à-vis scholars that did not published their first manuscripts with an eminent scientist. Furthermore, scholars that enter the system by the hand of a highly productive researcher were on average 2.5 more likely to also become a star.

  13. Birth of prominent scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reyes Gonzalez, Leonardo; Veloso, Francisco

    2018-01-01

    This paper analyzes the influence key scientists have in the development of a science and technology system. In particular, this work appraises the influence that star scientists have on the productivity and impact of young faculty, as well as on the likelihood that these young researchers become a leading personality in science. Our analysis confirms previous results that eminent scientist have a prime role in the development of a scientific system, especially within the context of an emerging economy like Mexico. In particular, in terms of productivity and visibility, this work shows that between 1984 and 2001 the elite group of physicists in Mexico (approximate 10% of all scientists working in physics and its related fields) published 42% of all publications, received 50% of all citations and bred 18% to 26% of new entrants. In addition our work shows that scientists that enter the system by the hand of a highly productive researcher increased their productivity on average by 28% and the ones that did it by the hand of a highly visible scientist received on average 141% more citations, vis-à-vis scholars that did not published their first manuscripts with an eminent scientist. Furthermore, scholars that enter the system by the hand of a highly productive researcher were on average 2.5 more likely to also become a star. PMID:29543855

  14. The Citizen-Scientist as Data Collector: GLOBE at Night, Part 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ward, D. L.; Henderson, S.; Meymaris, K.; Walker, C.; Pompea, S. M.; Gallagher, S.; Salisbury, D.

    2006-12-01

    GLOBE at Night is an international science event designed to observe and record the visible stars as a means of measuring light pollution in a given location. Increased and robust understanding of our environment requires learning opportunities that take place outside of the conventional K-12 classroom and beyond the confines of the school day. This hands-on learning activity extended the traditional classroom and school day through 11 nights last March, when 18,000 citizen-scientists made over 4,500 observations from 96 countries. Utilizing the international networking capabilities of The GLOBE Program, GLOBE at Night was designed to make data collection and input user-friendly. Citizen-scientists were able to participate in this global scientific campaign by submitting their observations through an online database, allowing for authentic worldwide research and analysis by participating scientists. The data collected is available online in a variety of formats for use by students, teachers and scientists worldwide to assess how the quality of the night sky varies around the world. Using the online analysis tools provided by ESRI, participants were able to compare the observed data with population density and nighttime lighting datasets (DMSP Earth at Night). This comparison allowed correlations between observed data patterns and commonly used indices of population density and energy usage. This session will share our results and demonstrate how students and scientists across the globe can explore and analyze the results of this exciting campaign. We will discuss how the project team planned and executed the project in such a way that non-astronomers were able to make valid and useful contributions. We will also discuss lessons learned and best practices based on the 2006 campaign. GLOBE at Night is a collaborative effort sponsored by The GLOBE Program, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO), Centro de Apoyo a la Didactica de la Astronomia (CADIAS

  15. Education projects: an opportunity for student fieldwork in global health academic programs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fyfe, Molly V

    2012-01-01

    Universities, especially in higher-income countries, increasingly offer programs in global health. These programs provide different types of fieldwork projects, at home and abroad, including: epidemiological research, community health, and clinical electives. I illustrate how and why education projects offer distinct learning opportunities for global health program fieldwork. As University of California students, we partnered in Tanzania with students from Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Science (MUHAS) to assist MUHAS faculty with a curricular project. We attended classes, clinical rounds, and community outreach sessions together, where we observed teaching, materials used, and the learning environment; and interviewed and gathered data from current students, alumni, and health professionals during a nationwide survey. We learned together about education of health professionals and health systems in our respective institutions. On the basis of this experience, I suggest some factors that contribute to the productivity of educational projects as global health fieldwork.

  16. Proyectos de Educacion Migrante (Migrant Education Projects).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonzalez, Ramon; Garcia, Jose D.

    Written in Spanish and English for project personnel, parents, and others interested in migrant education, the booklet summarizes general concepts and requirements behind Title I-Migrant activities in Oregon, which has been allocated $4,439,341 in Title I-Migrant funds for fiscal year 1980. Following brief definitions of important terms,…

  17. Continuing education in physical education at school: principals and challenges for a critical education project

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marina Ferreira de Souza Antunes

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available The theme of teacher's formation has gained a spotlight in academic research, especially in the context of the researches conducted in the perspective of the "researcher professor", and in the consolidation of the partnerships between universities and educational systems by promoting programs of continuing education. The Laboratory of Studies about School, Curriculum and Physical Education of the Faculty of Physical Education at the Federal University of Uberlândia (LECEF/FAEFI/UFU is constituted as a unifying space for teachers and students whose aim is the further study on issues related to school, teaching and curriculum planning for physical education as a curriculum component as well as providing space for continuing education to promote qualitative changes in teaching practice. This article presents a model of educational planning held on the curricular component of physical education, developed in a collective planning context, under an extension project offered by LECEF. We underline the principles and assumptions leading the planning process adopted. We emphasize that the collective work gives us dialogue, exchange of experience, inclination to listen, overcoming the difficulties of individualism and isolation presents in the organization and realization of pedagogical work routine.

  18. A Coastal Citizen Science Project - How to run an international Citizen Science Project?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kruse, K.; Knickmeier, K.; Thiel, M.; Gatta, M.

    2016-02-01

    "Searching for plastic garbage" is an international Citizen Science project that aims to participate school students in the public discussion on the topic "plastic pollution in the ocean". For this, young people apply various research methods, evaluate their data, communicate and publish their results and investigate solutions solving this problem. The project will be carried out in Chile and Germany at the same time, which allows the participating students to share and compare their results and discuss their ideas with an international partner. This takes place on the website www.save-ocean.org. The project promotes intercultural and scientific skills of the students. They get insights into scientific research, get into another culture and experiences plastic pollution as an important global problem. Since May 2015, 450 pupils aged 10 to 15 years and 20 teachers in Germany and Chile have explored the plastic garbage on beaches. Where are the largest plastic garbage deposits? Which items of plastic are mostly found in Germany and Chile? Or where does this garbage comes from? These and other research questions are being answered by an international network between students, teachers and scientists. After completing the first Citizen Science pilot study successfully in summer 2015, the entire German and Chilean coast will be explored in spring 2016 by around 2500 participating school students. The project "Searching for plastic garbage" is the first international Citizen Science project that is a cooperation between the ocean:lab of Kiel Science Factory and the "Cientificos de la Basura", a project of the department of marine biology at University Catolica del Norte in Coquimbo, Chile. The project is supported by the Cluster of Excellence "The Future Ocean", the Leibniz Institute for Science Education and Mathematics (IPN), the Ministry of School and Professional Education of Land Schleswig-Holstein and the University Catolica del Norte in Coquimbo, Chile

  19. The first educational interferometer in Mexico (FEYMANS): A novel project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Villicana Pedraza, Ilhuiyolitzin; Guesten, Rolf; Saucedo Morales, Julio Cesar; Carreto, Francisco; Valdes Estrada, Erik; Wendolyn Blanco Cardenas, Monica; Rodríguez Garza, Carolina B.; Pech Castillo, Gerardo A.; Ángel Vaquerizo, Juan

    2016-07-01

    An interferometer is composed of several radio telescopes (dishes) separated by a defined distance and used in synchrony. This kind of array produces a superior angular resolution, better than the resolution achieved by a single dish of the same combined area. In this work we propose the First Educational Youth Mexican Array North South, FEYMANS. It consists of an educational interferometer with initially four dishes. This array harvests Mexico's geography by locating each dish at the periphery of the country; creating new scientific links of provincial populations with the capital. The FEYMANS project focus in high school students and their projects on physics, chemistry and astronomy as a final project. Also, it can be used for bachelor theses. The initial and central dish-node is planed to be in Mexico City. After its construction, the efforts will focus to build subsequent nodes, on the Northwest region, Northeast, or Southeast. Region Northwest will give service to Baja California, Sonora and Chihuahua states. Region Northeast will cover Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas. Finally, region Southeast will give access to Yucatan, Quintana Roo, Campeche, Tabasco and Chiapas. This project has been conceived by young professional astronomers and Mexican experts that will operate each node. Also, we have the technical support of the "Max Planck Institute fuer Radioastronomy in Bonn Germany" and the educational model of the "PARTNeR" project in Spain. This interferometer will be financed by Mexico's Federal Congress and by Mexico City's Legislative Assembly (ALDF).

