Equipping the Next Generation for Active Engagement in Science

EngagingScience.eu

European Project

Equipping the Next Generation for Active Engagement in Science

EngagingScience.eu

How can we ensure that

students apply

science to their lives?

ENGAGE is part of the Responsible Research & Innovation (RRI)

agenda to help Europe respond to societal challenges.

ENGAGE aims to help students analyse emerging issues and

develop informed opinions on science and technology.

Cutting-edge

Science and

Technology

• To help teachers address contemporary science issuesand applications relevant to students

• To develop teachers’ beliefs, knowledge and classroompractice for ‘RRI’.

• To provide students a strong foundation to engage in science issues they will meet during their lives

Teaches bigcurriculum

ideas

GOALS

Online Teacher's community built around

• Science-in-the-news and Open curriculum materials

• Massive Open Online Courses for just-in-time learning

• Brokering system for creating school-scientist partnerships

COLLABORATIVE

LEARNING FOR

TEACHERS

In order to maximise student achievement,

ENGAGE builds on a range of:

research-informed pedagogies

guided inquiry

explicit skills teaching

Enquiries into

life-changing

science

ENGAGE focuses on a more inquiry-based methodology,

which gives students opportunity for self-expression and

responsibility for coming to informed decisions.

CURRICULUM MATERIALS

to get students talk and think

The Engage “RRI” curriculum

We are equipping students to evaluate claims, weigh up

science & values, argue opinions and compare

solutions.

Science-in-society knowledge

Scientific inquiry skills

Big

science

Values

thinkingScience

media

Define

problems

Evaluate

solutions

Construct

arguments

Critique

arguments

Interrogate

media

Technology

impact

Communicate

ideas

60 inspiring Dilemmas

What does the fox say?Sound, Argument

We use the viral video to raise a serious question: can we understand animal talk?

‘Bowlingual’ detects a dog’s emotions by analysing a bark’s sound waves.

Students look at emerging research to decide what else the technology can do.

Can we translate the sound waves into human speech?

Grow your own bodyOrgans, Argument

As people live longer the demand for new organs to replace failed ones increases. Is it

possible to build new organs in a dish from cells taken from the patient’s body? Does this

new technology offer a good alternative to transplants. Will we be able to build new organs

to replace damaged ones within 10 years?

Ban Coke?Health, Evidence

Now that scientists have discovered that sugar is like an addictive drug, pressure is

building for action to reduce the amount of sugar children consume in soft drinks. What is

the evidence for causal links between sugar consumption, obesity and disease? Is there

enough strong evidence to ban sugary drinks?

Ebola: trial the vaccine?Genetics, Decisions

The scenario is: scientists are fast tracking a vaccine to fight Ebola – will students

volunteer to test it? They gather information from different sources, weigh up benefits and

drawbacks and apply what they know about genes to decide if it is a risk worth taking.

Problem

Practical strategies for using socio-scientific issues as

a curriculum approach

• Dilemma Lessons and Case Studies to make learning

authentic

• Group Discussions and Question Patterns to build

reasoning and understanding

• Argument Framework and Gradual Release to teach

knowledge and skills

6 Teaching Tools

4 Integrated componentsWorkshops

Learning from experts in socio-scientific teaching, explore all the

ENGAGE components, and practise using the curriculum materials

and Tools.

Online Courses

Flexible, inquiry-based modules for ‘just in time’ learning based on a

cycle of conceptual input, classroom practice, reflection, and peer

collaboration.

Community

Q&A support from project teachers, scientists and curriculum

specialists on how to get the most from of the materials.

Curriculum Materials

Dilemmas to teach and apply science in society knowledge and

inquiry, and open-ended projects to interact with scientists.

which will propel teachers in their own inquiry

to become expert with RRI:

1. Adopt, combines exciting learning materials, online community,

online courses and workshops for coaching and feedback.

2. Adapt, offers expert’s toolkit of examples, explanations,

anecdotes and activities to help students learn effectively.

3. Transform, provides open-ended projects to put teachers and

students into partnership with practising scientists, to learn about

RRI directly.

Three-stage path

ENGAGE CONSORTIUM includes 14

Institutions from 12 countries with extensive

experience in IBSE, RRI, teacher training,

and curriculum design

Engaging.Science.eu

Contacts: Tony Sherborne (Project Coordinator)

tonysherborne@gmail.com

Images CreditColor explosion Vasja Podbršček | Dreamstime.comFashion artificial model | iStock.Young Student Explaining Something During Study Group | iStock.Solutions | iStock.How much sugar in your food Nickzasphotos | FlickrFoxes on watch Denboma | Dreamstime.comSuper brain Mike_kiev | Dreamstime.comVirus Mile Atanasov | Dreamstime.comIpad KMi | OU