in the framework of the Permanent EuropeaN resource Centre for Informal Learning

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in the framework of the Permanent EuropeaN
resource Centre for Informal Learning
good practice and criteria of innovation for
science education in formal and informal contexts
Emilio Balzano Science Education, University of
Napoli Italy
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The process

• Pilot projects experimented actions in different
  areas involving a variety of schools
• University of Naples and Kings of London
  interacted with museums monitoring and
  supporting the web site
• Two visits, feedbacks, forums, meetings
• Reports
• Case studies ? good practices ? criteria ?
• ? Permanent Resource Centre

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Criteria, guidelines, standards

• The confrontation of the specific actions,
  differences, problems and solutions faced by the
  Pilot Projects will enable the Resource Centre to
  generalize their experience and identify the
  criteria of innovation and quality that should
  become the standards for setting up future
  science teaching efforts

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Bridging formal and informal
Opportunities

• transferring informal methodologies to the school
  in order to improve science learning for example
  by introducing a qualitative approach in the
  descriptions, enhancing artistic, emotional
  aspects, giving some flexibility to the curricula
  according to the interests shown by the students,
  allowing
• for the design and realization of simple
  exhibits
• involving explainers, animators, teachers
  researchers, scientists in strategies for facing
  students difficulties and coming to a deeper
  understanding of science (educational research
  results)

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Bridging formal and informal
Opportunities

• generating new approaches in science learning
  informal settings can serve as an important
  laboratory for the prototyping and testing of new
  methodologies that may be used subsequently in
  formal contexts exhibition areas of museums can
  serve as laboratories where researchers may study
  different styles and strategies in learning and
  long-term outcomes

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10 generative criteria

• Rationale
• Vision of Science
• Vision of Science Education
• Teachers and Students Involvement
• Links to Curricula
• Use of New Technologies
• Documentation and Evaluation
• Equity and Social Impact
• Teachers and Explainers Training
• Sustainability

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Rationale
awareness-reflection on

• Previous experiences
• Role of actors
• Objectives-Methodology coherence
• Advantages (formal-informal approach)
• Learning theories in informal contexts,
  educational value (hands-on, minds-on,
  socialisation )
• Enrichment of disciplinary curricula
• Links with society (scientific community
  involvement)

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Vision of Science
to be shared with visitors and students

• Science in the social and cultural framework
• Scientism vs. Science as a human enterprise
• Science as a process
• Role of models and theories
• Predictivity and uncertainty
• Science-mathematics-technology relationships

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Vision of Science Education
awareness-reflection to be shared with teachers
and science centre educators on

• Learning styles
• Models of Learning-Teaching
• Experiences Models of animation
• Students, teachers, explainers difficulties
  and strategies to support understanding

links to educational research findings how
people learn, how to design programmes
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Teachers and Students Involvement

• Teachers involvement in design phase,
  implementation, documentation and evaluation of
  the programmes both at school and in museums
• Direct and permanent contact with students with
  specific activities (creating interest groups,
  promoting relationships with different actors
  such as amateur scientists)

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Documentation and evaluation

• Documentation is crucial in order to generalize
  and transfer activities to different contexts
• Evaluation is crucial in order to improve
  long-term impact of the programmes especially
  with regards to learning

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Links to Curricula
interacting with teachers and policy makers to
revise curricula in order to include

• Free explorations and qualitative approaches
• Unitary vision of phenomena (unifying concepts
  and processes)
• Visits to science centres and museums
• Complexity of intriguing everyday phenomena
• Social impact of science

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Use of new technologies

• Creative use to support free explorations (new
  interfaces, art-science relationship)
• Modelling activities
• Bridge school-university-museum
• Cooperative learning-teaching
• On-line access to resources

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Equity and Social Impact
through the processes of engagement and
dialogue, to promote activities taking complex
relationships into account

• science in/and society
• science and/for citizenship
• gender differences and learning styles/settings

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Teachers and Explainers Training
Professional development

• interactive exhibits, discovery labs, planetarium
  used to enhance teacher training and to design
  educational materials both for formal and
  informal contexts
• relationships with schools of education to better
  prepare pre-service teachers to make use of
  informal learning opportunities to enrich
  classroom learning
• promoting training workshops based on integrated
  activities formal-informal

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Sustainability
to ensure self-sustaining one needs

• Communities of practice
• Teachers teams at school
• Analysis of long term impact experiences
• Estimate of costs
• Relationships with policymakers

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Permanent Resource Centre

• Pencil-Physical Archive at Città della Scienza
• CILS activities - PENCIL activities results
  comparison
• University of Naples, Kings College,
  Exploratorium, Città della Scienza others
  cooperation

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Permanent Resource Centre
www.pencil.unina.it
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Permanent Resource Centre

• Store well-evaluated actions/programs for sharing
• Engage relevant professional expertise (research,
  science education, etc.)
• Assist science centres and schools in providing
  opportunities (projects, partnerships, etc.) for
  students, teachers and families in evaluating
  programs etc.
• Support teachers explainers professional
  development