  20. Training the next generation of scientists in Weather Forecasting: new approaches with real models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carver, Glenn; Váňa, Filip; Siemen, Stephan; Kertesz, Sandor; Keeley, Sarah

    2014-05-01

    The European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts operationally produce medium range forecasts using what is internationally acknowledged as the world leading global weather forecast model. Future development of this scientifically advanced model relies on a continued availability of experts in the field of meteorological science and with high-level software skills. ECMWF therefore has a vested interest in young scientists and University graduates developing the necessary skills in numerical weather prediction including both scientific and technical aspects. The OpenIFS project at ECMWF maintains a portable version of the ECMWF forecast model (known as IFS) for use in education and research at Universities, National Meteorological Services and other research and education organisations. OpenIFS models can be run on desktop or high performance computers to produce weather forecasts in a similar way to the operational forecasts at ECMWF. ECMWF also provide the Metview desktop application, a modern, graphical, and easy to use tool for analysing and visualising forecasts that is routinely used by scientists and forecasters at ECMWF and other institutions. The combination of Metview with the OpenIFS models has the potential to deliver classroom-friendly tools allowing students to apply their theoretical knowledge to real-world examples using a world-leading weather forecasting model. In this paper we will describe how the OpenIFS model has been used for teaching. We describe the use of Linux based 'virtual machines' pre-packaged on USB sticks that support a technically easy and safe way of providing 'classroom-on-a-stick' learning environments for advanced training in numerical weather prediction. We welcome discussions with interested parties.

  1. The REEME project: a cooperative model for sharing international medical education materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iserson, Kenneth V

    2008-07-01

    Although the Internet has become an excellent source of medical education materials, in many specialties, including Emergency Medicine (EM), most of the information is in English. Few international EM practitioners can attend costly specialty conferences, importing foreign experts to teach at these conferences is costly and, even then, these experts are available for a limited time to relatively few people. Countries with minimal health care or medical education budgets find providing even basic materials for professional medical education difficult. An exciting international project now freely distributes Spanish language educational programs to health care professionals on topics relating to EM. The Recursos Educacionales en Español para Medicina de Emergencia (REEME; Educational Resources in Spanish for EM) Project (www.reeme.arizona.edu) was developed to overcome some of these problems by providing language-specific specialty information and widespread international availability, and by promoting international cooperation among professional health care educators. It also provides a ready source of Spanish medical vocabulary for those trying to learn the language. With computer support from the University of Arizona's Learning and Technology Center, REEME first went "live" on November 1, 2004. Three years later, as of November 1, 2007, the site had 575 programs from 411 donors representing 19 countries and the United Nations. There are currently about 645 downloads per month to users in 73 countries. The REEME Project demonstrates the power of the Internet as a means to achieve international cooperation in medical education, and can serve as a model for similar projects in other specialties and languages.

  2. Celebrating science education from people for people: A tribute to Wolff-Michael Roth

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Eijck, van M.W.; Lee, Y.-J.; Ardenghi, D.M.; Emad, G.-R.; Hsu, P.-L.; Jayme, B.; Kim, M.; Maheux, J.F.; Pozzer-Ardenghi, L.

    2011-01-01

    I (Giuliano) remember being in a room full of scientists and educators who were collaborating together in a million-dollar interdisciplinary project. Michael—as he repeatedly told us to call him (Roth et al. 2007)—had invited a few of his graduate students to attend the meeting because we were

  3. The pedagogical and ethical legacy of a "successful" educational reform: The Citizen School Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fischman, Gustavo E.; Gandin, Luis Armando

    2016-02-01

    The Citizen School Project (Escola Cidadã) was implemented from 1993 to 2004 in Porto Alegre, capital of the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. This article presents the conception behind the Citizen School Project, the basic mechanisms created to implement and evaluate its strengths and weaknesses, and some of its contradictions. After contextualising the educational reforms in Brazil during the 1980s and 1990s, the authors demonstrate how the Citizen School Project's emphasis on participation and democratisation was a radical departure from Brazil's traditional public education system. Next, they present the three main goals and structures of the Citizen School Project - democratisation of access to schools, democratisation of schools' administration, and democratisation of access to knowledge. They conclude by discussing some pedagogic, social and political dynamics which appear to be strong legacies of this pedagogical project. The authors also argue that the Citizen School Project has both improved the quality of education in Porto Alegre and is an important contribution to our collective thinking about the politics of "successful" educational policies.

  4. Artful Dodgers: An Arts Education Research Project in Early Education Settings

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayes, Nóirín; Maguire, Jackie; Corcoran, Lucie; O'Sullivan, Carmel

    2017-01-01

    Artful Dodgers is an arts education project developed by two artists and delivered in two early years settings located in two areas of urban disadvantage. It is a music and visual arts programme designed and implemented with early years teachers of children aged 3-5 years. It explored whether the provision of high-quality arts experiences could…

  5. Democratizing Human Genome Project Information: A Model Program for Education, Information and Debate in Public Libraries.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pollack, Miriam

    The "Mapping the Human Genome" project demonstrated that librarians can help whomever they serve in accessing information resources in the areas of biological and health information, whether it is the scientists who are developing the information or a member of the public who is using the information. Public libraries can guide library…

  6. Educational Value and Lessons Learnt from the AAU-Cubesat Project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alminde, Lars; Bisgaard, Morten; Vinther, D.

    together to built a student satellite like the AAU-cubesat. Results from the operation phase will be stated, and recommendations on further work on pico-satellite designs will be given. In addition as the project has been carried through by students then the educational value of the project...

  7. Educational Value and Lessons Learnt from the AAU-cubesat Project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alminde, Lars; Bisgaard, Morten; Vinther, D.

    2003-01-01

    together to built a student satellite like the AAU-cubesat. Results from the operation phase will be stated, and recommendations on further work on pico-satellite designs will be given. In addition as the project has been carried through by students then the educational value of the project...

  8. A Century of Ideas Perspectives from Leading Scientists of the 20th Century

    CERN Document Server

    Sidharth, B. G

    2008-01-01

    Shortly after its inauguration in 1985 the Birla Science Centre, Hyderabad, India, started a series of lectures by Nobel Laureates and other scientists of international renown, usually in Physics and Astronomy, sometimes in Life Sciences and Chemistry. The present collection mostly consists of lectures on frontier topics. The transcript of each lecture is preceded by a short biography of the Nobel Laureate/Scientist in question. The lectures are aimed at, and accessible to a wide non-specialist but higher educated audience.

