Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 - Volume 16 NATO Security t Science Series: Human and Societal Dynamics (Nato Security Throught Science)

SCIENCE EDUCATION: MODELS AND NETWORKING OF STUDENT RESEARCH TRAINING UNDER 21

NATO Security through Science Series This Series presents the results of scientific meetings supported under the NATO Programme for Security through Science (STS). Meetings supported by the NATO STS Programme are in security-related priority areas of Defence Against Terrorism or Countering Other Threats to Security. The types of meeting supported are generally “Advanced Study Institutes” and “Advanced Research Workshops”. The NATO STS Series collects together the results of these meetings. The meetings are co-organized by scientists from NATO countries and scientists from NATO’s “Partner” or “Mediterranean Dialogue” countries. The observations and recommendations made at the meetings, as well as the contents of the volumes in the Series, reflect those of participants and contributors only; they should not necessarily be regarded as reflecting NATO views or policy. Advanced Study Institutes (ASI) are high-level tutorial courses to convey the latest developments in a subject to an advanced-level audience. Advanced Research Workshops (ARW) are expert meetings where an intense but informal exchange of views at the frontiers of a subject aims at identifying directions for future action. Following a transformation of the programme in 2004 the Series has been re-named and reorganised. Recent volumes on topics not related to security, which result from meetings supported under the programme earlier, may be found in the NATO Science Series. The Series is published by IOS Press, Amsterdam, and Springer Science and Business Media, Dordrecht, in conjunction with the NATO Public Diplomacy Division. Sub-Series A. B. C. D. E.

Chemistry and Biology Physics and Biophysics Environmental Security Information and Communication Security Human and Societal Dynamics

Springer Science and Business Media Springer Science and Business Media Springer Science and Business Media IOS Press IOS Press

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Sub-Series E: Human and Societal Dynamics – Vol. 16

ISSN: 1574-5597

Science Education:

Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21

Edited by

Péter Csermely Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary

Korado Korlevic Visnjan School of Astronomy, Croatia

and

Katalin Sulyok Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary

Amsterdam • Berlin • Oxford • Tokyo • Washington, DC Published in cooperation with NATO Public Diplomacy Division

Proceedings of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Science Education: Talent Recruitment and Public Understanding Balatonfüred, Hungary 20–22 October 2006

© 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without prior written permission from the publisher. ISBN 978-1-58603-721-5 Library of Congress Control Number: 2007922627 Publisher IOS Press Nieuwe Hemweg 6B 1013 BG Amsterdam Netherlands fax: +31 20 687 0019 e-mail: [email protected] Distributor in the UK and Ireland Gazelle Books Services Ltd. White Cross Mills Hightown Lancaster LA1 4XS United Kingdom fax: +44 1524 63232 e-mail: [email protected]

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LEGAL NOTICE The publisher is not responsible for the use which might be made of the following information. PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS

Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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Contents Session I. Introduction – Opening Addresses Peggy Connolly

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Gilbert Fayl

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Julia Hasler

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Session II. Environment and Help of Research Training Account on the EMBO-Sponsored Roundtable Discussion on Talent Recruitment and Public Awareness Szilárd Kui

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Wikipedia and Science Publishing. Has the Time Come to End the Liaisons Dangereuses? Gaëll Mainguy

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Developing National Policies in STEM Talent Development: Obstacles and Opportunities Rena F. Subotnik, Ashley M. Edmiston and Kristin M. Rayhack

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Put Our Money Where Your Mouth Is – Engage Talented Youth – Gilbert Fayl and Ulric Fayl von Hentaller

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Session III. Fostering Research Training Projects The Geographic Distribution of the Non-Public Education in Albania Sokol Axhemi

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eKut, the Next Step Csaba Böde and Tamás Korcsmáros

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The American Junior Academy of Science: STEM’s Fountain of Youth Joan M. Messer

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From School to University and Back Again: Cus-Mi-Bio, an Integrated Approach to Science Education in Lombardy, Italy Cinzia Grazioli, Anna Cartisano, Paolo Plevani, Giovanna Viale and Maria Luisa Tenchini

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Session IV. Successful Practices Around the World That Tingling Thrill of Discovery: What Matters to Students and Mentors Peggy Connolly New Horizon to Help the Young Scientists in Korea and International Relationship Myoung Hwan Kim Communicating Science – Regional Network of Science Centres and Initiatives Thomas Wendt, Peter Gilbert, Jens Hemmelskamp, Manuela Welzel and Charlotte Schulze XLAB-Goettingen Experimental Laboratory for the Youth Bridging the Gap Between High School and University Eva-Maria Neher

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95 103

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Why Are Academic Summer Programmes for Gifted Youngsters so Successful? Harald Wagner

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Introduction to Research in the Secondary School Josep M. Fernández-Novell and Joan J. Guinovart

124

The New Policy for Promoting Education for Outstanding and Gifted Students in Israel Shlomit Rachmel

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Teaching the New Generation: Experience Gained from the Educational Programmes in Applied Geophysics Michael S. Arvanitis

140

Perspectives on the Development of Science Education in the Near Future Manuel F.M. Costa Perceived Differences in Teaching Science in High Ability Classrooms and in the Regular School Classroom Catriona Fitzgerald What’s so Special About the International S. Freier Physics Tournament? Zvi Paltiel “Science Academie”: Raising Scientific Passions and Fostering a New Social Link Livio Riboli-Sasco, Alice Richard and François Taddei Forming the Next Generation of European Interdisciplinary Scientists Ariel B. Lindner and Francois Taddei

144

149 158

163 172

Session V. Implementation of Successful Practices of Research Training in Central-Eastern Europe How to Start and Develop a Nationwide Research Organization for High School Students? Peter Csermely

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Ten Typical Weak Points in Parallel-to-School Science Education of Highly Motivated Teenagers Vigor Majic Biological Summer Course Arachne – Spider Web Connecting People and Different Branches of Science Jan Mourek, Ondřej Koukol, Magda Hrabáková, Kateřina Černá, Pavlína Brettlová, Eva Novozámská, Jindra Mourková, Petr Janšta and Blanka Zikánová

193

201

The STaN-ECHA Newest Activities Eva Vondráková

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Open Science Anna Martinková

217

Recruitment of Talents for Life Sciences in Slovakia: Finally Moving Eliska Galova, Gabriela Gavurnikova, Lucia Mentelova, Katarina Mikusova, Jozef Nosek, Silvia Petrezselyova, Miroslava Slaninova, Barbara Sviezena, Andrea Sevcovicova and Lubomir Tomaska

225

The Role of Science Clubs and Science Fairs in Science Education in Schools Dan Sporea and Adelina Sporea

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Creativity Training Programme – A Part of Gifted Education Programmes in Lithuania Daiva Grakauskaitė Karkockienė

240

The Past and Present of Self-Education in the Bethlen Gábor College Ágoston Dvoracsek

249

Bulgarian Education’s Reform and Strategy for Diagnostics of Gifted Children Plamen Gramatikov, Dobrinka Todorina and Maria Gramatikova

254

New Aspects in Evaluating Creativity Maria Herskovits

265

The Organization of Work with Students at the Belarusian State Pedagogic University Eleanora Kakareka

271

Search of Talent Youth for Science: Experience of Ukraine and Other Post Soviet Countries Boris Malitsky and Lidiya Kavunenko

279

Information Security Studying by Means of Extracurricular Research Projects Gevorg Margarov

286

Education and Recruitment of Gifted High-School Students in Armenia Gagik Shmavonyan, Lili Karapetyan, Gayane Shmavonyan and Nelli Yeghiazaryan

294

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Concluding Remarks and Perspectives: The Second Board Meeting of the Network of Youth Excellence Korado Korlevic and Lilla Barabás

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Author Index

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Session I Introduction – Opening Addresses

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Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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Peggy CONNOLLY Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy 1500 West Sullivan Road: Aurora, IL 60506 USA

Welcome, everybody. I am Peggy Connolly, chair of the Network of Youth Excellence. I’d like to welcome old friends, new friends, and guests of the Network. First of all, I want to thank some people: Peter Csermely most of all. We wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Peter, if it weren’t for the work that he has done over many many years, of envisioning the research student movement in Hungary, of establishing the Network of Youth Excellence, of training this remarkable group of young scientists, who are now ready to take over the work of these organizations, and for sharing Hungary with us. This is a bonus on top of everything else. (Peter’s blushing.) I would also like to thank the students who are helping us, and who have been helping us throughout the years. First of all, I’d like to thank Szilard Kui. We are sad that Szilard is going to be leaving the secretariat. However the good news comes in two parts; the first is that h Szilard e will continue as an advisor to the Board, the second is that Lilla Barabas is going to replace him. Laszlo Fazekas is kind of the silent partner: he does so much work behind the scenes, maintaining the website, helping with the reservations, and many other things - thank you, Laszlo. Tamas Korcsmaros has been involved with the student organization and with the network for many, many years. He is helping to relieve some of Peter’s responsibilities as far as organizing major conferences. One of the things that we all need to all do is to help Tamas finish university. Because he’s devoted so much time to the movements, he is an eternal student! I would also like to recognize some people who have played a big role in the organization. Julia Hasler, welcome and thank you for coming. Julia’s here from UNESCO. Begona Arano, [they shake hands] very nice to meet you. Begona is from the European Commission. Gilbert Fayl is from the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Dr. Fayl did double duty yesterday as part of the NYEX roundtable at the Hungarian Academy of Science. Gaell Mainguy is the president of the World Academy of Young Scientists. Some of you are familiar with that organization. If you are not, I hope you have the chance to talk to Gaell. The Network works with young scientists up

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P. Connolly / Introduction – Opening Addresses

to the age of 21. The World Academy of Young Scientists has as members young scientists up to the age of 40. So, when students leave our loving and nurturing care, they have another organization that they can participate in that will help further their professional development and their collaborations with each other. The WAYS is organized in interesting different ways, because it is organized both geographically as well as by different research topics. Gaell, we are looking forward to your presentation and talking with you as individuals discuss ways NYEX and WAYS can collaborate. It is wonderful to be back together again, basking in the warm feelings of friendship that are deepened by the important work that NYEX and the individual members contribute to helping young scientists. I think I speak for everybody in acknowledging the mutual respect we have for each other as individuals and professional colleagues, for the vision we share to promote young talented scientists, for the commitment made to establish programs to nurture young scientists, for the hard work of transitioning this knowledge to the next generation, and the awareness that many members here have maintained their programs in extremely adverse conditions, such as political pressures, poverty, war, lack of resources. The people in this room let nothing interfere with allowing young people to develop their scientific talent. We are part of a remarkable organization! The Network is young, officially only two years old, but already tremendously successful in the number of students provided opportunities, the number of exchanges and collaborations, and in the respect NYEX already has earned in the global community. The Network has made great progress on fulfilling our mission, and I am going to get back to that in a little bit. Actually, YOU are going to get back to that in a little bit, because the idea of this conference is not just to hear a series of presentations, but also to be a very interactive conference, where participants are emotionally and intellectually involved in ideas and discussions. This past summer Vigor Majic, Dan Sporea, Eva-Maria Neher, Dr. Yewon Seo (a representative from Kim Academy, as Dr. Kim was unable to participate), and I presented information about the Network at the Euroscience Open Forum. The BBC selected presentations they considered to be the most significant to feature daily in an hour-long broadcast. I am very pleased to report that the presentation on the work of the Network was one of the three selected by the BBC. This was tremendous recognition! Thank you all for the work you have done that brought us to that point. NYEX faces enormous challenges. Probably the biggest are the challenges in individual programs. Some of those have been mentioned: political pressures, lack of resources, war, poverty. We also have challenge because we have infrequent meetings. All here have major responsibilities to their own programs, money is always an issue, politics can become intrusive, but despite all of this, we are here and we are going to continue this work and this commitment. We also struggle with the challenge of communication. This organization - like any other relationship – needs to be nurtured and nourished. Let’s use the few days we have together to develop better communication. Please think about collaborations we can work on together, because they will strengthen the movement and promote its mission. We are at a crucial point. Our successes are recognized, forcing us to become

P. Connolly / Introduction – Opening Addresses

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an even more vibrant organization that identifies talented young scientists worldwide and creates opportunities for them. To get back to the issue of helping Tamas finish university. Hungary has hosted three NYEX workshops, as well as international student research conferences, and other science meetings. Hungary is willing to continue hosting NYEX, but it would be really nice if another NYEX member were able to host the next workshop in two years. Please consider the resources you have and how wonderful it would be to share your country with the people in this organization! If you are willing to host the next workshop in two years, please let Peter and the leadership know. On Sunday the Board will meet, and among other items of business, elect a new president. I am going to suggest that Korado Korlevic, who is one of our current vicepresidents, is able and willing to step into this role. However, we will take nominations in case there are other candidates that you would like to consider. If the membership chooses Korado to fill the role of chair, we will elect a new vice-president to replace him. Please think about this over the next two days and we will meet again on Sunday to select elect new leadership. I have retired from the Illinois Math and Science Academy, and consequently am not able to continue on the executive council or as a board member of the organization. I am very happy that Peter’s asked me to continue as an advisor. And I do want to thank you very much, because being the chair of this organization has been such an honor. I’ve been so proud to represent you because of the amazing programs you have, and the tremendous contributions that your students have made to global society in the research that they have done. One of the important aspects of the Network, beyond even science, is very personal to me. One of our members, Leila Mohammedhussein, who is not able to be here at this meeting, is the director of a girls’ science school in Tehran. Leila and I became friends even as our two countries, the United States and Iran, are toe-to-toe and nose-to-nose threatening each other. I look at the friendship Leila and I have with each other, and in this tragic madness that may be unfolding, the fact that our hands are clasped in friendship is a source of hope in humanness and humaneness. I am truly grateful that the Network nurtures friendships among both adults and students of the world. And now, let’s look to the future. We need our message to be very clear. Szilard will address this shortly in his summary of yesterday’s roundtable to strategize ways to convey our message to policymakers, the media, students, parents, and the general public. We have a lot of good stories to tell, and determine how to tell them to the best advantage. Look at our mission, and run the last few years through your own mind. What have you done that addresses aspects of our mission? I will keep a list of these. When we go to the media, when we talk to policy makers, when we discuss NYEX with potential funders, when we talk with students about what young people are able to accomplish in research, and when we discuss science with the general public, we need data. We know we are great organization, but we need to have good documented facts to back up our perceptions. [Refers to mission statement on flipchart.] First, our mission goal of establishing student research training programs: If you are aware of things that have been done by

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P. Connolly / Introduction – Opening Addresses

this network in the last few years, please feel free to add them to the list. Again, the idea is that this conference will be very interactive, and now it’s your turn. Peter, I know that you helped establish a student research program in France, so now NYEX has helped to initiate student research program in France, Slovakia, Romania and the Czech Republic. Promoting cooperation between the existing programs: Does anybody have some examples of those? I know you do. Over the next few days, as you think of more examples, please let me know. I’ll create a document we can release to the press, use in dialog or grant applications, or whenever this information will be helpful in promoting or showcasing student research. Promote research collaborations among students of different countries: I can offer an example. Next week when I return to the United States, three students from Hungary will be returning with me to discuss collaborative botanical with the Chicago Botanic Garden. We hope to identify a project that will involve a number of students from a number of countries. One of the nice things about botanical research is that you don’t need a lot of fancy equipment or a lot of resources to do really good research. To better existing projects by exchanging information among programs: when Korado leaves here, he’ll be going with Vigor to Petnica and the two of them will try to improve both their programs by exchanging information. I have had students that have visited both the Technion and the Wiezmann programs and they’ve been one of the highlights of their young lives. [To Zvi Paltiel] I would like to take this opportunity, Zvi, to publicly invite you to consider becoming a member of the Network of Youth Excellence. The Weizmann Institute certainly has the history in of helping to develop young scientific talent. Eva-Maria Neher: Maybe I should add our international activity, our international summer science camp. We started it in the summer of 2003 and since that time we have had 175 students from 25 or 26 different countries. They stay up to three and a half weeks and do intensive lab work in our science institute. Connolly: I would really like to encourage all members, if you have an opportunity, to visit each other’s programs: it is really wonderful. Eva-Maria hosted Vigor, Dan and myself this summer at the XLAB following the Euroscience open Forum. It was thrilling! Even though Dr. Kim wasn’t at the X-Lab at that time, we ran into a number of Korean students who were at the XLAB at the same time. Initiate joint international projects: again I hope over the next few days you will think about possible joint collaborations your organization might sponsor to include students from other Network organizations. Promote student leadership in student research organizations: again, Peter has done an amazing job in creating leaders out of young scientists. One of the most powerful examples (in addition to the work that Tamas, Szilard, Laszlo and Lilla have done to make this workshop happen and, over the years, to contribute to the Network’s great success) is the role last summer of the Hungarian Research Student Organization and NYEX students in helping to organize and run the FEBS-IUBMB Congress.

P. Connolly / Introduction – Opening Addresses

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Several thousand participants attended the conference. Our students were very active, to the point of dragging the scientists out of their hotels at night, and into the pubs to make them drink wine and talk about science with each other and with the public. At the end of the conference, the sponsors were so impressed with what young student researchers were able to do; that the money left over from the conference was donated to the Network. The dinner last night was sponsored in part by this, as was the roundtable yesterday. [To the students present] Thank you for representing the Network and the Hungarian Research Student Organization so well that people are beginning to throw money at us! Capturing the attention of policy makers and the media: Szilard will summarize the roundtable discussion we had yesterday, and develop some ideas to implement the strategies. Again I will mention and record that the BBC featured NYEX in one of its broadcasts from the Euroscience Open Forum. Eva Vondraková: There was a report in Czech Econom one and a half year ago on Peter Csermely and his activities. You can see some photos here. [Shows journal.] Connolly: Ideas for policy makers and the media are things we will work on over the weekend as well. I would like to thank you very much for being here and for the things you have done to make this such a wonderful organization.

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Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

Gilbert FAYL European Academy of Sciences and Arts

Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, Colleagues. I have first last year learned about this excellent initiative of Professor Peter Csermely. I expressed my admiration and support. Peter is doing what several of us would like to do if we have had Peter’s energy. Ladies and Gentlemen, in my brief introduction I wish to make three points. First, we are facing unprecedented challenges - challenges that necessitate new forms of governance. Second, our political leaders are not yet fully aware of the fact that they must be more attentive and more pro-active regarding talented youth. Third, in turn, talented youth must realize that they have all possibilities to participate in social dialogue and accept their moral responsibility in this context. Well, let’s look at these points. We all recognize - in our local community, in our region, in our country, in Europe and beyond - that the wealth is increasingly distributed unevenly. We are more and more divided in two groups, those who have and those who have not. And the trend is increasing. But our attention is at different direction and places. The media prefers to report on issues unrelated to social justice. An example: individuals who became millionaires by moving IT assets create front page stories. And we prefer to read these stories while forgetting social injustice. Is this a sign of moral degradation? Second, we all recognize that our natural resources are degrading, diminishing the clean environment, the energy and soon in the future the water. We have problems in front of us, but we are not facing it adequately. Often not at all. Do we forget our responsibilities towards the future generations? Thirdly: the demography in Europe is dramatically changing. Our population is aging. An increasing part of retired population will have to be supported by a decreasing part of working population. This will enhance the move of people from outside into our direction. During our history we have faced the phenomenon that larger groups of people have moved from one place to another. Today it is called

G. Fayl / Introduction – Opening Addresses

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immigration. The United States is successfully facing this challenge – indeed, it enhances its economic dynamism. But in Europe we have not yet addressed its full consequences: the advantages and related problems. We have still to address its moral, ethical and nonetheless cultural implications – beyond the economic ones. Do we have courage to do it? So, we are facing several challenges. Now, in the relation of political leaders and young people, we have to understand the new forms of governance that is evolving in Europe. A three level of governance is under development. This involves the European Union, the national states, and the regions including local actors. The latter are the first level of governance. This is particularly important from the perspective this conference’s participants. The local and regional actors include elected officials, economic leaders and organized civil society, including yourself. And, ladies and gentlemen, in this context networking of civil society actors is becoming increasingly important. But pay attention, networking of networking is even more important. This means also that you should reach out to young people, you involve them and give them possibilities to be involved in social dialogue and to take own initiatives. Basically, this is what I wanted to tell you today. Let me finish with the following. Last year I have had the pleasure to meet the young professor who is sitting in front of me now, Peter Csermely. During the first half an hour we could look into each other’s eyes - the most important in human relations. He had the strength, the dynamic and the burning intelligence of the younger generation. We realized that we could do something jointly. I invited him to participate in the so called “Budapest Round Table 2005”. It was a dialogue between the young generation and more experienced people. The Round Table formulated and issued a memorandum, a “message for the future by the young generation”. In an official ceremony we handed it over to the President of Hungary. We have also forwarded it to responsible European Commissioners and members of the European Parliament. The “Budapest Roundtable” concept was developed by myself and my closed adviser as an annual event to be a dialogue between the young and experienced generations addressing current issues. This year on 10th of November, the “Budapest Round Table 2006” will address “how to be successful and socially responsible entrepreneur”. This is a key issue for the competitiveness of Europe. As was the case last year, a professional team will produce a DVD of which we will distribute some 1,000 copies, free of charge, to universities and high-schools in Europe. Finally, ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and its President Felix Unger and myself, I would like to wish you a successful conference. Thank you for your attention.

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Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

Julia HASLER UNESCO Natural Sciences Sector, Division of Basic and Engineering Sciences

The topic of this workshop is at the heart of one of UNESCO’s interests in science education: ways to increase the number of talented young students that pursue a career in science. UNESCO is pleased to be able to collaborate with the Network for Youth Excellence whose members collectively have diverse and varied programmes for encouragement of young people to participate in scientific research. UNESCO’s current Medium-Term Strategy (2002-2007) is formulated around a single unifying theme: UNESCO’s contribution to peace and human development in an era of globalization, through education, the sciences, culture and communication. Within the framework of this objective, the overall vision for the Natural Sciences Sector is to ensure that the creativity of science is used for the benefit of society by providing world leadership in expertise and international cooperation in natural and environmental sciences and engineering, and thereby to contribute to the safety and well-being of people throughout the world and to the economic well-being of nations. The core principles underlying this vision are those underpinning UNESCO’s mission of universality, diversity and dignity, coupled with the values of equity and justice, solidarity and sharing, tolerance, and respect for human rights. Excellence in work is an overriding characteristic. The mission of the Natural Sciences Sector is to further the advancement and sharing of scientific knowledge and to promote the application of this knowledge and its understanding to the pursuit of sustainable development. In performing its functions, the Sector contributes to understanding the earth systems and preserving their diversity. It is called upon to foster the role of science in peace processes and conflict resolution. It works with the social and human sciences as an advocate for ethics in science and technology and for the contribution of science to preserving human rights, whilst also promoting the peaceful use of science and technology. Its programmes hope to integrate a social contract for sciences and attempt to improve the image of science, aiming to attract young people to scientific studies. In this regard, UNESCO’s collaboration with the Network for Youth Excellence is of importance.

J. Hasler / Introduction – Opening Addresses

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Indeed, partnerships with networks and centres of excellence are a vital component of UNESCO’s implementation of the International Basic Sciences Programme. The presentations at this workshop by member organizations of the Network for Youth Excellence demonstrate the varied possibilities that exist in a number of different parts of the world for novel, exciting ways of encouraging talented youth to engage with science. It is hoped that many other organizations and initiatives will be inspired to follow the examples and methods described here, whether it be at policy or operational levels.

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Session II Environment and Help of Research Training

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Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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Account on the EMBO-sponsored Roundtable Discussion on Talent Recruitment and Public Awareness Szilárd KUI 1 Network of Youth Excellence

Abstract. This Article will give a brief overview of the Roundtable Discussion summarizing the most important and relevant comments and ideas raised during the discussion, mainly focusing on the ways and means how the aims and efforts of talent recruitment can be presented to the media and politicians. Keywords. Talent recruitment, young scientists, media, policy makers

Introduction The Roundtable Discussion, sponsored by the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), took place at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences on 19 October, 2006 under the auspices of the Network of Youth Excellence (hereinafter: NYEX). As a satellite discussion to the 3rd NATO-UNESCO Advanced Research Workshop on Talent Recruitment and Public Understanding the aim of the meeting was to exchange ideas how talent recruitment and gifted education should be presented to the media and to politicians in order to catch their attention and awareness. Fourteen experts, politicians and young

1

Corresponding Author: Szilárd Kui, Hungarian Research Student Association, H1146 Budapest, Ajtosi-Durer sor 19-21. Hungary; E-mail: [email protected]

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S. Kui / Account on the EMBO-Sponsored Roundtable Discussion

scientists were participating in the discussion including Norbert Kroó, Vice-President of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; Gilbert Fayl, representative of the European Academy of Sciences an Arts; Peggy Connolly, President of the NYEX; Korado Korlevic and Myoung Hwan Kim, Vice-Presidents of the NYEX; Shlomit Rachmel from the Department of Gifted Education of the Israeli Ministry of Education; Péter Csermely, President of the Hungarian Research Student Foundation; Sokol Axhemi, former Albanian Deputy Minister of Education; Péter Gresiczki, secretary of the Hungarian Commission of UNESCO; János Daru, President of the Hungarian Research Student Association; Szilárd Kui, Secretary of the NYEX and Lilla Barabás, Coordinator of the NYEX. During the discussion several exciting and interrelated issues have been raised such as: What message should be delivered to the media and the politicians? How to convey the message itself? Whom to communicate? When to communicate? Which is the most effective way to deliver the message? As the discussion developed, it became clearer and clearer that only the first and the second questions could be deeply examined due to lack of time, thus all the participants agreed that additional Roundtables shall be devoted to the other issues in the near future. Consequently, in this short report I would like to summarize all the ideas and suggestions that were raised concerning the content of the message and the delivery thereof.

1.

What the message should be?

1.1 Keen on young talents It is well established by now that there is an increasing social and economical need of discovering talented and gifted young people in every western society as cutting-edge science and research are the key elements to preserve the competitiveness in the global economy. Furthermore, it is quite self-evident from an economic point of view that the earlier talents are discovered, the more the society may profit from them in the long run. From the perspective of science it is also beneficial, if the society invests resources in talents at an earlier stage well before they reach university. It has been concluded during the discussion that a considerable investment shall be made while talents are teenagers. The teenager segment is one of the most important periods in human development: people start questioning the world around them, they experience the joy of discovery, they get involved in a lot of different things and have a huge passion to change the world around them. All these activities are essential parts of scientific work and research as well. More importantly, it is the 14 to 20 years age group, when people get their first experience with science and formulate their life-long attitude towards it Investing in talents and gifted in this particular age helps youngsters to find the area or field they are interested in and also helps the scientific community to attract, and attach these young people to science and research. Without talent recruitment and talent support programs these teenagers may never find out that they are actually talented, and may never decide to engage themselves with science and research for their entire life. Several examples were given by the participants to support this argument, and everyone stressed that without this investment advance in the field may never happen, while with an appropriate investment an appropriate progress is foreseeable and it will be faster as well.

S. Kui / Account on the EMBO-Sponsored Roundtable Discussion

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1.2 Why to invest in talented and gifted young people? Although this investment certainly rearranges resources form other social needs, it has to be viewed as what it really is: an investment into the future well being of the society. It is apparent from the practice that no one is willing to make this long-term investment, thus it is the responsibility of the state to provide initial resources for these programs encouraging all other players (companies, civil societies, etc.) to contribute. These talent support programs create a professional-, scientific-, social- and fraternity-net around the students, which all might help to overcome the brain-drain as people, who have strong ties with their home scientific community tend to return home after finishing their exchange or postdoctoral program.

Investing at this age gives five-six extra years for the students to start and develop their scientific career as well as for the scientific community to integrate these students and to guide them on to success. Moreover, it helps social mobility offering unmatchable opportunity for students originating from lower classes of the society to change their stars and to explore and run their talent. Supporting youngsters also results in supporting science and research itself, because young scientists tend to pick up frontier areas as they do want to concentrate on a problem, which was not solved before. They do not devote to much time and energy to those fields labeled as “already discovered” or “deeply researched” since they look for challenge and adventure in science. However, this does not mean that they are selfish or individualists. Just the opposite, they are open to collaboration much more than their older colleagues, since, except for their time, they have nothing to risk in these collaborations. Giving credit and support to these young talented and gifted students opens up new, previously hidden perspectives for them as well as frees up a lot of energy in them, which otherwise would have slumbered.

2.

Formulating and Delivering the message

2.1. Some ordinary ways Formulating the message is the first and easiest step. The second and more difficult step is to deliver it to policy makers in an appropriate way. There is no universally applicable method for this. The message in every scenario should contain three key elements. One or two key elements are often not convincing enough, while five or six are way too much for the time and attention received. Sometimes less is more, as policy makers are not able to devote time to a long and detailed application, therefore the message must be set out in a convincing short from, has to be clear and precise supported by impressive and persuasive evidence. It is also very important to use catchwords, which raise the attention and summarize the essence of the message. Sometimes informal ways are more effective to deliver the message than formal ways ranging from working dinners to golf tournaments. The appropriate mean has to be carefully chosen on a case-by-case basis taking into account all relevant circumstances.

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S. Kui / Account on the EMBO-Sponsored Roundtable Discussion

Whichever channel is used for the delivery of the message, it is extremely important to provide a feed-back. After getting support from politicians it is expedient to praise them in the media and in their local electoral community for their support in order to pave the way for a future application. These self-amplifying circles are essential to collect the critical mass of the issue in both the media and political circles. 2.2. Some new ways As policy makers are tend to follow the public opinion and public needs it might be fruitful to reach them through the media. Making talent recruitment part of the public discussion may stimulate politicians to deal with the issue. It might be very useful from this later perspective as well to create young ‘scientific superheroes’, putting those successful young scientists into the limelight, who already reached great achievements and who may serve as role models for the even younger generation. These young scientific superheroes may also help to deliver the message to the policy makers, since they can offer a first-hand experience and evidence for these politicians, which is always more convincing. The media also tends to give more coverage to these young people, since they are seen as ‘wiz-kids’. Thus talent recruitment itself can be presented to the public as a valuable and desirable societal activity. Furthermore, the expanded media coverage might help to attach prestige to science and research, which is so eagerly needed recently. Young scientific superheroes might also inspire young students to choose science, and make a wish to be a scientist instead of a movie start, footballer or singer. One of the most important conclusions of the Roundtable Discussion was that collaboration between talent support programs and organizations must be further strengthened in order to exchange successful practices how policy makers can be convinced, to discover new tools and develop new techniques and to identify mistakes that should not have been made. It is for granted that certain opportunities are not opened for single organizations and can only be exploited by a cooperation of many. The mission of the Network of Youth Excellence is to bring about this so much needed cooperation, between different programs and organizations from different countries and continents uniting under the flag of talent recruitment.

Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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Wikipedia and Science Publishing. Has the Time Come to End the Liaisons Dangereuses? a

Gaëll MAINGUY a,b,* World Academy of Young Scientist, Budapest, Hungary b Institut Veolia Environnement, Paris, France

Abstract. Structuring information into knowledge is an important challenge for the 21st century. The emergence of internet and the diffusion of collaborative practices provide new tools with which to build and share knowledge. Scientists are seeking efficient ways to get recognition and to diffuse their work while Wikipedia is seeking well grounded contributors to shape in-depth articles. Science publishing and Wikipedia are thus profoundly modifying access to knowledge and may provide suitable conditions for a reorganization of the academic landscape. Keywords. Science publishing, Wikipedia, open access, knowledge management

"All genuine scientific procedures of thought and argument are essentially the same as those of everyday life"(Ziman 1968).

*

Correponding Author: Gaëll Mainguy, Institut Veolia Environnement, 15 rue des Sablons 75016, Paris, France; e-mail: [email protected]

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Introduction In October 2006, Wikipedia, the multilingual, Web-based free content encyclopaedia 1 featured more than 5 million articles in 229 languages (1.4 million in English) and had entered the Alexa’s top20 2 with more than 2000 accesses a second. Wikipedia was started as a strictly controlled, free encyclopaedia edited by PhD students, but the project failed and resulted in only a few hundred articles. Since then popularity has not really taken off amongst scientists. Last year, Nature surveyed more than 1,000 Nature authors and found that although more than 70% had heard of Wikipedia, only 17% of those consulted it on a weekly basis and less than 10% help to update it 3 . Despite the lukewarm interest from scientists, most of Wikipedia is accurate. In 2005, Nature found that the number of errors in a typical Wikipedia science article was not substantially different from Encyclopaedia Britannica’s 4 . Ironically, scientists may well be one of the last communities to embrace Wikipedia’s potential. Wikipedia is far ahead of all other reference websites including Library of Congress, NIH and Encyclopaedia Britannica. One figure gives the magnitude of the phenomenon: Since January 2006 Britannica's average daily page views score has been less than 1% of Wikipedia's 5 . It is also ahead of all university sites and all English language news and media sites 6 . Accordingly, it is increasingly used as a professional reference for journalist 7 and it has been cited in several court cases since 2003 8 . So Wikipedia is highly and increasingly popular and the dream of its founder, Jimmy Wales "to create and distribute a multilingual free encyclopaedia of the highest possible quality to every single person on the planet in their own language" is in a sense becoming true. However the problem of how to define and attain and control “the highest possible quality” remains challenging.

1.

Quality control for Wikipedia : from collective work to Peer review

Although Wikipedia is used extensively as a reference, in its current state, it lacks the respect given to traditional encyclopaedias. As content can be added or changed at any time by anyone, Wikipedia is vulnerable to ignorance and malice and faces serious problems to be a serious reference tool. Since its inception, Wikipedia has been regularly under attack by academics as being tawdry and full of inaccuracies. A fairly detailed list of criticisms is available on the Wikipedia website itself 9 . Without a 1

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia Alexa (alexa.com) is a website that computes traffic rankings by analyzing the Web usage of millions of users and thereby provides a metric of popularity 3 http://www.nature.com/news/2005/051212/full/438900a.html 4 http://www.nature.com/news/2005/051212/full/438890a.html (Wiki’s Wild World) 5 http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia.org_is_more_popular_than... 6 ibidem 7 A.Lih Wikipedia and the rise of Participatory Journalism http://jmsc.hku.hk/faculty/alih/ 8 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_as_a_court_source 9 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Wikipedia 2

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formal peer review process for fact-checking, and due to the lack of requiring qualifications to edit any article, the contributors themselves may not be well-versed in the topics they write about (not to mention the deliberate liars and vandals, see for instance the Seigenthaler case 10 ). The site's increasing influence is regularly driving educators to crusade and this year, Jimmy Wales had to publicly warn college students that they shouldn’t use it for class projects or serious research 11 . Quality control is thus the first issue and Wikipedia is constantly adapting its editorial strategy to improve it. Here are three examples: x

x

x

Users are encouraged to identify themselves before contributing. Those who prefer to remain anonymous are nonetheless identified and monitored by an IP tracking procedure. Users who do not comply with the editorial policy can be banned and blocked even if they never properly registered 12 . In addition sensitive articles can be partially locked. 13 Since 2004 Wikipedia is running a reviewing procedure to certify the quality of exceptional articles. These so-called “featured articles” are reviewed for accuracy, neutrality, completeness, and style 14 and are labelled with a small bronze star on the top right corner. (Bad quality articles are also increasingly labelled with warnings such as “This article or section does not cite its references or sources.”) So far this measure had a marginal impact: in September 2006, featured articles represented only 0.08% of all the articles in both English and French. Given the exponential growth of Wikipedia’s content 15 , it is likely to remain so, as the proportion of “featured article” is constantly decreasing with time 16 . Wikipedia has also started a project focused on checking facts and references using multiple sources “to be the most cross-referenced body of knowledge.” 17

These procedures (and a lot of others), designed to increase the standards of Wikipedia’s quality, form a complex set of rules. The knowledge of these rules gives a certain authority and establishes de facto a hierarchy among Wikipedians. A proposal “to give the Arbitration Committee the ability to consult Wikipedia users who are

10

Wikipedia had hosted for nearly four months an article about John Seigenthaler falsely claiming that "for a brief time, he was thought to have been directly involved in the Kennedy assassinations of both John, and his brother, Bobby." See: http://writ.news.findlaw.com/ramasastry/20051212.html) 11 http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/1328/ 12 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Banning_policy 13 Seigenthaler entry for instance features: “Because of recent vandalism or other disruption, editing of this article by anonymous or newly registered users is currently disabled. Such users may discuss changes, request unprotection, or create an account.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Seigenthaler_Sr 14 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_article_candidates 15 Since 2003 see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Modelling_Wikipedia's_growth 16 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_article_statistics 17 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Fact_and_Reference_Check

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knowledgeable in subject-areas that apply to cases before them” 18 suggests that this trend is gaining ground. The other major issue is the ephemeral existence of Wikipedia’s content. Even when an article is complete and accurate, the dynamism of Wikipedia would prevent its use for scholar publications. In principle, the history of a particular page could be searched for (on the history page of each entry) but in reality retrieving information from an old version is cumbersome and cannot be envisioned for decades. To tackle this issue, Wikipedia is investigating how to create stable versions and establish reliable sources 19 . In addition, the arrival of WebCite (webcitation.org) may circumvent this citation problem. WebCite 20 is a free tool that archives the content of a webpage to allow readers in the future to retrieve quoted web pages as they were at the time of the citation. Any page at any time can now be identified, archived, quoted and retrieved as a separate document. As a proof of principle, this article has been almost entirely documented using online sources and quoted pages have been cached and archived using WebCite (see reference section). In sum, contributions are less and less anonymous, certification and refereeing procedures are increasingly complex and indefinite access to stable sources is now possible. In several ways, Wikipedia is getting closer to science production mechanisms. Concomitantly, during the last decade, science publishing has also been confronted to problems of quality control and electronic publication allows less authoritative and more collective feedbacks.

