Final Report Summary - MATERIALSSCIENCE (University-school partnerships for the design and implementation of research-based ICT-enhanced modules on Material Properties)
The focus of the project was the development of innovative teaching materials that adhere to contemporary theories and approaches and give emphasis on bridging research findings and practice. Specifically, the teaching materials emphasise the advantages of research based design, iterative refinement and participative design. The design of the teaching materials followed the principles of inquiry based science, active student engagement and collaborative learning. All the developed module titles were under the broad area of materials science, an interdisciplinary subject that offers the advantage of relating science concepts with technological products, helping students develop a personal interest and appreciation for the role of science in society.
One of the major achievements was the completion of the final version of the guidelines, which is the product of the combined efforts of all the partners, from UCy that created the initial draft and all the partners that provided feedback and comments, to the iterative process itself. The final additions to the guidelines were drawn from the iterative process to increase their adaptivity to diverse educational settings.
The guidelines were developed to work as a framework for the design and development of innovative science teaching and learning services (TLS) and not as a blueprint that will work miracles in the field of curriculum design. The guidelines present a collection of important information based on years of scientific research on the field of educational sciences. The guidelines emphasise on research-based design and the iterative process, as well as the participative design of curriculums comprised teachers, policy makers and of course science education researchers. Moreover, emphasis is placed on science as an inquiry process offering students the advantage to perform their own investigations building in depth conceptual understanding, scientific and reasoning skills and thus, cultivating positive attitudes towards science. Finally, it encompasses pedagogical approaches and teaching strategies.
One of the main products of the project was the handbook for developing teaching modules in science and technology education. The consortium succeeded to sign a contract with Springer for the publication of a book based on the draft version of the handbook.
The handbook focuses on the development of teaching / learning materials based on the principles of research-based design, participative design and iterative refinement. Recent policy efforts in the European Union have emphasised the need to increase students' interest in science, enhance their understanding of scientific inquiry and stimulate their appreciation of the relevance of science in society and the connections between science and technology (Gago et al., 2005). Design-based research in science education is a methodological framework with the potential to contribute substantially to each of these goals, through promoting innovations both in terms of the new strategies and processes that will be necessary, but also in terms of the new tools that will be needed to support new forms of teaching and learning.
One of the key dissemination tools of the MATERIALS SCIENCE project is its website. The initial design of the website which took place in the first months of the project was replaced by a more functional and efficient design that makes the navigation of the visitors easier. The website provides open access to the project's results and different user groups have the opportunity to download any of the information provided in the website by following a simple procedure. The website, also, includes sections with restricted access, accessible only by members of the consortium. The website is accessible at http://lsg.ucy.ac.cy/materialsscience/(öffnet in neuem Fenster).
One of the major achievements was the completion of the final version of the guidelines, which is the product of the combined efforts of all the partners, from UCy that created the initial draft and all the partners that provided feedback and comments, to the iterative process itself. The final additions to the guidelines were drawn from the iterative process to increase their adaptivity to diverse educational settings.
The guidelines were developed to work as a framework for the design and development of innovative science teaching and learning services (TLS) and not as a blueprint that will work miracles in the field of curriculum design. The guidelines present a collection of important information based on years of scientific research on the field of educational sciences. The guidelines emphasise on research-based design and the iterative process, as well as the participative design of curriculums comprised teachers, policy makers and of course science education researchers. Moreover, emphasis is placed on science as an inquiry process offering students the advantage to perform their own investigations building in depth conceptual understanding, scientific and reasoning skills and thus, cultivating positive attitudes towards science. Finally, it encompasses pedagogical approaches and teaching strategies.
One of the main products of the project was the handbook for developing teaching modules in science and technology education. The consortium succeeded to sign a contract with Springer for the publication of a book based on the draft version of the handbook.
The handbook focuses on the development of teaching / learning materials based on the principles of research-based design, participative design and iterative refinement. Recent policy efforts in the European Union have emphasised the need to increase students' interest in science, enhance their understanding of scientific inquiry and stimulate their appreciation of the relevance of science in society and the connections between science and technology (Gago et al., 2005). Design-based research in science education is a methodological framework with the potential to contribute substantially to each of these goals, through promoting innovations both in terms of the new strategies and processes that will be necessary, but also in terms of the new tools that will be needed to support new forms of teaching and learning.
One of the key dissemination tools of the MATERIALS SCIENCE project is its website. The initial design of the website which took place in the first months of the project was replaced by a more functional and efficient design that makes the navigation of the visitors easier. The website provides open access to the project's results and different user groups have the opportunity to download any of the information provided in the website by following a simple procedure. The website, also, includes sections with restricted access, accessible only by members of the consortium. The website is accessible at http://lsg.ucy.ac.cy/materialsscience/(öffnet in neuem Fenster).