  9. There's Trouble in Paradise: Problems with Educational Metadata Encountered during the MALTED Project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Monthienvichienchai, Rachada; Sasse, M. Angela; Wheeldon, Richard

    This paper investigates the usability of educational metadata schemas with respect to the case of the MALTED (Multimedia Authoring Language Teachers and Educational Developers) project at University College London (UCL). The project aims to facilitate authoring of multimedia materials for language learning by allowing teachers to share multimedia…

  10. Staff Helping Attain Relevant Education (Project SHARE): Final Evaluation Report, 1992-93. OREA Report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ranadive, Jyoti

    Project SHARE (Staff Helping Attain Relevant Education), a project funded by Title VII of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, was in its third and final year of operation in 1992-93, in eight primary schools in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Manhattan (New York). The project served 141 limited English proficient students from low-income families…

  11. The State of Young Scholars and Scientists in Africa | CRDI - Centre ...

    International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

    This multinational study analyzes the career decisions and research performance of young scientists in higher education, government, parastatal (organizations whose activities serve the state), and industrial research and development (R&D) sectors across Africa. Its goal is to contribute to a better informed discussion on ...

  12. Using design science in educational technology research projects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susan M. Chard

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Design science is a research paradigm where the development and evaluation of a technology artefact is a key contribution. Design science is used in many domains and this paper draws on those domains to formulate a generic structure for design science research suitable for educational technology research projects. The paper includes guidelines for writing proposals using the design science research methodology for educational technology research and presents a generic research report structure. The paper presents ethical issues to consider in design science research being conducted in educational settings and contributes guidelines for assessment when the research contribution involves the creation of a technology artefact.

  13. Thinking Like a Scientist: The RITES Path for K-12 Students to Learn the Scientific Method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Murray, D. P.; Dooley, H., Jr.; Cardace, D.

    2015-12-01

    Bringing Research on Learning to the Geosciences (Manduca et al, 2002) stated that "An overaching goal for geoscience education is to help every student to 'think like a scientist'", and that continues to challenge geoscience education. The Rhode Island Technology Enhanced Science (RITES) project addresses that goal, and this presentation chronicles that successful effort. RITES strives to improve science education by providing professional development (PD) to the majority of science teachers at the 5th through 12th grade levels throughout Rhode Island. The PD is presented through ~forty 2.5 day workshops that emphasize the innovative use of technology and best teaching practices, consistent with the recommendations detailed in Manduca et al (2002). The presentation will focus on two of these workshops that provide middle and high school teachers with strategies and techniques for guiding student-run explorations of earthquakes as a result of tectonic plate movements. Teachers address these topics much as a scientist would by carrying out the following activities: 1) Identifying the relationships between faults, EQs and plate boundaries; 2) Using GPS data to quantify interseismic deformation; 3) Constructing an Earthquake machine; and 4) Scaling their observations from desktop to crustal scale, and (5) Using the results to forecast earthquakes along the SAF and to estimate the magnitude of earthquakes on ancient faults. As it is unrealistic to expect teachers to be able to incorporate all of this material into their syllabi, we have introduced the concept of Subtle Shifts (Exploratorium, 2006) as a means by which they can easily blend workshop material into their existing courses. Teacher surveys reflect a high level of satisfaction (81-100%), and pre- and post-evaluations show significant normalized gains (Hake, 1998), in about 90% of the courses. Moreover, students of RITES teachers demonstrate statistically significant gains in inquiry skills and content

  14. The "MelArete" Project: Educating Children to the Ethics of Virtue and of Care

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mortari, Luigina; Ubbiali, Marco

    2017-01-01

    The educative project MelArete proposes an interpretation of ethical education: a form of Education to Virtue Ethics in the light of the philosophy of care. Starting from the ontological assumption that care is prime in life and without it the human being cannot flourish in his/her humanity, the project is based on an interpretation of the…

  15. Determining Teachers' Educational Needs Regarding School Education Projects within the Scope of Erasmus+ Programme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karakus, Fatma; Uyar, Melis Yesilpinar; Balbag, Nur Leman

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine teachers' educational needs regarding school education projects within the scope of Erasmus+ programme. In the study, the case study method, one of qualitative research designs, was used. The participants were determined using the snowball sampling method, and eight secondary school teachers took part in…

  16. New Roles for Scientists and Science Societies to Improve Science Communication

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, S. H.

    2008-12-01

    Should North American Scientists and Science Societies continue with current communication programs or is there a need for expanded and or altered roles in Science Communication? If current practices are working, why is discourse outside of science societies so often misinformed and distorted on environmental change issues that are clearly defined and described within the science community? Climate change is one example there is virtual unanimity and overwhelming evidence from the scientific community that the Earth is warming rapidly and humans are an important cause, but there is confusion in the media and the public, in part due to disinformation campaigns by greenhouse gas polluters and privately funded "Think Tanks." A summary discussion will be presented that addresses many of the ideas and issues brought forward by colleagues in science, science communication and education. Scientists and Science Societies must re-establish objectivity in science information communication to educators, the media and the public. Recommendations on directions will be a key outcome of this presentation.

  17. Scientist-Practitioner Engagement to Inform Regional Hydroclimate Model Evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, A. D.; Jagannathan, K. A.; Ullrich, P. A.

    2017-12-01

    Water mangers face significant challenges in planning for the coming decades as previously stationary aspects of the regional hydroclimate shift in response to global climate change. Providing scientific insights that enable appropriate use of regional hydroclimate projections for planning is a non-trivial problem. The system of data, models, and methods used to produce regional hydroclimate projections is subject to multiple interacting uncertainties and biases, including uncertainties that arise from general circulation models, re-analysis data products, regional climate models, hydrologic models, and statistical downscaling methods. Moreover, many components of this system were not designed with the information needs of water managers in mind. To address this problem and provide actionable insights into the sources of uncertainty present in regional hydroclimate data products, Project Hyperion has undertaken a stakeholder engagement process in four case study water basins across the US. Teams of water managers and scientists are interacting in a structured manner to identify decision-relevant metrics of model performance. These metrics are in turn being used to drive scientific investigations to uncover the sources of uncertainty in these quantities. Thus far, we have found that identification of climate phenomena of interest to stakeholders is relatively easy, but translating these into specific quantifiable metrics and prioritizing metrics is more challenging. Iterative feedback among scientists and stakeholders has proven critical in resolving these challenges, as has the roles played by boundary spanners who understand and can speak to the perspectives of multiple professional communities. Here we describe the structured format of our engagement process and the lessons learned so far, as we aim to improve the decision-relevance of hydroclimate projections through a collaborative process.

  18. Fulbright project focuses on rehabilitation technician education and ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Rehabilitation technician education and physiotherapy practice 272. Fulbright project focuses on ... particularly those qualified to mentor and teach entry-level learners, there are ... to reinforce classroom didactic knowledge as ongoing learning .... utilization of limited resources, and development of linkages with professional ...

