Good practices
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 Working Group:Science through digital learningCountry:Czech RepublicLanguages:Czech, EnglishAge of students (target group/s):6-12, 13-14, 15-18Links, resources:http://www.fraus.cz/flexibook-11/http://www.i-sen.cz/home Contact person information:Bara Semerakova This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Implementation of tablets in schools in the Czech Republic is currently supported by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports. Schools that participate in the Ministry of Education project obtain subsidized tablets. The possibility of the subsidy stirred up debate about positive and negative impacts of using tablets for education. Nevertheless, the use of tablets in schools in the Czech Republic is still more or less at the beginning. The way tablets are used in each school varies in a number of appliances available for a class, as well as in the extent of their use in lessons and in the possibility to use tablets for home preparation. Gradually, initiatives and platforms focused on implementation of tablets into education arise. These organisations offer exchange of information and knowledge, counselling and specialised courses dealing with the topic. Thus, more information sources and good practice examples are available for teachers. Some of the platforms and pilot projects are described further. None of them is focused merely on science education. Flexibook 1:1 Flexibook 1:1 (http://www.fraus.cz/flexibook-11/) is a book publisher project. Its aim was to find out whether in primary school education it is possible to use only interactive text books installed in tablets. 528 students and 65 teachers from 16 primary (only upper primary schools) and secondary schools participated in the project. The research revealed that both, teachers and students, can switch from printed text books to electronic ones without bigger problems. The result showed that 75% of teachers who participated in the project would recommend complete change from printed text books to interactive ones. However, most of the teachers stated that main reasons for their participation in the project were the effort to increase students’ motivation and the possibility to make the lessons more illustrative. They generally had a positive approach to modern technologies. iSEN iSEN (http://www.i-sen.cz/home) is an open online community of parents, teachers, therapists, IT specialists and other professions who share information about the use of OS appliances for students’ education, development and communication. The blog iSEN was founded as an initiative focused only on handicapped students. Gradually, it has changed into a community web which offers information to teachers from any type of school. Since 2012, iSEN also organises certified courses. iPAD at School IPad at School (http://ipadveskole.cz/) is a portal for all teachers who intend to use iPad in their lessons. It offers information about the use of these appliances in education, catalogue of education programmes for iPad, tips how to work with iPad more efficiently, and case studies. Courses on the work with iPad as a preparation for its use in classes are also available within iPad at School. School to Touch Organiser of the project School to Touch (www.skotek.cz) is a Municipality. The aim of the project is to support the use of tablets in school education and educate and encourage teachers in this field. The project web pages also serve as a platform for offering help and sharing experience with modern technologies in education. There are 15 primary schools involved in School to Touch. Under the project, one equipped classroom available to all students shall be established in each school. The way of using tablets is chosen by each school according to its pedagogical plans. The project is divided into two parts – financing of hardware and technical provisions and for methodology creation and the education of teachers and school directors.Strong points and opportunities:• Results of the survey “Mobiles and tablets at school benches” show that all respondents (students, teachers and parents) see fast access to information as the most positive aspect of use of tablets in education. Teachers further appreciate the possibility to make a lesson faster and livelier. Students are satisfied with fast and readable notes and parents welcome the lower weight of tablets in comparison to the paper text books weight. • Students commonly use tablets for communication and games, seldom for learning. This skill usually cannot be taught by their parents who are often less ICT literate than the children. Therefore, it is important that the tablets’ educational potential is introduced to students at schools by their teachers. • Creative potential is one of the strong points of the tablet use in science lessons. Tablets are equipped with sensors that can help children examine the environment. Thanks to integrated microphone and camera, information can be recorded and processed and new multimedia works can be created. These can be presented online, shared with friends, evaluated and commented on. • Tablet is a tool that can help individualize science education. • Tablet is an ideal tool for many skills of the 21th century, such as online cooperation and communication, innovations, or use of ICT for learning.Limitations:• According to the results of the research “Mobiles and tablets at school benches”, students, teachers and parents see distraction from studying as the most negative aspect of the use of tablets in education. Teachers are afraid of cheating in tests. Parents are also afraid of deepening of the addiction on modern technologies. • Demands on teachers – the highest demands on teachers, connected with the use of tablets in lessons, are related to the ability to operate them and to the preparation for lessons. For some teachers, it means a radical change of the approach to teaching. • Financial demands – cost of tablets, further investments caused by loss or damage of the appliances. • Technical demands – schools have to ensure charging and safe storage places of tablets, sufficient wifi coverage, etc. • Internet access for home preparation – internet access is not a matter of course. Therefore, some students cannot study at home and use online sources. • Legal provision – in case that school lends tablets to students for home preparation, it is necessary to prepare a contract with parents (risk of loss or damage, copyright violation, risk internet activities, etc.).Added value with regards to the 3 topics of the MASS project:• Results of the survey among teachers participating in TEREZA education programmes show that tablets are currently used by only 6% from over 100 responding science teachers. However, education in Czech schools becomes more digitalised and it can be estimated that the rate of tablet use in science education will increase. • Tablets are appliances which most students commonly use to play games or chat with friends. The use of tablets in science education can reveal also their educational potential. Tablets in science education allow fast access to information. They also allow various measurements and data recording, which is a big benefit to science education. This was confirmed by the research “Mobiles and tablets at school benches”. Respondents (students, teachers and parents) stated that lessons become more lively, entertaining and attractive as one of the main benefit of the tablet use. As the research further revealed, one third of teachers believe that students who use tablets to study have better study results. This opinion is shared by almost a half of parents. • From teachers’ reactions who use tablets in lessons, it also emerged that their use helps to involve students that usually do not participate much in the lesson.Any prerequisites needed:Teachers need to know how to use the tablet and be familiar with its technical possibilities and opportunities for its use in lessons. | ||
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:
- Study (recommendations)
- Examples of good practices
- Module of teacher training
- Hands-on lessons / tutorials
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.