2.

Quality control in science from Peer reviewing to collective work

Information, knowledge and science can be viewed as three polysemous worlds used to designate a collection of facts and data. The difference lies not in the number of items but on their interactions and their degree of trustworthiness. Information is purely factual and does not need to be true or false. Science, on the other side, is an organized corpus of trustworthy and verifiable facts. The word science originates from scire, the Latin word for “to know” and designates an organized corpus of knowledge as much as a method for building knowledge based on rational criticism, an interwoven association captured in Herbert Spencer‘s aphorism “Science is organized knowledge”. A key aspect of the “method of science” resides in interpersonal communication. The intellectual form of scientific knowledge is determined by the absolute need for the

18

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requests_for_arbitration/RFC#Alternate_solution_.239_by_mav._ Content_subcommittee 19 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Why_stable_versions 20 Gunther Eysenbach and Mathieu Trudel (2005). "Going, going, still there: using the WebCite service to permanently archive cited web pages". Journal of Medical Internet Research 7 (5). http://www.jmir.org/2005/5/e60/

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scientist to communicate his findings and to make them acceptable to other people. 21 One can "know" through faith, authority, intuition, or science but the scientific method allows other persons to ascertain the truth content of a given statement. Scientific knowledge is the product of a collective human enterprise to which scientists make individual contributions which are purified and extended by mutual criticism and intellectual cooperation 22 . The internal social relations of the scientific community are therefore all-important. The goal of science is a consensus of rational opinion over the widest possible field. 23 A recent estimation reported about 24,000 peer-reviewed journals, publishing about 2.5 million articles a year, across all languages and all scholarly and scientific research disciplines 24 . And yet, the “widest possible fields” are each steadily getting smaller as disciplines are heading towards balkanisation. This fragmentation is favourable to the reinvention of wheels, to work duplication work and to maintaining inefficient techniques, not to mention wrong usage. PubMed 25 , as a universal platform to integrate most of the biomedical publications, proved useful in resisting and presumably reversing this trend for Life Sciences. Mutual criticism and quality of scientific knowledge rely heavily on peer reviewing and selection of authoritative persons (for a presentation of peer review see 26 ). However, neither peer-review, nor authority, is necessary for scientific production and diffusion. First, historically the practice of editorial peer reviewing is recent and did not become general until sometime after World War II. 27 Second, nowadays absence of peer-reviewing is not mandatory for certain scientific communities and can even concern very influential papers. The most striking example is provided by Grigori Perelman who was recently awarded the Fields Medal 28 for a work uploaded on arXiv 29 but never published in a peer reviewed journal (see the Wikipedia entry 30 for a detailed presentation of Grigori Perelman’s case).

21

Ziman, J. (1968), Public Knowledge, Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. Malhotra, Yogesh. (1994). On Science, Scientific Method And Evolution Of Scientific Thought: A Philosophy Of Science Perspective Of Quasi-Experimentation http://www.brint.com/papers/science.htm 23 Ziman, J. (1968), Public Knowledge, Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press. 22

24

Harnad, S. (2005) On Maximizing Journal Article Access, Usage and Impact. Haworth Press (occasional column). http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/10793/ http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?DB=pubmed 26 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_review 27 Burnham JC. The evolution of editorial peer review. JAMA. 1990;263:1323-1329. 28 http://www.mathunion.org/medals/2006/ 29 arXiv (http://arxiv.org/) is a website maintained by Cornell University that contains ca. 400’000 e-prints articles in Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science and Quantitative Biology. A majority of the e-prints are submitted to journals for publication, but some work remains purely as e-prints and is never published in a peer-reviewed journal. 30 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grigori_Perelman 25

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The virtue of peer review is that it is rare for an individual author or research team to spot every mistake or flaw in a complicated piece of work. Reviewing should not be more than an argumentative process where reviewers are engaging in an imaginary debate with distant authors 31 . So the same results can, at least theoretically, be achieved better, faster, more dynamically and on a permanent ground through ongoing public debate involving a large number of contributors. Indeed, several journals have recently adopted publishing policies along this line. The new journal Philica 32 for instance, publishes articles upon reception and the review process takes place afterwards. Readers use reviews and other users’ evaluation to spot popular or unpopular work. Naboj 33 website provides a dynamical peer review service for users to write peer reviews of preprints from arXiv. The review system is based on Amazon ranking and users have the opportunity to evaluate articles and reviews. These experiments are still in infancy and it is hard to predict where science publishing is heading. It is nonetheless striking to note how the present situation is fulfilling the prediction Horace Freeland Judson made 12 years ago: peer review and refereeing are not laws of nature, nor of epistemology, but social constructs of recent date (…) and (…) are likely to evolve towards a form of publication that will be a continuing open dialogue and collaboration among contributing scientists, editors, expert commentators and readers 34 .

3.

Can Wikipedia and Science publishing meet half way?

We have seen that Wikipedia is not really popular among scientists. The reciprocal is also true, as illustrated by the fact that “a call for higher academic standards” is denoted as Academic standards disease 35 in Wikipedian jargon (this entry provides an overview of the disagreement). Another problem is that, at the time being, “No original research” 36 is one of the three content-governing policies of Wikipedia. The original motivation for this policy was to combat people with personal theories, who would attempt to use Wikipedia for their personal opinion and agenda. Nonetheless, mechanisms for aggregation and integration of knowledge in a scholar paper and on a Wikipedia entry are converging and suggest that they could adopt similar procedures in the near future. It seems that there is no irreducible difference between a reviewing procedure of a scientific article and a discussion on a talk page of a controversial entry. A greater involvement by scientists has been advocated by Jimmy Wales and stable versions are explicitly designed to foster an environment of academic quality for serious researchers. Wikibooks are already likely to revolutionize the way textbooks are written, updated and distributed, especially in 31

Open Peer Review & Argumentation: Loosening the Paper Chains on Journals http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue5/jime/ http://philica.com/ 33 http://www.naboj.com/ 34 Horace Freeland Judson. Structural Transformations of the Sciences and the End of Peer Review JAMA. 1994;272:92-94 available at http://www.ama-assn.org/public/peer/7_13_94/pv3112x.htm 35 http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Academic_standards_disease 36 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:No_original_research 32

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the developing world 37 . This initiative is likely to be a resounding combination of collaborative work and authoritative figures. Wikipedia bears tremendous opportunities to store, concentrate and build “scientific knowledge”. It may be time for scientific communities to not only recognize the potential of Wikipedia but also to think in terms of a common future. A dynamical peer review system based on comments such as the one provided by Naboj would not be so different from the Wikipedia policies used to validate information. More and more books are scanned and accessible online and self-archiving is gaining ground, the future of source identification and citation resides online. E-prints and e-books are building blocks of knowledge (and thus as the only pieces not accessible for modifications). Comments and citation provide alternate quality indicators to evaluate a work and prevent it from quickly sinking into oblivion. This could allow newcomers to spot important publications, integrate knowledge and structure new scientific fields. Anybody would be free to start his own monument based on those building blocks, and collaborative work will do the rest. Considering what the mathematician’s community has been able to gather and organize in a few years 38 what could be hosted and integrated bt Wikipedia seems limitless. Based on the original -thus stable- work available, Wikipedia can aggregate, display and synthesize all comments and opinions at any scale reflecting the nested organization of human knowledge. This constantly changing architecture would be able to accommodate science dynamism. Open source systems give educators and students the opportunity to create courses according to their needs 39 and dynamic information is a fantastic tool to challenge the reliability of an argument and develop critical thinking. Scientists and teachers must contribute massively, and must teach students how to use Wikipedia efficiently. In his novel, ‘les liaisons dangeureuses’ 40 , Choderlos de Laclos depicted the tragic consequences of blind rivalry. The time may have come for Wikipedians and scientists to join their efforts and design a universal integrator of human knowledge providing the highest possible quality to every single person on the planet in their own language.

References : Numbers refer to footnotes where webpages are cited. URLs from Webcitation provide a permanent access to cached copy of cited sources. [1] http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHZA [2]http://www.alexa.com/ Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHZa

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http://www.scidev.net/content/news/eng/free-wiki-textbooks-planned-for-developing-nations.cfm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mathematics_lists 39 Moodle (http://moodle.org/) is based on a sound pedagogical principle: people construct new knowledge as they interact with each other. 40 The complete edition of 1782 is available at http://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Les_Liaisons_dangereuses 38

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[3] http://www.nature.com/news/2005/051212/full/438900a.html Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHZm [4] http://www.nature.com/news/2005/051212/full/438890a.html Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHZw [5] http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia.org_is_more_popular_than Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHa6 [7] http://jmsc.hku.hk/faculty/alih/ Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHaG [8] http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_as_a_court_source Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHaQ [9] http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Criticism_of_Wikipedia Please seehttp://www.webcitation.org/5JYXfzj8Z [10] http://writ.news.findlaw.com/ramasastry/20051212.html Please seehttp://www.webcitation.org/5JYXfzj91 [11] http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/1328/ Please seehttp://www.webcitation.org/5JYXfzj9C [12] http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Banning_policy Please seehttp://www.webcitation.org/5JYXfzj9M [13] http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Seigenthaler_Sr Please seehttp://www.webcitation.org/5JYXfzj9Y [14] http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_article_candidates Please seehttp://www.webcitation.org/5JYXfzj9j [15] http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Modelling_Wikipedia's_growth Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYYwabwF [16] http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Featured_article_statistics Please seehttp://www.webcitation.org/5JYXfzj9s [17] http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:WikiProject_Fact_and_Reference_Check Please seehttp://www.webcitation.org/5JYXfzjA2 [18]http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Requests_for_arbitration/RFC#Alternate_solution_.239_by_mav ._Content_subcommittee Please seehttp://www.webcitation.org/5JYXfzjAB [19] http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Why_stable_versions Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHaZ [22] http://www.brint.com/papers/science.htm Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JbYdlIOY [24] http://eprints.ecs.soton.ac.uk/10793/ Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHai [25] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?DB=pubmed Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHat [26] http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer_review Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHb3 [28] http://www.mathunion.org/medals/2006/ Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHbC [30] http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Grigori_Perelman Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHbV [31] http://www.ariadne.ac.uk/issue5/jime/ Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYVJwheQ [32] http://philica.com/ Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHbn [33] http://www.naboj.com/ Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHbx [34] http://www.ama-assn.org/public/peer/7_13_94/pv3112x.htm Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHc7 [35] http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Academic_standards_disease Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHcH [36] http://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:No_original_research Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHcQ [37] http://www.scidev.net/content/news/eng/free-wiki-textbooks-planned-for-developing-nations.cfm

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Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHcZ [38] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mathematics_lists Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JaEyKoSN [40] http://fr.wikisource.org/wiki/Les_Liaisons_dangereuses Please see http://www.webcitation.org/5JYNWhHcj

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Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

Developing National Policies in STEM Talent Development: Obstacles and Opportunities Rena F. SUBOTNIK 1 , Ashley M. EDMISTON and Kristin M. RAYHACK Center for Psychology in Schools and Education, American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

Abstract. The goal of this chapter is to analyze the current U.S. approach to serving adolescents who are talented and interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The first section of this chapter reviews the status of national government investments in STEM and contrasts it with private and local funding. The second section addresses key problems we view as obstacles to meeting national goals. Next we describe policy proposals that might be implemented in the future. We close by posing a challenge to our colleagues, the response to which could assist us in restoring the appeal of STEM careers for our talented youth, and perhaps offer insights into the obstacles and opportunities that exist in our colleagues’ own nations. Keywords. Policy, adolescence, talent development, obstacles, opportunities, STEM.

Introduction Since the 1970s, federal efforts to promote programs that target talent in STEM without regard to student background have been dismissed as elitist and have had little political traction. More recently, however, both public and private sectors in the U.S. recognize that if the U.S. wants to keep its edge in technological and scientific endeavors we must 1

Rena F. Subotnik: Center for Psychology in Schools and Education Director, 750 First Street, NE, Washington, D.C, 20002.; E-mail: [email protected].

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engage, encourage and develop the talents of adolescents with interests in STEM. A 2006 report [1], "Rising Above the Gathering Storm," produced by the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, makes four relevant recommendations: (1) increase America's talent pool by improving kindergarten through grade 12 STEM education; (2) strengthen the federal commitment to long-term basic research; (3) develop and retain the best students; and (4) ensure that the United States is the premier place for innovation by modernizing the patent system and realigning tax policies to encourage private investment in research and development. The report reinforces the role that education plays in supporting U.S. STEM initiatives.

1.

Current Mechanisms for Supporting Adolescents Talented in STEM

1.1 Federal Commitments. Graduate level talent development in STEM is widely supported by the U.S. government. Selection to programs is rigorous, top students usually have access to outstanding mentors and equipment, and federal funding is generous. At the university level funding is available as well, and is channeled into preventing attrition from STEM majors. At the pre-university level, federal programs target improved STEM “literacy,” -understanding STEM subjects well enough to help students become informed citizens. Only three small federal programs are directed at rewarding or providing services for students with special interests and abilities in STEM subjects. The Academic Competitiveness Grants program offers university scholarships to economically disadvantaged students who take rigorous STEM courses in secondary school. The Advanced Placement Incentive Program grants, pay for examination fees associated with rigorous, elective secondary courses. And a third, the Javits Grants program, provides support for experimental curricula designed to challenge under-represented groups in STEM (i.e. African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, and females). 1.2 State and Private Initiatives. In addition to federal initiatives, there are four models of state or privately funded programs that are designed to identify and develop STEM talent1: x x x x

Special schools – secondary schools emphasizing STEM subjects; Apprenticeship/laboratory programs – after school or summer programs focused on providing hands-on opportunities to work in an authentic STEM context such as a laboratory, hospital, or museum; Competitions – STEM national contests for middle and high school age students; and Summer and after-school courses – for middle and high school students.

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In preparation for this chapter, we reviewed websites from over 100 programs. We pursued this approach because no comprehensive list exists on the web or in print that includes all programs available for STEM interested or talented youth. Since not every program has the capacity or will to develop a truly informative website, we had to limit our review to those programs with websites. The programs with websites underwent the following analyses: x x x x x x x

Programs with information about selection requirements on their websites compared with those that did not. Programs with selection requirements that were in any way STEM related compared with those that posted only non-STEM related criteria Programs with selection requirements that posted criteria requiring demonstrated interest in STEM compared to those that posted only non-STEM related criteria. Programs with information about desirable outcomes for program participants on their websites compared with those that did not. Programs with desirable outcomes that were in any way STEM related compared with those that posted only non-STEM related outcomes. Programs that posted whether women and/or minorities were targeted for selection. Whether programs had geographical boundaries defining whom they could serve.

We made the assumption that a program’s posted selection criteria reflected how the program operationalized a definition of STEM talent. We also made the assumption that the outcomes that programs posted were those that they hoped their participants would achieve. 1.2.1 Special Schools We reviewed the websites of 78 Special STEM schools. Only 61 had information we were seeking relating to selection criteria and desirable outcomes for their participants. The statistics we report for selection criteria were based on the 56 schools that posted any type of criteria at all. A fascinating outcome of our search was to discover that 44 of the programs ask for standardized tests (including both mathematics and verbal) scores or locally designed tests, but 34 post STEM related criteria such as: science or mathematics teacher recommendations, STEM course completion requirements and pre-requisites, grades in STEM classes, essays, descriptions of experience; or interviews. Only 17 require a stated interest in mathematics and science as a criterion for admission, getting at the notion that being proficient at something does not necessarily imply that you are interested in it. Program outcomes are not clearly defined in STEM related terms either. Out of the 61 special schools, 39 list desirable outcomes for their graduates on their websites, however 24 of the 39 post outcomes that are specifically SM related, and a smaller subset tell us anything about whether their alumni pursue STEM related majors or careers.

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1.2.2 Apprenticeships/Laboratory Experiences Apprenticeship/laboratory programs provide introductions by mentors into professional networks and associated values, according to two studies of elite science talent development [2], [3]. Fifty percent of the apprenticeship and laboratory programs require both verbal and mathematics standardized test scores for participation and all require some expression of STEM interest for admission. Many of the programs, especially those that have been in existence for many years, boast that their alumni perform well in competitions and go on to university majors and careers in STEM. 1.2.3 Competitions Competitions, in general, aim to promote STEM fields and make them accessible to a wide variety of students. For that purpose, pre-requisites are minimal and are based on the assumption that if someone wants to spend the time on competing, they must be interested in the subject. The prizes and scholarships they provide can be very useful in making such interest into a reality. In particular, the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search, sometimes referred to as the ‘junior Nobel Prize,’ notes six decades of excellence on their website. Alumni of this program hold more than 100 of the world's most coveted science and mathematics honors, including six Nobel Prizes, three National Medals of Science, 2 Lasker awards, 10 MacArthur Foundation Fellowships and two Fields Medals. (www.intel.com/education/sts) 1.2.4 Summer and After School Courses Adolescents who are not satisfied with the quantity or quality of their schools’ STEM curriculum have the opportunity to take summer and after school courses at various universities. We examined 19 providers of enrichment courses that offer talented students classes that are challenging and stimulating. According to our survey, 17 of the providers have admissions criteria, 11 of which include SM related criteria. Sixtythree percent of these programs do require some type of testing for entry. Again, selection criteria emphasize general knowledge and abilities, rather than targeting STEM specific knowledge, abilities, and interest.

2.

Obstacles to a Productive National Policy for Developing STEM Talent

A large amount of money is spent on programs in ways that are intuitively appealing and certainly benefit in some way those who partake of them. With few exceptions such as the Intel Science Talent Search and MathCounts, however, we are faced with a paucity of empirical evidence that these programs are effective. That is to say, we do not know from the current state of the literature on STEM talented development whether those who are selected and participate in the programs are the “right ones” – those who may be future innovators in STEM.

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2.1 No Consensus Exists Thus Far on Definitions of STEM Talent Although there are many preconceived notions of what defines talent, most end up in the category of “I know it when I see it,” or equate it with high test scores. Some programs use standardized achievement or locally designed tests as gauges of STEM talent, others utilize teacher recommendations, course completion requirements and pre-requisites, grades, papers, essays, or interviews to demonstrate superiority over other candidates. Notably, the SAT-M is the only test that has shown to have any predictive validity with regard to performance in STEM related fields [4]. Since there is no consensus on talent definitions, programs have no established standards by which to identify talented individuals, making it difficult to initiate policy directed at fostering qualities that remain undefined. Therefore, these schools are potentially wasting their resources on adolescents who lack interest and may never choose to further pursue the STEM disciplines after high school. If more admission criteria were geared towards interest, STEM students who are motivated to be high achievers, may have more of an impact than on those purely involved because of misconceived notions of talent. 2.2 No Consensus on Desirable Outcomes for Participants of STEM Programs. Although there is no agreement on what it is that predicts the fulfillment of STEM talent, one would think that the policy and education community would agree on what they hope such efforts will lead to. We were surprised to find that only 34 out of the total 117 programs we reviewed did allude to any STEM related outcomes at all. Competitions such as Math Counts and Intel Science Talent Search are the only mechanisms that claim to encourage STEM university majors and career pursuits and offer documentation to support their claims. 2.3 What Evidence Do We Have About the Effectiveness o f These Programs? A small number of longitudinal studies support the claims of individual programs. For the most part, however, there is little funding available to follow participants over time, and only anecdotal evidence bolster the contention that STEM programs are effective in aiding adolescents’ career trajectories. 2.4 Accessibility of STEM Programs Is Uneven Aside from federal initiatives to promote study of STEM topics, there are the four previously mentioned locally or privately funded programs: special schools, apprenticeship/laboratory programs, competitions, and summer and after-school courses. Only 27 out of 50 states offer school programs ranging from STEM centers, magnet schools, governor schools, to exam schools. A select few of these states have five or more school STEM programs which appear in descending order: Michigan (10), Virginia (9), Georgia (8), New Jersey (8), New York (7), and Maryland (5). Other states of equivalent population offer no such opportunities. Although laboratory/apprenticeship, competitions and out of school course type programs recruit students from the entire country, participants do vary by region.

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Another accessibility problem is due to the scope and sequence of STEM curriculum in U.S. schools. In the U.S., deep science instruction is introduced late in a student’s career compared to other countries in Europe and Asia. In contrast, schools in other advanced nations, science is taught more regularly and is integrated as part of the curriculum thought primary school. Further the content of the curriculum in various states is not very rigorous. In Kansas, a debate has raged for years about whether or not to teach evolution. By not teaching principles of evolution, students miss out on biological concepts essential to a comprehensive science education. In addition, students who do not complete a “gatekeeper” algebra course in grade 8 have a difficult time completing all the other STEM courses they need in order to enter STEM majors in university [5]. During the middle school years, when interests are extremely malleable and key decisions are made based on interest, very few STEM related programs for middle school students reinforce deep existing interests that prepare individuals for careers in these fields. To highlight the relative lack of available resources for adolescents, the National Association for Gifted Children (www.nagc.org) states that only 9 states allow middle school students to take high school courses and no states allow them to take college courses. More opportunity at this crucial time may influence more children to pursue the STEM route. 2.5 Teacher Qualification and Preparation Another obstacle operating within the schools is the number of teachers who hold majors or certification in STEM subjects. Only 39% of U.S. students have a qualified chemistry teacher, 33% have a certified physics teacher, and 68% of secondary school students had a qualified mathematics teacher [6]. Through major legislative initiatives such as the law entitled, No Child Left Behind, states are required to ensure that teachers are “highly qualified.” However, some states have established very low standards for what is considered “highly qualified” and students in those classrooms pay the price. Without adequate teacher preparation, it is impossible to improve the numbers of students who may take an interest in STEM subjects. 2.6 Low Status of STEM Careers Too few U.S. students are entering STEM majors and careers. Only 30% of U.S. college students major in STEM disciplines compared to 59% of the students in China and 66% in Japan. Further, more than 50% of doctoral level staff and 58% of the postdoctoral fellows at the National Institutes of Health are foreign nationals. For STEM occupations, 38% of doctorate level employees are foreign born, up from 24% in 1990 [7]. As visas become more challenging to acquire and research facilities improve abroad, clearly that reliance on non-U.S. scientists can not be sustained.

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Policy Proposals

3.1 Think Creatively About Talent Identification One resource for STEM talent lies in underrepresented groups such as minorities and females. Six special schools focus special attention to underrepresented students. In addition, the Science Outreach at Rockefeller University and the University of Connecticut Mentor Connection, both apprenticeship/laboratory programs, specifically recruit females and minorities. Programs such as these are important because twice as many boys as girls demonstrate an interest in science, engineering, and technology by the eighth grade. Even when girls perform just as well as boys do, they lose interest in the STEM disciplines [8]. Specialized curriculum and opportunities may therefore enhance STEM interest and performance for these groups. Another way to capitalize on potential interest in underrepresented groups is to experiment with selection criteria. Two special schools of particular interest are the New Orleans Charter Science and Mathematics High School in Louisiana and the Academy for Math, Engineering, and Science in Utah, both of which employ open admissions policies. If students select such a school over another one, will they perform as well as those who are selected based on tests? Without such experiments, we will not be able to answer this question and gain further insights into components of STEM talent. 3.2 Coming to Consensus on Desirable Outcomes for Participants of STEM Programs In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the programs we reviewed, standard outcome criteria must be established. We propose that the following STEM related outcomes could provide a solid foundation for establishing standardized outcome criteria: x x x x x

enrollment in post secondary STEM programs, graduate satisfaction regarding preparation for STEM majors, achievement of graduates in STEM majors and/or careers, organizational and individual staff recognition for STEM related activities and accomplishments, and awards and honors won by graduates in STEM related contexts2.

With such criteria in place, comparative studies can be conducted on effectiveness of various practices designed to foster STEM talent development. 3.3 Collecting Evidence About Effectiveness Recent developments in the research design and statistical analysis allow us to test questions such as, (1) “Does this program work?” as well as (2) “Why does it work?” and (3) “Does it work better for some students than others?” Mixed methods designs combine the rigor of randomized controlled trials with qualitative methods such as

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interviews and focus groups. Multiple cohort longitudinal studies also give us tremendous insights into prediction and opportunities to analyze obstacles to talent development. These designs usually require cooperation across scientists and institutions because of costs and complexity. Such cooperation can lead to greater incentives to increase the number of demonstration sites and disseminate the outcomes widely. 3.4 Make STEM Opportunities More Accessible Across All Regions Some states invest much more in adolescent STEM talent development than other states. This disparity poses the question, are there human capital payoffs for states that invest in adolescent STEM talent? If there are human capital payoffs, then what are the best predictors in terms of identification criteria to achieve these payoffs? Based on the notion that participation leads to achievement [9], the answers to these questions may prove as an inspiration to states that lack these types of programs and subsequently generate increased STEM interest in the U.S. 3.5 Improve STEM Teacher Education During primary education students have the most favorable attitude toward science and teachers [10]. Though it may be difficult to identify talent in elementary school, teachers play a key role in retention of STEM interests throughout the secondary and post secondary school phases. Among the factors in determining retention in STEM subjects is the presence of a positive role model [11]. Given that teachers spend up to 50% of a child’s waking hours with them during the school year, the potential influence they can assert on attitudes and perceptions is enormous. It is imperative that teachers are thoroughly trained not only in their subject area, but also in how to deal with different populations of students in the same class, including those who have been identified as gifted. A teacher is a valuable resource who can encourage students and educate parents about the programs that have been discussed in this chapter. 3.6 Engendering More Interest Among U.S. Students Although sport and music have long used coaches to maintain the stamina and focus needed to stay on task during difficult times, academic arenas have not embraced this notion. We propose that teachers and mentors adopt the role of academic coach during their work with gifted adolescents. We know that a young person may be expert with regard to knowledge and skills, but without motivation to overcome setbacks and patience to pursue difficult projects, this expertise will not be applied productively. Although we often assume that these qualities of persistence and resilience are innate, they can in fact be taught [12], [13]. According to research on talent development the role of psychosocial dimensions of talent development become increasingly important over time [14].

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SM participation among U.S. youth has stagnated since the Sputnik era. When the government felt threatened in its science and technology race with the Soviet Union upon its successful launch of the Sputnik satellite in 1957, millions of dollars were invested in STEM talent development. Conducting a campaign to restore Sputnik era level luster and prestige to STEM careers would prove informative and useful. Attempts to answer the following questions could prevent further decreases in STEM involvement: Why are fewer students interested in pursuing STEM related careers compared to the Sputnik era? Is it possible that attitudes toward and stereotypes about those involved in STEM may deter otherwise qualified adolescents from becoming interested in the sciences and mathematics? More perplexing, other countries in the world award a significantly higher proportion of degrees in STEM than the U.S. [15] and appear to hold STEM careers in higher regard. We would like to understand what cultural components lead to such differences in career development and possible different perceptions of status that lead to these outcomes.

Implications for Talent Identification and Program Goals x x x

The U.S. needs consensus on what we are looking for with regard to STEM talent (e.g. should we require excellent grades in pre-requisite STEM courses at school?). We will not have consensus until we agree on what program outcomes we are seeking (e.g. should most program alumni complete STEM majors at university?). We will not have consensus until we find out whether the talent identification mechanisms that are currently in place are predictive of those agreed upon desirable outcomes (e.g. do high scores on pre-requisite courses in school predict completion of STEM majors at university?).

x

We need to understand the cultural factors that lead our colleagues in other parts of the world to continue to value STEM careers in ways that our youth do not.

x

We hope that this analysis is useful for our colleagues as they assess their own nations’ support for STEM talent development.

Endnotes 1. Outside the U.S. SM clubs, circles, and palaces are enjoyed by many talented students. This model is growing in influence, although there presence is more difficult to document as the other models. 2. These criteria are modified versions of those posted by the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Studies.

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References [1] Committee on Prospering in the Global Economy of the 21st Century: An Agenda for American Science and Technology, National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine; Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future. National Academies Press, Washington D.C., 2006. [2] R.F. Subotnik, R.A. Duschl, and E.H. Selmon, Retention and Attrition of Science Talent: A Longitudinal Study of Westinghouse Science Talent Search Winners, International Journal of Science Education 15 (1993) 61-72. [3] H. Zuckerman, Scientific Elite: Nobel Laureates in the United States. Transaction Publishers, New Brunswick, NJ, 1996 [4] C.P. Benbow, D. Lubinski, and H.E. Sanjani, Our Future Leaders in Science. Who Are They? Can We Identify Them Early? In: N. Colangelo & S.G. Assouline (eds.), Talent Development III. Great Potential Press, Scottsdale, AZ, 1999, pp. 59-70. [5] R. Atanda. Do Gatekeeper Courses Expand Education Outcomes? Education Statistics Quarterly, 1. 1999. [6] National Commission on Educational Statistics. Out of Field Teaching in Middle and High School Grades, 2003. [7] Committee on Policy Implications of International Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars in the United States, Board on Higher Education and the Workforce, National Research Council. Policy Implications of International Graduate Students and Post Doctoral Scholars in the United States. Washington DC, National Academies. 2005. [8] Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology Development, Land of plenty: Diversity as America’s Competitive Edge in Science, Engineering and Technology. National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C., 2000. [9] C. Sorge, H. Newsom, and J. Hagerty, Fun is Not Enough: Attitudes of Hispanic Middle School Students Toward Science and Scientists, Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Science 22 (2000) 332-345. [10] B.L. Barrington and B. Hendricks, Attitudes Toward Science and Science Knowledge of Intellectually Gifted and Average Students in the Third, Seventh and Eleventh Grades, Journal of Research in Science Teaching 25 (1988) 679-687. [11] T. Koballa, Persuading girls to take elective physical science courses in high school: Who are the credible communicators? Journal of Research in Science Teaching 25 (1988) 465-478. [12] J.C. Cogan, R.J. Sternberg, and R.F. Subotnik, Integrating the Other Three Rs into the School Curriculum: A Model For Improving Achievement. In: R.J. Sternberg and R.F. Subotnik (eds.), Optimizing Student Success with the Other Three Rs: Reasoning, Resilience, and Responsibility. Information Age, Greenwich, CT, 2006, pp. 227-240.

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[13] C. Good, and C.S. Dweck, Motivational Orientations that Lead Students to Show Deeper Levels of Reasoning, Greater Responsibility for Their Academic Work, and Greater Resilience in the Face of Academic Difficulty. In: R.J. Sternberg and R.F. Subotnik (eds.),Optimizing Student Success with the Other Three Rs: Reasoning, Resilience, and Responsibility. Information Age, Greenwich, CT, 2006, pp. 39-58. [14] R.F. Subotnik and J. Calderon, Developing giftedness and talent. In: F. Karnes & K Stephens (Eds.), Gifted Education, (In Press) Pearson. [15] Science and Engineering Indicators, National Science Foundation, 2002.

Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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Put Our Money Where Your Mouth Is –Engage Talented Youth– Gilbert FAYL and Ulric FAYL VON HENTALLER European Academy of Sciences and Arts

Abstract. In applied politics, even the most obvious and plausible arguments, supported by scientific advice, might not be sufficient to outweigh pressures dictated by various interest groups, be they local, national or beyond. It is reality. Researchers, educators and the scientific community must face it. Regretfully for talented youth. Keywords. Talented youth, EU RTD framework programme, EU research fund.

Introduction - Facts, Advice, Experience The EU is currently lagging behind its global competitors. The competitiveness gap is widening or at best close to stable [1]. Among the EU countries, economic divergence is growing. Rich countries are getting richer compared to the average and the poor are getting poorer. The EU's efforts to achieve economic and social convergence are in question. [2]. If you are poor, invest [3]. Europe has the duty to support gifted young individuals [4]. Responding to the deep economic depression of the early 1990s, the then Government of Finland introduced harsh cut-and-save policies. That is, except for research where the Government increased public spending [5]. Today, Finland tops the country competitiveness rankings ahead of the US, Sweden and Denmark [6].

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1.

G. Fayl and U. Fayl von Hentaller / Put Our Money Where Your Mouth Is

The Reality

The proposal for the “7framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013)” is currently (mid-2006) under the final stage of reaching the EU level political agreement. The honourable intentions of the EU regarding education and research training is spelled out in the proposal, inter alias [7]: “The seventh Framework Programme is central to achieving the Lisbon strategic goal of Europe becoming the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world. The triangle of knowledge -education, research and innovation is a principal tool for achieving this goal.” “The human potential in research and technology in Europe should be strengthened quantitatively and qualitatively; better education and research training...” (highlighted by the authors) In spite of their admirable political intentions, EU leaders have imposed significant budget cuts during the political negotiations. The European Commissions’ budget proposal for the most relevant part for talented youth, that of the specific programme “People”, was reduced from EUR 7 129 million to EUR 4 727 million. The overall budget went from EUR 72 726 million to EUR 50 521 million. [7]. This is another example of obvious discrepancy between marvellous political pledges creating “front page” commentaries and harsh political realities reported on “page three”.

2.

How did it happen – how could it happen?

The EU is lagging behind its global competitors. The competitiveness gap is widening or in best case remaining close to stable. The new “European Innovation Scoreboard 2005” [1] paints a grim picture for the EU innovation performance as a whole. In spite of all the above, at their Brussels meeting on 15-16 December 2005, the European Council disregarded the multi-annual budget proposal of the European Commission. The proposal was based on global socio-economic reasoning and considered a whole series of scientific advice. The latter have taken into account evaluation of current and previous EU research activities as well as assessment of need for continued European research. Political forces overrode plausible advice. The Council agreed a budget for 2007-13 that falls critically short of matching their previous pledges. Faced with this fait accompli, there was an outcry from the scientific community that has not since abated, eg. [8].

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Due to short-sighted national interests the much-needed drive to revitalise EU economy remains overdue. The most alarming seems to be that political leaders are reluctant to grasp the gravity of state of affairs. It was only a few years ago (Lisbon in 2000) that these leaders adopted an ambitious ten-year programme to revitalise growth and sustainable development across the EU. Against the background of sluggish economic growth, in this initiative – known as the “Lisbon Strategy” – the EU “set itself a new strategic goal for the next decade: to become the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world ”. In 2002, the Barcelona Target became an essential part of the Lisbon Strategy. Based upon the recommendation of an expert group, EU leaders agreed “that overall spending on R&D and innovation in the Union should be increased with the aim of approaching 3% of GDP by 2010”. Both the Lisbon Strategy and Barcelona Target demonstrate political determination at the highest level to address these burning issues. But political leaders’ credibility is measured against the delivery of their own pledges. The 3% figure did not appear by magic. The issue is far more complex. There is no straightforward relationship between R&D spending and primary measures of economic success. But spending too little will definitely harm. However, simply spending more does not necessarily enhance economic performance and competitiveness. In this sense the 3% is a plausible objective. Yet, at their December meeting, despite all of the aforementioned, EU leaders allocated funding for R&D and innovation that is a far cry from their own highly publicised ambition. This under-funding is inexcusable. The obvious lack of political wisdom and courage are signs of the sad state of affairs in the EU’s “top political machinery”. Single-minded national interests come to the surface and overshadow “the greater good”. However, giving credit where it is due, EU leaders are only partly responsible for this unfortunate situation. In the absence of a clear roadmap to re-engage citizens, leaders continue to pay homage to a double-faced deity: while publicly championing the EU cause, defending narrow national interests behind closed doors. In this climate, they leverage the EU for domestic policy priorities and make it the scapegoat for all unresolved problems relating to domestic affairs. Today, more than halfway through the Lisbon timetable, the progress and results so far are disappointing. The EU will find it exceedingly difficult to meet its initial Lisbon targets for and by 2010. Could the Lisbon Strategy have been illusory from its very inception? Could a block of 15 states (EU members at the time when the Strategy was agreed) within 10

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years transform itself to “the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world”, while at the same time taking on board another 10 states? One might want to consider that eight of these new member states and their economies had suffered for more that 40 years under the yoke of the former Soviet Union. Whatever the answer may be, the Lisbon Strategy has started a process that can only be beneficial for the entire EU and possibly beyond. By now, the process has become more important than the initial objectives. This must be acknowledged. But in a few years time our political leaders -those still in office -will be held responsible for not making good on their own initial promises. Consequently, the fist reaction of the European Parliament must be saluted. It overwhelmingly rejected the agreement reached by heads of states and governments last December that “does not guarantee an EU budget enhancing prosperity, competitiveness, solidarity, cohesion and security in future” (18 January 2006). Such a firm stance in the interest of Europe will most certainly enhance the Parliament’s political credibility and relevance, and strengthen it as an institution serving the interest of European taxpayers. The Parliament’s commendable position was not sufficient to outweigh the Council’s short-sighted position. As compared to the Commission’s initial proposal that was supported by the Parliament, severe budget cuts were imposed.