  19. SCIENTIFIC-PROJECT CONSULTING AS AN INNOVATIVE FORMAT OF POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G. A. Ignatieva

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Today the main social and economic advantage of Russia in global economy (we do not take natural wealth into account is the human capital which development has to become a priority for all levels of an education system. The relevance of the article determined by the need to modernize the educational programs, technology and content of the educational process in the institutional space of postgraduate teacher education. It is one of the key factors in the development of the intellectual capital of a society, providing a transition to continuous, socially oriented, associated with global and domestic fundamental science education for all people and aimed at the formation of the creative socially responsible personality. The new mission of post-degree training «through all life», consisting in the advancing formation of intellectual potential of the country, demands search of new forms and methods of additional professional education.Aim. The aim of the article is to disclosure the essence of scientific-project consulting as an innovative format of teachers and scientific-pedagogical staff.Methods. The institutional approach is the basis of the study. In accordance with this approach, the development strategy and the areas of work of traditional and new institutions of post-degree education – Department of Pedagogy and Andragogy and the Center of Scientific and Design Consulting are designated. As methodological base of this type of consulting, it is offered to use provisions of the genetic-substantial theory of the developing education, in particular the principle of development regulating processes of continuous improvement of professionalism of experts of education and development of new functions by them in post-industrial society.Results. The conceptual model of a reflexive outline of management of process of formation of new professional positions of the teacher is constructed; its components are

  20. The NCI Digital Divide Pilot Projects: implications for cancer education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kreps, Gary L; Gustafson, David; Salovey, Peter; Perocchia, Rosemarie Slevin; Wilbright, Wayne; Bright, Mary Anne; Muha, Cathy

    2007-01-01

    The National Cancer Institute (NCI) supported four innovative demonstration research projects, "The Digital Divide Pilot Projects," to test new strategies for disseminating health information via computer to vulnerable consumers. These projects involved active research collaborations between the NCI's Cancer Information Service (CIS) and regional cancer control researchers to field test new approaches for enhancing cancer communication in vulnerable communities. The projects were able to use computers to successfully disseminate relevant cancer information to vulnerable populations. These demonstration research projects suggested effective new strategies for using communication technologies to educate underserved populations about cancer prevention, control, and care.

  1. THE GREAT RUSSIAN SCIENTIST M.V. LOMONOSOV

    OpenAIRE

    G.L. Mikirtichan

    2011-01-01

    This article presents reflections on the contribution of the great Russian scientist, one of the most prominent world science stars Mikhail Lomonosov (8/19.11.1711–4/15.04.1765) in connection with the 300th anniversary of his birth celebrated in 2011. Particular attention is paid to his role as an advocate for the development of domestic education and science, and his views on medicine. In the same year we are celebrating the 250 years anniversary since M. Lomonosov’s writing the letter to I....

  2. 75 FR 26945 - International Education Programs Service-Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-13

    .... Schools and/or departments of education have a role to play in creating greater exposure since they are... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION International Education Programs Service--Fulbright-Hays Group Projects... Postsecondary Education, Department of Education. ACTION: Notice of proposed priorities. SUMMARY: The Assistant...

  3. Innovation activity of scientists as a factor in the development of academic entrepreneurship in Russia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    L. N. Babak

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The development of academic entrepreneurship as a way of transfer of innovation is an urgent task. One of the main factors in the development of academic entrepreneurship is innovation-oriented staff of higher education institutions. Insufficient attention of the scientific literature to importance of this factor is thwarting progress of various forms of academic entrepreneurship. In connection with this proposed study is aimed at determining the degree of scientific innovation activity influence on the development of academic entrepreneurship in Russia. Academic entrepreneurship in Russia has been chosen as the object of study. Analysis of the basic research in the field of academic entrepreneurship for the period of 2011-2016 years was used to achieve this goal. Analysis of publications was revealed that the innovative activity of the teaching staff of universities is a critical factor in the development of academic entrepreneurship. However, Russian scientists are characterized by low innovation activity, resulting in academic entrepreneurship in Russia is weak. The researchers suggest the following solutions to eliminate or minimize the effects of this problem: full awareness and moral training of the scientists involved in the innovation process of higher education institutions; profit payment; creating a psychological climate that will affect the scientific process of self-realization; continuous training of employees involved in the innovation process of higher education institutions; the creation of conditions that will contribute to the manifestation of creative activity of scientists; provide greater confidence to young scientists, graduate students and undergraduates; providing moral and material encouragement of initiatives, experimentation and creativity of scientific and pedagogical staff; the allocation of free time for scientists to research and search activities and others. The data obtained can be used by the guidance of

  4. Applying Project Management Strategies in a Large Curriculum Conversion Project in Higher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gardner, Joel; Bennett, Patrick A.; Hyatt, Niccole; Stoker, Kevin

    2017-01-01

    Higher education is undergoing great changes that require universities to adapt quickly, and making these changes can be difficult. One discipline that can aid in executing change is project management, which has developed a set of clear processes and strategies for completing initiatives quickly and effectively. Several authors have identified…

  5. THE MODEL OF EXPERT SYSTEM FOR SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS EVALUATION IN HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Олександр Михайлович ВОЗНИЙ

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available There have been proposed the model of the expert system for the assessment of research projects in higher educational institutions, based on estimates of probability. It allows to rank alternative projects and scenarios. The model is implemented through the software "Small expert system." The principle of calculating the probability of approval of research projects, which form the basis of the expert system, is based on Bayes' theorem. Expert system calculates the probability of approval of research projects by Ministry of Science and Education on the basis of the responses to questions about the content of the request for the execution of research projects. Questions are formed on the basis of the criteria by which experts of state authorities evaluate scientific research projects.

  6. Scientist impact factor (SIF): a new metric for improving scientists' evaluation?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lippi, Giuseppe; Mattiuzzi, Camilla

    2017-08-01

    The publication of scientific research is the mainstay for knowledge dissemination, but is also an essential criterion of scientists' evaluation for recruiting funds and career progression. Although the most widespread approach for evaluating scientists is currently based on the H-index, the total impact factor (IF) and the overall number of citations, these metrics are plagued by some well-known drawbacks. Therefore, with the aim to improve the process of scientists' evaluation, we developed a new and potentially useful indicator of recent scientific output. The new metric scientist impact factor (SIF) was calculated as all citations of articles published in the two years following the publication year of the articles, divided by the overall number of articles published in that year. The metrics was then tested by analyzing data of the 40 top scientists of the local University. No correlation was found between SIF and H-index (r=0.15; P=0.367) or 2 years H-index (r=-0.01; P=0.933), whereas the H-index and 2 years H-index values were found to be highly correlated (r=0.57; Particles published in one year and the total number of citations to these articles in the two following years (r=0.62; Pscientists, wherein the SIF reflects the scientific output over the past two years thus increasing their chances to apply to and obtain competitive funding.

  7. Exploring Natural and Social Scientists' Views of Nature of Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bayir, Eylem; Cakici, Yilmaz; Ertas, Ozge

    2014-01-01

    Science education researchers recently turned their attention to exploring views about nature of science (NOS). A large body of research indicates that both students and teachers have many naïve views about the NOS. Unfortunately, less attention has been directed at the issue of exploring the views of the scientists. Also, the little research in…

  8. 77 FR 33774 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request; Education and Human Resources Project...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-07

    ... and Human Resources Project Monitoring Clearance AGENCY: National Science Foundation. ACTION: Notice...). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title of Collection: Education and Human Resources Project Monitoring Clearance. OMB... States and internationally. The Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR), a unit within NSF...

