CREATIONS has demonstrated significant impacts in two key areas:
a) In simulating in the classroom the work of the scientist and researcher: The direct interaction with science or the doing of science reflected a fundamental pedagogy of the project to provide learners with personal and direct experiences they built upon in their own ways. For example, through the proposed e-masterclasses students experienced the phenomena presented in their own terms, freely choosing what to attend to and interacted with, depending on their prior knowledge, interest and expertise. The CREATIONS Demonstrators were not simply “demonstrations” of scientific research, but primarily as interactive and vivid initiatives where users equipped with powerful applications become the researchers, the seekers and finally the leaders of the scientific quest. Through their extended implementation (WP5), students had the opportunity to interact with researchers in live internet chats and in podcasts and webcasts, asking questions and hearing them describe their work (and their lives). Students had the chance to conduct or imitate scientific experiments as “performers of knowledge”. In physical and virtual visits to the research infrastructures and in videos students also heard about the work of a researcher and watched them in the field using the scientific infrastructures themselves. Having role models, developing relationships with mentors and gaining job experience all are mentioned in the literature as factors enabling young people to picture themselves succeeding in a science or a technology career. The data acquired (WP6) from 10.000 students demonstrate that there is a significant relevance between the CREATIONS approach and the students motivation and interest to follow scientific careers.
b) In encouraging and empowering science teachers to affect change: The actions described above cannot be accomplished without the full collaboration and engagement of teachers and their schools. The project has expanded the opportunities for teachers’ professional development, including occasions to interact with working scientists, e-masterclasses for teachers and educators, science contests, workshops and training seminars to help them to introduce innovative practices in their science classroom, and more generally think differently about their students’ learning of and about science. Furthermore, international training events were organised with the support of the European Science Education Academy (see creations.ea.gr). By offering teachers a large repertoire of tools and applications, along with a detailed school-based framework for their effective introduction in the school practice, CREATIONS has empowered teachers not only to change their teaching practice and introduce contemporary scientific issues in their lessons, but also to propose and initiate the necessary changes in their schools. This allowed for a more seamless introduction of ICT innovations. Numerous resources were created by teachers and they have populated the CREATIONS Communities. Moreover, the teachers who participated in the project became curriculum developers themselves, validating thus the CREATIONS approach and methods.
