Good practices

Selected for piloting
Flora - Decision on the New Road
Working Group:Science through digital learningCountry:CyprusLanguages:English, GreekAge of students (target group/s):13-14, 15-18Links, resources:http://lsg.ucy.ac.cy/Flora/Flora...
Contact person information:Cyprus Center for Environmental Research and Education
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The specific learning material is organized in three stages which include Scenario, Inquiry and Decision-making.
Stage 1 - Scenario
The village of Iliaktida is located in a beautiful valley between two mountains. Recently, a very important issue raised the concern of the people who live in the village. The residential area of the village has expanded in another area, making the distance between home and school longer. Students and parents have to now travel longer distances to reach the school. They decided to build a new road that will enable them to commute faster.
Τhe residents of the village would like to see a new road being built that would minimize the distance between their homes and the school. In order to build the new road, they need to overcome a major problem. They have to come up with a decision from which pathway should the road pass.

Stage 2 – Inquiry
What is the issue that concerns the residents of Iliaktida village?

Stage 3 - Decision-making
The residents of the village have to decide which pathway is the optimum one for constructing the new road.
Your task is to write an article stating the decision your team has made which will help the residents of the village make their own decision.
Writing the article:
Suggest which pathway should be chosen by the residents.
Using elaborated arguments, try to convince the residents why they should choose the pathway you suggest.
Using strong arguments, explain the reasons that made you reject all other possible pathways.
Research guidelines:
To be able to make a decision of such importance, it is imperative that you study carefully all the data regarding the area of Iliaktida village as well as all possible pathways.
Additionally, you can gather information from informative tv shows,newscasts, scientific journals and newspaper articles which you will find in the library.Strong points and opportunities:• Activates the motives of students
• Raises the interest and participation of low-achieving students
• Relates to the everyday life of students
• Relates to current events
• Raises the self-confidence of students
• Cooperative learning
• Incorporates ICT in the learning procedureLimitations:• Structured Inquiry
The structured inquiry is considered that it has a level of weakness because it limits the degree of self-acting and ownership of students and teachers. However structured inquiry is considered the optimum educational approach if the teachers and students are not fully prepared to implement an open inquiry.Added value with regards to the 3 topics of the MASS project:• Activates the motives of students
• Raises the interest and participation of low-achieving students
• Utilizes technology and can address digital learners




Teaching materials

MASS project intends to identify, analyze, evaluate and disseminate practical tools and methods in teaching science which will effectively lead to arise students' motivation and acquire higher level of basic skills in science. We will explore what happens in science lessons at schools and increase the knowledge of good practice in teaching science in three research areas: Science for Digital Learners, Early Inquiry and Low achievers in Science (See more: Main topics).

 

Main project activities include:

1. Identification of the national examples of good practices
The initial phase of the project is to analyze the strengths, weaknesses and potential in the particular area of science education method in each partner country. It will include identification of good practices on raising students motivation for science on the national level. Examples identified will be collected in the online database.

See more: Good practices repository

 

2. Development of pilot teaching materials and testing phase
Findings from the research phase of the project will form the ground for development of the pilot version of educational materials in each Working Group.

Piloting stage of the project, with the involvement of target group, will raise the quality and exploitability of the products.

 

3. Development of the final version of teaching materials
Final version of educational products will be developed after summing up the piloting phase. They will be available in each partner language. The final project results will bring a change at the classroom level. Teachers will be aware of the key factor for motivation of their students to learn science. They will use a wide range of methods effectively and appropriately to the learning needs and preferences of their students. More teachers will be confident and successful in use such of methods. They will make teaching science more relevant and accessible to students.

Final products will be widely presented and disseminated during the Open Conference III in the middle of 2016.

Pilot materials

To help teachers to become empowered, skillful and self-confident, we work on:

for Digital Learners, Early Inquiry and Low Achievers in Science.

 

If you want to help us to improve these materials by taking part in piloting, please contact leader of each Working Group:

   Leonie de Vries (Digital Learners), e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Lenka Pachmanova (Early Inquiry), e mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Daiga Kalnina (Low Achievers), e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

or the MASS project partner in your country:

   Czech Republic, TEREZA Educational Center 

   Lenka Pachmanova e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Cyprus, Cyprus Center for Environmental Research and Education (CY.C.E.R.E.)

   Chrisis Kleovoulou, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Estonia, Estonian Physical Society

   Kaido Reivelt, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Germany, University of Cologne Geographical Institute

   Astrid Hensel, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Greece, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

   Thalia Mavrakou, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Latvia, Children's Environmental School

   Inese Liepina, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Netherlands, SME Advies

   Bregje van den Brand, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

   Poland, UNEP/GRID-Warsaw Centre

   Elżbieta Wołoszyńska-Wiśniewska, e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Subcategories

Pilot version

Final version