3.

Put our money where your mouth is and employ talented youth

On the broader question of how to revitalise the EU economy, responsible political leaders in Europe must once and for all realize that highflying declarations are insufficient. Research is the most important source of innovation (the Scandinavian countries are outstanding examples). It drives economic growth, job creation, structural renewal and social cohesion. EU leaders must champion R&D and innovation both at the EU-level and at home. Talented youth must be fully engaged. And the member states must wholeheartedly participate in the process. Without acting in this spirit, Janus faced policies will make a European fatamorgana out of the Lisbon Strategy and the competitiveness gap between the EU and its major global competitors will remain or continue to widen. And the economic divergence will continue to grow among EU countries. The much-needed drive to revitalise the EU economy remains overdue.

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References [1] [2] [3] [4]

[5]

[6] [7]

[8]

European Innovation Scoreboard 2005, European Commission, 12 January 2006. Eurostat, News Release, 15 January 2006. Paraphrased after Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Budapest Memorandum: The European Way in the 21st Century, Our Message to the Future, 31 May 2005. Round table organised by the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. Esko Aho: Creating an Innovative Europe – the regional dimension. Keynote address at the European Regional Economic Forum, Nova Gorica, 14 June 2006. (Esko Aho is the current President of Finnish National Fund for Research and Development, and former Prime Minister of Finland, 1991-1995.) Augusto Lopez-Claros, Michael E. Porter and Klaus Schwab World Global Competitiveness Report 2005-2006, Economic Forum, Palgrave Macmillan. Amended proposal for a DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL concerning the 7framework programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007-2013), COM(2006)364 final, no date but issued on 28 June 2006 – previously 2005/0043(COD), 2005/0044(CNS). Reaction of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts to the “Conclusions of the Brussels European Council on 15 / 16 December, 2005”, 17 December 2005.

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Session III Fostering Research Training Projects

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The Geographic Distribution of the Non-public Education in Albania Sokol AXHEMI University of Tirana, Department of Geography, Albania

Introduction In the overall framework of the social factors that influence the general development of the population in a particular territory, a special role belongs to the education system. In Albania the importance of this system is being emphasized in this particular moment as an important priority in the framework of realizing of the Stabilization and Association Agreement with EU. Taking this is an initial point, there should be a lot of value in the role that this system plays, and at the same time a maximal importance should be shown toward the main components of this system. The education system in Albania shows some special features and characteristics that are closely connected with the development stages of the society itself through different periods. Until democracy and pluralism started to take place, which is till 1990, the education system in Albania was 100 % a state offered service. There were no legal space that could have made possible for the existence of the non-public education or similarly called private education, which could have made possible the realization of the multilateral interests, that of the business and those intellectuals and at the same could have created different opportunities for a bigger access toward the knowledge for different educational categories of people. At the beginning of democracy in Albania many groups of people were open and interested toward this direction, which influenced in the intensification of attracting the attention from the state authorities in order to take steps toward its development. It was merely the beginning of the 1990s, which also as in other fields opened a green light for the beginning and the development of the private alternative in

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the education sector. Below we will try to submit some aspects which have to do with the progress of the this education system in Albania, the problems it was associated with, the innovation that brought in the Albanian education life, its geographic distribution together with the factors that have influenced for this.

1.

The Problems that associated the private education development in Albania

The alternative of the private system in Albania came as a necessity that many different representatives of the education fields in all the levels such as pre-school, the obligatory education, high school education and the university one, in cooperation with different representatives in the Business field felt that they should make it possible to give their worthy contribution in this field. At the same time, the change of the economic system form a centralized one and socialist planned economy toward the free market economy, was seen as in other fields even in education as chance that would have high chances to realize good financial profits. But in order to realize these things and that these things could take place, it was important that there should have been created a strategy that was clear and understandable that would help in the creation and in the drafting of the programs and curriculums in connection with the measures that should have been taken for stimulating and encouraging such an initiative, which is worth mentioning that it was completely unknown in the Albanian Education system. The difficulties and the obstacles were many and different ones. Firstly there was a lack of the legal basis in the licensing aspect but also in the functioning of the educational system of the non-public sector. This meant that there should have drafted different criterions and clear rules in order to forecast the procedures for taking the license in order to start this kind of business activity, that has a double character. In one hand it is a private business but at the same time its an educative and education activity for which the society and the whole state are and should be very much interested to know and to control the qualitative level of the teaching, the school documentation, basis that compose the curriculum, on how these people are being formed and on what educational material. Secondly another important problem had to do the fact that there was an absence of the tradition of functioning in real of a private school, because as we have heard for a long term period there were no Non-Public Institutions in Albania. The lack of experience was a factor for the creation of different doubts in the decision-making institutions that were responsible for the licensing for the functioning, the desired outcomes, and its future progress. Thus in the early years of democracy as we mentioned above there were many hesitations toward this new sector of education. Thirdly another problem had to do with the fact that even in the direction of this activity as a private business there did not exist the necessary trust in the Business people that aimed or desired to take such initiatives for opening such activities. This came as a result that this kind of initiative was not only new for the Albanian public but also for the Business field. Fourthly there was a lack of the physical facilities that an institution of non-public education such as this should have, that were the building, the equipments, the

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didactic-material basis, etc. These things required a considerable starting financial contribution when the financial sources in Albania were less and provided with a great difficulty. This for sure was not a small problem for the entrepreneurs within the conditions where they were not sure how secure this investment would be. At these early stages there was a lack of law and practice of privatization of the existing buildings. This was a barrier and an obstacle for the reconstruction and the use of these currently existing buildings a educational facilities. At the same time there were not clear procedures and legally correct toward the opportunities that could have been created toward the different businesses to allow different buildings in different rural zones of the country. Fifthly another concerning problem was related with the fact of providing professionals with a professional training and teaching, trained from the didactic overlook and well-prepared from the scientific part. This aspect was very important and delicate because at the given conditions where many things lacked, the pedagogic staff represented one of the key factors for having a well-maintaining and achieving success in building a School with values and with good name in the public which would create the chances for the advancement of the started business. All these elements that we mentioned above, had the need to get harmonized in a special legal framework, through which there could have been possible the regulation of the normal functioning for such a new alternative in the education system. In this area there had to be shown a lot of carefulness as there needed to be presented in a very detailed way all the elements that it involved that consisted not only of the educational and teaching aspect and side of it but at the same time the financial and investing side of it, which had not existed before. Such a thing would influence in the creation of a new attitude in the gradual replacement of the legal and administrative basis created in the period of the last regime or the centralized socialist system. Thus it would open the ways of creating and improving the democratic educational legislation in Albania. This thing represented even a standard that had to be created for the inclusion of Albania amongst the democratic countries of Europe and its future integration within the European Union. Based on these legal dispositions, there started to be taken steps for the development of this kind of educational sector. The first step is the approval of the regulations and of the Directing decision for the way of getting permission regarding the educational institutions and that was currently approved from the Ministry of Education and Science in 1994. In continuity this directive has changed in relation with its adaptation with the current conditions in the development of the educational system as in the adaptation with different legislative acts in the education field. In this decision there were being described all the conditions and the obligations that a private educational institution had to fulfill in order to get the license for exercising the educational entrepreneurship. Lets mention some of the main conditions determined in this decision: the definition of the type of educational system that the interested party is interested to open, the abiding of the educational system law, the pre-undergraduate law for the institutions falling into this category and the law regarding the universities for the institutions falling into this other category, legal documentation as a proof regarding the ownership of the facility

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where the learning process will take place or a hiring legal proof documentation. A full list of the teaching personnel and leading staff together with the curriculums and the programs, the registration within the law institutions as a juridical person to exercise the right of developing this activity in the field of education, an record of the lab equipments and of the didactic materials, financial guarantee of the subject that takes in responsibility to open the institution and in this framework there will a particular sum of money in the form of being frozen in the Bank etc. All these requests should be fulfilled from the interested subject with the aim of getting a permission from the Ministry of Education. In this framework an important role should have been taken from the State authorities and especially from the Ministry of Education and Science. This ministry in order to assess all the requests for the opening of these institutions, with a special decision for the creation of an ad hoc commission which was being directed from one of the most highest officials and that was usually the Deputy-Minister. This commission through the controllers follows directly the procedure and realizes the verification of all of the requests that this subject presents in order to get the license. When the Commission considers all the criterions fulfilled in conformity with the legal basis and the regulations, then it was taking a positive decision, meanwhile that did not approve the applications that were not compatible with the procedures and the legal criterions. Though the role of the Ministry of Education and Science is not seen only seen in the fact of granting the right of the license for the opening of this private institutions but also with the continual control over them through frequent inspections. These inspections have to do with the evidence of the application from these institutions of the curriculums and the programs that had previously approved by them, their progress and level, the preparation and the training level of the personnel and staff that lectures and teaches, the documentation of developing the educational activity. It is very important to appreciate the fact that the educational private institutions in general have progressed in the direction of increasing their levels and in all aspects are related with the continual improvement of the education quality and with the betterment of the physical conditions of the educational buildings where the lectures take place and with a widening of didactic material supplies, with a more qualified staff and the whole lecturing and assisting personnel, with the drafting and improvement of the inner regulations of the daily functioning of the school by each one of them creating a work system or tradition of functioning in dependence of concrete conditions and of the experience and contribution of each lecturing personnel member, etc. An important indicator is the numeric increase of these institutions each year and the geographic space increase and distributive character. At the beginning the private schools were only in the big centers of the country, which is being connected with the quick creation of private education concepts and of raising the quick financial resources and the bigger opportunities to find number of students to attend due to the very rapid increase of the population in these big cities. Today we have the private schools almost in every city in Albania and gradually there are ideas of opening them even in rural areas, through different cycles, mainly on the kindergarten and pre-school education etc.

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What is worth mentioning is the fact of the distribution of this kind of system, the private one in all cycles of school, from the kindergarten or the pre-school to university. There is a tendency that is an indicator of such an increase due to the fact that these institutions are following a development pattern that are bringing them to their consolidation from one cycle of education to a bigger one by including the cycles of schooling from the kindergarten up to the university. Another attribute of the private education in Albania is the presentation and the existence of foreign private educational institutions beside those that are Albanians. Some of them are gradually increasing their capacities every year and are trying to expand geographically not only in the capital of Albania, Tirana, but also in other urban centers. Among them we should mention the Turkish College, a composing part of the Gulistan educational colleges that every year is increasing not only in the absorbing capacity of the students but the quality of education as well. We should value the role of attracting these private educational institutions that are related with the accommodating, lab-didactic state but also with the lecturing staff, that is mainly Albanian. Even in these schools you could see the presence of all the schooling cycles from the pre-university and the high school one, by excluding till now the presence in University Level. 2.

The Geographic distribution of the private education in Albania

Today we have a variety of the private educational institutions in Albania, their geographic distribution almost in every urban area of the country and to a certain extent even to rural areas and as in the directions of different schooling cycles. This current situation is a result of entering with courage in the initiatives that involve private entrepreneurship even in the educational system and the fact that this market is a new market as it is being seen and it is passing with a big success its test. According to the official statistics today in Albania we have about 328 educational institutions in the non-public sector of the pre-university and about 6 institutions of the non-public at the University level. In the non public institutions the main weight is carried by the pre-school or kindergarten institutions where there are about 119 of them and of the 9 year schools of the obligatory education where there are about 92 of this kind. When it comes to the lower level of the obligatory education there are actually 23 schools, the higher cycle of obligatory education about 9 schools, general high schools about 67 of them and about 18 professional high schools. In the non public higher education there is a presence of about 6 universities. By taking into consideration the above mentioned evidence we could mention hat the nonpublic educational institutions are mainly centered in the capital of Albania, which is Tirana, where there are almost 40 % of all these types of schools for the national level. There are other cities like Durres, Fier, Shkodra, Korca, Vlora, Lushnja where there are many of these non-public schools. When it comes to the Universities their concentration is mainly in Tirana. In the aspect of the geographic distribution the main part as we have mentioned is filled by the major cities in Albania, and as we have mentioned is closely related with certain factors, amongst them we should mention the economic opportunities, infrastructure capabilities, the quality level of teaching and lecturing, the market and the marketing side of it. It is a known truth that the major businesses are concentrated

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in the urban centers where the biggest private capital is being invested which makes it possible that even the biggest and strongest financial capitals to be concentrated in these areas. This composes an important supporting element for financing the nonpublic education that find the main support at the private financial investment of one individual or a group of individuals. Another aspect is also the problematic that has to do with the infrastructure capabilities that are available to be provided within these urban centers. Such a thing is closely related with the fact that in these centers we have present different institutions that as a result of being included in the process of the privatization have changed their destinations by turning into a resource and an important supply to be turned into education facilities through private investments. At the same in these major cities there exist different territorial spaces that can serve as important sites for building educational institutions and schooling complexes. Another helping factor is the fact that shows an increase in population in these urban areas that at the same time increases the possibility to find pools of students in increasing and that makes it possible for the continual of this business and the orientation to further increase of possible investment toward the private schools. The last element that should be mentioned in this direction that serves as an incentive for bigger possibility presence of the educational nonpublic institutions in the urban centers has to do with the fact of the new market for this kind of service and marketing that is connected with that. Thus from one side the education is something that goes parallel with the development and emancipation of the human society, the forms of its presence change and improve continually. The private service of this educational system is something new for the Albanian society and its aims are not only to present itself with dignity but at the same time to show a higher level and a superiority in comparison with its competitor that in this case is the public education, or the state run schools. This means that even the engagement in this case will be maximal to realize these objectives. At the same time this service makes a new kind of market that had been unknown before to the Albanian society and as such it aims to attract daily and yearly as many customers as possible, and these customers more then anywhere else are found in the major cities we talked about before for the simple reason that the Albanian population has the tendency to leave the rural areas and move to the urban areas. The quality level of the education is closely related with the fact that there exists a clear difference between the quality and level of education between the rural areas and other urban area. According to the different data published from different statistic providers from the official authorities and from the state inspections being done there can be seen a smaller number of professional lecturers and personnel trained and qualified that impacts directly even in the qualities of teaching and lecturing. Thus there is seen an obvious difference between the infrastructure and lab basis between rural and urban schools. Even the marketing has its importance and role and this factor is mainly present in cities then in rural areas that has influenced for these institutions to be concentrated in the urban areas.

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However this does not mean that the private education does not have a future in the rural areas but such a thing will need to aim the existence of these areas with a growing economy that will make it possible to afford even big investments that are demanded by such an initiative and the development adapting of this alternative with the particular customers. Today in a sporadic way we have this nonpublic education in forms of certain kindergartens with a limited numbers of kids.

3.

Conclusions

The development of the private education in Albania already presents a concrete reality in the whole education system. A main characteristic of its development is the increase and its expansion in all the directions. The private education has already reached all the level of the schooling cycles, starting by the pre-undergraduate studies up to private universities. Each passing year there is an indicator that shows a continual rise of the numbers of students that attend the nonpublic education institutions. There can be seen a better geographic distribution and well known of these institutions which are almost in all the districts of Albania. The open of the non-public institutions in the education field has impacted in a quick way in the increasing competition in the education field as the presence of two different alternatives functioning at the same time in the education system helps toward this point. At the same time their presence has increased the demand and supply when it comes to the staff of the lecturers. Whom beside the public offer employment in the public sector have been given an open door to institutions such as the non-public schools. Although it is in the first steps this kind of education is being presented with important models when it comes to the comfort and the materials regarding the labs and teaching facilities that offers so making itself very attractive daily for more potential customers. There is an increase of the media marketing for the private education field as something new and important by raising in this manner even the informative character in regard to this system. More then ever these private institutions are becoming important centers not only of bringing out talented elements in different fields of the schooling curriculums but also of the education, their promotion and support. At the same time such a thing is being confirmed from the fact that members of these institutions every year are winners of different trophies in different scientific competitions in the local, national and even international levels in certain disciplines. We could see a growing cooperation between many non-public universities in Albania and other nonpublic institutions in the pre-undergraduate system with many homologue institutions in the European countries and in the United States. This is influencing not only in the preparation and in the common cooperation for building their curriculums but also in other aspects as the transfer, share and exchange of common experiences. We have seen student, staff, personnel exchanges etc. Some other things that are happening is that they are making possible to transfer students and

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pupils in relation with their level to continue further studies in European countries and United States. The Albanian Business is being aware that the investment in the education field is not only a serious investment but also an indicator of an innovation in the market economy area. Many of these major businesses are looking for the possibility to invest in the private education in Albania. The opening and the development of the private education in Albania has played an important role to facilitate in a very good way the heavy load that the public sector education found itself after a major increase of demand, where the state had not real capabilities to cope and afford it. This can be expressed with the good relief that the public education system has felt. Without the private it would have been impossible to cope and deal with the high needs in major cities due to the big and rapid fluxes of population emigration toward the western areas and of the urban ones in general. Even in the circles of different experts in education, the private education in this direction is being considered as an unloading place for the number of the students that absorbs and attracts in the general framework of the students especially in the cities.

Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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eKut, the Next Step Csaba BÖDE and Tamás KORCSMÁROS eKut, the Old Research Student Movement 19-21. Ajtósi Dürer sor, H-1146, Budapest, Hungary [email protected]

Abstract. The Hungarian Research Student Association is ten years old, a lot of old research students are at the universities or getting a PhD. We though it is a time to form a movement, a network where we can bring them virtually or physically together. Before we started it, we examined the psychological background of an old a high school research student. We were interested in that the positive effect of the HRSA will remain or will disappear. It turned out that the need of the old research students at the university is different but the root of their problems is the same. We started to organize different programs to make an old student movement and also a place where the older students can have the same spiritual and scientific possibilities.

Introduction The very successful, ten years old initiative, the Hungarian Research Student Association (HRSA) collects student members from secondary schools and they can stay until the beginning of their second year after high school. Till now, we did not know exactly what happens to them after leaving the research student movement. More than a year ago we, Csaba Böde and Tamás Korcsmáros, two former student presidents of the Association encouraged by a dozen of old students and the current leadership started to think about the next step. We had a lot of ideas about the huge possibilities which lies in a movement that could bring together more than 2500 talented students (this number is growing with 400 students per year!). Of course we have suspected that many students might have

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left the scientific area but in our point of view that fact would made our initiative for connections even much wider, effective and in the future more powerful. Before starting to organize our first programs, we wanted to learn about the average situation of the old research students (in a funny way, the average of the nonaverage persons). Then we have started to organize the first programs. This report will follow these actions in structure: first, we will focus on the post-high school research student syndrome then we will introduce the new initiative, called eKut. 1.

The post-high school research student syndrome

The major syndrome occurs because of the exaggerated feelings experienced during the high school research student activities. The slogan of the movement is “the place where you find yourself” and in reality, the students really do find it. They meet a friendly environment where they are not “discriminated” because of their talent, they see other interesting students who have the same problems and same enthusiasm in science. The programs of the Hungarian Research Student Movement are mostly scientific (conferences) but partly usual student entertainment programs (swimming, camping, parties). For some of these students the first positive experience of a student program happened in one of the high school research programs. So in conclusion, they find friends, entertainment, scientific relations in a very liberal manner (only the possibility is given, the rest depends on the person). All of this disappears after they leave the Movement. This loss also has some symptoms. During high school these students have a lot of free time as they do their school work very fast as the requirements for them is very low. That is why they started to do research work, to spend their “free time” with an interesting and effective activity. At the university free time is much less and the requirements are much higher. Moreover they are studying what they are basically interested in. In good cases and at good universities the other students are also motivated to study and to think about science. So the whole environment inducing high school research work is changing for up side down. The students who have had success with their research results and because of this, were prominent in high school suddenly find themselves worth nothing or at least much less than before. An 18 year old young research student is a genuine talent but a 19 year old university student who can perform experiments or read scientific journals is ordinary. In Hunagary every year there are high school research student stars (for example the best student can participate in the Nobel Prize awarding ceremony). University is a fall for them much more than for the others because of the limited number of Ph.D places. Tthe competition at the university is high, the normal effort which made a student outstanding in a regular high school is not enough to be outstanding at the university. Soon there will be others who are just starting their research work and have the same success and results as the old high school research students. What happens to them? Do they abandon their scientific career? Unfortunately much of them do. We do not have correct statistics yet but the estimated ratio is that

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more than one third of high school research students does not go to a scientific faculty which otherwise would not be a big problem. The problem is that more than the half of those who decided to become scientists fail to accomplish this aim because of the reasons mentioned above. They usually have a good chance to get a diploma but their success during the university period and the inner strength that made them special is decreasing that can lead to mental instability and to a bad start of career. In this case good friends are more important than ever. Friends who have the same feelings the same experiences the same roots are the best solution to provide support for staying on the right way. Discovering this need for the growing number of old research students having different problems at the university we started to organize another movement which would continue to provide possibilities and programs for the talented students even after high school.

2.

A community after high-school research – eKut

Ten years after the foundation of the Hungarian Research Student Association, it is time to form its alumni organization, called eKut. The organizers would like to find everyone – regardless whether they are working in science or not – who previously did research and were the members of the successful Hungarian High School Research Student Association. eKut itself is formed in spring 2006 – our first mini-conference was held in May. In July 2006 we have organized an alumni-meeting in Káptalanfüred, at the same place and time where the annual meeting of the HRSA takes place. The reason for this meeting was the tenth anniversary of the high school research movement. Former and present students were celebrating together the birthday there. During this meeting we were organizing small group discussions where the problems of the ex-members were discussed and the eKut goals were stipulated. The aim of eKut is multiple folded: first of all we would like to make a community for the numerous “old” research students to help them in their university life, study , research or simply find old friends from the high school research. Since among the former members of research student movement there are many successful students working in different areas eKut provides a unique possibility to meet and retrieve each other and (re)start fruitful collaborations. Our future aim is to help each talented student (regardless whether they were members of the HRSA or not) to find their way in the university. Therefore eKut is open for everyone who wants to learn and do more than others. In today’s mass education there is a high risk that many talented, gifted people can be lost and cannot exploit his/her capabilities. We are organizing interdisciplinary lectures for university students: the main goal of these lectures is to give the opportunity for inquisitive people to get to know other thing than their profession, to meet professionals from other fields. These interdisciplinary lectures will be held in Budapest as well as in other major cities of Hungary: Szeged, Debrecen and at several other universities.

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For these interdisciplinary lectures we have got a very valuable assistance from the mentor network of the Hungarian Research Student Association: These mentors are all respected professionals working on a scientific field and help us by offering to deliver these interdisciplinary lectures. Other programs are also planned: for instance courses about presentation techniques that could be very useful for students attending the research projects and also the National Student’s Research Conference for undergraduate students held yearly for the presentation of the best research results. This Conference is more like a competition, and the prizes obtained on this conference are very important for the application to the PhD schools in Hungary. Moreover, for graduating students, we are organizing courses how to find a job, how to behave on a job interview, how to look for good job opportunities. We have also found a lot of interest from several, diverse companies about the activities of eKut, as for the employers, eKut provides better chances to find outstandingly qualified labour force.

3.

Conclusions and future perspectives

The possible role of eKut is similar to that of the Hungarian Research Student Association: it is a community for young people who are more talented in some areas than the others. This community provides the opportunity to meet similar people and not to feel being alone – especially at the beginning of the academic studies. eKut wants to complete the work done in the last half century by the university student club organizations in Hungary that are focusing almost exclusively on research – by providing a community and a breadth of view for talented students. As the number of the official members of eKut grows by more than 400 per year and currently it has 2500 members working in various areas of science and life, and knowing that they are really talented, we expect that eKut is going to be a very important and significant participant of the future society of Hungary.

Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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The American Junior Academy of Science: STEM’s Fountain of Youth a

Joan M. MESSER a American Junior Academy of Science, Jones County Junior College, Ellisville, Mississippi 39437

Abstract. The American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) is STEM’s Fountain of Youth. The AJAS mission is to enable our nation’s best high school science research students to be honored in the presence of and interact with the scientific community whose career paths they wish to follow. The spirit of AJAS is to develop lasting national and global networks of friendships with other similarly motivated future young scientists, as well as with the many scientists and leaders they meet. AJAS encourages inquiry-based science that a DIMISHING number of master science teachers are promoting in the America’s education systems. Keywords. STEM, education, science policy, K-12 competition, secondary education opportunities

Introduction For at least three decades in the United States, virtually every national report on how to improve the economy has cited the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education. Similarly, reports on how to improve STEM education justify their conclusions by saying the economy will benefit from the recommendations. For decades, the U.S. has put minimal investments in K-12 STEM education resulting in the poor performance of high school students and more students fleeing the sciences. In the effort to reverse this tread, professional educators seek to turn the tide and mount a

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nationwide response. Buzzwords like ‘seamless system’, ‘alignment with standards’, ‘lifelong learning’ and ‘economic competition in a flat world’ are now vogue. There have been two recent national reports: Rising Above the Gathering Storm (http://newton.nap.edu/execsumm_pdf/11463 ) by the National Academies and Tapping America’s Potential (http://www.tap2015.org/ ) by the consortium of the Business Roundtable. Both reports acknowledge the importance of regional, state and local action (in addition to national action and policies) for both the economy and STEM education.

1. National Association of Academies of Science (NAAS) Initiative 1.1. Organization of NAAS The National Academies (consisting of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and the National Research Council) and representatives of state science academies (NAAS) are exploring ways and means for informing science-based policies that affect education, economic development, health and the environment. The 43 state and regional academies of the National Association of Academies of Science (NAAS) are strategically located at state and local levels where many policy makers in governor’s offices, state legislatures and in state government agencies need advice on setting policies that can benefit from the knowledge and judgment of science academy members. NAAS has the framework in place to supporting the future of STEM education. 1.2 Formation of the American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS) NAAS is the national parent organization for state and regional academies (http://astro.physics.sc.edu/NAAS/). It grew from a standing committee of AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science, publisher of Science) appointed in 1927 and first met as the “The Academy Conference” in 1928. One of the major goals of NAAS is to promote the state member academies that have developed junior academy of science programs. In 1964, NAAS had the vision of encouraging and developing STEM education at the K-12 levels through its state academies. To this end, the American Junior Academy of Science (AJAS, www.amjas.org) was established that year. 1.3 Purpose and the mission of AJAS The mission of AJAS is to accelerate the careers of students into the world of professional scientists and engineers. Students who excelled in inquiry-based scientific research were targeted. NAAS supports this opportunity to excite and encourage this diverse group of young scholars, many of whom will go on to become our nation’s researchers and engineers.

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1.4 Relationship of NAAS/AJAS with AAAS AJAS is sponsored by NAAS and AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science), publisher of Science. NAAS organizes the AJAS annual convention working closely with AAAS. The goal is to enable our nation’s best high school science research students to be honored in the presence of and interact with the scientific community whose career paths they wish to follow. Individual NAAS members annually donate their time to organize and assure the success of this event. 2.

Selection of AJAS Scholars

AJAS brings together our nation’s most dedicated and truly serious high school science students, providing them an unparalleled opportunity to meet the nation’s top researchers and leaders. Each year, about 120 students nationwide are selected as AJAS Scholars in regional and statewide competitions. AJAS student scholars are actively engaged in their research. They are chosen by senior scientists in their respective state academies to attend at the national meeting of the AJAS. Students were evaluated based on their research, often involving statewide competitions.

3.

The annual AAAS/NAAS/AJAS convention

AAAS and NAAS, the sponsoring organization, organizes this annual meeting of AJAS. As members of the scientific community, AJAS students make oral presentations of their research, attended scientific sessions of the AAAS meeting, tour college and university campuses, research labs, as well as historical sites. 3.1 AAAS lectures AJAS delegates attend lectures and symposia sponsored by Science magazine. They have opportunities to meet individually with many of the nation’s leading scientists. They may attend sectional meetings where scientists from individual disciplines meet. For example, AJAS delegates were on hand in San Francisco when Francis Collins and J. Craig Venter presented the first public presentations of their work on the sequence of the human genome (http://www.amjas.org/). 3.2 Tours There are special tours of local university, governmental and commercial research facilities, as well as historical and cultural sites. AJAS scholars have visited outstanding universities such as Harvard, MIT, University of California Berkeley, Washington University, and the Air Force Academy. Other sites visited include National Institute of Health, Department of

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Energy, Boeing Aircraft, Amgen Pharmacia, Sigma Chemical, and Monsanto’s R & D Center. Many tours feature our nation’s top scientists. For example, the tour of the University of Colorado Boulder featured Nobel laureates Eric Cornell and Carl Wiesman. After presenting their research, the Nobel laureates sat with students as they had lunch. In a casual atmosphere, they posed for pictures and got to know the delegates. A human face was painted on the science. For many, the events will confirm and strengthen their educational goals. 3.3 Breakfast with Scientists Perhaps the highlight of each meeting is the annual "Breakfast with Scientists" at which students spend a morning discussing educational opportunities and career objectives with notable scientists, including Nobel Prize winners. Breakfast invitations are extended to scientists attending the NAAS and AAAS meetings and to faculty at nearby universities. This year’s event was attended by Dr. Warren Washington (National Science Board), Peter Raven (St. Louis Botanical Gardens), Shirley Malcolm (AAAS), and Doe-Sun Na, PhD (President, Korean Science Foundation), Mu Sang Lee, PhD (Head, Science Culture Research Center) and Prof. Kyungpook (National University). One recent event featured seven Nobel laureates! 3.4 Posters The opening of AAAS exhibits featured AJAS delegates making poster presentations of their award winning research as world’s leading scientists discussed their own research. Imagine the thrill of a young, inner city scientist who suddenly realizes that the person reading her poster is the nation’s first black Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher. Or the memory shared by all those who shook the hand of the President of the United States. Waves of excitement went through the AJAS poster session as “Bill Nye, the Science Guy” looked at their posters! Or the excitement of the young teen who finds that the friendly lady next to her at breakfast who seems so interested in her study ambitions is the first woman to head the National Science Foundation.

4.

AJAS and “Co-op tition”

4.1 What is “co-op tition”? AJAS promotes the spirit of “co-op tition”- a combination of cooperation and competition. AJAS student delegates develop strong bonds with each other during their week together at the AAAS national conference. Many of these young scholars report that their interactions are different than those established in high-profile competitive events like the Intel

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International Science and Engineering Fair. In this spirit of friendship, there is professional, scientific pride in their research-this in the only competitive part of the conference. This is the key to the success of AJAS. 4.2 The AJAS noncompetitive atmosphere In sharp contrast to many of the high profile events held annually for high school students, the AJAS event is noncompetitive. All AJAS student delegates present their research both orally and in scientific poster session format for the sake of scientific communication, not prizes. x

AJAS Scholar Doug Lavanture describes AJAS in this way: “What made AJAS truly defining for me is that the competition was completed before the actual presentations and the conference began. Because of this, the discussions the students fostered and our commitments to science could remain more pure--more authentic. It certainly felt as if we were entering a more professional realm, as the process mirrored what would be experienced by professional scientists.”

x

“We all were able to unite under a common passion, and instead of fighting for money, for prizes, for prestige, we all entered at the same level and were instead able simply to bond and to share something which we all deeply cherishedscience. The activities outside of the poster presentations themselves—the activities, the trips—helped to cultivate personal bonds between the students, many of which continue today. And even within the conference events themselves, being surrounded by professionals in all of our respective fields without the air of overwhelming competition experienced at intensely competitive events allowed us to more effectively communicate with some of the most respected scientists in the world—and with each other. It was an experience unlike any other.”

Students who are the AJAS delegates form lasting global networks of friendships with other similarly motivated future young scientists, as well as with the many scientists and leaders they meet. The AAAS Meeting provides student delegates an exceptional opportunity to meet and interact with leading scientists from disciplines that span the life, physical, and social sciences, as well as engineering.

5.

AJAS Convention Costs

Financial sponsorship reduces the overall cost for individual students, as well as make possible scholarships and other forms of financial assistance to those who might otherwise not be able to participate. NAAS is a not-for-profit [IRS 501(c) (3) tax exempt] organization with an annual income of $3500 from dues assessed to state academies. This amount covers NAAS annual operating expenses only.

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5.1 Volunteer based The NAAS Board of Directors oversees activities planned and executed by a national cadre of volunteers who serve on various AJAS and NAAS committees. These volunteers include high school science teachers, delegates from state academies, and college and university faculty from across America. Individual NAAS members annually donate their time to organize and assure the success of this event. There are NO salaried personal within NAAS/AJAS- this is all accomplished by volunteers. 5.2 Sponsorhips All costs for the AJAS event must be borne either through financial support from our sponsors or through the fees paid by individual student participants. Corporate, foundation and institutional financial sponsorship reduces the overall cost for individual students, as well as make possible scholarships and other forms of financial assistance to those who might otherwise not be able to participate. Private sponsors have donated money to cover some events but these donations are short term and leave more than 90% of AJAS activities self funded by students and teachers. 5.3 Cost to each participate as of 2007 More financial support means that more students are able to afford to participate. About 150 AJAS student delegates and 75 AJAS chaperones (often their teachers) attend the annual AJAS meeting; each participant must raise their own funds. On average, they pay about $600 for the AAAS and NAAS registration fees (on-site housing, meals, tours, local transportation) and about $600 for travel and meals to/from the meeting site. 5.4 Teacher/mentor incentives A growing crisis in inquiry-based science is that a DIMISHING number of master science teachers are in the education systems that have the expertise to keep research program going in their schools. As the experience teachers leave, few step forward to take up the mantle of inquiry-based science. There are little or no incentives for these teachers. The NAAS/AJAS conference is the few national rewards for teacher and student. But, in many cases, convention expenses are not covered. Over the past few years, the number of students that are encouraged to do high school has plummeted. Clearly, our long term goal is to actively change pursue funding for both educators and students.

J.M. Messer / The American Junior Academy of Science: STEM’s Fountain of Youth

6.

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Conclusions

The American Junior Academy of Science is STEM’s Fountain of Youth. Since its founding in 1964 the AJAS has touched the lives of thousands of students, most of whom have advanced degrees and now lead the world in research, education, engineering and medicine. AJAS is a proven success story in American STEM education. AJAS seeks long-term participation in American future by providing this exceptional opportunity to the nation’s and the world’s future scientists. AJAS will continue to support these worthy students and teachers by continuing to offer them an educational opportunity far beyond what they could receive from any single school activity. The answer to the “gathering storm” in STEM education will not be a simple solution, but a combination of effective policies. AJAS is a very effective policy.

