Promoting Open Schooling across Europe to make school science relevant to real-world challenges.
The aim of this activity was to initiate a collaboration between educational, non-educational and research agents, to raise students’ awareness of science-related careers through a meaningful interaction between experts and students, and to increase students’ interest in science through activities developed in an authentic context related to biodiversity and birds.
We are very pleased to present PEOPLE AND NATURE, a booklet created by the team of the Faculty of Education, University of Ljubljana, in the framework of the Multipliers project (Horizon 2020). As educators, we know that learning goes far beyond the walls of the classroom. It thrives in the fresh air, outdoors and surrounded by the wonders of nature. The aim of this activity is to present biodiversity and ecosystem services as an important socio scientific issue (SSI) both relevant in their everyday life but also, for science. This activity is facilitated by providing students different activities and tools to explore biodiversity in forest, water and wind erosion, sounds, landscape changes etc.
The materials presented here are designed primarily for primary school students between the ages of 6 and 14. They were created through collaboration with researchers from various fields, including early childhood education and forest pedagogy, as well as teachers and students themselves. The activity utilizes an inquiry-based approach and a formative evaluation process to optimize the materials, which serve as a self-learning kit.
The aim of this activity is to promote knowledge construction and validation, creative action, as well as self-efficacy through collaboration among the students to create possible solutions to AMR while taking ownership of their learning. The activity introduces students to their mission to start an awareness-raising campaign for AMR consisting of different open schooling projects, thus having an impact at the local level. The different open schooling projects and guiding steps are summarised in the Students’ resources section below.
The aim of this activity is to initiate collaboration between educational and non-educational agents, raise students’ awareness of science-related careers through meaningful interaction between experts and students, and enhance students’ interest in science through activities developed in an authentic context related to AMR. The activity evolves in two steps: (1) Meeting the experts in school and (2) Engaging in authentic activities at the experts’ facilities. It is important to note that aside from the relevant background of the experts (i.e., microbiologist, molecular biologist, biochemist, biotechnologist, geneticist), a set of criteria should be listed for their selection in terms of gender, ethnicity, religion and SOE status in order to maximise inclusivity. Moreover, coordination meetings need to be arranged between the teachers and the experts before the interaction with the students.