  9. Robust Scientists

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gorm Hansen, Birgitte

    their core i nterests, 2) developing a selfsupply of industry interests by becoming entrepreneurs and thus creating their own compliant industry partner and 3) balancing resources within a larger collective of researchers, thus countering changes in the influx of funding caused by shifts in political...... knowledge", Danish research policy seems to have helped develop politically and economically "robust scientists". Scientific robustness is acquired by way of three strategies: 1) tasting and discriminating between resources so as to avoid funding that erodes academic profiles and push scientists away from...

  10. Integrating STEM education through Project-Based Inquiry Learning (PIL) in topic space among year one pupils

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Chee Hoe; Adnan, M.

    2018-01-01

    This research aims to investigate the effect of integrating STEM education through Project-based Inquiry Learning (PIL) and the users of the STEM modules which consists of five projects on topic Space in Year One Mathematics Syllabus in Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR) of Malaysia. STEM education in primary school focuses on the introduces and awareness of students about the importance of STEM education. The projects in STEM modules are covering the different ethnic cultures in Malaysia. The modules are designed using the four phases in PIL. Concepts and the explanation of STEM education on each project are emphasized and provided in the modules so the teachers able to carry out the projects by using the modules. By using the modules in primary Mathematics, the students and teachers will be more understanding on how to integrate the Mathematics’ concepts in STEM education.

  11. Towards the European Nuclear Engineering Education Network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mavko, B.; Giot, M.; Sehgal, B.R.; Goethem, G. Van

    2003-01-01

    Current priorities of the scientific community regarding basic research lie elsewhere than in nuclear sciences. The situation today is significantly different than it was three to four decades ago when much of the present competence base in nuclear sciences was in fact generated. In addition, many of the highly competent engineers and scientists, who helped create the present nuclear industry, and its regulatory structure, are approaching retirement. To preserve nuclear knowledge and expertise through the higher nuclear engineering education in the 5 th framework program of the European Commission the project ENEN (European Nuclear Engineering Education Network) was launched, since the need to keep the university curricula in nuclear sciences and technology alive has been clearly recognized at European level. As the follow up of this project an international nuclear engineering education consortium of universities with partners from the nuclear sector is presently in process of being established This association called ENEN has as founding members: 14 universities and 8 research institutes from 17 European countries. (author)

  12. Unraveling the Geologic History of Antarctica Through the Study of Sediment and Rock Cores: The ANDRILL Education and Public Outreach Experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rack, F. R.; Huffman, L.; Berg, M.; Levy, R.; Harwood, D.; Lacy, L.

    2007-12-01

    ANDRILL (ANtarctic geological DRILLing) is a multinational collaboration involving more than 250 scientists from Germany, Italy, New Zealand and the United States. The ANDRILL Program has mobilized scientists, technicians, drillers, engineers, students and educators from four member nations to bring world-class science into focus and provide in-depth immersive experiences to educators through the ARISE (ANDRILL Research Immersion for Science Educators) Program and Project Iceberg. During two seasons of scientific drilling, encompassing the McMurdo Ice Shelf (MIS) Project and the Southern McMurdo Sound (SMS) Project, 15 educators have been immersed in ANDRILL science and have participated in both learning and teaching experiences. Blogs, video journals, images and other resources were generated and distributed online to teachers, students and the general public through the ANDRILL website as part of Project Iceberg, which was used as a unifying theme for the outreach effort. The video journals chronicled the journey from Lincoln, Nebraska to Antarctica and introduced viewers to many aspects of the ANDRILL program in an engaging manner. An accompanying guide provided background information, discussion starters, and engaging activities for students and adults alike. Subtitles in German and Italian were used on each of the video journals in addition to the English narrative, and the resulting product was entitled, ANDRILL: A REAL WORLD GEOSCIENCE ADVENTURE. The primary objective was to introduce teachers, students, and the general public to Antarctica and the ANDRILL Program, and to provide preliminary insights into the following questions: How do scientists from around the world come together in the coldest, windiest, driest place on Earth to uncover the secrets that have been shrouded beneath the ice for millions of years? What secrets do the rocks record? How can I join the journey to learn more about Antarctica and ANDRILL?

  13. Interagency Collaboration in Support of Climate Change Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schoedinger, S. E.; Chambers, L. H.; Karsten, J. L.; McDougall, C.; Campbell, D.

    2011-12-01

    community colleges. These efforts are expected to continue in FY12 and beyond under NASA Innovations in Climate Education (NICE). A solicitation for the NICE project is currently anticipated in Summer 2012. Through its core programs, NSF supports a variety of efforts designed to improve teaching and learning about CCE in formal and informal settings, often through leveraging NSF-supported climate research. In 2009, dedicated CCE funding supported 10 new awards aimed at focusing NSF investments in key areas: preparing innovators for the workforce; strategies for scaling up and disseminating effective curricula and instructional resources; assessment of student learning of complex climate issues; and, increasing access to CCE and professional development for learners, educators, and policymakers. Phase I of the Climate Change Education Partnership (CCEP) program, launched in 2010, supports strategic planning activities within 15 regional and thematic partnerships that bring together climate scientists, learning scientists, and education practitioners. A solicitation for CCEP Phase II implementation is anticipated in Fall 2011. We will discuss agency funding opportunities, examples of collaborations, and common metrics/sharing tools for evaluation of CCE projects.

  14. Adopting digital skills in an international project in teacher education

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hugo Nordseth

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available  The aim of the CoTech project was to develop a concept of using ICT tools for international cooperation in teacher education, and the output result was to develop and test a pilot project for an online course. Our pilot shows that it is possible to implement an integrated curriculum using a variety of ICT tools for the development and deployment of video-based learning resources, as well as collaboration between international groups of students in teacher education without these students meeting physically or using coeducation. At each location, it is important to provide training in the appropriate ICT tools to be used.

  15. An Early Historical Examination of the Educational Intent of Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAEs) and Project-Based Learning in Agricultural Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Kasee L.; Rayfield, John

    2016-01-01

    Project-based learning has been a component of agricultural education since its inception. In light of the current call for additional emphasis of the Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) component of agricultural education, there is a need to revisit the roots of project-based learning. This early historical research study was conducted to…

  16. Commercial Buildings Partnerships - Overview of Higher education projects

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parrish, Kristen [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Robinson, Alastair [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Regnier, Cindy [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2013-02-01

    The Commercial Building Partnership (CBP), a public/private, cost-shared program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), paired selected commercial building owners and operators with representatives of DOE, its national laboratories, and private-sector technical experts. These teams explored energy-saving measures across building systems – including some considered too costly or technologically challenging – and used advanced energy modeling to achieve peak whole-building performance. Modeling results were then included in new construction or retrofit designs to achieve significant energy reductions. CBP design goals aimed to achieve 50 percent energy savings compared to ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2004 for new construction, while retrofits are designed to consume at least 30 percent less energy than either Standard 90.1-2004 or current consumption. After construction and commissioning of the project, laboratory staff continued to work with partners to collect and analyze data for verification of the actual energy reduction. CBP projects represent diverse building types in commercial real estate, including lodging, grocery, retail, higher education, office, and warehouse/storage facilities. Partners also commit to replicating low-energy technologies and strategies from their CBP projects throughout their building portfolios. As a result of CBP projects, five sector overviews (Lodging, Food Sales, General Merchandise, Higher Education, Offices) were created to capture successful strategies and recommended energy efficiency measures that could broadly be applied across these sectors. These overviews are supplemented with individual case studies providing specific details on the decision criteria, modeling results, and lessons learned on specific projects. Sector overviews and CBP case studies will also be updated to reflect verified data and replication strategies as they become available.