Special thanks: Lynn Elfner (Ohio Academy of Science) and Doug Laventure (2004 AJAS scholar now attending Harvard University)

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From School to University and Back Again: Cus-Mi-Bio, an Integrated Approach to Science Education in Lombardy, Italy Cinzia GRAZIOLI a, Anna CARTISANO b , Paolo PLEVANI c, Giovanna VIALE d and Maria Luisa TENCHINI e a High school teacher, Liceo Scientifico “Vittorio Veneto”, Milano, Italy – Full-time dedicated at Cus-Mi-Bio, via Viotti 3/5, Milan, Italy b High school teacher, Liceo Scientifico “G.B. Vico”, Corsico (Milano), Italy – Fulltime dedicated at Cus-Mi-Bio, via Viotti 3/5, Milan, Italy c Professor of Molecular Biology, Dept. of Biomolecular Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Milan, Via Celoria 26, Milan, Italy d Professor of Biology and Genetics, Dept. of Biology and Genetics for Medical Sciences, University of Milan, Italy, via Viotti 3/5, Milan, Italy e Professor of Biology and Genetics, Dept. of Biology and Genetics for Medical Sciences, University of Milan, Italy, via Viotti 3/5, Milan, Italy

Abstract. High school science education is a complex task, requiring an integrated approach by all institutions dealing with science education, including University. Here we presents the general organization and philosophy of Cus-Mi-Bio (Centre of the University and High School of Milan for Bioscience Education), together with the analysis of all initiatives developed for High school science teachers and students. Keywords. Science education, High school, science teachers, High school students, university, bio-lab

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Introduction While there has been an extraordinary acceleration in the comprehension of basic biological phenomena, which has so far brought Genetics and the Biosciences in the “Big Science” field, a lack in scientific culture among the general population can be observed. Terms as DNA, gene and genome are very common nowadays, but most of the people do not know their exact meaning. Terms as “organic” or “biological” have assumed a positive meaning, while others, such as “genetics” or “biotechnological” a negative one. This is the result of prejudices and of poor scientific culture and can have serious social and economic repercussions. Moreover, according to a recent survey performed within the frame of the ROSE (Relevance Of Science Education) project [1], among students in many industrialized countries science is less popular than other subjects and young people, mostly girls, are ambivalent or negative as regard to get a job in technology. This tendency is worrying, because a country which is not developing science and know-how is a country lagging in international challenges in the High tech sectors and hence doomed to be left behind. As a consequence, all institutions dealing with science education, including University, should make efforts for raising interest in science. However, the diffusion of scientific culture is a complex and articulated task; there are a lot of movers and subjects to investigate and coordinate to reach this goal. A key step in this direction is to improve and stimulate science education in High schools.

1.

Acting science education

Acting science education means to give the students the instruments to understand and interpret the cultural and scientific evolution of modern society, to infuse enthusiasm and the will to know and interpret the research progresses, to increase and sharpen their critical sense and their capacity to make conscious choices. Most of the undergraduate students will soon access University, making the two educational systems (i.e. High school and University) closely linked. In Italy, for instance, in 2005 more than 300.000 students were enrolled into the University >2@, and University will have good freshmen, only if the High school provides the students with an adequate background. Moreover, it should also not be underestimated that students with a strong interest in biosciences will ensure, once graduated, a new generation of researchers. At High school, students should acquire not only specific competences (i.e. knowledge in specific topics, such as maths, physics, biology or literature), but also aspecific competences in life and social skills, like team working, self management, autonomy, responsible behaviour (in terms of punctuality, attention, critical participation etc.). What is important is to” learn how to learn”. For these reasons, we strengthened the existing collaboration between High school and University, the two cornerstones of education and training in modern societies, in an attempt to promote cooperation and mutual exchanges.

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Establishment of Cus-Mi-Bio

In 2004, the University of Milan (Università degli Studi di Milano) [3] signed a collaborative agreement with the Educational School Office of Lombardy >4@, the institution coordinating all public High schools (about 1.000 schools, over 1.500 life science teachers and over 320.000 students) in this Highly industrialized region of Northern Italy (9.475 .000 inhabitants, 21,861 m2). The result was the establishment of a centre, called Cus-Mi-Bio (Centre of the University and High school of Milan for Bioscience education), specifically dedicated to science education in High school >5@. This centre wants to be a bridge between the two educational systems, University and High school. In our opinion, a strong collaboration between High school system and other institutions, like University, research centres or museums, dealing with science education is crucial for the success of all science education initiatives. The organization structure of Cus-Mi-Bio comprises a director (lasting three years) and a scientific committee composed by 5 members (University teachers and representatives of the Educational Office of Lombardy). An essential point to be underlined is that at Cus-Mi-Bio centre, two High school teachers (C.G. and A.C.) are working full time, therefore representing the needs of the High school within the University. Moreover, a dozen of University teachers working in the scientific faculties of the University of Milan (Faculty of Agriculture, Pharmacy, Medicine, Science and Veterinary) are collaborating with different roles, as project coordinators or supporting staff. The involvement of several University teachers with different cultural background should from one side guarantee the critical mass to this initiative and therefore its lasting over time, from the other side should allow a multidisciplinary approach to specific scientific topics for High school science education. Like in biology, diversity is essential and is an asset to be preserved! Finally, several young graduated people are collaborating as tutors for carrying out the hands on activities, as discussed in the paragraph “The role of tutors”. Cus-Mi-Bio has also a collaborative agreement with EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory) of Heidelberg >6@ for delivering courses for science secondary school tachers under the support of ELLS (European Learning Laboratory for the Life Sciences) at EMBL.

3.

General philosophy of Cus-Mi-Bio

The general philosophy underlying all the initiatives developed by Cus-Mi-Bio is that High school teachers are the key elements in the process of diffusion of knowledge. Consequently, all activities towards High school students, the final recipients of the whole initiative, are discussed and organized in close collaboration with the teachers. Therefore, Cus-Mi-Bio organizes activities for both High school teachers and students, as illustrated underneath.

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Activities for High school teachers

According to the above presented general philosophy, we established a strong web of interactions with the teachers (Fig. 1.), so that they become the main actors in the diffusion of scientific knowledge in the newest fields of Biosciences. Owing to their fundamental role, we deserve a lot of attention to High school teachers. They need updating (in average High school teachers graduated about 20 years ago); they need motivation (they are often depressed and bored); they need to recover a social role and to receive new stimuli for doing their work in a more participated, more creative and consequently more effective way; they need also a place where to meet, to exchange experiences and to establish contacts with their colleagues.

Figure 1. Cus-Mi-Bio web of interactions.

4.1. Collaborative High school/University groups Collaborative High school/University groups are groups, each composed by an University teacher and 5/7 High school teachers, which, under the supervision of university teachers, work on a given scientific topics with the goal of preparing workpackages and new teaching methods and tools for High school students. In these groups, High school teachers have a dual role: from one side, they become students again, since they are updated in their scientific knowledge by the University teachers, that are also a reference point for High school teachers as far as University expectancy on students’ background knowledge is regarded. On the other side, the High school teachers are also a crucial component of the team with their professional skills and specific competences in dealing with teenagers, their knowledge in how to get their attention, in how to prepare suitable activities, in the language to use etc. In these High school/University groups, therefore, there is an osmotic exchange of competences.

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As a result of the combined High school/University efforts, several activities for students have been produced on advanced biotechnological topics, such as GMO (Genetically Modified organisms) identification, DNA fingerprinting, simulation of a FISH (Fluorescent In Situ Hybridization) analysis, molecular markers in corn, yeast genetics, bioethics, bioinformatics, genetic counselling, etc. For each topic, the single collaborative group developed a handbook, freely available on our website [5]. Table 1. Activities developed by Cus-Mi-Bio for High school teachers and students in the frame of science education. For details, see text.

Activities of Cus-Mi-Bio for High school teachers students Collaborative High school/University “Try the Bio-Lab” groups Attending national or international Stage in a research lab: “A week as a meetings researcher” and “One-month stage in an international lab” Lead teacher “Attend a top science research project” Updating courses

Many High school teachers report how pleasant and rewarding is to study again as they used to do when they where at University. Simona Cadirola (teacher at the classic lyceum “Berchet”, Milan), one of the most involved teacher, says: ”it has been an absorbing and cooperative experience, we had the pleasure to be students again…Also the collaboration among a lot of High school teachers has been important not to mention the exchanges with the University teachers. It has been a demanding job but rewarding for the goal reached both in the activities elaboration and in the relationship with students and colleagues of our schools who are enthusiastic about the project.” 4.2. Attending national or international meetings The efforts of High school teachers in the collaborative groups are acknowledged by Educational Office of Lombardy through the sponsorship of the teacher participation to updating meetings, both national and international. The latter are strongly favoured by Cus-Mi-Bio, owing to the fundamental role of establishing international contacts. In this regard, internationalization should be further increased. Another key feature of the Cus-Mi-Bio philosophy is that all teaching experiences of teachers must become a common resource, shared by and available to all teachers. Accordingly, Cus-Mi-Bio organizes reports and publications of the experiences on the Cus-Mi-Bio web site [5]. This resulted to help very much in developing their sense of belonging. 4.3. Lead teacher The lead teacher is a new role we created for science teachers, in accordance with the Educational Office of Lombardy. A lead teacher is a High school teacher who worked

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in the University/school collaborative groups in developing lab activities, and thereafter can run himself “Try the BioLab” (see corresponding paragraph), in place of the University teacher. Hence, the lead teacher responds to another aspect of the general philosophy of Cus-Mi-Bio: High school teachers must perform a round trip. They go to the University or to a research lab, they pick up knowledge, but then they must “close the circle” in order to bring back their new competences and skills to the High school by updating students (Fig. 2).

HighȱSchool University/Schoolȱ collaborativeȱ groupsȱ

Leadȱteacher

Universityȱor Researchȱlabȱorȱ Museum

Figure 2. The lead teacher, a new role for High school teachers. A lead teacher makes a round trip: from School to University (where he was updated in the High school/University collaborative groups) and back again, from University to High school by collaborating to activities for High school students.

That is what M. Teresa Oliveira (teacher at the vocational school “Ipsia Fiocchi”, Lecco, Como), one of our lead teachers, reports: “it has been a unique experience …I have improved a lot since I joined Cus-Mi-Bio activities, now I know much more than before, also my way of teaching is more dynamic, I feel more self confident when I face the audience…... I will always thank you to have made my path to knowledge so much easier…” 4.4. Updating courses Onother activity of Cus-Mi-Bio for High school teachers concerns the planning and organization of updating courses, both theoretical and practical, attended up to now, by about 400 teachers. Some of these courses are run in Italian, others are run in English, and organized with ELLS. Updating course resulted to be the first step in allowing a contact with teachers for further activities. 4.5. E-learning activities Cus-Mi-Bio developed and is developing e-learning activities for High school teachers to be used in the classroom teaching in the frame of the “Bioteach: tools and tips for

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science teachers” project [7]. Some modules (e.g., “From organism to genes” on zebrafish performed in collaboration with ELLS) are available in English. However, this kind of teaching tool is not widely used by the teachers. In our experience, they prefer, in their updating process, a more direct relationship and interchange with the University teacher.

5.

Activities for High school students

Teaching in the classroom, although essential, cannot fully transmit the excitement of scientific research and discovery [8]. New initiatives and proposals, therefore, are necessary to support a more participatory, discovery-based instruction in undergraduate science education. To this purpose, hands-on activities and experiences based on direct involvement in scientific research were developed by Cus-Mi-Bio, as discussed in the next paragraphs. 5.1. “Try the Bio-Lab” “Try the Bio-Lab” is the main activity for High school students: third, fourth and fifth grade students can spend one morning in a fully equipped University lab (both materials and equipments are usually not available in a school laboratory) where they can perform one hands-on activity on advanced biotechnological topics, elaborated by the collaborative groups of University/Highs school teachers (see paragraph “Collaborative High school/University groups”). Students of each class are divided in small groups (5 to 6 people). Subdivision in small groups is important to help them in developing sense of ownership and team work capabilities. The students, with the help of lead teachers (see “Lead teacher” paragraph) and tutors (see “The role of tutors” paragraph) perform by themselves a simple experiment, comment their results and discuss conclusions. The lead teacher can explain in more depth some theoretical aspects and discuss with the students their results. The class teacher also attends the activity. He/she has prepared the students during his/her lessons at school and has already performed the experiment in a preliminary rehearsal session for teachers. Last but not least, from this experience our young students, mixing with University students who attend courses, take exams or work in the labs or simply having a drink at the coffee bar can have their first taste of the University environment. 5.2. The role of tutors Tutors are newly graduated or PhD students (even though the latter are only occasionally involved due to their research activity), that cooperate as instructors in the “Try the BioLab” activities.

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The involvement of the tutors results to be very important, as they act as role models for the students (high school student relates to a peer and not directly to the teacher, whose institutional role creates more barriers) and they can give careers advice, helping students in a more conscious and motivated choice of their future studies. The presence of tutors ensures also a cooperative and collaborative atmosphere. 5.3. The annual students contest The research internship in a molecular biology research lab is a vital component of an advanced science education program. It allows students to see hands-on what biomedical research is all about—the ups, the downs, the excitement, the frustration, the challenging aspects of this activity. Within this general frame, Cus-Mi-Bio organises a competition, reserved to all High school students who attended “Try the BioLab” activity, for about 10 stages in a research lab. The stages are both short (“A week as a researcher”) and long (“Onemonth stage in an international lab”) and are performed during holidays. The short stage is performed in one of the research labs of Milan University, the long one in an international lab [in 2006, it was at the Monterotondo (Rome) outstation of EMBL] and it is reserved to the first ranked student. Therefore, at Cus-Mi-Bio we try to have a balance between non-selective (“Try the BioLab”) and selective (Stage in a research lab) activities and the general strategy can be summarized as “From many to few”. This strategy raises the problem of the selection criteria to be used in order to avoid discrimination, both against or in favour of any kind of High school (classic, scientific lyceum or vocational school). Selection is mostly based on multiple choice test. There are different kinds of questions in the tests evaluating different skills and to be tackled by different cognitive styles to give students with less theoretical knowledge but more method and logic (i.e. vocational school students) the same opportunities as Lyceum students. The selection is performed through two successive selection steps (Fig. 3). A first selection step is performed in each class by the class teacher through a questionnaire which is the same for all classes and a second selection step performed at Cus-Mi-Bio, which is based on a computer test and an interview to assess motivation. The selection, being very hard (from 3.000 participating students to 12 winners), allows the identification of very talented young students, as confirmed also by the evaluation of the lab group leader where each student performed the research stage.

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~3.000ȱ

Firstȱselectionȱstepȱperformedȱ byȱeachȱclassȱteacher:ȱ multipleȱchoiceȱquestionsȱ(theȱ sameȱforȱallȱclasses)

Students attending “Try the BioLab” (~ 180 classes)

180

Best student from each class

Second selection step at CusMi-Bio: computer-assisted + oral evaluations

12

Winners

Figure 3. Selection steps in “A week as a researcher” and “One-month stage in an international lab” prizes reserved to High school students attending Bio-Lab activities. Numbers refer to 2006 edition.

5.4. “Attend a top science research project” We reasoned that Cus-Mi-Bio does not loose talented students selected through the annual students contest (see above paragraph). Therefore, a new project, “Attend a top science research project” was launched, for combining professional-quality research with a strategy for research-based undergraduate education. The project, which will start in October 2006, will consist in involving, all school year long, the High school students who attended the lab stage in a real top science research. “Following the footsteps of evolution, looking for new genes” is the 2006 research project, which will consist in a bioinformatics analysis of the human genome, aimed at the discovery of novel and as yet unidentified genes. Hopefully, this new experience will end up in a positive way, like previous similar experiences [9].

6.

Evaluation instruments and feedback

Cus-Mi-Bio has also planned some instruments to evaluate its activities both in quality and in quantity terms. At the end of all workgroups, meetings, training courses and lab activities, teachers and students are surveyed through a questionnaire assessing the effectiveness, the relevancy, the adherence to the expectations, the clearness of the exposition, the feasibility of hands on activities, the reproducibility of the activities; they can also express their opinion and comments and give suggestions.

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After only 3 years of activities, it’s too soon to have a feedback on their impact on High school science education. An extremely positive and encouraging observation is the substantial increase, year after year, of the number of teachers who join the different activities, who want to collaborate and of the High school students attending the lab activities.

7.

Concluding remarks

As a consequence of the general philosophy underlying Cus-Mi-Bio and of the results of up to now experience, we draw the conclusion that University and scientific institutions dealing with Science education in High schools have to develop two main perspectives: first, they have to design a new role for their activities, and they have to establish tight links with the territorial and cultural background, involving other institutions, like local government and civil society sharing the same mission, i.e. education. The second perspective is to create a network between European or nonEuropean institutions dealing with science education for High school students and to implement the already existing collaborations.

References >1@ C. Schreiner and S. Sjøberg, Science education and youth's identity construction two incompatible projects?, In: D. Corrigan, J. Dillon and R. Gunstone (eds.), The Reemergence of Values in the Science Curriculum, 2006 (in press). >2@ www.miur.it >3@ www.unimi.it >4@ www.istruzione.lombardia.it >5@ www.cusmibio.unimi.it >6@ www.embl.org.training.ells >7@ http://ariel.ctu.unimi.it/corsi/bioteach/home/ [8] R. Trumper, Factors Affecting Junior High School Students' Interest in Biology. Science Education International, 17(1), (2006) 31-48. >9@ J. Chen et al. Discovery-based science education: functional genomic dissection in Drosophila by undergraduate researchers, Plos Biology, 3, (2005), e59,DOI: 10.1371.

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Session IV Successful Practices Around the World

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Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

79

That Tingling Thrill of Discovery: What Matters to Students and Mentors a

Peggy CONNOLLY a Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy 1500 West Sullivan Road: Aurora, IL 60506 USA

Abstract. Students report a desire for research experience as the primary reason they seek a mentor. For many, however, the relationship with their mentor becomes the most significant and valued aspect of mentorship. 1245 student and mentor evaluations from 1995 through 2006 were analyzed to identify implications for program improvement. Results - sometimes surprising results - also revealed what matters most to students and mentors, and what makes a great mentor. Keywords. Mentorship, student research, mentor, program improvement.

Introduction The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) Mentorship Program began in 1989 with twenty-eight students, and now involves approximately 200 students each year, working with mentors representing nearly 150 institutions. IMSA students are successful in research: they patent inventions, create novel techniques, make scientific discoveries, present their results at national and international professional conferences, publish their work in prestigious peer-reviewed research journals... while still in high school. IMSA is a public residential high school for students talented in mathematics and science. Despite students’ability and their mentor dedication, the program’s success is

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puzzling. Students work on research with their mentors approximately three days a month for eight months, spending four to six hours that day on transportation. What makes the students and program so successful with that kind of research schedule? Starting in 1995, students and mentors were asked to evaluate their mentorship experience annually. Open-ended questions were used, along with a checklist1 tied to IMSA’s Standards of Significant Learning: habits of mind and cognition expected of all IMSA students2. Feedback from the evaluations was used to improve and refine the Mentorship Program, assess expectations and preparedness, and enhance communication. Examining responses at the end of each year led to improvement and enrichment of the mentorship experience on a continual basis. However, closer analysis of the collective qualitative responses over the last twelve years disclosed patterns and surprising revelations about what matters to students and mentors, and how their expectations change as they gain experience and confidence. Perhaps most useful (and interesting!) are data elucidating qualities and behaviors of good mentors and good protégés.

1.

Methodology

1.1 Methodology Grounded Theory, developed by Glaser and Strauss, is an inductive methodology of theory generation advancing theories from data grounded in observation. This methodology is particularly useful for analyzing qualitative data about subjective processes and perceptions, and identifying emerging patterns that advance explanations about experience. x

x

Copies of evaluations, as well as other program materials are available on the IMSA website at: http://www.imsa.edu Information on IMSA Student Inquiry and Research Programs may be accessed from “Learning at IMSA” on the left-side menu. IMSA’s Standards of Significant Learning may be accessed at the following website: http://www.imsa.edu/learning/standards/ssls.php

The process of developing a grounded theory involves: x x x

Theoretical sampling – the collection, categorization, and analysis of data. Hypothesis formulation - the identification of general relationships. Theory generation - development of an explanation that accounts for much of the phenomena [1].

Naturalistic inquiries, such as Grounded Theory, focus on theory generation, rather than its verification. Phenomena are observed and data analyzed in context, rather than in a

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controlled environment. Good naturalistic inquiries result in workable theories that adequately explain phenomena, are relevant and understandable to researchers and practitioners, and are easily converted from concept to policy [2]. Grounded Theory is effective in examining the functional concerns of organizations, situation-specific challenges, and collective subjective experiences. When certain facts and patterns are determined lead to predictable phenomena, novel solutions may emerge that are grounded in relevant context. In this study, Grounded Theory provided a framework for analyzing feedback from hundreds of students and mentors and identifying patterns in expectations and experiences, resulting in concrete recommendations for making mentorship a valuable undertaking for both students and mentors. 1.2 Limitations of the Study The original intent of the annual evaluation was continual improvement of IMSA’s Mentorship Program. A longitudinal study was neither anticipated nor designed. Evaluations were created specifically to provide feedback on IMSA’s program, not to generate information about student research programs in general. Despite lack of deliberate design, much valuable information was generated from the data. For example, one of the most significant outcomes to emerge was a set of criteria describing good mentors. Students weren’t asked what makes a good mentor, but volunteered information about what their mentors did that made the experience exceptional. Mentors weren’t asked what was valuable in the mentoring experience for them, but many offered this information. Quantitative data were not recorded. For example, “To learn how to design a research project” was mentioned by many students as the reason for seeking a mentor, but recorded only once. A record of the frequency of each response would be informative, but was not part of this study. To understand how this evaluation, with its limitations, yielded such rich data, it’s useful to consider IMSA’s Mentorship Program . 1.3 IMSA’s Mentorship Program IMSA’s Mentorship Program pairs students with scientists who bring students into their research, then guide them to increasingly sophisticated and independent research. IMSA’s academic program is one of the most rigorous in the United States. Although students are not required to do research, about 30% of IMSA’s 640 students participate in mentorship. Program requirements are developmental, designed to nurture ethical researchers who are building the proficiencies in experience, skills, expertise, and judgment necessary to extend the limits of existing knowledge.

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As students begin research, they review resources from the professional literature, address safety issues, and analyze ethical aspects of their research in preparation for designing a research proposal. During the course of their research, they submit a progress report and a final research report with abstract, and give both oral and poster presentations of their work in a public forum. Program logistics create challenges. Most students conduct research in one of the many exceptional research facilities in the Chicago area. IMSA is residential a residential school 45 mile west of Chicago, and transportation must be provided. On average, three Wednesdays a month are reserved for Mentorship. The limited number of days and the long commute (often two to three hours each way) seriously limit time spent on research. Both students and mentors have competing responsibilities: students to their academic coursework and extracurricular commitments; mentors to their own research and to colleagues, patients, clients, students, families, and the funding demands of sustaining a research program. Students are involved in sophisticated projects; yet usually begin mentorship with only general laboratory skills, a limited understanding of the discipline, and negligible knowledge of the specific project. Training in appropriate laboratory techniques, and mastering the vocabulary and concepts of the specific research further limit time available for inquiry. Because many laboratory techniques take several hours or days to complete, the student may not conduct every step of the experiment, but must rely on the cooperation of colleagues. Despite these challenges, IMSA mentorship students have developed novel laboratory techniques, improved intervention programs for abused children, identified why some prostheses disintegrate in the human body, discovered mathematical formulas to predict the shelf life of soap products, created an interactive database with students from the Potawatomi Nation that became a model for several other Indian tribes to recapture their culture and history, solved Durfee’s Conjecture, perfected an accurate technique for dating Peruvian archaeological samples without using carbon dating, revised the theory of measuring the speed of subatomic particles, refined the accuracy of imaging technologies, and constructed programs to develop high level math and skills, scientific literacy, and self esteem for children living in Cabrini Green, one of the country’s most disadvantaged and violent public housing projects. To understand how these results are possible, given the limitations of IMSA’s Mentorship Program, the principles of Grounded Theory were applied to examine the evaluation data, identify patterns and relationships, and generate conclusions to identify factors that contribute to success in student research. 1.4 Survey Participation in the evaluations was voluntary. Response rates varied year to year (Table 1). Questions tied to IMSA’s Standards of Significant Learning used a 5-point scaled checklist for ease of response, with an invitation to comment on any items. Students were asked to

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respond to 25 checklist items, mentors to 22. In addition, students were asked to respond to five, and mentors to four, open-ended questions. Table 1. Number of student and mentor evaluations by year Year

Students

Mentors

Total: Mentors 37

Total

37

Total: Students 0

1995

0

1996

48

0

48

37

85

1997

71

71

119

108

227

1998

62

33

181

141

332

1999

68

61

249

202

451

2000

68

79

317

281

598

2001

10

43

327

324

651

2002

138

59

465

383

848

2003

75

45

540

428

968

2004

0

0

540

428

968

2005

106

54

646

482

1128

2006

25

92

671

574

1245

37

Students were asked the following questions: x x x x x

What did you hope to gain from mentorship? What was most valuable about your mentorship experience? Were you asked to do things that you felt were not appropriate mentorship activities? Please list any accomplishments (publication, presentation at a conference, competitions, awards, patents, research scholarships, etc.) related to your mentorship. What would you like to see changed to make mentorship a more effective program?

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Mentors were asked the following questions: x x x x

2.

Were you comfortable with the expectations of the Mentorship Program? Are there particular skills, lab techniques and procedures, research abilities, preparation, etc. that would make students more effective when they begin mentorship? What, if any, difficulties did you encounter as a mentor? What would you like to see changed to make mentorship a more effective program?

Theoretical Sampling, Hypothesis Formation, and Theory Generation

2.1. Collection, Categorization, and Analysis of Data It would be a bit disingenuous to say, “The samples were collected.”. The evaluations were rescued from consignment to obscurity in a file drawer. The original intent of the evaluations, as well as the intent of this study, was to generate qualitative information about student research that could be used to design and enhance mentorship programs and experiences. Consequently the checklist responses were not considered in the study, as their imprecise and quantitative nature was not deemed meaty enough to yield significant data for the study’s purpose. Evaluations were separated by year and source (student or mentor), and the number of responses from students and mentors for each year was noted. Each unique response to the open-ended questions was recorded: a list of 417 such responses was generated! 1 Originally responses were listed under categories defined by the nine evaluation questions, but through the process of systematically classifying the data, eight categories ultimately emerged. The first five speak to the experience of mentorship, while the last three are more concerned with programmatic themes: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

What Students Want What Mentors Want What Aspect of Mentorship Is Most Valued by Students What Aspect of Mentorship Is Most Valued by Mentors What Do Good Mentors Do? Observations about Mentorship Challenges to Mentorship Implications for Mentorship Programs

1 The numbers and range of responses were the first surprises to emerge from the data. The preponderance and diversity of motivations and rewards was astonishing!

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As the data were categorized, several factors became clear. The organizing concepts underlying categorization are arbitrary: another researcher, looking at the same data, might find other concepts more useful for classifying responses. Seven responses did not fit exclusively into a single category. For example, one student’s response to the the question, “What was most valuable about your mentorship experience?”, was “Collaborating with other individuals and groups with different ideas, and seeing how collective intelligence brings focus”. Two important ideas were intertwined in that comment: the first having to do with the research process (collaboration) , the second with the process of cognition (symbiotic intelligence). These responses were included in two categories for analysis, but were counted in only one category for the total number (424). Categories are not discrete. “What Makes a Good Mentor?” and “What Was Most Valuable about Your Mentorship Experience?”, are two distinct categories that emerged from the data, yet they contain mutually intrinsic ideas and observations. Intriguing issues arose in as the data were examined. Sometimes the response to a question in the evaluation raised additional questions. For example, when students responded to the question, “What did you hope to gain from mentorship?” by saying that they wanted experience in research, by “experience” did they mean they wanted to gain skills, participate in the process of research, build a resume, or something entirely different? Detailed answers by some students indicated that the question, although intended to be open-ended, was somewhat ambiguous.Consequently, assumptions were made about the meaning of equivocal responses. Although imprecise, these ambiguities added a richer texture to the interpretation of data, and ultimately more creative and robust recommendations for mentorship programs. As the data were recorded, categorized, and examined, themes began to emerge within the categories. Relationships among the underlying concepts became, at the same time, more distinct and more correlative. 2.2. Identification of Patterns and Relationships As organizing themes developed within each category, the data rendered useful insights into research mentorships. There is too much information to include all of it here, but the major findings of the first four categories will be summarized, and clarifying or charming examples shared. For each theme, at least one example will be provided to create a sense of what kind of criteria shaped the decision to assign the response to a particular category. The remaining four categories provide paradigmatic perspectives that can strengthen existing student research programs and create effective new ones. The category titled “What Good Mentors Do” simply lists the criteria and qualities that students identified with

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mentors who provide an exceptional research experience.The final three categories will be presented as recommendations, as they provide useful guidelines for effective mentoring. What Students Want Based on 58 unique responses, eight themes evolved within this category: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Experience: Skills “independence and competency in collecting data, executing procedures, organizing results and drawing conclusions” Experience: Research Process “understanding how people discover knowledge and know it to be true” Tangible Outcomes “to present my work professionally, and say, "I did this!" Knowledge “At first I just wanted to survive in research. As I gained confidence, I wanted to REALLY understand the research, and then to design my own experiments” Reality “work on real projects instead of regular academic work” Positioning “to broaden my perspectives in science and direct my career pathways” Passion “experience a field I love, but that my parents don’t want me to have as a career.” Altruism “knowing my research will make someone’s life better”

What Mentors Want The elements student identified as what they wanted from mentorship tended to be centered around goals, while mentors focused more on students’ attitude and progression in the research process. Based on 39 unique responses, three major themes developed within this category, with three sub-themes within the first theme. The quotes from this section were lengthy, so the theme “Program Structure” lists the ideal mentoring relationship perceived by three mentors. 1.

2. 3.

Pre-placement a. Program Structure x “Teams - more minds develop more ideas and generate creativity” x “Two students pick up different aspects and help each other” x “Only one student” b. Student Attitude and Characteristics “Initiative, curiosity, excitement” c. Student Knowledge and Abilities “The ability to think, plan, anticipate” Mentoring Experience “Come to the lab prepared – ready to work, material read, anticipating what needs to be done that day.” Post-mentoring “Tracking information on students to see connection with careers”

What Aspect of Mentorship Is Most Valued by Students By far the lushest data emerged from this category, which was comprised of 177 unique responses. Intriguing factors were revealed by comparing students’ responses to the question “What did you hope

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to gain from mentorship?” with responses to “What was most valuable about your mentorship experience?” None of the students who completed the 671 evaluations listed the relationship with the mentor as the reason for doing mentorship. Only ten indicated that experience in the research process was what motivated them to seek a mentor. However, students identified overwhelmingly these two themes as the most valuable aspects of mentorhsip. Each of these two categories was richly populated with examples, 34 in each (and remember that these are 34 unique reasons within each of the two themes), that gave details elucidating the reasons that relationships and experiencing the research process were such significant and powerful treasures of mentorship. This category produced eleven themes. Because the categories of Relationship and Experience: Research Process are so significant, more extensive comments for these themes are included. x

x x x x

Relationship What did students say about mentoring relationships that explain why they become so important? “My mentor became a mentor in many different aspects of my life – not just scientific research. This is a profound relationship.” “I love working with a group of people who have the same passion for research I do.” “...talking with my mentor about colleges, about the best colleges in this field, and what to do to be successful in research there.” “Coming together as a group: putting aside individual differences and perspectives and pulling together to make the project work.” “working with distinguished faculty researchers who were eager to help me succeed.” “My laboratory had so many diverse personalities who cared about each other, but had different experiences and perspectives.” These comments speak volumes about personal and professional nurturing, contributing to significant work, learning to collaborate, giving and receiving respect, and developing life-long friendships. Personal “learning I could stick with something that was frustrating and difficult and have it be fulfilling” Cognition “really stretching my imagination and thinking about things completely differently than I’m used to.” Experience: Skills “working on state-of-the-art equipment” Experience:Research Process What did students have to say about the serendipitous experience of participating in the research process? “the new questions that arose every day…What if…? How would…? Why?…and the new strategies we devised to test them.” “Seeing how institutions work and learning how things get done in research.” “Research isn’t really what I thought it was: it’s fantastic and I didn’t expect that.” “Designing and implementing a research project that was my own idea: the mentor provided much needed advice, but let me work independently.” “When we couldn’t find a method that worked to find the information we needed, and we had to create one, I got to experience the frustration of setbacks and the tingling thrill when you realize you finally found the answer.” “seeing the gamut of medical research from meeting the patients to

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x x x x x x

running tests on their DNA and seeing how the scientific process can help their condition” Tangible Outcomes “presenting at a national conference and meeting others in the same field” Knowledge “gaining a thorough understanding of new concepts in my field” Reality “learning to work in conditions that are not favorable, such as too little time” Positioning “the contact I made, not only my mentor and colleagues, but also in the industry” Passion “At first I was so intimidated by my mentor and the project: it’s exhilarating to be able to understand the research and be considered a colleague by my mentor.” Altruism “Doing something that actually matters in the real world”

What Aspect of Mentorship Is Most Valued by Mentors Although mentors were not asked what they value in their mentoring experience, many volunteered this information. Seven themes unfolded from 39 unique mentor responses: x x x x x x x

Excitement/Emotional Satisfaction “Evoking a “Wow!”” Feelings of Personal Worth “Feeling like a real role model” Pride/Pleasure in Student Accomplishments/Growth “Getting the student to think outside her normal way of thinking so she could deal with real-world problems creatively” Sharing Knowledge “Passing my knowledge on to someone who was excited by it” Gaining Knowledge “Fluid thinking of students sometimes led to solutions to technical problems our more experienced (rigid) minds didn’t see.” Relationship “Listening to the students discussing their problems, concerns, dreams, lives.” Altruism “To remind myself of the importance mentoring was to me and to in turn contribute time and effort to a young scientists”

2.3. Theory Generation: What Matters to Students and Mentors The categories titled What Do Good Mentors Do?, Observations about Mentorship, Challenges to Mentorship, and Implications for Mentorship Programs, provide paradigmatic perspectives that suggest considerations and actions to strengthen existing student research programs and create effective new ones.

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What Do Good Mentors Do? Thirty-seven unique responses generated five themes describing exceptional mentors.Good mentors provide support, transmit the culture of science to their students, attend to relationships, provide clear expectations and feedback, and demonstrate qualities of character that nurture respect and self-confidence in young scientists. How do mentors do this? According to students: Supportive mentors are: x x x x x x

Approachable Helpful Available when needed Conscientious about spending adequate time with the student Enlightening and encouraging when failures occur “Happy to answer questions or discuss doubts, making me feel not like it is an intrusion, but a demonstration of my progress and deepening understanding of the research.”

Mentors transmit the culture of science by: x x x x x x x x x

x

Providing vocabulary and concept lists for new research students, Providing/recommending reading material relevant to the project before the student begins research, and continuing to do so on an on-going basis , “Refraining from giving students such a small piece of the overall work that they become insignificant”, Making a point to introduce the student to many professionals in the field, Demonstrating and teaching the professional expectations and ethical aspects of science, Giving reasons for doing things in specific way, and explaining why it is necessary, “Giving me ownership over my project and helping me formulate an independent research question and proposal: this was very encouraging.” “Distinguish between carelessness and mistakes: my mentor was clearly (yet kindly) displeased with carelessness, but very encouraging about mistakes as a valuable learning tool.” “Showing me how my project fit into the lab’s work, how the lab’s work fit into the discipline, how we collaborate with colleagues at other institutions to create a larger understanding of our work, and how scientists come together to share discoveries and discuss ideas.” Making me feel my mistakes are valuable and helping me learn from them

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Mentors attend to relationships by: x x x

Demonstrating genuine interest in the student’s progress, Setting a tone of cooperation and respect in the lab, Entrusting students with important work, not busy work.

Mentors who provide clear expectations and feedback: x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Communicate expectations well by defining the goal, outlining the project, and specifying the procedures necessary to achieve the goal, Establish clear expectations, but leave room for questions and ideas, Discuss the project on both the large and small scale, and the logic of the plan, Explain the larger picture of the research, and the student’s particular contribution to it: “My mentor always lets me know what we’re doing and my part in it”, Detail the anticipated progression of the research, Explain the importance of each step and why it has to be done a certain way, Review previous results each day and adjust protocol, if necessary: “My mentor greets me everyday, then we proceed to discuss the day’s goals and activities. She always asks if I understand and if I have any questions.” “Check for understanding. Sometimes students think they understand, so they don’t ask questions. When it becomes apparent that this isn’t so, it may be too late to repeat the experiment”, Take time to explain and don’t get frustrated if the student doesn’t understand “My mentor helps me undo/fix mistakes and learn from them” Discuss students’ progress with them Review students’ important written work Provide feedback before and after presentations

Qualities of Character students associate with exceptional mentors are: x x x x x x

Respect Willingness to help Trust: “gives students freedom and responsibility in every aspect of the project” Concern for others’ well-being and progress “Patience to help me learn from my mistakes” Treats me as a colleague

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Observations about Mentorship Both students and mentors offered observations about various aspects of mentorship that didn’t fit well into the categories, but provide valuable perspectives. Mentors’ Observations: Project Design x

x

It’s challenging to create a project that is substantive, yet requires limited conceptual background and experience. It may be too easy for some mentors to take the easy way out and create a project full of menial labor…and turn an interested student away from science. Student projects need to be designed to build a knowledge base with a few key experiments that illustrate approaches to solving the scientific problem or hypothesis.

Student Preparation x x x

Lab skills can be learned. Motivation and interest can’t be taught. A background in principles of the discipline saves explanation time that can be used more effectively for experimentation Start-up time and training can be frustrating for students: the learning curve, the preparatory work, and skills needed before the research actually starts. Students want to jump into the good parts right away.

