CONNECT - Designing the classroom of Tomorrow by using advanced technologies to connect formal and informal environments
At the centre of CONNECT is the 'Virtual Science Thematic Park', an advanced learning environment, that exploits the potential of wireless communications and virtual and augmented reality to connect informal learning strategies and formal curricular activities in science education.
- Project type: Specific targeted research project
- Start date: 1 February 2004
- Duration: 36 months
- EU funding: 3.000.000 €
- Number of partners: 17
- Project co-ordinator: Institut of Communication and Computer Systems, Athens (EL)
- Contact: Dr. Sofoklis A. Sotiriou, R&D Department, Ellinogermaniki Agogi
The project team carried out work to explore, test, refine and demonstrate an innovative approach crossing the boundaries between schools, museums, research centres and science centres. Both students and teachers were involved in extended episodes of playful learning.
The Virtual Science Thematic Park was the main hub of resources available in the developed network and served as distributor of information and organiser of suitable educational activities, such as students' virtual and conventional visits to science museums and science centres. These visits served (through an informal but yet structured way) main educational aims of the official curriculum.
The CONNECT team has prototyped five exhibits integrating AR technology: the Airtrack, the Aerofoil, the Biotube, the Hot Air Balloon, and the Electromagnetic Spectrum. They correspond to common units of scientific learning content and were tested in four countries: Sweden, Finland, United Kingdom, and Greece.
To complement the project's technical work, a pedagogical framework has been developed containing learning scenarios and different ways of creating educational 'pathways' to connect schools and science centres, i. e. of embedding a real-time or remote visit of a school class to a science centre into the learning/teaching context in the classroom.
CONNECT mobilised a multidisciplinary group of experts from the fields of learning technologies, cognitive science, psychology, information and communication technologies and science education and could draw on the assets of research centres in several countries, a European network of science museums and a multinational group of secondary schools supported by the appropriate educational bodies.
Consortium
- Institute of Communication and Computer Systems, EL (project co-ordinator)
- Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung eV, DE
- Intrasoft International S.A., BE
- Universität Duisburg-Essen, Standort Duisburg, DE
- Växjö Universitet, SE
- Pädagogische Hochschule Ludwigsburg, DE
- The University of Birmingham - Educational Technology Department, UK
- Ellinogermaniki Agogi - Research and Development Department, EL
- HEUREKA - The Finnish Science Center, FI
- @Bristol Ltd., UK
- Eugenides Foundation, EL
- European Collaborative for Science Industry and Technology Exhibition, BE
- Institute for Learning Innovation, USA
- The Weizmann Institute of Science, IL
- International Environment and Quality Services S.A., EL
- Ministério da Educação, PT
- Universidade do Minho, PT