  17. Refugee scientists and nuclear energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Segre, E.

    1985-01-01

    The coming together of many of the world's experts in nuclear physics in the 1930's was largely the result of the persecution of Jews in Germany and later in Italy. Initially this meant there were no jobs for young physicists to go into as the senior scientists had been sacked. Later, it resulted in the assembly of many of the world's foremost physicists in the United States, specifically at the Los Alamos Laboratory to work on the Manhattan Project. The rise of antisemitism in Italy (to where many physicists had fled at first) provoked the emigration of Fermi, the leading expert on neutrons at that time. The politics, physics and personalities in the 1930's, relevant to the development of nuclear energy, are discussed. (UK)

  18. Engaging Scientists in Meaningful E/PO: The Universe Discovery Guides

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meinke, B. K.; Lawton, B.; Gurton, S.; Smith, D. A.; Manning, J. G.

    2014-12-01

    For the 2009 International Year of Astronomy, the then-existing NASA Origins Forum collaborated with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) to create a series of monthly "Discovery Guides" for informal educator and amateur astronomer use in educating the public about featured sky objects and associated NASA science themes. Today's NASA Astrophysics Science Education and Public Outreach Forum (SEPOF), one of a new generation of forums coordinating the work of NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) EPO efforts—in collaboration with the ASP and NASA SMD missions and programs--has adapted the Discovery Guides into "evergreen" educational resources suitable for a variety of audiences. The Guides focus on "deep sky" objects and astrophysics themes (stars and stellar evolution, galaxies and the universe, and exoplanets), showcasing EPO resources from more than 30 NASA astrophysics missions and programs in a coordinated and cohesive "big picture" approach across the electromagnetic spectrum, grounded in best practices to best serve the needs of the target audiences. Each monthly guide features a theme and a representative object well-placed for viewing, with an accompanying interpretive story, finding charts, strategies for conveying the topics, and complementary supporting NASA-approved education activities and background information from a spectrum of NASA missions and programs. The Universe Discovery Guides are downloadable from the NASA Night Sky Network web site at nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov. We will share the Forum-led Collaborative's experience in developing the guides, how they place individual science discoveries and learning resources into context for audiences, and how the Guides can be readily used in scientist public outreach efforts, in college and university introductory astronomy classes, and in other engagements between scientists, students and the public.

  19. Nurse Educator Pathway Project: a competency-based intersectoral curriculum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Young, Lynne; Frost, Linda J; Bigl, Julie; Clauson, Marion; McRae, Cora; Scarborough, Kathy S; Murphy, Sue; Jillings, Carol; Gillespie, Frank

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, we begin by providing an overview of the Educator Pathway Project (EPP), an education infrastructure that was developed in response to emerging critical nursing workplace issues, and the related demand for enhanced workplace education. We then describe the EPP competency-based curriculum designed to prepare nurses as preceptors, mentors, and educators to lead learning with diverse learner groups. This competency-based curriculum was developed through a collaboration of nurse leaders across practice, academic, and union sectors and drew from a widely embraced curriculum development model (Iwasiw, Goldenberg, & Andrusyzyn, 2005). The goal of the curriculum was to prepare nurses through a four-level career pathway model that contextualized practice and education theory to various education-related roles and levels of experience within the practice setting. Over 1,100 nurses participated in this innovative intersectoral nursing initiative.

  20. To the Top. Micropolitics of Career Planning of Social Scientists

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jo Reichertz

    2004-05-01

    Full Text Available Science is a peculiar field of profession—with changing features depending on changing values and the role of media. The aim of this article is to demonstrate the current development in the field of German social scientists concerning the new conception of raising German higher education and science to the international standard. The introduction of associate professorship (Junior Professor, the standardization of departments at universities and the new way of distributing resources include only a few of the important factors that contribute in changing the values in science. As a result promising young scientists need to put much more scientific effort and much more micropolitics to work their way up and to get to the top. URN: urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0402165

  1. Frontier Scientists use Modern Media

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'connell, E. A.

    2013-12-01

    Engaging Americans and the international community in the excitement and value of Alaskan Arctic discovery is the goal of Frontier Scientists. With a changing climate, resources of polar regions are being eyed by many nations. Frontier Scientists brings the stories of field scientists in the Far North to the public. With a website, an app, short videos, and social media channels; FS is a model for making connections between the public and field scientists. FS will demonstrate how academia, web content, online communities, evaluation and marketing are brought together in a 21st century multi-media platform, how scientists can maintain their integrity while engaging in outreach, and how new forms of media such as short videos can entertain as well as inspire.

  2. Evaluation of the Higher Education Active Community Fund Project in Bournemouth

    OpenAIRE

    Apostolakis, Christos

    2005-01-01

    This report evaluates the Higher Education Active Community Fund (HEACF) Project from its first year in September 2002 to May 2005.The principle objective of the study was to evaluate the implementation of the HEACF project, its impact and its capacity to achieve the aims during this time. Based on research evidence the HEACF project introduced a holistic and systematic way of organising and developing volunteer activity at Bournemouth University. In addition to this, the project provided an ...

  3. Self-organizing expert communities in educational projects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gennadiy P. Vinogradov

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose of the study. The purpose of the study is the problem of forming a knowledge model of a specialist with higher education that is a part of an educational project. Its relevance is related to the need for an adequate response to strengthening the scientific and technological progress dynamics and the transition to the information interactions economy in the current conditions of the higher education system.Materials and methods. The information base of the research includes the laws on education of the Russian Federation, educational standards of higher professional education, scientists’ publications on the issues under investigation. The study used the following methods: system analysis, active systems theory, reflexive control theory, and modeling.Results. The research analyzes the consequences of Russia’s entry into the Bologna Convention on education. It shows that this event caused the problem of efficiency and quality of training specialists, as well as the problem of integrating higher education institutions into a new social and economic system related to their adaptation to market relations. According to the principle of institutional autonomy, solution of these problems is the responsibility of universities. The paper shows that the way to solve these problems is to transfer universities to a design and technological type of administration. The most promising form of education project management is the model of information interaction within the framework of active self-developing network expert environments. The elementary part of such an environment is an expert professional, who owns modern telecommunication technologies and Internet means. Integration in the natural intelligence network structure forms a collective strategic subject, which is a tool of a knowledge and action synergy in the interaction process. The paper describes the developed structure of the active self-developing network expert environment and two

  4. Promoting Diversity Through Polar Interdisciplinary Coordinated Education (Polar ICE)

    Science.gov (United States)

    McDonnell, J. D.; Hotaling, L. A.; Garza, C.; Van Dyk, P. B.; Hunter-thomson, K. I.; Middendorf, J.; Daniel, A.; Matsumoto, G. I.; Schofield, O.

    2017-12-01

    Polar Interdisciplinary Coordinated Education (ICE) is an education and outreach program designed to provide public access to the Antarctic and Arctic regions through polar data and interactions with the scientists. The program provides multi-faceted science communication training for early career scientists that consist of a face-to face workshop and opportunities to apply these skills. The key components of the scientist training workshop include cultural competency training, deconstructing/decoding science for non-expert audiences, the art of telling science stories, and networking with members of the education and outreach community and reflecting on communication skills. Scientists partner with educators to provide professional development for K-12 educators and support for student research symposia. Polar ICE has initiated a Polar Literacy initiative that provides both a grounding in big ideas in polar science and science communication training designed to underscore the importance of the Polar Regions to the public while promoting interdisciplinary collaborations between scientists and educators. Our ultimate objective is to promote STEM identity through professional development of scientists and educators while developing career awareness of STEM pathways in Polar science.