Time Commitment x x x

2nd year or summer students are well equipped with technical skills and an understanding of scientific principles. Students really need blocks of time. Summer is best, but one month, two weeks, one intensive week, or back-to-back days on a regular basis can also work. It’s hard to get students to feel ownership of a project that is done intermittently.

Thinking like a scientist x x x

Students are good at following instructions, but often fail to document minor deviations, thinking it is their lack of experience. Emphasis on documentation is essential. Students sometimes grasp concepts, but miss facts. This will improve with experience Students, with lack of sophistication, cause us to approach problems from different perspectives we would not otherwise consider, to our benefit

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Failure x x x

Inherent to the research process are delays and unexpected results that require flexibility. Students need to understand research doesn’t proceed smoothly or linearly No research project is without problems Students need to understand that success in research comes after many failures

Presentation x

Preparation for oral presentation refines ideas and instills confidence

Gifts of the Spirit x x x

The knowledge I gave the student was equal to the patience he taught me It’s as intellectually and emotionally stimulating for the mentor as for the student Mentorship students are excellent role models for younger students

Students’ Observations x x x x

Finding my own mentor was important. Each lab has its own personality and culture, and a lot of valuable experience comes from the relationships in the lab. It was a challenge to adjust to taking action instead of waiting for someone to instruct me Mentorship is what the student makes of it. Working with an older student lets new one know what to expect each day, and what the expectations are for progress.

Challenges to Mentorship Several evaluations contained observations of problem situations in student research where awareness may encourage prevention. Some issues, such a funding or institutional policies, are generally outside the scope of students’ influence. However, it is important to discuss these problems frankly with young scientists, as negotiating the realities of science is crucial for their success as scientists. The issues can be categorized as matters of concern primarily for the mentor, the student, or the larger scientific community.

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Problems may arise when mentors: x x x x x x x

Lack clarity on the concept on mentoring “Mentor” with a hidden agenda (free labor to score tests, wash glassware, etc.) Fail to communicate regularly with students Do not prepare sufficiently for the student Allow too much “down time” with little work of importance for the student to do Lack the time to guide the student effectively Struggle to balance their own work with their mentoring responsibilities

Problems may rise when students: x x x x x x x x

Lack interest in the research topic Fall behind either in research classwork Fail to understand the larger context of the research. Do not practice lab techniques regularly Are forced to rely on others for data or work that is not delivered on time Do not appreciate the importance of detail in record-keeping Lack good writing skills Present research they didn’t do and don’t understand

Problems may arise when: x x x

3.

Institutional policies prevent students from performing certain types of research such as working with vertebrates, human subjects, or hazardous substances Funding is precarious Access to university and research libraries is restricted

Implications and Recommendations for Student Research Programs

Based on a Grounded Theory analysis of 1245 student and mentor evaluations of mentorship experiences over the last decade, several implications and recommendations for mentorship are offered. Student feedback on the characteristics of exceptional mentors includes powerful recommendations: x x

Frequent discussion between mentor and student that include project goals, context, protocols, progress, adjustments, data and its interpretations are essential. Questions should be encouraged, and understanding checked. It’s not enough for the mentor to ask, “Do you understand?”, as students may not realize they don’t, in fact , understand.

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x x x x

x

Procedures should be explained thoroughly, including the reason doing things in a particular way is important. Setbacks are a part of the research process and are valuable learning experiences. It is difficult for some students to accept failure as part of success. Mentors who help the student extract the learning from setbacks transmit the culture of science. Students appreciate mentors who make an effort to introduce them to colleagues, and to the professional standards expected of scientists. Preparation for presentation requires mastery of the research, as well as communication skills. Successfully presenting and defending research in a professional venue offers an exhilarating experience for young scientists, and an opportunity to meet scientists with similar interests. The relationship with the mentor can be profound, and for many young scientists is the most treasured aspect of their research experience. Mentors who demonstrate respect, trust, and sincere interest in the student’s progress are esteemed.

The intent of the mentorship program must be clearly articulated to both students and mentor. If the student is expected to be actively engaged in research, that expectation must be made clear. However, it is essential to be realistic about the time commitment, restrictions the student may encounter in the laboratory, training required for proficiency and safety, written work expected, timelines and schedules. New mentors in particular may be uncertain of how to structure time so the student is neither bored nor overwhelmed. A training session for new mentors can be very helpful, particularly if students and mentors attend together. Written materials, such as a mentor handbook, are appreciated. A good match between student and mentor is essential. Putting the responsibility on the student to identify potential mentors, become familiar with their research and publications, and contact them to discuss the possibility of mentorship results in successful matches. There are several other ways to successfully match students with mentors: this was offered a just one example. The mentor, the student, the project, and the structure of the program all contribute to the quality of mentorship experience. As mentorship programs are enhanced by the benefit of student and mentor experience, more young scientists will experience the incredible feeling of discovery.

References 1. B. L. Glaser and A. L. Strauss, The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. Aldine Publishing Company, Chicago, 1967. 2. E. G. Guba, Toward a Methodology of Naturalistic Inquiry in Educational Evaluation. CSE, UCLA Los Angeles, 1978.

Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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New Horizon To Help The Young Scientists in Korea and International Relationship Myoung Hwan KIM 1 Department of Physics, Kyungwon University, Republic of Korea

Abstract. A Mentorship program for young scientists in Korea began in 2003. In these four years, mentorship programs ranging over 561 topics have been implemented each under the guidance of a mentors. An application process was created for the Research and Education (R & E) program. In addition, the results of the mentorship intervention and the responses of the participants have been analyzed. Since 2005 research internships abroad have been offered to the teachers of Science High Schools. Since then, 38 teachers have had the opportunity to do research within their major. Teachers are expected to guide students to prepare them for mentorship programs. Keywords. Mentorship, Research and Education program, gifted education

Introduction The year 2000 marks a Korean milestone for gifted education as a decree was issued to promote the education of gifted students. As a result, since 2002 a variety of policies and programs for the gifted have been set in progress. [1], [2]. Specifically, a mentorship program was offered to the students of Science High School (SHS) and Korean Science Academy (KSA) in order to foster future leading scientists. 561 topics for mentorship programs were selected and carried out under the guidance of 561 mentors from 2003 to 2006. [3], [4], [5]. A new program for the gifted is the research internship program established for the head teachers of SHS. This program is intended to develop the teachers’ abilities in their major fields and to feed back their experiences to the SHS students. Studying in both the United States and Croatia, 23 teachers in 2005 and 15 teachers accomplished this purpose as part of the research internship program. It is necessary to make the best use of the facilities and mentors of the foreign as well as home countries in order to activate and stimulate the young scientists. It is time to set up policies and programs for the gifted and to extend international network in order to help the young scientists. This article presents one example in Korea and can be the new horizon to help the future scientists.

1

Correponding Author: Prof. Kim, Myoung Hwan, Dept. Of Physics, Kyungwon University, Kyunggi-Do, Republic of Korea; E-mail: [email protected]

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Overview of mentorship program

The Korean Government, the Ministry of Science and Technology(MOST) and the Korea Science and Korean and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF), have given support to the university Science Gifted Education Centers since 1998 for the purpose of educating gifted elementary and middle school students. Currently 25 centers are supported by the Government. The initiation of Science mentorship programs in Korea was started by the university Science Gifted Education Center in 2000 and in 2003 by the KSA and SHS which was sponsored by MOST and KOSEF. In support of MOST and KOSEF, all KSA students must complete individual research in science as part of the curriculum, and some students of SHS have a chance to participate in the mentorship programs as an extra curricular activity. 1.1. Science Mentorship Program for KSA Students KSA, officially approved as the school for the gifted students in 2002 by the Ministry of Education and Human Resources (MOE), has the three educational objectives. They include the enhancement of creativity and scientific research abilities of students, to promote self-directed learning abilities that lead to the promotion of new knowledge, and to teach the skills and ethical attitudes toward science, required of scientists of world stature. [6]. Every year, 144 students in the 7th, 8th and 9th grades are can enter KSA and graduate after completing the required courses. The curriculum is composed of subjects (145 credits), Research and Education (R&E, science mentorship program, 30credits) and extra curricula activities. Research and Education the name given to the science mentorship program which is composed of both personal research and commit education. All freshmen are given the synopsis of the mentorship program and a list of topics offered by mentors. The students apply for these R&E topics and some topics are approved by judging and others by mediating. After completing the R&E students are to present the results. For 4 years 237 topics were selected and explored. Table 1 lists these topics. Table 1. A list of science mentorship programs in KSA from 2003 to 2006.

Year

Math

Physics

Chemistry

Biology

Earth Science

Information

Total

2003

6

7

5

8

5

4

35

2004

5

21

8

14

2

5

55

2005

7

20

15

18

5

8

73

2006

5

18

17

24

2

8

74

Total

23

66

45

64

14

25

237

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1.2 Science Mentorship Program for SHS students The first Science High School, Kyunggi SHS, opened in 1983. To date, there are now 18 Science High Schools. SHS selected about 1,500 students, about 0.3% of the 0.5 million student population to participate in the program. Science mentorship programs for SHS students began as after school programs from 2003 in support of MOST and KOSEF. The theme of the science mentorship program is selected in two ways. One is that the professors as mentors suggest the themes and students select among them. The other is that students determine a theme they want to study and ask a professor to be a mentor. The characteristics of the science mentorship program are followings. • • • •

The period of the science mentorship program is in one year The students have to submit documents regularly recording the activities. A mentor has to submit his/her document regularly recording the activities. A mentor or an academic advisor has to evaluate the students and submit the results regularly. • After carrying out the program, the students have to submit and present the results of their research. For 4 years 324 topics were selected and explored. A list of topics for 4 years is in the Table 2. Table 2. A list of science mentorship programs in SHS from 2003 to 2006.

2.

Year

Math

Physics

Chemistry

Biology

Earth Science

Information

Total

2003

18

13

14

13

9

5

72

2004

20

14

14

14

10

7

79

2005

17

11

17

17

12

12

86

2006

16

14

20

15

10

12

87

Total

71

52

65

59

41

36

324

Results of science mentorship program

Every February the results of science mentorship program, R&E, are presented and evaluated by professional scientists and students. A guide and items were developed to evaluate the results of R&E by researcher. The items and the weights of each item are as follows.

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Education evaluation : the process of educating • • •

Faithfulness of R&E Extent of participation of students (student’s document) Extent of evaluation of the mentor and the academic advisor (mentor’s document and academic advisor’s document)

Research evaluation : result of R&E • • •

Content and direction of R&E Completeness of R&E result Value and utilization of R&E result

A list of excellent results from evaluating R&E is in the Table 3. Table 3. A list of excellent results from evaluating R&E in SHS from 2003 to 2005. Year

Math

Physics

Chemistry

Biology

Earth Science

Information

Total

2003

10/18

4/13

10/14

8/13

8/9

2/5

42/72

2004

7/20

4/14

5/14

4/14

3/10

3/7

26/79

2005

8/17

6/11

5/17

9/17

6/12

6/12

42/86

Total

25/55

14/38

20/45

21/44

17/31

11/24

110/237

A questionnaire was developed for the participants and 513 students responded. The followings are the responses of them. They did R&E activities for 29 days, 112hours, in a year. The ratio of mentor’s education and students’ experimental activities was 1 : 2 69% of the students thought the subjects were difficult to the abilities of the students. The proposal of the topic is determined by • • •

Mentor (48%) Mentor and teacher (28%) Mentor, teacher and student (24%)

The degree of the satisfaction about R&E was as follows. (very satisfaction 5, satisfaction 4, neutral 3, dissatisfaction 2, very dissatisfaction 1) • • • • • •

Experiencing in the experiment facilities of university : 3.8(2003) → 4.3(2005) Activities of science research at high level : 4.2(2003) → 4.3(2005) Teaching of university professor : 4.4(2003) → 4.2(2005) Helpful to university entrance : 4.2(2003) → 3.7(2005) Having a chance of enrichment about science lessons at the school : 3.8(2003) → 3.7(2005) Helpful to school science lessons : 3.3(2003) → 3.4(2005)

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They expressed that the followings remained in their memories. • • • •

Experimental experience and handling the high technical equipment. Meeting the professors and/or Ph. D. R&E helped his/her aptitude as the topic is in accord with his/her concern. They learned the attitude of mentor’s research and value of cooperation with others. They expressed the following roles of their mentors were satisfactory. • • • •

3.

Detailed explanation about R&E and mentor’s consideration. Mentor’s encouragement and kindness Extension to a new field through experience. Mentor’s helping the student to find his/her aptitude and academic and career.

Who lead the students to do the mentorship program?

Teachers, especially of SHS, have the most important role to guide the students and to introduce them to the mentorship program as well as to bridge the students with mentors. It is also necessary for the teachers to experience research. Since 2005, KOSEF offered a variety of exciting internship opportunities for excellent lead teachers of SHS. Whether or not lead teachers are interested in studying or teaching their own subject areas, KOSEF encourages teachers to get involved with the internship programs and exciting research in advanced research laboratories. Research is a "contact sport" and is best learned through practice. The Research Internship Program was held in seven laboratories of the Iowa University for three weeks during the summer 2005 and in 6 labs of three universities of the States and an institution in Croatia during the summer 2006. They offered internships in research settings to selected lead teachers who are working in SHS. The participants in the program all demonstrated dedicated and outstanding teaching careers in one of disciplines of math, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy, and computer science. These teachers joined active research groups in these subject areas. Faculty members and their research staff served as mentors to the interns, providing the guidance and background needed for them to become active members of a research team. Each intern was assigned responsibility for part of an ongoing project in a mentor's laboratory. Although the content of projects varied, all projects were designed to be carried out within the duration of the program and to provide students with a realworld research experience. At the conclusion of the program, interns submitted an abstract of their research experience to the program directors.

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The objectives for the Teacher Internships program were to: •

• • • •

provide Teacher Interns with opportunities to understand the nature of science and gain first-hand experience in scientific inquiry and to better understand and share their ideas about math, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy and computer science. provide Teacher Interns with opportunities to develop and share teaching materials related to math, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy and computer science. provide Teacher Interns with material and equipment support relevant to the development of their new math, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy and computer science lessons. provide scientist mentors with opportunities to learn about communicating and sharing their work with science teachers and the general public. provide high school students with information about opportunities and research at the university.

The topics of the Research Experience Program 2005 are summarized in Table 4. These activities included laboratory research, fieldtrips, cooperative small group learning. Table 4. Seven Research Centers and the Topics for Korean Teachers Research Experience in 2005 Research Area Mathematics Informatics Astronomy Physics Chemistry Environmental Science Geo-Science

Topic Wavelets and How they are used? Educational Technology and Instruction :GPS and Nagging Algorithm Astronomical Observation with Using CCD Plasma Physics Research Experiences in Various Fields of Chemistry Hydro science and Engineering Various Techniques of Geo science Research

Teachers evaluated that the Research Experience Program 2005 was useful in the respect that they got many ideas for the Research and Education (R&E) and the research topic which they may do with students. The ideas of teachers are summarized in Table 5. Table 5. The plan of research that teachers do with students in 2005 Research Area Math Informatics Astronomy Physics Chemistry Environmental Science Geology

Plan The utility of Mathematics using mathlab The program development with problem solving The use of Robotic Telescope The development of Problem solving with Plasma The role of Oxygen in chemical reaction The program development about environmental issue The isolation of mineral using electro magnetic

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The teachers’ beliefs became manifest as there goals shifted during their classroom practices. This study found changes in their beliefs before and after the research participation. Teachers working with research scientists and mathematicians in their labs and fields reported it would help them to have better perception on research and update academic content and teaching materials for classes of their own. In this way, teachers were asked to develop modules that can be implemented in their own classrooms. The Research Experience Programs 2006 are summarized in Table 6. Table 6. Six Research Centers for Korean Teachers Research Experience in 2006 Research Area Mathematics Physics Chemistry Biology Astronomy Computer Science

University/Institution Department of Mathematical and computer Science in Colorado School of Mines (USA) VIPP, Michigan State University (USA) Department of Chemistry, STANFORD UNIVERSITY (USA) CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON PLANT BIOLOGY IN STANFORD UNIVERSITY (USA) SCIENCE EDUCATION CENTER VISNJAN, VISNJAN OBSERVATORY (CROATIA) VIPP, Michigan State University (USA)

The participating teachers in 2006 were satisfied with the contents of the Research Experience Program and expressed that the program was helpful to teach the student sand induce the students in research activities. In conclusion the Research Experience Program was successful in improving the teachers’ beliefs regarding science teaching and learning as well as the teachers’ abilities.

4.

Closing

After completing the mentorship program, some students with increasing numbers every year publish their result as a paper in international scientific journal. In addition some students go abroad to research with foreign students while foreign students come to Korea with the same purpose. For several years we have studied the systems and programs for the gifted, especially in the field of science, from foreign countries. Now Korea has established a system and the programs for the gifted in science and is trying to contact and communicate with foreign institution for the gifted. It is time to cooperate in helping the future scientists through an international network. I hope we are to share the case of success and the lesson for helping the young scientists with each other.

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References [1] The Promotion Act of Educating for the Gifted and Talented. Korean Assembly. 2000. [2] The Presidential Decree of the Promotion Act of Educating for the Gifted and Talented. MOE. 2002. [3] M. Kim. A creative research project using mentorship for science high school, KOSEF. 2004. [4] M. Kim. A Presentation and Evaluation on Final Results of Research and Education Program – Final Report. KOSEF. 2005. [5] M. Kim, A Conference of Research Result in Science High School. KOSEF. 2006. [6] www.ksa.hs.kr

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Communicating Science – Regional Network of Science Centres and Initiatives Thomas WENDT a,1, Peter GILBERT b, Jens HEMMELSKAMP c, Manuela WELZELa,d and Charlotte SCHULZE a a Youth and Science Foundation Heidelberg gGmbH, Heidelberg, Germany b Initiative Youth and Science, Heidelberg, Germany c University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany d University of Education Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany

Abstract. The importance of networking individual science comunication activities within a region has been observed and led to the formation of the Initiative Youth and Science in 2004 in the Metropolitan Region Rhein-Neckar. This network has attracted several partners in the meantime, including university and research insititutions, science centres as well as projects for gifted pupils. Some of them will be described in more detail below. Keywords. Network, high school students, experiments

Introduction Scientific progress is based on curiosity to explore new things. But how can this curiosity be mediated from the researcher to the pupils. Only motivated and skilled science teachers can emphasize the relevance of science for the public. This not only involves transfer of scientific knowledge to science teachers but also introducing pedagogical concepts, guidance and authenticity are important for successful science transfer. With the fast developments in particular in molecular biology and physics, cutting edge technology knowledge is not transferred to the pupils and experimental 1

Corresponding Author: Thomas Wendt, Youth and Science Foundation Heidelberg gGmbH, Marktplatz 10, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany; e-mail: [email protected].

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approaches are left outside the school curriculum due to high investment costs and intense preparations. In this paper, we will give an introduction into different activities to communicate science in the Metropolitan Region Rhein-Neckar. Specialized centres, projects, events and science festivals can serve as a podium to introduce new cutting edge technologies with a high throughput of pupils at reasonable costs. School policy makers should be addressed to ensure that support will increase for establishing a framework of science activities for pupils for the promotion of new young scientists.

1.

Cooperation Between Research and Schools – An Introduction

Research development in the life science and technology sector and the industrial application of research results within this field are of eminent importance to secure our economy. Looking at the decreasing number of students, it becomes obvious, that we will run into a shortage of skilled and well trained personelle in particular in the life science sector due to low interest by the pupils. Young people quite often decide against life sciences and technology without knowing about their enormous potentials. On the other hand, pupils consider life sciences as interesing and attractive and would like to learn more about it in school. The decreasing interest to study life sciences therefore doesn’t seem to be a problem of society but rather related to the way, life sciences are tought in school. Performing experiments and challenging the students with scientific questions is often not included or badly practiced. To compensate for these drawbacks, a number of initiatives for informal learning have been established, focussing on promoting an authentic picture of the life sciences and technology. In cooperation with research institutions, universities and industry, a network of teaching laboratories for pupils, inititatives for gifted pupils, science centres and science museums as well as science activities and festivals have been established in the Metropolitan Region Rhein-Neckar. In those new learning environments, the bridge can be built much easier between abstract life sciences and every day questions. Common to all these activities is the fact, that they highly interest and motivate the students. Unfortunately these activities quite often show no long-term effect because they are set up as individual stand-alone projects. It is therefore very important to connect them to the school curriculum.

2.

Initiative Youth and Science

2.1.

An Overview

To establish a cooperation between different institutions for the promotion of the life sciences, the Initiative Youth and Science was founded in March 2004. It focusses on

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building a network of universities, research institutions, school adminsitrations and curriculum designers to promote the dialogue between science, research, industry and school. Currently there are twelve partners in this initiative, including: • • • • • • • • • • • •

City of Heidelberg Department of School Administration (Regierungspräsidium Karlsruhe) European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Frauenhofer ICT Pfinztal German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ) Hector-Seminar Ministry of Education Technology Park Heidelberg GmbH University of Applied Sciences Mannheim University of Education Heidelberg University of Heidelberg VDI Nordbaden-Pfalz

The sponsoring takes place at different levels, e.g. by promoting complete school classes in teaching laboratories or supporting gifted and motivated individuals in specific courses and in research practicals. Figure 1 illustrates the network of the different partners and initiatives in the Metropolitan Region Rhein-Neckar. A more detailed description of several examples will be given in the following.

Figure 1. Network of partners and initiatives in the Metropolitan Region Rhein-Neckar that are associated with or partners in the Initiative Youth and Science. EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory), DKFZ (German Cancer Research Centre), ZMBH (Centre for Molecular Biology Heidelberg), LTA (Landesmuseum für Technik und Arbeit), LERU (League of European Research Universities).

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2.2.

Competence Centres for Molecular Biology at Regional Schools

Six Competence Centres for molecular biology (so called “Stützpunktschulen”) have been established since 2003 in schools in the area to serve as contact points between school classes within the schools and in neighbouring schools and current research in scientific institutions. Scientists from the university and research institutions in close collaboration with secondary school curriculum designers have developed molecular biology experiments that can be done in afternoon practicals. These experiments are closely related to the biology curriculum and demonstrate the power and ease of new biotechnological development. Since the start, 250 teachers have been trained in those competence centres for the visit with the school class, 60 pupils have been trained as mentors and about 2000 pupils have participated in practicals. 2.3.

Symposium for Pupils

The Symposium for pupils on life sciences and technology was first established in 2005 as an annual one day event, to offer pupils that are involved in extracurricular courses and projects a platform to present their work with posters and as short oral presentations to the public. In order to realise this project all secondary schools in the region are contacted and supervisors are encouraged to submit proposals of their extracurricular projects. A jury of teachers and researchers selects the best projects which are then awarded with a price. The main focus of the symposium is to establish dialogue and discussion between the approximately 300 participating pupils, teachers, researchers, industry representatives and the general public. This serves to stimulate the pupils to have a critical and intense debate with life sciences and technolgy. Participants and project coordinators obtain information and gain new ideas about extracurricular projects in the region. The event also serves for recruitment of young talented pupils into new projects. School students learn about presentation techniques, get ideas for new innovative projects and obtain information about support. Despite the information platform, the day is filled with scientific lectures by representatives from research, industry and local agencies. In 2005, the topic of these lectures was “green biotechnology”, this year, lectures were focussed on “nanotechnology”. For the upcoming symposim in 2007, a closer connection to industry and private companies is aimed for. 2.4.

LERU Kids University

For the second year in a row, several LERU universities have scheduled the LERU Kids University project; a science program for children aged ten to twelve years and (indirectly) their parents. LERU, the League of European Research Universities, is a network of 12 universities across Europe with the overall objective to develop joint strategies for the future and communicate them to specific policy-makers or the broader public. The research oriented universities organising the LERU Kids University project have committed themselves to play a pro-active role as partners in the process of lifelong learning, and aim in particular to help young children, their parents and their teachers to experience new and exciting approaches to knowledge and

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science. Additionally, the universities aim to develop closer relationships between themselves and society. 2005 was the “Year of Physics” and in this context, a series of interesting lectures was offered to the pupils. It was also the first time that several of the university departments and partner institutions offered the possibility for practical workshops that were in close context to the lecture topics. Children were invited to take part in the Heidelberg Kids’ University via the local paper. After online registration, all children received a confirmation Email and a student identity card. 332 children registered in total for the 5 Lectures and 7 Workshops, 66% were Boys and 34% were Girls. On November 23 in 2005, representatives of the ten LERU universities participating in the Kids University met in Brussels to assess the success of the initiative during a final event. Selected experiments and lectures were presented at the Natural History Museum. The afternoon event in Brussels was followed by an evening reception for invited representatives from the LERU network, the EU institutions and the Press. For the upcoming event in 2006, the general theme will be the “climate”. Eight LERU universities have chosen different topics, ranging from the Ice Ages to Asteroid Impacts or Animal Adaptation to Climate Changes. From September to November 2006 the Universities of Edinburgh, Geneva, Heidelberg, Leuven, Milan, Oxford, Strasbourg and Zürich will open their doors to welcome children to the world of science. 2.5.

EMBO International Teacher Workshops – Teacher Training

The EMBO Science & Society Programme organises activities that promote information flow from the life sciences into public debate, education and policy making. As well as supporting scientists, the Programme organises events that enable multidisciplinary public dialogue on topics of importance to society. From international conferences and teachers workshops, to communication competitions, EMBO strives to make science and scientists more accessible to society. EMBO’s Science & Society Programme offers teachers in secondary education workshops where they can study molecular biology, and benefit from exchanges of resources, experiences and best practice at international level. Through its network of scientists, educators and teachers, EMBO can strengthen links between research and the creative disseminators who communicate it to the next generation of young minds. The workshops – expanded across Europe via EU funding in 2003–2004 – are a unique platform for international exchange of educational experiences and resources. 2.6.

International Summer Science School Heidelberg (ISH) – Foreign Exchange Program

The International Summer Science School Heidelberg (ISH) has been founded in 1996, so it has passed the 10th year. It is organized and supported by the City of Heidelberg and offers selected high school students with a high interest in life sciences from the

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sister cities of Heidelberg a chance to explore Heidelberg. Besides it gives a lifetime research experience in analogy to the International Summer Science Institute at the Weizman Institute in Israel. Starting with an introductory week of scientific experiments at the Teaching Lab of the ExploHeidelberg and the EMBL (European Molecular Biology Laboratory), the students work for three weeks directly in selected research groups on their own project, supervised by the researchers. This year’s participating institutions included the German Cancer Research Centre (DKFZ), the Max-Planck Institute for Medical Research and for Nuclear Physics as well as several institutions of the University of Heidelberg. The aim of this project is to promote young talents into science careers and to improve the international exchange. 2.7.

Explore Science 2006 – Science Festival

The Klaus Tschira Foundation with its Explore Science festival wants to encourage children and pupils for life sciences. The Event was composed of the following parts: a scientific competition of pupils within different scientific tasks, lectures for students and adult visitors, a public science show, and an interactive exhibition for all who are interested in scientific phenomena. The exhibition was realized by local university departments, companies and science centres. Pupils starting at grade 5 and the whole public were invited to participate at the science show and festival in Mannheim. About 1800 pupils participated in the competition. They could choose one of seven scientific questions and build an exhibit/machine on one ot these topics, e.g. a throwing machine, growing crystals or chain reaction. The interactive exhibition showed life science phenomena in a playful experimental way. Children learned about mirrors, the world of colors and 3D imaging in the physics section, about climate change and simulation of vulcanic erruptions in the chemistry and geography section and about food biootechnology and DNA techniques in the biology section. The enormous success of this event with about 10.000 visitors in three days convinced the organizers to repeat the Explore Science event in 2007 with a similar program. 2.8.

Heidelberger Life Science Lab – Gifted Pupils

The Heidelberger Life-Science Lab is a project of the German Cancer Research Centre in Heidelberg (DKFZ), aiming at encouraging and advancing the interest and talents of secondary-school students in mathematics, natural sciences and technology. The Project focuses mainly on the life sciences, which are characteristic for this area while at the same time learning processes are to be introduced which will assist in the development of interdisciplinary competencies and personality characteristics relevant for education. The basis and the goal of the Project are to encourage independent, responsible social involvement, pleasure in discoveries and constructive cooperation, which is emphasized also by its 4 main components – self-organized workgroups under the mentorship of a scientist, a teacher and a student, weekly lectures, weekend seminars and international science academies (ISA).

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ExploHeidelberg – Science Centre

The ExploHeidelberg is an informal learning and interactive science centre located in the Technology Park of the City of Heidelberg in close proximity to the life science institutes of the University of Heidelberg and several research institutions. It consists of three different components: an Interactive Exhibition, a Media Lab and a Biotechnology Teaching Lab. About 50 exhibits challenge the visitor to experience optical, acoustic and mechanical phenomena in the Interactive Exhibition. The exhibits release their scientific secrets by playing with them. Pedagogical concepts and design of the Interactive Exhibition are developed in close collaboration with the University of Education Heidelberg. Pre-service teacher students and staff members of the physics department are actively involved in the different tasks: e.g. in taking care of visitors as scouts, in designing exhibits, in developing workshops, in teacher training, and in research projects on the teaching and learning within an informal learning site. The Teaching Lab offers pupils of Middle- and High School level the possibility to perform biotechnology experiments in full day practical courses that are not possible in class rooms. A Media Lab with 12 workstations, a web cast computer and a video imaging workstation complements the study centre. Practical experiences from the exhibition and teaching lab can be deepened during supervised internet sessions in the virtual world. Especially developed software can be used to learn more about different scientific topics. While the Interactive Exhibition and the Media Lab are open daily to the general public and focus on interesting the visitor for life sciences in general, the Teaching Lab offers special courses that are in context of the school curriculum and offer an insight into modern biotechnology techniques. One day courses on handling DNA or proteins to specialized full week courses that involve sophisticated techniques and are usually only taught at university level are possible. Development and testing of courses and experiments are done with consultation of teachers and teacher trainers. Besides that, teacher training is of fundamental importance for the success of the centre. Teachers get involved in the courses since only well trained and motivated teachers can motivate their students. Starting this autumn, we will have a series of teacher training courses on different subjects of modern biotechnology. 2.10. Regionale Network – The Minimal Infrastructure Within this regional network, it appeared as vitally important to have a central institution that can provide some man power, office space and secretarial assistance to support the network and attract new partners and associated members. Once a nucleus is formed, more and more pieces will fill into the puzzle. 2.11. Resumee of Activities The Metropolitan Region Rhein-Neckar is in a particularly good position when looking at the teaching lab situation and the activities for motivated and gifted pupils. Among the approximately 200 teaching labs in Germany, several are located in the area. The LTA (Landesmuseum für Technik und Arbeit) in Mannheim with its Elementa offers a

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laboratory for physical and technical experiments. The BASF with its Xplore laboratories covers chemistry and biotechnology and another biotechnology teaching lab at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe is operational for many years now. This together with the ExploHeidelberg Teaching Lab and including the competence centres at schools, we can estimate that from the approximately 8000 high schools students in the region, about half have made the experience of a hands-on scientific experiment per year. Long-term effects for the promotion of new young scientists have to be evaluated and will follow. To our opinion, the success of the network is directly related to the fact, that a critical number of diverse partners was attracted to bring in new ideas and contacts. On the other hand, it is crucial to attract a few of them into new project teams to establish short ways, effective communication and strong personal contacts to develop new challenging ideas.

3.

Future Perspective

We only managed to describe a small number of initiatives and projects in the current paper. An overview of the activities and interactions is given in Fig. 1. Certainly, we forgot some and we would like to apologize for that and ensure that this was not due to bad will but shortage of space. The reader has seen that it is possible to establish programs and projects that address the general public, pupils of all different age groups and their teachers as well as motivated and gifted individuals. Within the Initiative Youth and Science, a lot of different partners have been combined and they all benefit from the interaction. While the positive response from the participating pupils and their teachers is highly motivating, financial support is crucial for the future progress. We will continue to convince industry and funding agencies to sponsor projects within the network. Several partners have already committed themselves to support the infrastructure of the network in the long-term. One of the most important future goals will be to establish contacts with other networks, regional as well as across borders. Only a strong network can influence policy makers and the Network of Youth Excellence could play a very active role in this.

Acknowledgement All the initiatives, projects and activities would not be possible without the support and energy of the many partners, volunteers, organizers and supervisors. We are grateful to the following companies and foundation for sponsoring the Initiative Youth and Science: BASF AG, Pfizer Deutschland GmbH and Robert Bosch Foundation.

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XLAB-Goettingen Experimental Laboratory for the Youth Bridging the Gap Between High School and University Eva-Maria NEHER XLAB-Goettingen Experimental Laboratory, Göttingen, Germany

Abstract. XLAB is an educational institution, which bridges the gap between high school teaching and university teaching. XLAB offers experimental courses in Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Informatics for classes and individual students coming from all European countries and from all over the world. The students do intensive experimental work in very well equipped laboratories. Theoretical teaching by experienced scientists takes place in parallel to the experimental work. Keywords. Sophisticated experiments, state-of-the-art equipment, recruitment of young talents for science, student mobility and international friendship

Introduction XLAB is an experimental laboratory for young students from high schools and also for university students coming from European Countries and from all over the world. [1] The experiments offered by XLAB are comparable to training courses at the university and cannot be transferred to laboratories at high school. The reasons concern cost and maintenance of the equipment and the need of excellent experimental experiences of the lectures. XLAB is a educational institution which nowadays attracts thousands of young people every year. Most of them stay one to three weeks and experience an authentic research atmosphere. According to our motto: “Success results from effort and

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enthusiasm” most of the young people (95%) are very satisfied after having worked hard and on the other hand being treated like young scientists. 1.

Enhancing Young Talents in Science

1.1. Decrease of Students Studying Science Since more than 15 years the numbers of young students enrolling for university studies in science is decreasing very rapidly. This is the same situation in all industrialized countries in western as well as in eastern countries for example in Korea and Japan.

Figure 1. Shows the situation in Germany from 1975 through 2000.

Latest numbers of students (2003–2005) enrolling for studies especially in chemistry and physics indicate a gratifying increase. Many campaigns like the “Year of Chemistry in 2000” or the “Year of Physics in 2001”, the “Summer of Science” or the “Long Night of Science” which took place in many big cities all over Germany were really very successful and raised the interest in science in the society and of course among the young generation. But in a society which future is based on knowledge much more scientists in Science and Technology and coworkers are needed. The EU counts a number of 1.5 million employees in the field of Science and Technology needed in the next decade. And in addition, the problems are not solved, by simply increasing the number of students. It is even more important to provide the young students with a much better education in science than normally possible at high schools.

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1.2. Teaching Science in Laboratories Especially Designed for Young Students In Germany many universities, research institutions and companies opened so called School-Labs in the past 5 years. XLAB is one of the first initiatives in Germany, which started already in 1999. Today it is the most advanced Experimental Laboratory for your people in Germany and probably together with the Petnica Science Center in Serbia one very few worldwide. The new XLAB building is situated in the middle of the science campus, which is very important, since we want to bring the students into the real research laboratories and not the scientists to the schools. We want that the students can experience newly equipped laboratories within the authentic research atmosphere.

Figure 2. Science campus of the University of Goettingen.

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The XLAB-Building has four stories. For technical reasons each science discipline has its own floor, but nevertheless we clearly demonstrate that modern research is interdisciplinary. The ground plan of each floor is especially designed for our teaching methods. That means besides in physics each class has at the same time two rooms: one laboratory and one seminar room. This enables the lectures to adjust the theoretical teaching to the pre-knowledge of the group on the one hand and to the requirements of the actual experiment. 1.3. The Aims of XLAB in General • • • •

XLAB wants to raise young peoples interest in science and tries to motivate them to enroll for science studies. XLAB wants to expose young students to state-of-the-art equipment. The economic situation of the high schools does not allow sophisticated equipment. Scientists designed all the experiments they also supervise the students during the experiments and teach the theory. High school teachers are normally not experienced in recent experimental techniques. XLAB offers the students a schedule that allows them to concentrate on sophisticated long-term experiments. Students should experience what it means to work in research laboratory in order to make the right decision for their future career.

1.4. Teaching at the XLAB As already mentioned, scientists are responsible for the experiments. Student assistants support the scientists while supervising the student in the laboratories. The state government sends high school teachers to the XLAB for a period of about two years. On the one hand this is an intensives teacher training, since they have the opportunity to learn from the scientists the latest experimental methods. On the other hand the teacher overview the necessities of the high school curricula and help to generate the experimental program. The technical assistants are the only one being employed on a long-term base. They guarantee that the laboratories are perfectly organized and are responsible for the maintenance of the equipment. Teaching at the XLAB Technical Assistants XLAB - Teachers Student Assistants Scientists

Figure 3. Teaching at the XLAB.

