Wiked Science
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Salford
Department Name: Res Inst for the Built and Human Env
Abstract
Wiked Science will produce a series of four 15-minute digital programmes for students and teachers of key stage 3 science. Three of the programmes broadcast on Teachers' TV, will depict charismatic, inspirational scientists describing and demonstrating their work. To accompany the broadcast programmes (which will also be downloadable from the Teachers TV website), a set of downloadable curriculum resources and CPD programmes will also be produced, including supplementary inserts and narrative soundtrack using interviews with science education professionals and scientists, drawing out key aspects of how scientists carry out their research and how to use the programmes and associated materials effectively in the classroom to teach how science works and develop 'Big' ideas in science at KS3. The downloadable programmes will be used in initial teacher training and CPD. The programmes, supported by the curriculum materials and CPD materials, will be available on the Science Upd8 and Teachers TV websites and on National Network of Science Learning Centres training courses. The training and web-based resources will be designed to support teachers engaging with the materials via distance learning, and for use by expert trainers providing face-to-face training for teachers both to embed the programmes and associated curriculum materials and disseminate as widely as possible. The 4th Broadcast program is a promo for this rich collection of teaching resources.Wiked Science will provide an exciting blended media approach to address the most challenging aspects of the national curriculum for the new key stage 3 programme of study, in that it presents the methodology of scientific activity within areas of contemporary research. It will unite scientists with expert practitioners in the field of science education, the Centre for Science Education, Sheffield Hallam University and the University of York Science Education Group team, responsible for the development of the new Twenty First Century Science GCSE. Further partners are the educational television production company, Glasshead, the National Science Learning Centre and Teachers' TV. This team will work alongside a community of science teachers through the use of a sophisticated wikki website and online conference mettings to develop the programmes and associated curriculum and CPD materials. We believe this provides an innovative approach to engaging scientists and teachers in collaborative curriculum development.
People |
ORCID iD |
Trevor Cox (Principal Investigator) |
Description | Wikid Science produced a series of four 15-minute programmes for students and teachers of key stage 3 science. Three of the programmes were broadcast on Teachers' TV, and depicted charismatic, inspirational scientists describing and demonstrating their work. To accompany the broadcast programmes, a set of downloadable curriculum resources and CPD programmes were also produced, including supplementary inserts and narrative soundtrack using interviews with science education professionals and scientists, drawing out key aspects of how scientists carry out their research and how to use the programmes and associated materials effectively in the classroom to teach how science works and develop 'Big' ideas in science at KS3. The downloadable programmes were used in teacher training and CPD. The programmes, supported by the curriculum materials and CPD materials, were available on the Science Upd8 and Teachers TV websites and on National Network of Science Learning Centres training courses. The training and web-based resources were designed to support teachers engaging with the materials via distance learning, and for use by expert trainers providing face-to-face training for teachers both to embed the programmes and associated curriculum materials and disseminate as widely as possible. The 4th Broadcast program was a promo for this rich collection of teaching resources. An evaluation of the project in 2010 estimated 73,000 viewings of the programmes via Teachers TV both when broadcast (55,000 estimated) and on the website (18,380 downloads and streamed combined). If half of the website activity is to download a program which is then used with one secondary school class of 30 students, then 270,000 students will have been reached. Unfortunately, the coalition government closed Teachers TV in 2010. The resources are still available via the University of Salford's website, however. http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/schools/how-science-works/?index=content |
First Year Of Impact | 2010 |
Sector | Education |
Impact Types | Cultural |
Description | Teachers TV |
Organisation | Department for Education |
Department | Teachers TV |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
Start Year | 2009 |