  5. The Delicate Balance between Research, Teaching and Outreach: A Case Study of Physicists in K-12 Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leslie-Pelecky, Diandra

    2003-04-01

    Recent calls from a variety of sectors including some funding agencies and professional societies encourage physicists to take a more active interest in the education of K-12 students and their teachers. Although there are a broad range of possible activities, finding time to participate is always a challenge for the researcher. How does the busy physicist ensure that the time devoted to education or outreach activities produces meaningful results without adversely affecting his or her research program? Project Fulcrum, a NSF-funded program that teams science and math graduate students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with 4th -8th grade teachers in the Lincoln Public Schools, presents a case study of how research scientists can be meaningfully involved with K-12 education. Project Fulcrum's preliminary results indicate that the impact scientists have in the classroom goes far beyond providing expertise in physics, and turns out to be very different than originally anticipated. There are a wide variety of models for involvement in education and outreach that cover a broad span of time and energy commitments. Careful project choice, establishing administrative infrastructure, collaborating with other departments and colleges, and involving colleagues can optimize the impact-made-to-time-spent ratio. Challenges such as project evaluation, overcoming the negative attitudes of some physicists towards anything not related to research, and ensuring that participants get appropriate credit for their efforts will also be discussed. The conclusion will address the personal and professional rewards of involvement in education and outreach. This work is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF-DGE0086358). The author wishes to acknowledge the contributions of co-PIs G. Buck, S. Kirby, R. Kirby and P. Dussault, and all of the Project Fulcrum Fellows and Teachers.

  6. The role of intergenerational influence in waste education programmes: The THAW project

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maddox, P.; Doran, C.; Williams, I.D.; Kus, M.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Children can be effective advocates in changing their parents' lifestyles. → We investigated the role of intergenerational influence in waste education programmes. → Waste Watch's Take Home Action on Waste project worked with 6705 children in 39 schools. → The results showed increased participation in recycling and declines in residual waste. → The study shows that recycling behaviour is positively impacted by intergenerational influence. - Abstract: Whilst the education of young people is often seen as a part of the solution to current environmental problems seeking urgent attention, it is often forgotten that their parents and other household members can also be educated/influenced via home-based educational activities. This paper explores the theory of intergenerational influence in relation to school based waste education. Waste Watch, a UK-based environmental charity ( (www.wastewatch.org.uk)), has pioneered a model that uses practical activities and whole school involvement to promote school based action on waste. This methodology has been adopted nationally. This paper outlines and evaluates how effective school based waste education is in promoting action at a household level. The paper outlines Waste Watch's 'Taking Home Action on Waste (THAW)' project carried out for two and half years in Rotherham, a town in South Yorkshire, England. The project worked with 6705 primary age children in 39 schools (44% of primary schools in the project area) to enable them to take the 'reduce, reuse and recycle message' home to their families and to engage these (i.e. families) in sustainable waste management practices. As well as substantial increases in students' knowledge and understanding of waste reduction, measurement of the impact of the project in areas around 12 carefully chosen sample schools showed evidence of increased participation in recycling and recycling tonnages as well as declining levels of residual waste. Following delivery of

  7. UNIVERSAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM OF EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES OF THE KHMARA’S SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROJECT OF OPEN EDUCATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Volodymyr I. Bessarabov

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The article is devoted to actual problems of the choice of technological platform and creation of a universal system of management of educational resources. The advantages of cloud technologies of distributed computing compared to server-side technologies for the purpose of creating a universal system of management of educational resources are shown. The choice of the service Google Apps for Education as a technological basis for constructing the system of management of educational resources was substantiated. It is concluded about the high efficiency of cloud technologies for creating the universal system of management of educational resources to integrate education and training on a single technology platform in projects of open education.

  8. Elementary School Children Contribute to Environmental Research as Citizen Scientists

    OpenAIRE

    Miczajka, Victoria L.; Klein, Alexandra-Maria; Pufal, Gesine

    2015-01-01

    Research benefits increasingly from valuable contributions by citizen scientists. Mostly, participating adults investigate specific species, ecosystems or phenology to address conservation issues, but ecosystem functions supporting ecosystem health are rarely addressed and other demographic groups rarely involved. As part of a project investigating seed predation and dispersal as ecosystem functions along an urban-rural gradient, we tested whether elementary school children can contribute to ...

  9. Assessing the added value of education in project management tuition/training

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Steven Nijhuis

    2013-01-01

    Paper presented at the CARPE Conference Manchester 2013 Various programs in higher education feel a need to teach project management skills to students. Measuring the effect of education is a challenge especially when focused on behavioral skills. Research on learning gains often turns to the

  10. Orange County Photovoltaic Project & Educational COmponent

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parker, Renee [Orange County Government, FL (United States)

    2016-02-12

    The purpose of this report is to discuss the projects implemented, utilizing Department of Energy grant funds, to support the use and understanding of renewable energy in Orange County, Florida and the Greater Orlando Area. Orange County is located in the State of Florida and is most popularly referred to as Orlando. The greater Orlando area’s current population is 1,225,267 and in 2015 was the first destination to surpass 60 million visitors. Orange County utilized grant funds to add to the growing demand for access to charging stations by installing one level 2 dual NovaCharge CT4021 electric vehicle charging station at the Orange County/University of Florida Cooperative Extension Center. The charging station is considered a “smart” charger connected to a central network operated by a third party. Data collected includes the number of charging sessions, session start and end times, the electricity usage, greenhouse gases saved and other pertinent data used for reporting purposes. Orange County continues to support the use of electric vehicles in Metro Orlando and this project continues to bring awareness to our public regarding using alternative vehicles. Additionally, we offer all visitors to the Orange County/University of Florida Cooperative Extension Center free charges for their electric vehicles 24 hours a day. Since the operation of the charging station there have been 52 unique driver users, a total of 532.2258 kg of greenhouse gas savings and 159.03 gallons of gasoline savings. The installation of the additional electric vehicle charging station is part of a county-wide goal of promoting implementation of renewable energy technologies as well as supporting the use of electric vehicles including the Drive Electric Orlando & Florida programs. http://driveelectricorlando.com/ & ; http://www.driveelectricflorida.org/ . Grant funds were also used for Outreach and Educational efforts. Educational efforts about renewable energy were accomplished through

  11. Teaching Graduate Students How To Do Informal Science Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ackerman, S. A.; Crone, W.; Dunwoody, S. L.; Zenner, G.