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2.

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Activities of the XLAB

Courses and Activities Courses for highschool classes from Germany and other European countries Intensive courses for individual students International Science Camp Science Festival

Figure 4. Courses and Activities.

2.1. Courses for High School Classes XLAB offers all year round experimental courses for students for all over Germany and other European countries. Meanwhile several classes from Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Poland come regularly to the XLAB and stay for at least for five days. 2.2. International Science Camps In Summer XLAB organizes International Science Camps, which last for 3.5 weeks. Students come from Europe, North and South America, Asia and the Middle East. They experience an intensive scientific program in which many research institutes in Goettingen are involved. Since 2003 we count 175 students from 25 different nations participating in this very successful program. Many of the students stay in contact with us and – what is even more important – among each other. They build up a scientific community of young researchers.

Figure 5. Schedule of International Science Camp.

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2.3. Science Festival Since XLAB moved to the new building in December 2004, we started to organize a Science Festival in December each year. Several thousands of high school students listen to the talks of Nobel Laureates and other famous Scientists who present their recent research results. The Nobel talks of the laureates or recent review articles of the speakers are published in a book entitled: “Aus den Elfenbeintürmen der Wissenschaft”. [2] The Science Festivals 2004 and 2005 attracted more than 5000 visitors.

3.

Number of Participants in the XLAB Program

Figure 6. Number of participants.

The columns in Fig. 6 clearly show the rate of increase over the last years for students coming from all over the state Lower Saxony and from all over Germany. Only the number of students from Göttingen decreases dramatically. The main reason for this is an enormous reform of the school system, which in the first year concentrated all activities on the internal changes. Now agreements and a new schedule of the lessons are worked to integrate the XLAB into the curriculum.

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There is a remarkable increase in the number of international students. This is not only the effect of international Science Camps, but also due to tight co-operations with several High Schools in other European countries and the exchange of students with University of Seville, Spain. The international activities of the XLAB are a contribution to fulfill some aspects of the so-called “Bologna-Declaration” signed in 1999.

References [1]

[2]

Eva-Maria Neher, “…You do and you Understand: Hands-on Experiments at the XLAB”, in Science Education: Best Practices of Research Training for Students under 21, P. Csermely et al. (Eds.), IOS Press 2005, p. 97–101. Eva-Maria Neher, (Ed.), “Aus den Elfenbeintürmen der Wissenschaft”, Wallstein Verlag, Göttingen, 2005, ISBN 3-89244-989-9.

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Why Are Academic Summer Programmes For Gifted Youngsters So Successful? a

Harald WAGNER a,1 Bildung und Begabung e.V.

Abstract. From the analysis of feed-backs from participants, instructors, and teachers at the home schools as well as from non-reactive measures and evaluative studies the specific features of academic summer programmes are pointed out which are essential for their positive and sustaining effects. Keywords. Summer programme, evaluation

Introduction – Some Quotes "The Academy was a very enriching experience for me. When I think of those two weeks they're still so alive in me! The days were so tightly and interestingly packed, the people so motivated and full of vigour. It was great to always find people with whom you could get something going or turn upside down. (In those days I came to realise how much time you have to spend in everyday life just to get 'dull loafers' interested in anything; and above all: how much you can achieve when everyone pulls together. All at once you thrive in such a group and suddenly accomplish things you previously would never have attempted.)… I found the Academy (particularly for good students) terrifically important. One girl said to me: 'Do you know, in school I often used to feel so different; I actually thought I was abnormal. But here suddenly everyone's the same as me - I'm like all of them!' It was really a wonderful experience to meet 'like-minded' and not continually have to hide the fact that you're good in school – or (much 'worse')

1

Corresponding Author: Harald Wagner, Bildung und Begabung e V; Ahrstraße 45, 53175 Bonn, Germany; E-mail: [email protected]

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that you maybe even have fun there. Contact with the others then motivated me to stick to studying and not let my fun and interest in specific subjects be taken away from me. But aside from all these things it was the human components of the academy which I found most rewarding. Many friendships evolved and remained for which I am very thankful". (Participant) "Overall the Academy was one of the most intensive, interesting and impressive events of the last few years for me. Both the organisation and the class work as well as the social programme and leisure time activities merit the highest appreciation and were embraced not only by myself with greatest interest and unanimous enthusiasm. … I also liked very much the parallelism of six very different courses as they produced so many interdisciplinary topics of discussion and one was not mentally restricted to one's own course but one could also deal with other interesting topics and so such a wide spectrum of stimuli and knowledge was meted out. … One absolutely must emphasise the fantastic atmosphere during the whole academy. I met so many highly interested young people with whom one could have excellent discussions on all sorts of topics. … It went beyond being simply a discerning mass of communicative, active and enthusi-astic people, the academy developed an astounding momentum of it's own. … I felt that this esprit de corps, this feeling of belonging was the most fascinating thing about this already excellent programme." (Participant) "What can't be put down on paper is the enthusiasm and interest of the participants which fundamentally distinguishes the SchülerAkademie from school. An enthusiasm which was manifest in discussions on Immanuel Kant during the lunch break or analytical conversations on course topics at lunch or dinner. An enthusiastic exertion while preparing presentations, documentation and rotation which was apparent particularly on the part of the instructors who devoted their all to us even giving up a considerable amount of sleep. After the Academy I often missed the excited talk and enthusiasm of fellow participants. ... Above all it became clear to me during the Academy what fun learning new things can be. One occurrence that will stay in my memory is the surprising feeling of suddenly having understood something." (Participant) "Contact with the other participants was a 'revelation' for Nele. Finally studying, discussing etc. with peers who had similar interests and never tired of looking for challenges – nor ever eased up when tackling problems even when great exertion was required. ... By participating in the academy she was supported in an all-embracing sense. ... By the way, Nele has resolved to offer her services to hold a course at the Deutsche SchülerAkademie when she has progressed sufficiently in her studies." (Headmaster) "Dörte returned with extraordinarily positive impressions from the SchülerAkademie. The programme provided her with considerable guidance concerning decisions where to go after her school years. She plans now to study physics. Dörte is pleased that through the alumni club losing contact with other

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academy participants can be avoided and people she can talk to seriously remain within reach. She feels she has been admitted to a network full of stimuli and information." (Headmaster) "Everyone who had the opportunity to visit the Deutsche SchülerAkademie was grateful and enthusiastic. They have experienced their limits, received motivation and some have been awarded scholarships from the German National Merit Foundation, the Cusanus-Werk or the Evangelisches Studienwerk (other scholarship foundations). I should like to join the students in their thanks and assure you that participation in the Deutsche SchülerAkademie has been an invaluable enrichment for everyone." (Headmaster) "I enjoyed the openness and natural curiosity of all the participants, got involved till I dropped and came home deadbeat but happy to dream about the next academy." (Instructor, [1] )

1. Criteria for success These statements are exemplary for countless other similarly rapturous reports which the organisers of the Deutsche SchülerAkademie (German Pupils Academy) receive year after year. The programme and its features have been described at the previous NATO-UNESCO workshops [2, 3]. What is it, what makes the participants so enthusiastic? What are the secrets of the academies’ effectiveness? And how can we measure success? 1.1 Reactive measures The immediate indicators for the quality of a programme are reactive measures, that is statements, reports, feed-backs or questionnaires requested from participants, instructors, academy directors, teachers or headmasters of the home school, or parents of participants. Numerous features are mentioned in the above cited reports which are clearly indicative of the academies, contrast with normal school routines and therefore are clearly of particular significance for their impact and success: Ɣ Ɣ Ɣ Ɣ

the company of like-minded peers, i.e. interested, achievement motivated, enthusiastic and highly able students who are "on the same wavelength"; the experience of their own growth as a result of the high standards; the awareness of what they can achieve in coordinated team work and the ensuing increase in self-confidence; feeling "normal" and completely accepted without having to "apologise" for their interest and standards or having to pretend; reinforcement of their joy to study and their motivation to work;

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Ɣ Ɣ Ɣ

the emergence of strong, profound and lasting friendships; the role model effect of inspiriting and highly qualified specialist instructors; the "flow" experience connected with absorption in challenging work, the experience of acquiring knowledge and suddenly grasping a difficult issue which inspires further study.

Incidentally it is the latter feature which current neuroscientific insights are beginning to elucidate. Positive learning experiences trigger dopamine signals which lead to the release of endogenous opioids activating a cerebral reward system [4]. Spitzer further speculates that "Human learning has always taken place in a collective setting and collective activity or collective action is probably its most significant reinforcer." [4, p. 181] 1.2 Evaluative studies

academic achievement specific interests specific self efficacy cooperativeness general intelligence communicative ability trust in own abilities self confidence

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Figure 1: Effects of academy participation on cognitive, motivational and social characteristics, self ratings ("Has the participation in the academy changed the respective aspect?"), percentage of consenting students (N=237). Adapted from [5] p. 104.

The reactive measures are, of course, rather subjective and especially when taken at the end of the programme, influenced by the euphoria and the enthusiasm which usually develops in the course of the academies. Evaluative research undertaken by Neber and Heller at Munich University [5] showed, however, that the participants’ positive assessments even intensify with time. Participation in an academy influences above all motivational and social characteristics, such as interests, self-confidence, cooperative-ness and ability to communicate (Fig. 1). Perception of one's own abilities also changes in almost half the participants' cases. Generally they are rated higher, but some rate them lower than before. Comparison with non-accepted aspirants whose

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ability and willingness to achieve are otherwise altogether comparable with those of the partici-pants, shows the effects do indeed result from academy participation. Participants from earlier years who now study indicated that academy participation had eased their transition form school to university and had helped them with their choice of major. Independent working methods as practiced in class are regarded in retrospect as the most important element of the academy. In addition, contact to tutors and team work are also of particular importance. A further evaluative study is currently being carried out by Prof. Ernst Hany (Erfurt University) which is to explore, in particular, the sustainability of the effects of academy participation after a distance of ten or more years. 1.3 Non-reactive measures of sustaining effects of participation Although the 16-day duration of the academies is relatively short, they do have lasting effects. This can be shown by several actions and initiatives undertaken by the alumni. Many former participants keep in touch through the "Alumni club", organise reunions and holiday trips as well as academies for themselves and found regional groups at university sites. A bi-annual periodical "exPuls" provides a forum for exchanging views and publishes reports on its members' activities. The alumni club also paved the way for the emergence of the association "Jugendbildung in Gesellschaft und Wissenschaft e.V." (Youth Education in Society and Science Inc., www.jgw-ev.de) which has been organising its own pupils academies since 2004, thus creating additional capacity for those who cannot be accommodated by the Deutsche SchülerAkademie. Numerous former participants who have already completed their studies return to the Deutsche SchülerAkademie as instructors, and by now about one third of all the instructors are former participants.

References [1] B. Huchzermeyer, Zweieinhalb Wochen im Ausnahmezustand. Spektrum der Wissenschaft, 2006, February, 78-81. (Two and one half weeks in exceptionality.) [2] H. Wagner, Talent Development in Residential Summer Programmes. In P. Csermely and L. Lederman (eds.), Science Education. Talent Recruitment and Public Understanding. IOS Press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2003, pp. 117128. [3] H. Wagner, Extending the German Pupils Academy to Younger Secondary School Pupils: The German Junior Academies. In P. Csermely, T. Korcsmáros and L. Lederman (eds.), Science Education: Best practices of Research Training for Students Under 21. IOS Press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 2005, pp. 91-96. [4] M. Spitzer, Lernen. Gehirnforschung und die Schule des Lebens. Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, Heidelberg, 2002. (Learning. Brain research and the school of life.)

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[5] H. Neber and K.A. Heller, Deutsche SchülerAkademie. Ergebnisse der wissenschaftlichen Begleitforschung (German Pupils Academy. Results of Evaluative Research). Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn 1997. (Research Report Published by the Federal Ministry for Education, Science, Research and Technology, Bonn.) [6] M. Spitzer, Lernen. Gehirnforschung und die Schule des Lebens. Spektrum Akade-mischer Verlag, Heidelberg, 2002. (Learning. Brain research and the school of life.) I gratefully acknowledge the help of Menna Jones with the English translation.

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Introduction to Research in the Secondary School Josep M. FERNÁNDEZ-NOVELL a,c and Joan J. GUINOVART a,b a Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and b Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Barcelona Science Park, c University of Barcelona, Spain

Abstract. In Catalonia, research projects in secondary schools have formed part of the curriculum for a number of years. Here we describe the activities of the University of Barcelona and the Barcelona Science Park aimed at helping secondary school students to develop a research project and their teachers to supervise the project. The relationships formed between students, their secondary school teachers and university teacher/researcher mentors appear to have a lasting positive effect. The research projects make a positive contribution to learning science and stimulate scientific vocation.

Introduction - Background of Spain. It is widely accepted that Europe’s future must be built on a knowledge-based society. Thus, the future of Spain, a member state, depends on the knowledge produced here. The secondary school is an excellent setting in which to foster this knowledge. Spain is formed by 17 Autonomous Communities. It has a national policy on education [1]; however, each region develops its own independent education system. Secondary school comprises two years in which students from 16-18 years old choose subjects to prepare their application to university [2]. Maths, Computer Science, Physics, Earth Sciences, Chemistry, Technology and Biology are the subjects required to enrol on a university degree in Sciences, while History, Literature, Latin, Greek, Economics, The History of Art and Geography are necessary to start a degree in languages or social science. c

Corresponding author: Departament de Bioquímica i Biologia Molecular. Universitat de Barcelona. Avgda. Diagonal 645, E-08028 Barcelona, Spain. E-mail: [email protected]

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Of the 17 Communities, only Catalonia includes a research project [3-5] in the final year of secondary school (17-18 years). This project is compulsory for all students at this level and accounts for the 10 % of the final grade.

1.

Research projects for secondary school students

In Catalonia, research projects in secondary schools have formed part of the curriculum since 1992. 1.1 General description of the research project on science. One of the most difficult tasks for students is to decide on a topic for the research project. They must first identify their interests and their desired career; establish the time they wish to spend on the project and whether they enjoy working in a laboratory. Once these points have been addressed, a science teacher (tutor for the research project) can guide the student in his/her choice of topic. After checking the resources available for the project, students can then start. During this activity and assisted by their tutors, students review the topic by reading bibliographic references, focus on the objectives, and then select the materials and methods of the project. Once completed, the final project is written up and defended in front of a panel of teachers. This panel evaluates the report, the oral presentation and the answers given in response to questions asked by the panel.

Examples of topics from biology, chemistry and physics (to mention a few areas) covered in research projects. Test of anti-bacterial Obtaining soap Superconductors Virtual genes substances Lipid identification Synthesis of aspirin Magnetic levitation Diabetes Growing plants in the presence of CO2

Planck’s constant

Energy from Hydrogen

Young people’s nutrition

Towards the end of the school year, the projects of a number of talented students are published for dissemination. 1.2 Tutoring research projects. In the context of science, many secondary school teachers (especially older ones) do not have enough research experience and may therefore generate only bibliographic proposals. Furthermore, many schools do not have enough laboratory material or equipment. These situations decrease student expectations about a research project, and also decrease their interest in science. Remarkably, an increasing number of secondary school science teachers take the initiative to request collaboration and help from university researchers. This initiative

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arises because a number of students (generally talented ones) wish to address hot topics in scientific fields with which the teacher is not familiar or topics not covered in standard school curricula. In this context, several teachers and researchers from departments of the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Barcelona Science Park (Parc Científic de Barcelona, PCB) have helped secondary school students and their teachers to build up the confidence they need to interact with research departments and to perform simple research projects with modest experiments in their classes. Universities and research centres can play a crucial role in familiarising secondary school teachers with novel scientific knowledge [6,7]. Motivated students who wish to address complex fields and show great enthusiasm for research are referred by their secondary school teachers to researchers at the UB or PCB. Moreover, a university teacher or researcher may offer to become a second tutor for a research project. Researchers can help talented students by putting forward new ideas and stimulating new approaches. They can also provide access to technological research equipment that is not available in secondary school laboratories mainly because it is expensive or dangerous. Furthermore, a booklet covering a set of relevant biochemistry research projects was edited by the UB and distributed among secondary schools in Catalonia [8]. The aim of the UB [9] and the PCB [10] is to introduce talented students to science by helping them with their projects. Supervised by a university teacher and guided by a PhD student, secondary school students have first-hand experience of the techniques related to biochemistry, biology, chemistry and physics. Given the age proximity between students and researchers (PhD student), laboratory work is greatly facilitated in an easy-going atmosphere. In general, the university/researcher tutor provides “brainstorming” sessions. Generally, these sessions stimulate a series of questions that students wish to pose and which improve the quality of the project. Students and tutors build a one-to-one relationship (extra time outside the class) which fosters the acquisition of knowledge, and provides experience of laboratory techniques. Increasing students’ self-confidence could facilitate the development of their research projects. Each student has a just claim that his or her research project is singular, and has needs that deserve special attention from secondary school teachers and university teachers/researchers.

2.

Feedback.

2.1 Student feedback. Having finishing the research projects and presenting them for evaluation, students were asked to complete a questionnaire. An analysis of the answers are shown in the Table 2.

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Table 2. Student feedback about the research project developed out of the school YES My relationship with the researcher tutor was excellent

100 %

NO/I am not sure 0%

The atmosphere in the lab encouraged learning.

95 %

5%

Learning in the lab was exciting.

95 %

5%

I feel that I learned the topics covered in the lab in depth.

82 %

18 %

I feel confident about giving a public presentation of my research work.

30 %

70 %

I am interested in additional time in the lab during my science degree.

70 %

30 %

Students most greatly appreciated the opportunity to work in a laboratory and expressed that they would repeat the experience. Almost all the students considered the research project as a valuable experience. They also valued personal interaction with the researcher (university teacher or PhD student); however, most did not feel comfortable presenting their work in public because they were unaccustomed to making presentations. In addition, 7 out of 10 expressed an interest in spending extra time working in the lab during their science degree. 2.2 Secondary school science teachers’ feedback. In the same way a questionnaire was utilized to get an evaluation about the research project developed out of school. Responses from secondary school science teachers are in the next table.

Secondary school science teacher feedback about their students and research projects developed out of the school. YES

NO

My relationship with the university teacher or researcher was excellent.

100 %

0%

Were the students you referred to researchers the most talented in your class? One of the most important things was to use scientific equipment.

90 %

10 %

50 %

50 %

My students have gained lab experience.

95 %

5%

The answers reflected in this table indicate that most of the secondary school science teachers were more interested in increasing their students’ laboratory knowledge than increasing student access to using university equipment.

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2.3 University/researcher tutor feedback. At the end of the school year, university and researcher tutors of all research projects were asked to fill in a questionnaire about their opinions and tasks. The following table shows their answers. University/researcher tutor feedback about the research project. My relationship with the student was excellent.

YES 100 %

NO 0%

My relationship with the secondary school teacher was excellent.

100 %

0%

I contributed to the design of new strategies to address the issues posed in the research project. Were you able to cover all your initial objectives?

80 %

20 %

90 %

10 %

Did your students find it relatively easy to perform their research work?

70 %

30 %

My talented student enjoyed working in the lab.

90 %

10 %

The university/researcher tutors gave positive feedback on the research projects performed and their relationships with students and secondary school teachers alike was excellent. Furthermore, these tutors considered that 7 out of 10 students had been able to develop their projects with relative ease and this was attributed to their motivation and effort.

3.

Global results.

After collecting the opinions of students, secondary school science teachers and university teachers/researchers, we evaluated the global results, final grades of the projects, university entrance exam success/failure and enrolment on a university science degree. In Spain, students make four choices of degree in order of preference. Access to a degree is awarded on the basis of the final grade attained in the university entrance exam. We compared the results obtained from students who developed their research projects out of school, in the UB and PCB, with those obtained from the remaining students.

Global Results

Grade of the research project (10 maximum)

Research Project the University 9.2

in

Research Project in general 7.8

Pass the university entrance exam (%)

100 %

86 %

Enrolment on first university science degree option

96 %

70 %

The results show that the research project grade was 1.4 points higher for students who had developed their project with the support of university/researchers than that obtained by the remaining students. All of the students whose projects were supervised by university teachers/researchers passed the university entrance exam. Finally, only

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4% of these students were unable to enrol on the science degree of their first choice. In contrast, of the students who did not develop their projects in the UB or PCB, 30% were not able to enrol on the first degree option. On the basis of our results, we conclude that: x x

The interactions between the students and their mentors, and the relationships formed, appear to have a positive effect. The research projects done by secondary school students and developed in the UB and the PCB make a positive contribution to learning science and stimulate scientific vocation.

References [1] [2] [3] [4]

www.mec.es/educa/sistema-educativo www.xtec.es/estudis/batxillerat/curriculum_bat.htm www.edu365.com/batxillerat/comfer/recerca J. Moya I Obes. (1992) Treball de recerca. Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament d’Ensenyament. Barcelona [5] E. Coromina, X. Casacuberta and D. Quintana (2000) El treball de recerca. Eumo ed. Barcelona. [6] J.M. Fernández-Novell, E. Cid, R. Gomis, A. Barberà and J.J. Guinovart. A Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Course for Secondary School Teachers. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education 32 (2004) 378-380. [7] J.M. Fernández-Novell and J.J. Guinovart. Promoting Biochemical Research in the Secondary School. In: P. Csermely et al. (eds.) Science Education: Best Practices of Research Training for Students under 21. IOS Press, Amsterdam, 2005, pp. 131135. [8] J.M. Fernàndez-Novell, R. Fusté and J.J. Guinovart. Temes de Bioquímica. Treballs de recerca. (2000). Ed. Universitat Barcelona [9] www.ub.edu [10] www.pcb.ub.es

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The New Policy for Promoting Education for Outstanding and Gifted Students in Israel a

Shlomit RACHMEL a,1 The Division for Outstanding and Gifted Students, The Ministry of Education, Jerusalem, Israel

Abstract. The Israeli Ministry of Education adopted a new policy to identify and nurture outstanding and gifted students excelling in different talent domains. The policy delineates the definitions of outstanding and gifted students, details ways of identifying them and proposes principles and frameworks for nurturing them. At present, we are implementing the first phase of the policy, the development of a network for identifying and nurturing outstanding students.

Introduction The new policy for promoting education for outstanding and gifted students in Israel was crafted by a steering committee, whose recommendations were adopted by the Ministry of Education in September 2004. The committee included professors from various content areas, as well as experts in psychometrics and in gifted and talented education. While detailing the committee’s recommendations, I will briefly describe already established programs, and the changes needed in order to implement the new policy. The committee discussed all issues pertaining to nurturing gifted students, including the basic assumptions, guiding principles, definitions of the population, and ways of identifying and nurturing it.

1

Corresponding Author: Shlomit Rachmel, e-mail: [email protected].

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1.

131

The Description of the New Policy

1.1. Basic Principles •

• • • •

•

The state of Israel’s human capital is the primary quality resource at its disposal. Investment in developing the talents of outstanding and gifted students serves as a vital component in preparing the future generation of scientists, artists and trailblazers. Equal opportunity in education requires differential investment of resources in accordance with the characteristics and needs of each and every student, so that students will be able to optimally realize their potential. Outstanding and gifted students have special characteristics and needs, just like students with other unique characteristics (such as slow students or students with learning disabilities). The world of human talent is diverse. Giftedness can be manifested in general cognitive skills, or in performing arts or sports-oriented skills. High intelligence and other human talents are dynamic qualities that can be enhanced and shaped. Neglecting the potential for unique talent impairs the ability of outstanding and gifted students to contribute to themselves and to society. The special characteristics and needs of outstanding and gifted students require a unique learning environment and distinctive study tracks, with respect to pedagogic methods, and appropriate teachers and curricula.

1.2. The Ideal Graduate of Gifted Education Programs The ideal graduate of gifted education programs dictates, to a large degree, the paths of educational intervention and the instructional methods that should be employed. The committee concluded that the main expectations from graduates of gifted education programs are in the achievement spheres relevant to students’ talents. These expectations include excelling as adults in philosophy, science, technology, art, literature, law, business and more. But beyond the achievement aspect, there are additional expectations from these “ideal graduates”: Determination and perseverance, creativity and originality, curiosity, intellectual courage, intellectual or artistic integrity, the ability and desire to continually learn and develop, the ability to think under conditions of uncertainty, the ability for multidirectional thinking, efficient consumption of information, a broad perspective and awareness of ethical implications. In addition, the committee regarded outstanding and gifted students as a “serving elite”. Therefore, graduates of programs for these students should be socially committed people, with a high level of morality and humanity. The committee determined that education programs for outstanding and gifted students should seek to encourage the qualities mentioned above. 1.3. Definitions of the Target Population According to the New Policy The professional literature dealing with gifted children does not provide a uniform and clear definition for the concept of giftedness. The steering committee, seeking to draft

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guidelines that will enable concrete action to be taken in the field, adopted the following definitions, knowing that they are arbitrary to a certain degree: Some educators distinguish between “gifted” children, who excel in scholastic areas, and “talented” children, who excel in the areas of performing arts, or sports. The committee decided to use the term “gifted” for all types of excellence. The following are the areas of giftedness: • • • •

General scholastic ability/general level of intelligence. Artistic talent: Music, visual arts, dance, writing arts. Specific scholastic field of excellence: Mathematics, computers, languages, etc. Talent in sports.

The following table shows the relative degrees of incidence of different IQ levels. Similar tables can be created for each of the areas of giftedness mentioned above. Table 1. Various degrees of giftedness and their relative proportion in the population (assuming a normal distribution; in terms of IQ). Standard score higher than (approximate) 1.28 1.64 1.96 2.33 2.67 3.00 4.00

Relative proportion in the population (approximate) 0.10 (10%) 0.05 (5%) 0.025 (2.5%) 0.01 (1%) 0.004 (0.4%) 0.001 (0.1%) 0.0001 (0.01%)

Incidence out of a cohort of 100,000 (approximate)

IQ

10,000 students 5,000 students 2,500 students 1,000 students 400 students 100 students 10 students

120 125 130 135 140 145 160

Table 1 demonstrates the inevitable tradeoff between the level of excellence and incidence: The higher the level of giftedness (stricter criteria), the fewer gifted children will be found. The committee established the following statistical definitions: •

•

Gifted students: The top one percent of the population in each cohort, in each of the areas of giftedness as defined above, on condition that they also meet the criteria of motivation and creativity above the cohort median. In terms of IQ, this refers to an IQ of 135 and above. Outstanding students: The top five percent of the population in each cohort, in each of the areas of giftedness as defined above, on condition that they also meet the criteria of motivation and creativity above the cohort median. In terms of IQ, this refers to an IQ of 125 and above.

Since gifted students are included within the group of outstanding students, it follows that outstanding students constitute 4% of the population. It is difficult to know precisely how many students meet the definition of gifted children within each cohort. There are two main reasons for this: Firstly, it is still not known how many of those who belong to the upper one percent also meet the additional two criteria established.

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Secondly, areas of giftedness are independent of one another. Thus, a student may be gifted only in mathematics, in languages or in computers. However, there are gifted students who are gifted “all-around”, and will therefore, fill more than one area of giftedness. The committee estimated that according to its definition, and considering all the content areas together, there are roughly 3–4% gifted students and additionally, 8–12% outstanding students in Israel. The pool of talents is not uniformly distributed throughout all cities and schools in Israel. A uniform, nationwide definition of giftedness (a “national norm”) could lead to a situation where in certain localities or geographical regions, very few (or very many) gifted students will be found. It was ultimately decided to adopt a mixed policy with regard to the definition of gifted children. Outstanding students (the top 5%) will be defined on a local basis – the outstanding students in the school or the locality. Gifted students (the top 1%) will be defined on a national basis. The recommended methods for nurturing these two groups of gifted children are also different in nature (see below). “Super-gifted” or “extremely gifted” or “genius” children constitute a subgroup of gifted children, which numbers only a few students in the entire country who exhibit a highly rare talent. In the area of intelligence, this refers to an IQ above 155 (there are only 10–15 such students in each cohort). Super-gifted children are both different from other students and from regular gifted students. Usually their unusual abilities are self evident.

2.

Identifying the Target Population

Identifying outstanding students and gifted students will be done on the basis of a variety of reliable and valid assessment tools. A variety of tools must be developed, examined and formulated, as follows: • • • • • • • •

Questionnaires for preschools teachers; observation in preschool Questionnaires for teachers, parents and students Portfolios Achievement tests School grades Intelligence tests Tools for evaluating motivation Tools for evaluating creativity

The committee recommended to nurture gifted children as early as possible, and to continue to nurture them until the end of Grade 12. The age to begin nurturing depends on the following factors: •

The age at which a specific talent develops and is manifested. It is known that this age is not identical for all types of talent, and therefore it is impossible to determine a standard age that will apply to the range of human talents.

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•

The age at which it is possible to assess (and identify) the existence of a particular form of giftedness in a reliable and definite manner.

Despite these limitations, the committee recommended creating an “address” for parents who have observed special talents in their children at a young age. Super-gifted children, for example, are usually identified in early childhood. It was recommended that these children undergo individual assessment, and if their talent is recognized, the parents will receive guidance and financial aid for nurturing the highly gifted child. The committee stated that in the process of identifying outstanding and gifted students, an affirmative action policy should be employed in favor of girls and in favor of outstanding and gifted students from lower socioeconomic strata, as long as this affirmative action does not place the candidates in a inferior position relative to other gifted children in the nurturing frameworks.

3. Description of Established Programs for Nurturing Gifted Students The Division for Outstanding and Gifted Students currently operates several unique programs for nurturing gifted students: Special classes in schools, programs consisting of a “weekly enrichment day” and several specialized schools, after–school enrichment classes and a virtual school. •

•

•

Special classes (self-contained classes) – Special regional classes operate in five elementary schools around the country and in 17 secondary schools. The total number of students who attended these classes during the 2006 school year was 2,583 students. The curriculum in these classes consists of an expanded curriculum for studying the topics of the regular national curriculum with added depth and breadth, while providing varied enrichment and acceleration according to students’ needs. Concurrent Enrollment in high school and university – Gifted high school students may choose an elective track, which combines their high school studies with concurrent enrollment in academic studies at various institutions of higher education. In 2005–06, 320 students enrolled in this concurrent academic program at Tel-Aviv University and Haifa University. Weekly enrichment day programs enable gifted students to study once a week in a unique program that is suited to their abilities and needs. Programs are held in 52 regional or regional centers, to which students arrive with organized transportation. Enrichment day programs cater mainly to elementary school students only (Grades 3–6). The centers are spread out throughout the country, and encompass all sectors, including the Jewish, the Arab and Druze sectors in mixed populations. A total of 6,677 students attended these programs in 2005–06. In these programs, students study various disciplines that are not included in the regular, formal curriculum with other students who are similar to them in their cognitive abilities and fields of interest. Different and varied teaching methods are employed, maintaining continuity for some of the topics studied over the years. The guiding principles established by the department are uniform, but the range of programs is very broad, with each program

S. Rachmel / The New Policy for Promoting Education for Outstanding and Gifted Students

•

•

•

•

•

4.

135

assuming its own particular character. The number of students attending the program, its geographical location, the principal and the teachers teaching in it constitute factors that influence the nature of each program. Specialized secondary schools – The Ministry of Education sponsors several secondary schools that nurture specific talents, such as music, performing arts, visual arts, and sciences in unique programs. These schools are selective, accepting students who possess an above-average general scholastic ability, and exhibit excellence in a specific field. A total of 980 students attended these schools in 2005–06. After–school enrichment classes – 3%–5% of the students who are identified in the assessment tests are referred to after-school enrichment classes, as a continuation of the school day or in the afternoon. These after-school classes are intended for students in Grades 3–9. The program exposes outstanding students to different fields of knowledge not included in the formal curriculum. The total number of students who attended this program in 2005–06 is 4,200 students. Virtual school – The Division of Outstanding and Gifted Students, together with The Open University, operates three campuses of virtual schools. These schools offers ten semester courses ranging from the history of mathematics to environmental ethics and natural medicine (in Arabic) to gifted students from secondary school, primarily from the periphery. Students perform various tasks via the internet and also meet periodically with their instructor on a personal basis. University enrichment program – The Division of Outstanding and Gifted Students, together with Tel-Aviv University, offers gifted students in secondary schools, mostly from the periphery, a summer program in Tel-Aviv University that exposes them to various subject areas in an experiential manner. Students take courses with university instructors and work with them on various research projects. Youth conferences and science days – The Division of Outstanding and Gifted Students sponsors interdisciplinary youth conferences which focus on concepts, such as time, changes, and relativism from different perspectives. These conferences are open to all gifted and outstanding students.

Recommended Ways of Nurturing and Developing Talent – Principles and Methods

4.1. Principles The new policy outlined above has led to the formulation of an innovative pedagogical approach based on the following principles: • •

Strengthening and developing several homogeneous gifted education frameworks, in addition to frameworks that include outstanding and gifted students in regular classrooms. Recognizing the needs and characteristics of the population of gifted students. Providing a suitable and constructive educational response that meets their unique developmental requirements.

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• • • • •

Combining and balancing national guidelines with local field initiatives. Recognizing the ways of thinking and learning and the emotional and social needs of outstanding and gifted students, which require coordinated methods of operation. Recognizing the need to foster depth and breadth of thinking that also addresses ethical aspects. Creating dynamic conditions and study environments that will enhance and develop overt or covert talents. Nurturing the populations of gifted and outstanding students alike.

4.2. Methods of Nurturing and Enrichment The methods of nurturing gifted children that exist around the world can be classified according to the basic approach relating to the capabilities of gifted students. •

•

•

Acceleration: According to this approach, the talents of gifted students enable them to learn and advance at an accelerated pace in any topic within the areas of their talents. Possible types of acceleration include: Early entry into school, skipping grades, compacting the curriculum, studying at a personal pace, accumulating academic credits during the course of high school studies, finishing a bachelor’s degree before joining the army. Enhancing the breadth of knowledge: According to this approach, gifted students can simultaneously study a larger than usual number of topics and subjects, and can therefore be nurtured by adding study subjects across the board throughout their entire course of studies. For example: studying several foreign languages, intensive study of computer applications, studying various schools of art, adding branches of specialization in sports and more. Gifted students can take courses in an extra-curricular framework and can also study in integrated frameworks. In-depth studies: According to this approach, gifted students are willing and capable of studying any topic in greater depth than usual. For example: Studying mathematics not only through formulas and applying them to specific cases, but also through understanding the set of axioms upon which they are based; studying music not only by acquiring a specific technique but also accompanied by a physical and/or cultural understanding of the essence of the music.

Gifted education should be based on all of the above methods. The choice between them (or their combination) should be done according to the nature of the specific program, the capabilities and tendencies of the gifted students taking part in it and the skills of the teachers in the program. 4.3. Organizational Frameworks and Nurturing Tracks for Advancing Outstanding and Gifted Students Nurturing outstanding and gifted students can be done through several organizational modes. We would like to present the main possibilities, taking into account the fact that

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some of the frameworks have already been established in the education system (homogeneous classes, concentrated enrichment days, enrichment after-school classes). •

• • • • • •

•

• • •

Establishing specialized schools for gifted children, with the aim of creating special-purpose holistic environments on the basis of a national norm. The committee recommended establishing 3 schools – in the north, in the center and in the south of Israel. Opening homogeneous classes for gifted students. These classes will operate in regular schools, and will include gifted students from a particular geographical region, as do the currently established classes. Concentrated enrichment days, in which outstanding and gifted students are provided transportation to a special-purpose school, where they study for one day a week according to the currently established format. After-school enrichment classes. Developing new curricula units for gifted and outstanding students – in subjects that are included in the national curriculum, as well as in topics that are extra-curricular. Developing mentoring programs in regular schools and in summer courses, with the aim of empowering students by working with experts who will undergo special training. These programs will serve as the basis for learning environments that will enable dialogue between teachers and individual students, to exchange ideas and create new knowledge. Secondary schools that have established gifted education classes will implement these mentoring programs. Establishing resource centers at schools that will enable students to engage in research studies and examine in greater depth some of the topics studied in regular classes. These centers will be based on a collection of specially developed study materials managed by teachers who will undergo special training in suitable working methods. The knowledge and materials that have accumulated at the weekly enrichment day centers will serve as an important source for developing the new study materials and for training teachers. In addition, the resource centers will introduce different topics outside the formal curriculum. The committee recommended to structure frameworks that will facilitate customized progress according to personal pace, different tendencies and varying intellectual levels – in each age group. Developing advancement and acceleration tracks according to special content areas and integrating them with programs in institutions of higher education. Recognizing academic courses as an alternative to matriculation examinations. Giving university credit for selected high school courses.

At present, we are developing programs for outstanding students in a nationwide network. The teachers and program coordinators will operate in the points of intersection of the network. The “protocol” for the network will be comprised of the standards for the programs and the interactions between the components of the network will result from identifying students and exposing them to various programs. The network will gain its strength from the connections of various professionals, such as teachers, principals and program coordinators, for whom the network will create a framework for development, enrichment and professional identity.

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The role of the Division for Outstanding and Gifted Students will be to initiate the development of the network, to devise the network’s “communication protocol”, and to determine the norms and standards for the programs by using means such as performance standards for the programs and their staff. The division will also encourage the formation of new network intersections and connections, while maintaining the network’s professional and administrative infrastructure in order to meet the needs of outstanding and gifted students. Limited additional resources will be invested by the ministry of education in the development phase of the network, while local authorities will finance most of the project. The network will operate several frameworks for outstanding students at different age levels. The frameworks are detailed in Table 2. Table 2. Network Operation for Outstanding Students at Different Age Levels. Grade Level

Program Description

Participation level

2nd

Enrichment programs exposing students to various content areas

100%

2nd

Identifying students via testing and recommendations

100%

3rd – 6th

City-wide multi-disciplinary program for outstanding students (outside the school)

Top 5% in every content areas

3rd – 6th

7th – 12th

School-wide program for outstanding students (under the school’s responsibility) Content–focused programs. Personalized tracks: acceleration, concurrent academic enrollment, virtual learning, mentoring

Top 5% in every content areas

Comments Purpose: Identifying the top 5% in three aspects Purpose: Identifying the top 5% in three aspects Provided by external frameworks, including enrichment centers Provided by school staff and external frameworks Provided by school staff and external frameworks

The variety of models could meet the unique needs of the student population – which is heterogeneous in its own right.

5.

Training Teachers for Outstanding and Gifted Students

Unique pedagogical training is required for teachers who teach outstanding and gifted students. The committee recommended developing frameworks and in-service training that are dedicated to teaching outstanding and gifted students. Training will focus on the following nine content emphases: • • •

Theoretical perspectives on giftedness and excellence. Issues in identifying outstanding and gifted students. Cognitive components of excellence and giftedness.

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• • • • • •

139

Non-intellective components of excellence and giftedness. Issues in defining and identifying creativity. Learning and cognition among outstanding and gifted students. Models and methods of instruction and nurturing outstanding and gifted students. Special populations among outstanding and gifted students. Instructing outstanding and gifted students as a unique profession.

The objective is to reach a situation where each teacher who wishes to teach in the unique programs must take part in in-service training, which will grant him a certificate as a master teacher for teaching outstanding and gifted students. At present, there are 170 teachers who are attending 4 university based in-service programs to become master teachers.

6.

Legislation for the Education of Gifted and Outstanding Students

The committee drafted a law to guarantee the right of every gifted and outstanding student to study in a supportive and empowering environment, in order to realize his/her skills and capabilities. The law intends to define the institutions and programs recognized for budgeting by the Ministry of Education for advancing these students. Members of the committee lobbied for the passage of the law in the education committee of the Israeli parliament. Consequently, the law has passed the first hearing.

7.

Conclusion

Full implementation of the recommendations of the steering committee will lead, in our estimation, to a significant breakthrough in all aspects of gifted education in Israel: Definitions, ways of identifying gifted students, areas of nurturing, teacher training, methods and organizational frameworks, and of course legislation and the necessary budgetary increase. We are currently in the midst of preparations for this implementation, and have already submitted an operative plan for the upcoming two years. As a result, we may be able to present to you in the near future several novel, broader and more diverse activities to identify and nurture outstanding and gifted students.

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Teaching the New Generation: Experience Gained from the Educational Programmes in Applied Geophysics a

Michael S. ARVANITIS a,1 Beuroscience Greek Regional Section, PO Box 3125, 10210, Athens, Greece

Abstract. This paper describes in brief, the action plan that the Greek regional section of Euroscience has followed, during the last two years, for the promotion of applied geophysics in Greece. Focusing mainly on young children, the programme achieved to attract as well the interest of university students as that of teachers and to become one of the most popular scientific actions in Greece. Keywords. Science and Society, Science Communication, Applied Geophysics.

Introduction Education is the key to the future of science. Children, especially the gifted ones, can be driven to science if a suitable educational programme can be adapted under the school curriculum or even as something that has no relation to school, keeping in mind the stressing schedule of today’s students. Such educational programme can play a crucial role in drawing school children into science and in fostering a positive attitude to science in general public.

1

Correponding Author: Michael S. Arvanitis, Euroscience Greek Regional Section, PO Box 3125, 10210, Athens, Greece; E-mail: [email protected]

M.S. Arvanitis / Teaching the New Generation

1.

141

Structuring the educational programme

1.1. Choose speakers in a non-ordinary manner We organized very carefully an educational plan that we should follow in order this to be attractive to young children. First of all we had to choose speakers for our science cafes. A science cafe is not the place for dull speakers and obviously we were looking for people with good knowledge of the topic but as well with good communication skills. We had already a list of experienced and well known to the public speakers in applied geophysics and seismology and we advertised this to the public more widely. But we did not invite only academicians or professors. We tried to equally invite journalists, professionals and scientists in order the public to form a spherical idea of what this science is for. We encouraged as well young scientists, postgraduates and post-docs, to submit proposals for future speaks on geosciences as we believe that young children are more responsive to young speakers. We saw our audience to grow significantly with the addition of young researchers into the lists of speakers.

Figure 1. A science cafe involving students, teachers, scientists and science communicators. The main idea is to create a cosy atmosphere where everyone could pose a question or an opinion on geoscience.

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1.2 Compiling the educational material Our audience was between 11 and 14 years old and we had to compile high quality and authoritative leaflets and web pages. We encouraged many science communicators and scientists to write a two-page document about their area of research and now we are proud of our series of leaflets and webpages. Of course our scope is to expand the list. The problem we faced, and still facing, is that not many teachers are equipped to teach this material, e.g. they do not have the equipment or the knowledge to access our webpages. The second type of material we offered was a series of leaflets, under the general title “how science works”. We asked from individual scientists and professionals in the R&D sector to describe what’s involved in their work: what measurements they make, what equipment they use and practically everything that it means in practice to be a scientist. The most serious drawback of this attempt is that we had very few material available and tried to cover partially all the geophysical scope in order to have ready the material in one academic year. But this will be improved in the coming years as we have a continuous flow of contributions to this. 1.3 Public lectures and visiting schools We organized, in cooperation with local universities and technical institutions a series of public lectures and we are planning to expand the lectures at a national level. Also, we offered lectures to school children about geosciences; these lectures were mainly on the earthquakes and the earth magnetism, which are the topics that children love best. They are also part of the national curriculum, so the visits appeal to the teachers as well. Children of this age are curious and ask many questions, so the presentations have become interactive.

Figure 2. A public lecture at the Goethe Institut in Athens on geosciences.

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1.4 Science as a tale. Interaction between art and science. We tried to adopt stories and legends into a scientific framework and to attract this way young children. The tale of Egelados, the god of the earthquakes in ancient Greece, became a tale attracting this way children’s interest. Apart this, in cooperation with galleries and art houses in Athens, we organized a competition on painting and geosciences. The art competition focused on the feelings that the earth phenomena cause to children.

Figure 3. Science as a tale.

2.

Conclusions

The educational programme on applied geophysics started two years ago and is still growing. Hopefully, we plan to expand these programmes to other scientific fields as well, with the help of other european organizations.

References [1] M. Arvanitis, Field work experience as a research initiation for students: the case of applied geophysics, In P. Csermely, T. Korcsmaros, L. Lederman (ed.), Science Education: Best practices of research training for students under 21, IOS Press, Amsterdam, 2005, pp.106-109 [2] S. Tisseron, Comment l’esprit vient aux objets, Aubier, Paris, 1999.

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Perspectives on the Development of Science Education in the Near Future Manuel F. M. COSTA 1 Universidade do Minho, Departamento de Fisica, Braga, Portugal

Abstract. In the Society of our days there is a major increasing need of an in depth quality education in Science and Technology. Science school teaching should be generalised aiming not only the sound establishment of a “Science” culture in our societies but also to guarantee a steady basis for the improvement of Science and its technological applications. Urgent actions should be taken in this direction. Keywords. Science Education, Scientific Literacy, Experiments, Hands-on Science

Introduction After decades of human development on last years a feeling of civilizational regression is growing in our western societies. Terrorist acts perpetrated by individuals organizations or even states lead to a generalised sense of insecurity and of loss of acquired basic individual and human rights, in general. Furthermore the repeated social and economical crisis can and are said to be related to insufficient and unsustained rates of economical development in our societies. In the European Union the Lisbon’ strategy aiming the establishment of a “leading” knowledge based economy is still facing unsolved implementation problems. Great concerns about world’ environment are arising finally also among governments. Recently the United Nations declared the decade 2005-2014 the decade of “Education for a sustainable development” stressing the importance and impact education may and should 1

Correponding Author: Manuel Filipe P. C. M. Costa, Universidade do Minho, Departamento de Fisica, Campus de Gualtar, 4730-734 Braga, Portugal; E-mail: [email protected].

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have on the future development of our world. The quality and effectiveness of youth’s education will ultimately determine their future behaviour as citizens. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that students get a sound education in science and technology thus establishing a good scientific literacy while learning to value and how to preserve their environment so that, in the future, as citizens in an advanced democratic society, eventually even in decision-making roles, they can assure that society’s development is made in a sustainable manner. In most countries it is being registered a striving lack of scientists technicians and engineers but also, and probably most dramatically, science and technology teachers [1]. Driven by this fact science should and is gaining an increasing importance in school education. Hopefully also recognising the importance of the study and training in Science in the building up of our youngsters’ personality and abilities, both professional and social, changes in school curricula are being implemented in most countries being giving to Science a clearly higher importance. However the improvement in the levels of quality and effectiveness in school science education can hardly be achieved without and effective change in the way science education is traditionally approached in our schools. The method that drives the pursuit of scientific knowledge should be the starting driving and guiding basis of all process of inschool teaching/learning of science. Leading the students to an active volunteer commitment in hands-on experimental activities: observing, analyzing critically, deducing, reasoning, defining, discussing, experimenting… “making” (learning) science as scientists do… This was the driven idea that leads to the establishment of the “Hands-on Science” Network back in 2003.

1.

The Hands-on Science Network. Improving Science Education towards a Sustainable Development

Established in October 2003 in the frames of the Comenius 3 action of the Socrates program of the European Commission, the European Network “Hands-on Science” developed since then a vast range of activities towards a better Science Education in European Schools [2]. Our main goal is the promotion and development of Science Education and scientific literacy in Europe. We aim to generalise innovate and improve Science & Technology teaching at basic vocational training and secondary schools by hands-on experimental practice in the classroom. Bringing hands-on active learning of Science into the classroom and into the soul and spirit of the school. The network enrols today, as regular or associated members, about two hundreds schools, several universities, national and international associations, governmental bodies,

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science centres and museums, NGO’s and companies of practically all countries of the European Union and countries candidates to the integration. About a thousand teachers and educators from kindergarten to high and vocational training schools including special education institutions and well over 20000 pupils are or had been directly and actively involved in our activities. Several dozens of lectures, countless experimental activities in the classroom, experiments demonstrations plays festivals and science fairs were performed. Training seminars and courses for teachers and pupils had been developed at national and European level. Over four hundred pedagogical and scientific papers were published in conference proceedings and journals. Nine books and experiments guides and support texts had been published in different languages. Multimedia CDROMs and DVDs were produced as well as fourteen websites in different languages - www.hsci.info; http://hsci.no.sapo.pt; www.hsci-pt.com; http://colos.fcu.um.es/comenius/; http://webs.uvigo.es/eventos/h-sci/; http://ptcl.chem.ox.ac.uk/%7Ehmc/hsci/; www.emg-huerth.de/comenius/index1.htm; www.hsci.info/hsci_si/; www.cherbourg.home.ro/comenius/menu.html; www.ee3.org; http://micro-kosmos.uoa.gr/Hands-on-Science/; ww.hsci.info/hsci_mt/; www.clab.edc.uoc.gr/hsci/; http://lsg.ucy.ac.cy/other/hsci/- most of them establishing links to many other websites offering an enormous amount of resources (including remote laboratories - http://colos.fcu.um.es/rlab/) that can be used freely by teachers, students, and all interested persons in general. Several press-conferences news and reports were organised disseminating the results of our work in our communities. A major public relations campaign stating and illustrating the importance and the absolute need of a generalized use of practical hands-on experiments at the classroom as basis the education in Science at all school levels was developed aiming EU’ schools, governments, parliaments and decision makers, universities, networks and national and transnational associations, science museums and other institutions involved with non-formal or informal education, the industry, local communities and the citizens in general. Several successful Comenius 1 and Comenius 2 cooperation projects between dozens European schools and other institutions had been promoted in different subjects: robotics, renewable energies, optics, in-service science’ teachers training, sociology and European identity, arts and science, and sustainable development. Other types of cooperation resulted also from the three Socrates/Comenius Contact Seminars we organized as part of our annual conferences in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2004, in Crete in 2005 and in Braga in September 2006. Three international workshops were organized in Cologne, Malta and Bucharest to discuss issues of utmost importance as the Access of Women to Science, Scientific Literacy the Development of Europe and the Challenges of EU’ Enlargement, and the increasing importance of Life Long Learning and Scientific Literacy in our Societies.

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The “1st International Conference on Hands-on Science. Teaching and Learning Science in the XXI Century” held in 2004 in Ljubljana, was an excellent forum where 120 participants from 13 EU’ countries presented 52 works and discussed the main aspects of modern Science Education establishing the basis for the work the network developed thereafter towards the generalization of hands-on experimental work in science education at our schools. In Crete, July 2005, the HSCI2005 conference, “2nd International Conference on “Hands-on Science. Science in changing Education”, gathered nearly 200 participants from 27 countries of the five continents that presented 81 communications discussing the changes education is facing these days in our schools. In September 2006, 4 to 9, at the University of Minho in Braga, Portugal, our “3rd International Conference on Hands-on Science. Science Education and Sustainable Development”, HSCI2006, proved the importance and prestige our organizations reached among the EU’, and world’s, educational and scientific community (a search for the whole phrase ‘Hands on Science International Conference’ gave more than 1 million hits most of them referring to HSCI2006 [3] and over 1/3 of all hits on hands-on science conference refers to activities of our network). Over 450 persons registered to the conference and the 314 effective participants from 41 countries presented 270 works, involving 432 co-authors; apart of 137 hands-on experiments presentations (many including several different experiments) at the 1st European Science Fair we organised from the 5 to the 8 of September that was visited, apart from the conference participants, by more than 500 students teachers and interested citizens in the most active and enthusiastic way. In the overall over 790 scientists teachers students heads of school politicians ministers and other national and local governments representatives, NGO and media from 43 country (mostly from the EU) actively participated in our six major meetings presenting their ideas in 403 works, published and freely available in our websites in electronic format, and established a set of major recommendations and work’ support material that, we truly believe, will positively influence the way Science Education is approached in our schools.

2.

The future of Hands-on Science

With the active contribution of all network members and individuals and institutions committed to the improvement of science education, the Hands-on Science network will continue growing and contributing to the improvement of scientific literacy and to the quality of science education and thus to a sustainable development of our societies. A number of new international cooperation projects and activities at national, EU and world level are being prepared. The next Hands-on Science annual conference is tentatively scheduled for the Azores Islands late July 2007. Next spring a follow-up of our workshops on Scientific Literacy and Life Long Learning will be organised in Romania, by mid April the 3rd Training course in School Robotics will be organised in Malta, ...

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The Hands-on Science network will be maintained in the form of an International Association (www.hsci.info) and will keep growing enlarging its membership and the impact of its activities and proposals in our schools and societies... Inducing a better science education ... In favour of a sustainable development ... Towards a brighter future of humankind ...

3.

Conclusion

World’ sustainable development both in economical and social terms strengthening the democracy and social cohesion in our societies with high levels of human development in respect to the United Nations chart of human rights should be a goal of all countries and of each one of us. The importance of Science, both the pursuit of knowledge and the search for practical uses of scientific knowledge, is widely recognised at all levels in modern societies. A strong and enlarged scientific literacy is fundamental to the development of science and technology but also to a democratic citizenship.

References [1] Report by the High Level Group on Increasing Human Resources for Science and Technology in Europe. European Commission, ISBN 92-894-8458-6 (2004). [2] Manuel F. M. Costa, “Hands-on Science”, Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on “Hands-on Science en Teaching and learning Science in the XXI Century”, pp. 1-9 (2004). [3] P. G. Michaelides, “The Hands-on Science Project: Perspectives of an Adventure”. Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on “Hands-on Science. Science Education and Sustainable Development”, pp. 4-7 (2006).

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Perceived Differences in Teaching Science in High Ability Classrooms and in the Regular School Classroom Catriona FITZGERALD Irish Centre for Talented Youth, Dublin City University, Dublin 9, Ireland [email protected]

Abstract. The Irish Centre for Talented Youth offers enrichment courses to students aged 6–16 years who have been identified as having exceptional academic ability. The Centre provides weekend and summer courses in a range of verbal and mathematical subject areas. Previous courses have included Psychology, Legal Studies, Mathematical Magic, Zoology, Chemistry, Philosophy, Theoretical Physics, Engineering and Neuroscience. This paper looks at the differences observed by teachers who have taught on science courses at both the Irish Centre for Talented Youth and to students in the general school-going population. Keywords. Teaching Science, Gifted students, Regular students

Introduction – Background The Irish Centre for Talented Youth (CTYI) was established at Dublin City University in November 1992, with the support and assistance of the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University. CTY Ireland was the first CTY to be established outside of the United States and has since been followed by CTY Spain, CTY Bermuda and CTY Thailand and the National Academy for Gifted and Talented Youth in the UK. CTYI caters for students with exceptional academic ability in either or both mathematical or verbal reasoning between the ages of 6 and 16 years. CTYI currently caters for over 3,500 students, however there are estimated to be over 25,000 students amongst this cross-section of the population in the gifted and talented category.

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These accelerated courses at CTY Ireland are attractive to students for a number of reasons. Primarily it offers them increased challenge and stimulation, compared to regular school. Many of these students find themselves unchallenged by the mainstream curriculum. They quickly become bored and discontented. Some grow to resent school altogether and the whole notion of education and learning, and ultimately underachieve. Others silently shoulder the boredom and make the best of school, however unhappy and academically dissatisfied. In stark contrast to the national curriculum CTY Ireland offers exciting courses in diverse subject areas that run at a much faster pace than what is typical. As the curriculum is defined by each individual instructor, it provides more leeway in terms of content, and permits student interests to be interwoven into the course without difficulty. One of the most valuable aspects of these programmes is that it groups together students of similar ability. This is beneficial on two counts. Firstly, high academic ability becomes the norm rather than the exception as it is often regarded in school. Students are given the opportunity to work with their academic, as opposed to age, peer group, and therefore do not experience the same derision that they often experience. Secondly students find it much easier to make friends in such groupings where students share the same interests as themselves. Instructors of courses operated by CTY Ireland are chosen from a wide pool. Each instructor has shown themselves to have achieved highly in their own specialised area. They must possess a fervent interest in their specific subject area, but most importantly enjoy teaching children and young people. Not all instructors are schoolteachers, and neither are all schoolteachers necessarily chosen as instructors.

1.

Assessment and Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to attend courses at CTY Ireland students must qualify through assessment. CTY Ireland uses different forms of assessment at each of the different age levels. Internationally out-of-level testing has been shown to be the most appropriate means of assessing students with exceptional academic ability. Students wishing to participate in CTY Ireland courses must first prove their ability in verbal and mathematical, and in some cases, abstract reasoning.

6–7 Year Olds

Young Student Programme Students in this age group take assessment in Verbal and Abstract Reasoning. These students must reach the 95th percentile in either areas to be eligible to participate.

8–12 Year Olds

Young Student Programme Students in this age group take assessment in Verbal, Numerical and Abstract Reasoning. These students must reach the 95th percentile in any of the three areas to be eligible to participate.

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13–16 Year Olds

Older Student Programme Students in this age group take assessment in Verbal and Numerical Reasoning. These students must reach the 97th percentile in either area to be eligible to participate.

Psychological Assessment

CTY Ireland is acutely aware that some students in the gifted and talented population may also bear a learning difficulty. The Centre welcomes the participation of these students, making the necessary modifications to suit their individual learning needs.

Students on the Older Student Programme may only choose courses from their defined area of academic competence. Students on the Young Student Programme can choose from the complete list of courses, regardless of their ability once they have shown appropriate aptitude in one area.

2.

Academic Courses

CTY Ireland’s enrichment courses span across virtually all subject disciplines. The Centre is only constrained by two variables in what courses it can offer – facilities available at the university and access to appropriately qualified instructors. Table 1 shows the wide variety of science courses offered at CTY Ireland over the past number of years. In 2006, 62% of courses offered to students were in science. The proportion of science courses offered to students over the past number of years is given in Table 2. Science courses are by far the most popular courses amongst the 6–12 year old group. Science is less appealing amongst the 12–16 year old group, with only 52% choosing it as their first choice in 2006. Table 1. Science courses offered by CTY Ireland in 2005–2006. Aeronautical Engineering

Archaeology

Astronomy

Biology

Biomedical Diagnostics

Brain Investigations

Bugs & Stuff

Chemical Engineering

Chemistry

Computer Applications

Criminology

Electronic Engineering

Engineering

Experimental Physics

Forensic Science

Genetics

Investigative Science

Maths Magic

Me & My Body

Mechanical Engineering

Marine Biology

Microbiology

Modern Maths

Neuroscience

Medicine

Physiotherapy

Psychology

Robotics

Pharmacy

Science of Tomorrow

Superhero Science

Theoretical Physics

Rocket Science

Veterinary Science

World Geography

Zoology

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Table 2. Number of Science courses available (Note: 12–16 year old students only attend courses during the summer period). Courses for 6–7 Year olds

Term Spring 2004 Summer 2004 Autumn 2004 Spring 2005 Summer 2005 Autumn 2005 Spring 2006 Summer 2006 Autumn 2006

Courses for 8–12 Year olds

Courses for 12–16 Year olds

3 of 8

38%

15 of 35

43%

–

–

4 of 8

50%

27 of 54

50%

13 of 31

42%

3 of 6

50%

12 of 33

36%

–

–

3 of 6

50%

26 of 43

60%

–

–

4 of 9

44%

37 of 63

59%

14 of 30

47%

7 of 11

64%

23 of 43

53%

–

–

6 of 10

60%

27 of 45

60%

–

–

9 of 10

90%

43 of 63

68%

10 of 29

34%

–

–

23 of 42

55%

–

–

Table 3. Participation in Science on summer programmes from 2003–2006. 2006 % Participation

2005 % Participation

2004 % Participation

2003 % Participation

Age Group Male

6 to 7 years

100%

76%

100%

100%

Female

6 to 7 years

100%

75%

100%

100%

Male & Female

6 to 7 years

100%

76%

100%

100%

Male

8 to 12 years

88%

79%

29%

63%

Female

8 to 12 years

70%

53%

31%

49%

Male & Female

8 to 12 years

82%

70%

30%

58%

Male

12 to 16 years

50%

41%

39%

38%

Female

12 to 16 years

23%

29%

22%

18%

Male & Female

12 to 16 years

32%

36%

31%

28%

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Much of the time courses are masterminded by the Centre itself, however some of our instructors have suggested courses that they feel would work well with the age group. The uptake of science courses is shown in Table 3, which also includes the breakdown into male and female uptake. From this table it is clear to see that there is a high uptake, by both male and female students, amongst the 6–7 year old students. This is most likely caused by parents making course choices for their children. The trend across the 8–12 year old students is changeable (Fig. 1). The slow decline toward a low in 2004 is evident across both gender groups. The 12–16 year olds show a flatter line (without the 2004 drop) (Fig. 2) however the percentage points have dropped considerably for both male and female students. In both graphs boys appear to show a higher preference for science than girls. Science uptake of 8-12 year olds Male 100%

Female M& F

80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 2006

2005

2004

2003

Figure 1. The participation in science in 8–12 year old students.

Science uptake of 12-16 year olds 45%

Male

40%

Female

35%

M& F

30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 2006

2005

2004

2003

Figure 2. The participation in science in 12–16 year old students.

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3.

C. Fitzgerald / Perceived Differences in Teaching Science

Science Instructors

Instructors selected to teach science at CTY Ireland are generally university lecturers, postgraduate students or schoolteachers, with quite a specific area of expertise. While previous teaching experience is valuable, it is not imperative. A willingness to teach and some previous work with students in this age bracket are felt to be of far greater importance. Each instructor works very closely with the Centre at the time of course development, where all course material, practical activities and discussion topics are critically considered. CTY Ireland’s philosophy is to respect the needs and abilities of each individual student and therefore instruction should be sensitive, responsive and flexible to each student’s distinctive learning requirements. CTY Ireland expects its instructors to be capable and confident in dealing with students of exceptional ability, as they differ from students in mainstream schools in many ways. While all students attending courses at CTY Ireland have achieved excellent scores in standardised tests, instructors must be able to handle the variations in talent, ability and motivation, as well as differences in level of attentiveness and prior knowledge of the subject. That said instructors should demand high standards from all students, while allowing for individual differences where necessary. The following guidelines are issued to all instructors on how best to conduct themselves and their classes. This list has been compiled as a result of many discussions with both CTY/Johns Hopkins staff and previous CTY Ireland instructors [1]. •

Knowledge of the subject The instructor is a subject specialist, knows the material and can handle it with confidence. Further, the instructor is able to inspire a love of the subject in the student.

•

Mental flexibility The instructor possesses the ability to stretch beyond the narrow confines of the subject being taught and is able to tolerate ambiguity as the class explores the meaning and substance of the discipline.

•

Knows what excellence is and can demand it The instructor sets high standards for work and is able to live up to them as well as convey them effectively to students.

•

Able to say “I don’t know” The instructor is secure enough to be able to admit to the class when he or she does not know the answer and does not feel it is necessary to bluff or evade the question.

•

Interesting and interested The instructor has a variety of pursuits and is open to a world of ideas beyond the confines of his or her subject.

•

Able to learn from the classroom and able to listen The instructor sees the students as competent and fully contributing participants in the class, and assumes that the students will be able to provide new insights into the subject.

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•

Willing to try many methods and be observant of the learning styles among students Not all students learn in the same way. The instructor must be able to adapt to the students and draw upon a variety of approaches and teaching strategies in order to convey the subject.

•

Likes to teach and likes young people!

4.

Pedagogical Approaches in Science

One of the most attractive features of the science courses at CTY Ireland is the practical, hands-on way in which they are taught. There is a strong emphasis on delivering science in a way that is visual, tactile and where applicable, audible. While science laboratory facilities are not always available, instructors are encouraged to conduct experiments and science related activities inside and outside of the regular classroom. The Bugs and Stuff class was host to more than a few aquariums containing geckos, stick insects, centipedes and millipedes, as well as lizards and tarantulas. Detailed experiments in Chemistry too are easily conducted in the lab or classroom, with students experimenting on diapers in search of giant water-absorbing polymers, in chromatography, using materials ranging from kitchen towels, filter paper and chalk, and in phosphorescence and luminescence using a custom made UV lamp and a range of familiar items. Many of the experiments, which require complex materials on the Young Student Programme are shown as demonstrations for obvious safety reasons, while the simpler experiments that use more everyday materials are conducted by the children themselves. This approach permits students to replicate the simple experiments at home, where they have access to such materials. The notion of having students “bring science home” is fundamental to the CTYI methodology. The second aspect of the methodology is that it is steeped in the constructivist methodology. Instructors are encouraged to utilise this approach of discovery learning when delivering course content. Time for scientific discussion and debate is factored into all lessons. In this way students are more at home learning science using the scientific method of enquiry, rather than learning by rote, as is often the case in school science. 5.

Research and Evaluation

Research carried out with CTYI instructors who have also taught in mainstream schools yielded some interesting observations. The instructors were asked to identify characteristics that they found amongst the high ability students attending science courses at CTYI and whether they saw similar characteristics in school students from regular schools [2]. They observe high ability students to be characteristically different to their age peers in the following ways: •

They are interested learners CTYI students have quite specific interests. From a young age they are more inclined to choose the subject they are to study at CTYI themselves, and are thereby driven by interest and curiosity.

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•

They learn easily High ability students cope with abstract ideas with greater ease. They require less repetition and typically understand new material on first hearing.

•

“Knows” the answers These students have greater reserves of prior knowledge, having read more widely and retained more information than their peers.

•

Are inclined to Question the answer They don’t readily accept what their teacher tells them. With a greater retention and a deeper understanding, high ability students are more likely to see the aspects of a theory that don’t add up much faster than their fellow school students.

•

Very often don’t appear to be working, but still manage to get good test scores High ability students rarely need the same amount of time as their peers to complete their work. With a faster comprehension and retention of information the mismatch between perceived work rate and test scores is what very often sets them apart from their classmates.

•

Are less inclined to enjoy the company of same age peers Characteristically gifted and talented students show a preference for individuals with a similar intellectual level. Very often this means students in older classes at school, or similarly aged students at CTYI.

These characteristics might be applicable across all subject areas, with none specific to science. 5.1. Teacher Perspectives The instructors that participated in this study also described the learning characteristics of high ability students at CTYI. They found them to be very eager, highly interested and quite persistent learners. With good memories, the students were seen to absorb information very quickly. The following are quotations from the instructors. “They seem to just absorb the information and if they don’t understand the topic they will ask questions until they do.” “Like sponges, they retain information very well and rarely need anything repeated.” “Enthusiastic students who love to learn so therefore learning is selfmotivated, and close to insatiable – they want to find out more all the time.” On the other hand they commented that regular school students; “(they) don’t ask so many questions and are more satisfied by being told the answer.” “They sometimes have more difficulty understanding the material, but they may be less likely to ask questions to improve their understanding.” “They learn because they have to – different motive; more teacher-motivated than self-motivated.”

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Conclusion The attitude toward science of high ability students at CTYI would appear to peaks for both boys and girls when on the 8–12 year old programme. The courses at CTYI increase to serve this peak, but there is a fall off when students make the transition to secondary school (and progress to the Older Student Programme) at 12–13 years of age. A similar trend was also reported in research carried out on the general population [3]. Teaching science to high ability students is no different to teaching students any other subject. While intellectually they are ahead of their peers, specifically the subject is of no consequence. Their attitude, approach and retention in science are as applicable to any of the humanities subjects.

References [1] CTYI (2006). Instructor Handbook – Summer 2006. [2] Szabos, J. (2006). Note the Difference: Bright Child – Gifted Child. Available from: http://www.memphisschools.k12.tn.us/admin/curriculum/clue/comparison.html [Accessed 10 October 2006]. [3] Dept. of Education and Science. (2002) Report and Recommendations of the Task Force on the Physical Sciences. Available from: http://irlgov.ie/educ/pub.html.

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What’s so Special About the International S. Freier Physics Tournament? Zvi PALTIEL Young@Science The Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel www.weizmann.ac.il/young/english

Abstract. The S. Freier Physics Tournament is an 11 years old program of the Weizmann Institute in Israel. In recent years it became an international program for top physics major high-school students from other countries as well. The tournament and its unique program are described. Keywords. Safe construction, team working, comptetiton

Introduction Weizmann Institute’s Young@Science (formerly the Youth Activities Section), has an over 40 year history of active, wide scope extra-mural programs. Over 33,000 Israeli students are engaged in at least one of its programs annually. As most of the programs are arranged with Israeli students in mind they are conducted in Hebrew. There are however 4 notable exceptions: The B.F. Lawrence International Summer Science Institute (ISSI); Math-by-Mail (English version); Weizmann World Wide Math Club and the Freier Physics Tournament. Information about the 38 years old ISSI for top students world wide, the Math-byMail and the Weizmann World Wide Math Club is provided in our website (www.weizmann.ac.il/zemed/english). Here we are focusing on the Freier Physics Tournament. Following eight years of an Israeli-only program the tournament became international three years ago with the participation of teams from the UK, Canada and

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159

the USA. In what follows we describe the tournament, its goals and procedures. We encourage the participation of teams from all over the world.

1.

The Freier Physics Tournament

The tournament is aimed at physics-major high school students, who love physics and are ready to devote their time to a challenging project. Five-student teams may register in September or October. Their mission is to design and implement a locking mechanism for a “safe” based on physical principle. The design should rely on a physical puzzle. For that purpose the “Safe” is a 40×30×25 cm3 box with transparent Plexiglas door. The design should rely on high school curriculum physics. Alternatively one may rely on extra-curricular material provided it is explained in short and clear way which can easily be understood on the basis of high school curriculum within just few minutes. The “safe” and its locking mechanism should be reliable and robust in the sense that any of the many repeated attempts to crack it will succeed if and only if the physical riddle has been solved. Indeed, during the tournament day each team’s “safe” should reliably withstand many cracking attempts of the other teams. Students engage in this project through the five month from the launching in late October to the tournament day at the end of March. They select the riddle and the associated physical principle from among the many options, they prototype and test the idea, prepare a detailed design, build it and make it robust. Finally they bring it to the Weizmann Institute for the tournament day itself. On the tournament day each safe is placed in a separate room allowing teams go from one safe to the next trying to crack it within the allocated 10 minute (Fig. 1). This task of “Safe” cracking culminates the entire locking mechanism construction process. Naturally students are eager to unlock safes, but at the same time they willingly acknowledge the sophisticated design of other. Moreover, the safe cracking task encourages students to learn more about other possible designs, physical phenomena and physics in general following the completion of their safe construction.

2.

S. Freier Physics Tournament Goals and Their Accomplishment

The tournament organizers have several goals in mind: • • • • •

Engaging high school students in science for an extended, i.e. several months long, period; Encouraging their creativity; Encouraging team work; Promoting the involvement of girls in sciences; Creating a common meeting place and sharing a positive experience for physics enthusiasts.

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Figure 1. Team members try to crack another team’s safe during the S. Freier Physics Tournament.

Indeed students taking part in the tournament enthusiastically spend most of their after-school free time in preparing for the tournament for about five months. They not only learn all sorts of curricular and extracurricular physics, but also try to implement it. They often face the difficulty of transforming textbook content and knowledge into practically viable device. The safe tournament’s “yield” of each year indicates that they devote decent thinking to the actual implementation with remarkable creative talent. As old designs of past tournaments are all depicted and described in details in our website, competitors are encouraged to come up with innovative designs (Figs. 2, 3). Once the design, construction, testing and making it robust is completed the teams use the rest of their time in studying past locking designs and other physical phenomena which competing teams might use. This study helps the team members in the final stage of “safe cracking” on the tournament day. Not only is team work the key for successful “safe” building, but also this team work is essential during the tournament day. A collaborative team will generally have much higher chance to break into many “safes”. Moreover, scientists of the Weizmann Institute’s Physics Faculty who serve as referees interview each team. The involvement and understanding level of all team members is weighted among other criteria in the team’s score. The number of “safes” cracked by the team, and the number of attempts their own safe was able to withstand are also considered.

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Figure 2. The winning “safe” of the year 2000.

Figure 3. The scheme of winnig safe.

Though most competitors are boys there are still many girls in gender mixed teams. There were also girl teams representing girls-only schools. One such team shared the first place last year. We have some indications showing that team competition is preferred by girls on top of individual competition. On the tournament day all competitors are pleased to meet so many other students, who just like themselves, spent so much time in preparation for the tournament during the preceding months. This often is a significant change as compare to the long months they were the only students at their school who had devoted that much time to this project. The meeting with many other physics fans reassures them that this enthusiasm is well appreciated among their peers.

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It can therefore quite obvious that the goals of the tournament are indeed accomplished, at least qualitatively. No quantitative study has been done so far. It is however interesting to note that former participants often mention the tournament in their CV thus enhancing their chance to get certain jobs or to be admitted for higher education.

3.

Internationally Speaking

For the last three years teams from schools in the UK, Canada and the USA took part in the S. Freier Physics Tournament. Other schools or organizations from these as well as all other countries are encouraged to join. For the time being the tournament is arranged at the Weizmann Institute. However, we envision future national or regional tournaments whose winners will be invited to the international tournament. Once again, we encourage individuals and organizations to consider organizing national tournament at there own country. It may start by sending teams to the Weizmann tournament and expanding the programs gradually.

4.