    2011-12-01

    One of the most important skills a student needs to develop during their graduate days is the skill of communicating their scientific work with a wide array of audiences. That facility will serve them across audiences, from scientific peers to students to neighbors and the general public. Increasingly, graduate students express a need for training in skills needed to manage diverse communicative environments. In response to that need we have created a course for graduate students in STEM-related fields which provides a structured framework and experiential learning about informal science education. This course seeks to familiarize students with concepts and processes important to communicating science successfully to a variety of audiences. A semester-long course, "Informal Science Education for Scientists: A Practicum," has been co-taught by a scientist/engineer and a social scientist/humanist over several years through the Delta Program in Research, Teaching, & Learning at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The course is project based and understanding audience is stressed throughout the class. Through development and exhibition of the group project, students experience front end, formative and summative evaluation methods. The disciplines of the participating students is broad, but includes students in the geosciences each year. After a brief description of the course and its evolution, we will present assessment and evaluation results from seven different iterations of the course showing significant gains in how informed students felt about evaluation as a tool to determine the effectiveness of their science outreach activities. Significant gains were found in the graduate students' perceptions that they were better qualified to explain a research topic to a lay audience, and in the students' confidence in using and understanding evaluation techniques to determine the effectiveness of communication strategies. There were also increases in the students

  12. The role of intergenerational influence in waste education programmes: the THAW project.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maddox, P; Doran, C; Williams, I D; Kus, M

    2011-12-01

    Whilst the education of young people is often seen as a part of the solution to current environmental problems seeking urgent attention, it is often forgotten that their parents and other household members can also be educated/influenced via home-based educational activities. This paper explores the theory of intergenerational influence in relation to school based waste education. Waste Watch, a UK-based environmental charity (www.wastewatch.org.uk), has pioneered a model that uses practical activities and whole school involvement to promote school based action on waste. This methodology has been adopted nationally. This paper outlines and evaluates how effective school based waste education is in promoting action at a household level. The paper outlines Waste Watch's 'Taking Home Action on Waste (THAW)' project carried out for two and half years in Rotherham, a town in South Yorkshire, England. The project worked with 6705 primary age children in 39 schools (44% of primary schools in the project area) to enable them to take the "reduce, reuse and recycle message" home to their families and to engage these (i.e. families) in sustainable waste management practices. As well as substantial increases in students' knowledge and understanding of waste reduction, measurement of the impact of the project in areas around 12 carefully chosen sample schools showed evidence of increased participation in recycling and recycling tonnages as well as declining levels of residual waste. Following delivery of the project in these areas, an average increase of 8.6% was recorded in recycling set out rates which led to a 4.3% increase in paper recycling tonnages and an 8.7% increase in tonnages of cans, glass and textiles collected for recycling. Correspondingly, there was a 4.5% fall in tonnages of residual waste. Waste Watch's THAW project was the first serious attempt to measure the intergenerational influence of an education programme on behaviour at home (i.e. other than schools

  13. Engaging Students in Learning: Findings from a Study of Project-Led Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Sandra; Mesquita, Diana; Flores, Maria Assunção; Lima, Rui M.

    2014-01-01

    This paper reports on findings from a three-year study of project-based learning implemented in the first year of the Industrial Engineering and Management programme, at the University of Minho, Portugal. This particular model was inspired on project-led education (PLE), following Powell and Weenk's [2003. "Project-Led Engineering…

  14. How Scientists Can Become Entrepreneurs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thon, Jonathan N; Karlsson, Sven

    2017-05-01

    Translating basic research discoveries through entrepreneurship must be scientist driven and institutionally supported to be successful (not the other way around). Here, we describe why scientists should engage in entrepreneurship, where institutional support for scientist-founders falls short, and how these challenges can be overcome. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. MG SPROUTS: A Project-in-a-Box Approach to Educational Programming

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dorn,Sheri; Slagle, Krissy

    2016-01-01

    MG SPROUTS was developed as a "project-in-a-box" program, a self-contained educational programming tool for Extension agents working with master gardener Extension volunteers (MGEVs). The program design incorporates programmatic materials and project management materials and follows best management practices for volunteer management. MG…

  16. A biotic game design project for integrated life science and engineering education.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cira, Nate J; Chung, Alice M; Denisin, Aleksandra K; Rensi, Stefano; Sanchez, Gabriel N; Quake, Stephen R; Riedel-Kruse, Ingmar H

    2015-03-01

    Engaging, hands-on design experiences are key for formal and informal Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Robotic and video game design challenges have been particularly effective in stimulating student interest, but equivalent experiences for the life sciences are not as developed. Here we present the concept of a "biotic game design project" to motivate student learning at the interface of life sciences and device engineering (as part of a cornerstone bioengineering devices course). We provide all course material and also present efforts in adapting the project's complexity to serve other time frames, age groups, learning focuses, and budgets. Students self-reported that they found the biotic game project fun and motivating, resulting in increased effort. Hence this type of design project could generate excitement and educational impact similar to robotics and video games.

  17. Continued multidisciplinary project-based learning - implementation in health informatics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wessel, C; Spreckelsen, C

    2009-01-01

    Problem- and project-based learning are approved methods to train students, graduates and post-graduates in scientific and other professional skills. The students are trained on realistic scenarios in a broader context. For students specializing in health informatics we introduced continued multidisciplinary project-based learning (CM-PBL) at a department of medical informatics. The training approach addresses both students of medicine and students of computer science. The students are full members of an ongoing research project and develop a project-related application or module, or explore or evaluate a sub-project. Two teachers guide and review the students' work. The training on scientific work follows a workflow with defined milestones. The team acts as peer group. By participating in the research team's work the students are trained on professional skills. A research project on a web-based information system on hospitals built the scenario for the realistic context. The research team consisted of up to 14 active members at a time, who were scientists and students of computer science and medicine. The well communicated educational approach and team policy fostered the participation of the students. Formative assessment and evaluation showed a considerable improvement of the students' skills and a high participant satisfaction. Alternative education approaches such as project-based learning empower students to acquire scientific knowledge and professional skills, especially the ability of life-long learning, multidisciplinary team work and social responsibility.

  18. Educational Benefits From the AAU-cubesat Student Satellite Project

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Alminde, Lars

    2003-01-01

    In September 2001 Aalborg university started the AAU-cubesat project that reached it climax when the student built satellite was launched into space on the 30th of June 2003 on top of a former Russian ICBM. AAU-cubesat was among the first five satellites to be launched that are built within the c......-satellite designs will be given. In addition as the project has been carried through by students then the educational value will be addressed as well....

  19. [NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 4:] Technical communications in aerospace: An analysis of the practices reported by US and European aerospace engineers and scientists

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinelli, Thomas E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.; Glassman, Myron

    1990-01-01

    Results are reported from pilot surveys on the use of scientific and technical information (STI) by U.S. and NATO-nation aerospace scientists and engineers, undertaken as part of the NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. The survey procedures and the demographic characteristics of the 67 scientists and engineers who responded to the survey are summarized, and the results are presented in a series of tables and discussed in detail. Findings emphasized include: (1) both U.S. and NATO respondents spend around 60 percent of their work week producing or using STI products; (2) NATO respondents are more likely than their U.S. counterparts to use 'formal' STI products (like technical reports and papers) and the services of librarians and online data bases; (3) most of the respondents use computers and information technology in preparing STI products; and (4) respondents who had taken courses in technical communication agreed on the value and ideal subject matter of such courses.

  20. Conducting a Multisite Education Research Project: Strategies to Overcome the Barriers to Achieve the Benefits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beischel, Kelly P; Hart, Julie; Turkelson, Sandra L

    2016-01-01

    Multisite education research projects have many benefits as well as perceived barriers. In this article, we share our experiences with a multisite education research project and the barriers we overcame to reap the benefits. The outcome of our research resulted in increased rigor, role-modeling professional collaboration, and promotion of future multisite education studies. The strategies presented in this article will help alleviate perceived barriers and ameliorate the process of conducting multisite education research studies.