Summary

The S. Freier Physics Tournament is a unique physics tournament for high-school physics majors. It incorporates extended after-school voluntary dedication to theoretical, experimental and applied aspects of a wide range of physical phenomena. Moreover, it incorporates actual implementation of the knowledge in the construction of locking mechanism based on a physical riddle. On top of the specialization in the specific physical phenomenon associated with its own design, students are encouraged to review a wide range of phenomena which may be needed to crack the other safes. In addition to the intensive involvement in science, students also experience and learn to appreciate the importance of team work. The whole program culminates in the two day tournament which concludes a five month long exciting as well as demanding experience. These days provide an opportunity to meet, share experiences with and be stimulated by many other physics enthusiasts of their age. (CF Physics Tournament info at www.weizmann.ac.il/young/english for further details about rules, registration and contact information. Moreover, dozens of “Safes” of past years are presented and described).

Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

“Science Academie”: Raising Scientific Passions and Fostering a New Social Link

Livio RIBOLI-SASCOa, Alice RICHARDa and François TADDEIb a Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France b INSERM, Institut Necker, Paris, France

Abstract. Science education in French schools today is suffering from two major problems. Less and less students are enrolling on science courses while obstacles caused by unequal opportunity make it increasingly difficult for less privileged learners to obtain high standard university places and to embark on scientific careers. The way science is taught in schools in France (heavily weighed down by theory and desperately lacking in practical content) urgently needs changing if it is to be made more appealing. It is now time for researchers to collaborate with schools to show that science can be pleasantly challenging and fascinating. Above all, a fundamental reason why science education must be improved is because citizen respect and interaction are fostered through the study of science. Everyone today is directly concerned by scientific issues. In a society where science encompasses more and more ethical questions, a common basis of scientific knowledge must be shared amongst each and every one of us. We would like to prompt researchers into showing that science can be made enjoyable, thereby inspiring students who suffer from a social disadvantage and then to offer our support to the keenest students in order to help them become talented scientists. Helping them to belong to a broad network and training them in scientific vulgarization will help us inoculate a “Science virus” in schools and on a broader basis in society. By intervening locally, with a global approach, changes can be made on a broad scale, i.e. National or European, provoking a cascade of changes in the educational system leading to what could be called a new “equilibrium” of education. Keywords. Network, Science, Education, Society

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Introduction In November 2005, riots broke out and spread rapidly throughout French suburbs, reaching unprecedented levels of violence. How can we account for this irruption of violence? Obviously there is no clear answer. There was no distinct political message, only a total rejection of a society that wasn't able to integrate immigrant children. These children were living in dilapidated buildings, they were finding it increasingly difficult to study or find employment and had nothing to hope for in the future. One incident holding high symbolic potential was enough to spark off an epidemic of violence. It is in this social context that researchers and university students decided to set up a program that would open the doors of science and research to the disadvantage youth. This simple course of action might seem inappropriate in face of such serious and widespread social problems. Yet we believe that initiatives inspired by the Hungarian Kut Diak movement can be at the source of large-scale changes covering an area way beyond sciences. 1.

Science Education in France in 2006

1.1 An increasing lack of interest for scientific university studies. According to the report « What should be done for schools in French suburbs » published by the « Institut Montaigne », 40% of the students living in so called “Sensitive areas” leave school without any qualifications. In addition to this, the number of students entering university to study Science fell by 32% between 1995/1996 and 1999/2000. Sciences have become increasingly unpopular amongst students at school, and in particular towards the most disadvantaged. This situation is alarming. Researchers must get involved quickly in order to spread a new attractive image of Science and to battle against the inequities of our educational system. Enthusiasm and passion are essential characteristics of good scientists which can be easily transmitted to encourage students in choosing scientific studies . Political and educational institutions do not realise just how grave the situation is. This is another reason why researchers should get involved.

1.2 Unequal opportunity to study science at university and higher education establishments. Some talented and creative teenagers do not even apply for the university best courses as they believe they will not be able to afford the cost of long studies and that these studies are reserved for social elite. These difficulties are emphasized by the dual French system, divided between universities and “grandes écoles”. Any high school student can apply for a place at university in France, without having to go through a process of selection, whereas “grandes écoles” recruit through highly selective competition, after two years of preparation. In order to be given an opportunity to prepare for competitive exams, students must present an excellent school track record.

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Universities are allocated a third of the budget provided to “grandes écoles”. Ill reputation, combined with appalling results and student self censorship keep a great number of students at bay from the classes which prepare for the competitive exams leading to “grandes écoles”. Thus, a social division takes place at the end of high school. The “grandes écoles” usually train their students up to Masters degrees. Afterwards some of these very bright students move to universities and start a PhD, preventing most university students to access PhD programs. French higher education system is completely partitioned. Every year, the amount of students that come from working class and immigrant backgrounds decreases. However, scientific research comes to be more creative and productive with people’s diversity. The contribution of international or interdisciplinary collaboration towards innovation in research can be easily understood. We would like to encourage greater diversity emerging from a variety of social and cultural backgrounds. All the different social communities have to be represented. In that way, it will be easier to pay attention to all the questions emerging in our society and that have to be translated by scientists into research programs. In addition to this, scientific professions are a symbol of social success. To those recently immigrated in France, those who suffer from discrimination or from living in disadvantaged areas, science and research can offer a chance to climb the social ladder and a bright future. Allowing a real equality of opportunity in accessing academic professions is a way to eradicate many prejudices. Intelligence is not confined to any social or ethnic group but is shared amongst all. Enabling social ascension through science contributes to social cohesion. People from different origins form an important community committed to a public mission for scientific progress. 1.3 Science is not a research experience... For many children, from primary to high school, scientific education will remain an isolated experience. Very few of them will remember and consider this education as useful in their adult life. Scientific education is often reduced to a corpus of theoretical knowledge. Practical experiments are rarely carried out and in any case limited to a mere demonstration of what has been already taught. It is thus impossible for the students to discover and build any scientific reasoning and argumentation. If learners at school cannot discover for themselves, working on a step by step basis, it is difficult to make science and scientific careers sufficiently attractive to incite students to find the energy and motivation needed to succeed in long and demanding studies. In the same way, musical studies are long and difficult. It is obvious that it is nearly impossible to succeed without being passionate about music. It’s the same with sciences [1]. This way of teaching science can be explained through an analysis of the purpose of French education at its origins. Schools have been developed and widespread all over the territory at the end of the 19th century in order to build a nation, a community of language, values and knowledge. School has not been intended to develop creativity. Our social values have changed, and we now need emotion, passion and selfdevelopment to lead some students to scientific studies. Obviously, not all students have to be encouraged to choose scientific careers. Yet, scientific education in high school will influence many generations of future citizens

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who will have to tackle technological, scientific and ethical questions. Gloomy chemistry courses combined with an increasing awareness of pollution problems (some of them due to chemical industry) may induce a global rejection of chemistry as a science subject as well. Improving scientific education and privileging education using research methods is essential to train mature citizens, well informed on the scientific world and its importance for society. 1.4 Lack of teachers training to sciences and pedagogy Teachers from primary to high school cannot carry out research as well as teach in schools, although some of them have experienced research in their early years when they were students at university. This deep division between teaching and research contributes to convey a biased image of science and research in schools. The scientific knowledge transmitted to students is never shown as an evolving knowledge, rich of a lively history, full of controversial theories that are soon falsified. It is urgent to reconnect the two worlds of research and education. Indeed, the student, as the researcher, tries to learn by himself, observing and then setting up theories and experimenting new ideas and explanations. Students and researchers may have more in common than students and teachers. We could advocate the “ignorance” of the teacher, as suggested by philosopher Jacques Rancières. “Ignorant”, the teacher is placed in the same learning process as the student. His knowledge is related to the method that has to be followed in order to discover and learn. Indeed Jacque Rancières gives evidence of such a process, showing us a group of student, helped by their ignorant teacher, all of them learning together a new language: Flemish.

2.

Why teach Science?

All the above mentioned difficulties only emphasize the potential of first-rate scientific studies. Sciences strengthen the sense of citizenship; they prepare young people to face future challenges; and for some students they can offer a solid social ascension and integration. This potential of scientific education is completely underestimated. In order to make the most of it, we would have to rethink globally the way we deal with sciences at school. 2.1 Science conveys values: questioning the world, going always deeper in reasoning, respecting other people's words and thoughts. As for all subjects taught at school, science conveys values. It insists on observation, reasoning, experimentation, deduction. It allows for dialogue and tolerance. Indeed, science is a constant dialogue between researchers, between disciplines, between different opinions, all of them supported by accurate arguments. Science appears to be an ideal training to citizenship, at a time when school content itself with little information on the history and functioning of our institutions. Practicing a scientific approach at school enables young people to make sound choices later on and to avoid being caught by blinding ideologies.

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2.2. Innovation, resilience Young generations, currently in our schools, will have to face major challenges (climate change, ethical choices, international conflicts, etc.). We must take into account the fact that these young people are living in a world overloaded with information transmitted by various media. In that context it is essential to sharpen their critical mind. We have to train them to distinguish the true and the false in an easily available mass of information. Scientific process goes from observation to theorization; all along information recovered from experimentation or observation is transformed into useful knowledge. Going further, this knowledge can be a source for innovation and action. We also formulate the hypothesis that a widely shared knowledge is a source of resilience for our social system. In other words, these systems would be better prepared to political, economical or ecological disruptions.

3.

Scientific solidarity?

3.1 Paris Montagne : a Science Festival Paris Montagne Association was created in January 2006, one month after violent riots broke out in French suburbs. Students and researchers at the Ecole Normale Supérieure wished to share their passion for science and let others discover the world of research. This association set itself the task to contribute in bringing young students from underprivileged backgrounds to scientific studies by fighting auto-censorship towards long studies at university or in “grandes écoles”. It offers individual mentoring and financial support (grants). In addition to individual support, Paris Montagne offers collective support trough local intervention in underprivileged high-schools. We try to trigger positive dynamics through “science clubs” which are directly set up by young students that have been previously trained. Paris Montagne supports reflection and research on educational topics, pedagogy and didactic. Paris Montagne organizes annually a summer science festival on the Montagne Sainte-Geneviève (Paris) and entertains a wide audience, coming from disadvantaged suburbs near Paris. This festival takes place in the “scientific campus” of Paris that is to say the Latin quarter. This festival has a social perspective. Showing science through a huge festival, through pleasure, is a way to open it widely. It’s a way to reconcile adults with science; theatre, funny experiments are a powerful therapy. For younger ones it’s a way to discover a new face of Science (different from the scholar one), and to meet the challenge brought to them by researchers. 3.2 PM & Science Ac’ 2006: at least a starting point Paris Montagne also works on a long term basis with high school students, and with the students belonging to the “Science Académie” program (inspired by the Hungarian Kut Diak program) in particular. These students are selected at the end of their first or second year of high school. Two main criteria have been used to carry out their selection: their motivation towards sciences and the handicap created by their social background (immigrant families, profession of parents, underprivileged schools,

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number of brother and sisters).... The application forms were diffused in Parisian suburbs. In 2007, we hope we will be able to get in touch with all French high schools. It is through these high school students that the association hopes to have the greatest impact possible as far as the goals it has set to itself are concerned. We hope to support them in their studies and to offer them all the chances they need to reach quality training and a scientific career. Moreover, these students will set an example to other pupils, proving that “science is possible”. These students are not selected according to their marks at school, and we bet that at the age they are at, nurtured passion for science can lead them to scientific excellence. To bid on young talents is all the more important as creativity and scientific productivity during the first years of work create an advantage that remains during an entire career. Simonton (1991), followed by Stephan and Levin (1992) showed that most exceptional scientists had a high scientific creativity and productivity, that remains steady and then decreases slowly, whereas for a medium range scientist no increase is ever observed. Paris Montagne offers to the young high school students a new concept of training and support. During the Festival “Paris Montagne : le Pari des Science” they take part in a week of training, supervised by high level researchers and PhD students. They become familiar with scientific questions and with the daily working life of researchers. They also learn how to write a project. They conceive and realize a whole experimental protocol during the week. They visit many laboratories belonging to the most important scientific institutions (Ecole normale supérieure, Institut Curie, ESPCI, Collège de France, Universities). They make a first step into a network that will link, in the long term, high school students, talented researchers and students. This network is sponsored by the French Academy of Science and reaches out to Hungary and Croatia. It provides a daily support for the studies, but above all offers the possibility of short internship in the best laboratories. On the occasion of the Paris Montagne Festival, these young students gain selfconfidence as they are trained to scientific communication. On this basis they will be able to animate sciences clubs in their high schools, with the coaching of professional associations. They will diffuse their passion for science, and will appear as an example of success in their schools and in their social environment. Eventually they will break down some barriers in our societies. 3.3 What could be a Tipping Point in Science education? Would it also be a Social Tipping Point? Facing the various reports dealing with the state of scientific education and considering the objectives that we set, some might think the next step is to reconsider the education system overall. However, it is not necessary to be a fine political analyst to know that full and radical reforms are difficult to implement. Anyway, as we are not politicians, these reforms are not within our competence. We think however that local action, concerning a small number of individuals as what we propose with Science Academy, can be at the origin of major changes.

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An event such as Science Academy comprises several strong points: x x x

Recruitment of young people with a passion for science and a strong capacity to communicate and convince. High quality training during a week in the best French ‘Grande Ecole” Meeting point for people with a strong “connection” potential

These three aspects take root in the concepts developed by Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point in the chapter The Law of the Few. These young people could be at the origin of an "epidemic" diffusion of a new passion for sciences. This passion and the development of their capacities of communication during their stay at the Ecole Normale Supérieure make them good "Salesmen". Without a doubt some of them will be able to encourage their comrades to gain confidence and lead them towards scientific studies. The Science Clubs which they will set up in their high schools will reinforce this collective positive attitude towards science. They will show that being invested in Sciences offers knowledge and perspicacity and that it make studies more meaningful at a time when sport and music are often much more important than all the topics studied at school... As they start belonging to a network of passionate young people and researchers, they will be able to connect more people and to diffuse a innovating approach of Sciences. Thus, an action currently limited to 21 young people has the extraordinary potential to affect many more of them. Another dimension of our action is related to the choice of anchoring the Science Academy training week into the Science Festival, that is to say at the heart of a politically visible event taking place in the best French “Grande Ecole”. This allows us to act on two aspects: to inoculate a virus of Sciences amongst young people and to open a dialogue with politicians and society at large by means of the media. Indeed, why would we direct these young students towards sciences if at the same time scientific professions lose value? In the last years French research has lost a lot of its public financial support and wages remain low. It is important to reaffirm the economic value of research, its contribution to innovation. Paris Montagne also tries to demonstrate the educational importance of Science. Scientific professions should not be a goal for all students but by studying science at school students can develop intellectual skills required for reasoning and interaction. In the long run, this Science Academy can encourage teachers to reconsider their practice. Stimulation towards innovating teaching methods can emerge from such an approach. Mutual education can take place between students: through cooperation and collaboration, peers can share their knowledge and build upon each other’s. Indeed we incite the students we train to transmit their passions, their knowledge, to share their discovery of a world that few of them know, that is the world of research. The exchange of information between young people, which can be observed as early as in primary school [2], is completely unexploited in the traditional education system. Overall, this kind of exchange of knowledge is a factor of social cohesion. Everyone has only limited knowledge and competence, even with high level general training. However all along life, each one of us needs a wider range of skills and greater knowledge. Setting up networks which allow to exchange information and ideas

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making it possible to diffuse knowledge and share skills within a social network. Science Academy is a starting point to create such networks in high schools by connecting people eager to acquire some sort of knowledge and/or carrying other sorts of knowledge.

4

International perspectives.

4.1 Emergence conditions. Some characteristics of the system developed in France, inspired by the Hungarian program Kut Diak, can be used in other countries. The transposable characteristics are those related to the propagation of a new approach to sciences, to the setting up of a network linking young people amongst themselves and with the world of science and research. However one should not forget that this program was set up in a very particular French social and political context. These conditions of emergence cannot be reproduced and it is important to listen to social requests and to analyze which would be the optimal conditions for such a program, elsewhere in Europe. Politicians must be made to be aware of the stakes of such a program. To reaffirm the importance of investing money in sciences (research and formation) is a crucial long-term task that scientists must undertake. Should a political or social crisis occur we should dare to demand additional investments, even if these investments may seem superfluous in comparison to more concrete forms of actions. Indeed, our experience shows that side actions can tip up a situation. Politicians seldom measure the complex nature of the dynamic of social systems... scientists and in particular ecologists might help them to understand this complexity. 4.2 Create a basic network on a European scale rather than interconnected national network Members of Science Academy are currently building a solid network, bridging high schools and universities. This is also true in Hungary, which is already ahead, this type of program having been initiated ten years ago. Extending this program to other European countries can be done by following two paths: connecting networks or designing a global network directly on a European scale. It would be useless to point out here the importance of students’ mobility or to stress the success of exchange programs such as Erasmus. We should evaluate the potential of a program similar to Erasmus but focused on 15-18 year old students. A program which would go beyond mobility since it would put in contact young people eager to share a common passion, maintaining a nourished contact between various generations, in various countries. Baring in mind the social dimension of scientific education, we can perceive the potential of such a European network. The example of an "international high school campus" such as the one set up in Lyon since 1991, that gathers in the same building (symbolically placed where two rivers join) children from 6 to 18 years coming from over forty countries, reinforces these assumptions. Cohabitation of several languages, different geographic and social origins, in a context combining intellectual emulation with the will to encourage students to become more responsible for their actions (the management of the

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establishment is shared between students, teachers and administration) leads to top ranking scholar results. The children are motivated, share their knowledge, their cultures, learn how to respect each other, whatever their social or ethnic origin. Science is by definition international. Today it opens itself to young people; it must seize the opportunity to open internationally towards European youth.

5.

Conclusion

The situation of French scientific education from primary school to high-school is neither brilliant nor catastrophic. Many difficulties remain on the pedagogic level. We suffer from too many students dropping out of the sciences and strong social inequalities in gaining access to high level studies. Major reforms should be undertaken. Facing this huge and difficult task, we choose targeted, inexpensive actions with a strong diffusion potential. Amongst young people, fashions propagate quicker and quicker, with evolving communication technologies. We bet that Sciences could become a new craze which would diffuse suddenly among young people. We try this through Science Academy, with its provocative name, picked from a television program, the "Star Academy" transforming young people into stars through music and television. Our bet isn’t very academic, but our world isn’t either… We wish this project to be followed up in the long run, and that possible social changes will be seriously studied. We must launch research programs studying how education can structure social relations between young people of the same age and social relations in our society at large. Young students, who know how to interact about scientific topics, may establish in the future specific social interactions... surely different from the interaction induced by a typical teacher/pupil relationship. Reconsidering our educational programmes to favour interaction between young students and Science at a European scale could add a new profitable dimension of exchange and sharing between nations, of mutual enrichment for Europe. Perhaps we won’t manage to fulfil all these objectives. The few young people already motivated in Hungary and now in France are fully determined to take over from us and to reach this objective.

References [1] R-E. Eastes, La chimie : du solfège à la mélomanie, L’influence de l’enseignement de la chimie sur son image publique, L’Actualité Chimique 297 (2006) 38-43. [2] L. Riboli-Sasco, R-E. Eastes, F. Pellaud, J. Capelle, E. Sabuncu, L’effet récré, ou l’application à la didactique des théories évolutives de la propagation des idées, Actes des XXVIIèmes JIES, 2005

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Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

Forming the Next Generation of European Interdisciplinary Scientists Ariel B. LINDNER a,b,1 and Francois TADDEI a,b,1 INSERM U571 laboratory and b Centre de Reflexions Interdisciplinaires (CRI) – Paris Interdisciplinary College (PIC), Faculty of Medicine, Rene Descartes Paris V University a

Abstract. The centrality of well-trained innovating doctorates to the future of the world’s cultural and economical well-being cannot be underestimated. To meet with the challenge, Europe has much invested in providing unifying guidelines of common graduate studies’ goals and practices. Nonetheless, a significant heterogeneity in their implementation, largely due to the difficulties in adapting and changing of existing frameworks, are evident. In addition, the interdisciplinary character of future research dictates cooperation of players hitherto isolated within current research and educational structures. As actors, we take a concrete approach of identifying the essential components of an ideal interdisciplinary graduate school, built upon ingredients of successful international examples, to set a pilot interdisciplinary graduate program. The basis of our recommended Graduate Center is the creation of common language between students and researchers from different backgrounds. It encompasses the following key ingredients: a quality-assuring international governing scientific council; a physical centre including seminar rooms and well-equipped working space for students and visiting professors; individualised flexible curriculum, motivating students, reinforced in their primary discipline, to interchange their knowledge; an international network of high-level researchers splitting workshops between their established curriculum and students’ choice of seminars and an active thesis tutoring committee encompassing hosting-lab-independent specialists in related disciplines. In order to reach the critical mass of expertise needed to meet these ends, a concerted action is necessary between establishments within a coherent geographical setting (city (e.g.,), region (e.g.,) or country (e.g., Finland)). In order to assure proper financial support, we suggest that Graduate Centres will be autonomous bodies capable of attracting funding not only through their ‘mother’ establishments but also independently from EC, research foundations and the private sector.

1

Corresponding Authors: [email protected], [email protected]. CRI-PIC, Rene Descartes-Paris V University, 24, rue du Fbg St Jacques PARIS 75014 and Molecular, Evolution and Medical Genetics Laboratory, INSERM U571, 156 Rue de Vaugirard, Paris 75015, FRANCE.

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Keywords. Graduate Centre, graduate school, interdisciplinary, PhD program, life sciences About the authors. Ariel LINDNER has graduated from the Hebrew University (Jerusalem, Israel) “Amirim” interdisciplinary program and received his M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the Weizmann Institute of Science (Rehovot, Israel). He is currently an INSERM young investigator applying Physical, Chemical and Biological approaches to study variability between clonal individuals. Francois TADDEI was first trained in mathematics in physics and then followed the interdisciplinary curriculum of the French Ecole Polytechnique, he received an engineering master (ENGREF), a genetics master and PhD (Paris XI university). His scientific work was recognised by awards from INSERM, Bettencourt foundation, EURYI and HFSP for its interdisciplinary approaches to bacterial genetic and phenotypic variability, its molecular causes and its medical and evolutionary consequences. He currently leads an INSERM team in Paris. In 2005, the authors created the CRI-PIC (Centre de Reflexions Interdisciplinaires – Paris Interdisciplinary College) incorporating collegial workshops, the AIV (interdisciplinary approaches to Life Sciences) master program (Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris V and Paris VII universities) and the future (2007) Frontiers of Life European Interdisciplinary PhD program.

1.

Background

1.1. On the Importance of Innovating Current Doctoral Programs The strength of Europe relies on the production of high quality products by a well trained workforce, as a result of a rich past of nurturing scientific and engineering knowledge. While the thrive across the world for scientific excellence is highly welcomed, the leadership position Europe had in the past centuries has faded out in front of the supremacy of the American scientific achievements and is further endangered by the rising emphasis and investment in scientific education in India, China and the ‘tiger’ countries. Only few British and Swiss universities are stably located in the world’s top-notch university rankings, where Asian establishments quickly advance ahead of most European counterparts. In order to play a motor role in the 21st century and face future challenges, Europe needs to adapt to the globalization of the ‘brain business’ by continuous innovation. The challenge is further emphasized by the retirement of 30 to 50% of the European scientific work force within 10– 15 years while student’s enrolment into postgraduate studies is in a continuous decline. Indeed, European decision makers share this diagnostic and measures as raising the GDP percentage funnelled to research and development and unifying graduate studies were declared (see Bologna, Lisbon, Glasgow declarations). In practice, attracting the next generation of talents by offering high quality training is the key priority given that the initial trajectory of a scientist is the best indicator of her successes in the future. Constantly evolving education at all ages and levels in our ever-changing world is crucial. In this article we specifically address the postgraduate scientific level as we feel that it is at this level that maximal impact on a fast timescale can be achieved. Furthermore, while in the past decades emphasis was given at specialized training in classical domains (i.e., individual branches of biology, math and physics where theoretical and applied aspects were separated), 21st century doctorates need to be not only experts in their major domain but also fluent in parallel disciplines, enabling

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innovative research at emerging interfaces where future innovation is to be expected. A generation of motivated interdisciplinary doctorates who are critical thinkers capable of connecting theory and practice with proven experience in conceiving and managing innovative projects will serve as the backbone for the society of knowledge by integrating and reviving basic and developmental research as well as education at all levels. 1.2. Doctoral Programs – A European Perspective In the U.S.A. graduate schools providing rotations between laboratories and acrossborders course and seminar curricula and follow-up and evaluating tutor committees to all students are common place from the beginning of last century [1]. Such programs are still rare in Europe and where they exist, training in the form of courses and workshops are scarce and under-funded. Training in transferable skills is largely lacking and international collaboration in research or training is rare. Students, underpaid and in most cases without social rights, are mostly constrained to sole interactions with their supervisor thus susceptible to personal conflicts. Concomitantly, the average thesis duration is 6–7 years and 3–4 years in the USA and Europe, respectively. Indeed, while PhD graduates are highly considered in the American job arena, in Europe they are considered too specialised, have lower chance of getting a job compared to engineers and would gain less of a salary (e.g. 25% less in France). Since the start of the Bologna process, several studies addressed the current situation of doctorate studies and put forth suggestions for improvement and implementation of the ambitious Lisbon objectives. The main findings reveal a high heterogeneity of doctorate programs at all levels, starting from governmental policies and down to significant differences even within the same university. The diversity is reflected in their autonomy (vis a vis the corresponding faculty, university, or staten), curriculum offered (from none to hefty load of frontal courses), doctorate status (from ‘cheap labour’ to young researcher), the extent of tutoring (none, optional, obligatory) and the time-course of studies (3–6 years). This analysis brought the setting of common recommendations for European doctorate programs, as reflected from the European University Association reports [4] commissioned by the EC. In their main conclusions they (i) define research as the core part of the doctoral studies (adding a call for openness to wards the outer-academia employment world)); (ii) define PhD students as early stage researchers (i.e., professionals with commensurate rights); (iii) define the program duration as 3 years (4 years where interdisciplinarity is evoked); in order to promote interdisciplinary studies, (iv) student mobility should be supported, geographically but also between sectors; (v) diversity of European doctoral programs should be highlighted and (vi) innovative structures should prevail to assure critical student mass within universities that assume their responsibility towards the doctoral programs. This significant attempt to provide broad guidelines while reaching a compromise between the different European players falls short in describing their translation into practice. Indeed, with few exceptions, most European countries are far behind in implementing these guidelines. While across Europe graduate/doctoral schools were formed, their role is mostly limited to administrative purposes.

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This is largely due to the lack of appropriate financing. In France, as example, money invested per student in universities falls by half as compared to high school. Given the importance of the topic, key players at all levels should be involved, with the EU taking a major role in financing directly graduate programs, followed by national agencies, ministries, regional and city authorities. This should be seen as investment, the fruits of which are estimated to contribute significantly to the GDP. In the USA, public as well as private funding agencies that were initially targeting research (as NIH, NSF, Howard Hughes) have declared that while scientific research is their key objective, graduate program is within their responsibilities as it constitutes the rate limiting step. It is notable that while in several countries private foundations play a decisive role in the advancement of scientific education this is still the exception rather than the rule. 1.3. Doctoral Program as a National Network of Graduate Schools – A Finnish Perspective Finland serves as an outstanding example of an innovative concerted effort that goes even beyond the above recommendations and could serve as an important case study [2]. The Finnish economy, formerly based on subsidized agriculture and natural resources (as the paper and pulp industries), was transformed in the past 14 years to become the world’s most competitive country (OECD and WEF rankings). This metamorphosis was gained by not only doubling the GDP fraction invested in R&D (to 3.5% in 2004) but by implementing a radical and visionary science policy. At the heart of the policy is the recognition of the formation of new generation of scientists as the key component to an innovative and competitive society. To this end, a national graduate school system was created, involving all universities and research institutes. The aims were to improve supervision of PhD students,, secure the quality of the theses (with duration of 4 years), internationalize training and activate collaboration between researchers and with industry. The formed graduate schools are renewed every 4 years, based on the quality of the proposed training in research areas and transferable skills, as well as by best practices to support the work of the PhD student. In order to assure critical mass, most schools are organised in nodes. The PhD graduates are selected (1 of 5) are selected by their track record and research proposal qualities. As a thumb rule students are expected to spend 75% of their time in active research. The rest of the time is devoted to courses, seminars and workshops (mostly in English) developing not only specific scientific domains but also transferable, pedagogic, management skills and ethics. Moreover, recognising the lack of worldclass expertise in different research domains, world-class experts are invited to participate in their graduate programs as foreign visiting professors and students are highly encouraged to spend significant portion of their studies abroad, financed by the state through the Academy. In addition, Finnish students have created local and national organisations, to promote interactions between them and organise conferences where foreign guests of their choice are invited. Lastly, the quality of the thesis work is assured by constant follow-up of the student’s work by experts outside of their lab throughout the 4 year period. UK serves as another example of a concerted effort towards a coherent and effective graduate schools, for details see the UKGrad (www.grad.ac.uk) and UCL (www.grad.ucl.ac.uk) programs.

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The Challenges Ahead: Interdisciplinary Scientific Education

The term ‘interdisciplinary research’ was coined to describe the rising importance of collaborative effort across scientific domains, a hallmark of the forefront of contemporary research. The term suggests a synthetic, integrative approach where scientists from different backgrounds formulate and address jointly a common problem. The importance of interdisciplinary research is widely acknowledged [3,4] and is reflected in the increasing number of publications in the leading scientific journals co-signed by labs from different domains. The importance of Interdisciplinarity goes beyond research practice; it is an intellectual framework and as such can serve as a key component in scientific education. Interdisciplinary doctoral training at its best can form students capable of adapting to the pivotal aspect of modern life: a continuous change. Such doctorates will perform better in academic research and will be increasingly valued in the private sector, where flexibility, cooperative problem-solving and communication with different mindsets are essential. In the past 5–10 years, all leading American and many world-leading graduate schools included an interdisciplinary program to their agenda with varied level of success, as can be predicted given the background of disciplinary traditional doctorate programs, inhospitable to interdisciplinary work [5]. Indeed, interdisciplinary program is by definition a boundary-breaking activity. Several conclusions may be drawn by addressing the strengths and weaknesses of existing programs as depicted in Table 1. This analysis can serve for amending existing programs as well as for creating future programs. Table 1. Key components for a successful interdisciplinary doctoral program identified by a non-exhaustive analysis of existing programs. Weaknesses

Strengths

“Program on paper” run by different departments with conflicting interests

Creation of an autonomous physical space and governing structure

Budget relies on a unique source (governmental) or shared between conflicting programs

Independent budget of multiple sources

Students are passive in front of a fixed curriculum

Student-tailored seminars

Disciplinary based teaching by mainly non-active scientists

Innovative teaching by best active researchers of proven interdisciplinary career

No special selectivity; for students who “don’t know what to choose”

Small number of the very best students selected

Students follow projects dictated by their hosting labs

Students have responsibility and autonomy on project choice

Projects are only technically supported by other disciplines

Good projects are defined by being at the frontier of different disciplines

Students are confined to a single-discipline lab

Students are often working with labs of different disciplines

Lack of interaction in the international arena

Active flux of International scientists, visiting professors and students

Lack of interaction with the non-scientific environment

Active involvement of students in scientific communication and education

No external evaluation during the thesis; only at the thesis defence

Students are evaluated and receive support from external tutors from different relevant disciplines throughout their thesis

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Creation of a New Interdisciplinary Graduate School

We focus on the creation of de novo interdisciplinary schools rather than amending existing programs [5]. This is a daunting yet an indispensable task aimed at forming the researchers of tomorrow. We provide potential ingredients of a recipe that takes into account lessons drawn from existing programs as well as from our experience of launching and mentoring an interdisciplinary master program (www.master-aiv.org), an interdisciplinary college (Paris Interdisciplinary College) where scientists of all ages can share their experiences and engage in interdisciplinary workshops, and setting up an interdisciplinary graduate program that will start in 2007. Interdisciplinary research relies as much on diversity of disciplines as of people. It is therefore important to assure openness towards students of different backgrounds, social and cultural. To this end all graduate school activities are conducted in a language that all can understand (e.g. mostly English). 3.1. Autonomy The graduate school should enjoy maximal governing, scientific and financial autonomy. Critical mass of interdisciplinary students and mentors is assured by assembling key institutions (universities, engineering schools (e.g., French ‘grandes écoles’), research centres) within a coherent geographical area. Transparent and independent governing board, directed by the active mentors of the graduate school, will propose innovative courses and will build an attractive program. The financial autonomy is essential for fund raising from potential added sources as the appropriate ministries, region, EC, international funds, private foundations in particular and the private sector at large. To this end, a research foundation status could be obtained. Finally a scientific autonomy, guaranteed by an international scientific board, provides for evaluation, curriculum approval as well as recommendation for fellowships and prizes thus avoiding any conflict of interests. Overall, such autonomy will result in high visibility both nationally and internationally, capable of attracting the best mentors and students. 3.2. A Physical Centre The importance of a unifying territory to the success of interdisciplinary studies was succinctly stated by Golde and Gallagher [5]: “Students need to find faculty to provide intellectual input and fellow students to provide collegiality, emotional support, and a safe arena for formulating and honing new ideas. Working in a nontraditional or emerging field, however, makes it more difficult to develop this type of community. Often the people who would be natural colleagues and collaborators are in several different departments… This is a particularly challenging obstacle for students to surmount, as there are few mechanisms connecting them to faculty or students in other departments. An interdisciplinary student is vulnerable to feeling intellectually homeless, without a place to share interests and longterm goals.” To overcome these hurdles, fully facilitated seminar room, convivial coffee room, meeting room and an open-space working room should be consecrated to the program along with offices for administration and visiting professors (see below). Such infrastructure will ensure day-long conviviality through its attractiveness to both researchers and students.

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3.3. Choice of Students, Projects and Hosting Laboratories The interdisciplinary program relies on high level students skilled in sharing their knowledge with their peers and directing a thesis project based in large part on their initiative and intuition. Thus, both strong disciplinary background is mandatory (M.Sc. level or equivalent) and open-minded and highly motivated personality capable of withstanding the unknown path of research [7]. These traits will be identified by interviews with a selection committee from within the international scientific council. Students will be given 6 months from the start of the program to prepare a detailed research proposal that would be evaluated and approved by their hosting-lab independent tutoring committee (see below) as a necessary step for fully enrolling in the program. The quality of the project is judged by being at the cutting edge of different disciplines. The choice of the hosting lab is left to the discretion of the student yet the graduate school ensures that the lab is the best match to pursue the proposed project. When judged beneficiary, the graduate school will match a second lab with a complementing expertise. 3.4. Thesis Work The thesis supervisor is scientifically responsible to the success of the thesis. In addition, every student will be followed by two tutors (chosen by the Graduate School) of matching competence to the study domains. They will follow the Ph.D. student throughout his study. In particular, they will represent the graduate school in the three key requirements of the thesis work detailed below. These ‘checkpoints’, rather than ‘exams’, serve as an independent quality control mechanism that should ensure their status as research students within their labs and as an essential guiding process that will ensure their project’s and their own well-being. New web-based tools can be used to facilitate the follow-up and interaction between the student, the supervisor and the tutors (see www.grad.ac.uk). The average duration of the thesis is about 4 years. While European consensus was initially set to 3 years, most thesis are finished in average in 4 years and there’s a wide agreement that interdisciplinary thesis work is more demanding and should be given an additional year. Appropriately, lobbying within the financial supporters, mainly the state and the EC should be pursued in order to obtain financing for the fourth year. Other financial venues include specific fellowships endowed by foundations and, importantly, temporary teaching positions having an added value of the experience gained. The thesis timetable consists of the following steps, each accompanied by oral presentations at the graduate school: • • •

Research proposal: Up to 6 months from starting the thesis work as described above. a concise Interim report (month 24): containing a summary of the results achieved to date and plans for future work to be discussed with the tutors. Final report (month 42): summarising the main results of the research and serving as a basis for writing the thesis. The review of the report by the tutors is not only required for the submission of the thesis, but also in order to

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provide the student with helpful comments on the style and organization of the thesis. Thesis presentation (month 45): The doctoral thesis represents the student as an accomplished scholar [6] through his ability in scientific writing and comprises an integral part of the research work itself which can reflect on the whole.

The thesis must convey to the reader, clearly and unambiguously, the main line of thought which led the investigator to his conclusions. It should be aimed at the professional in the subject but at the same time, bear in mind readers whose interest is not specifically in the subject of the research. A committee consisting of the students’ supervisor, tutors and two external examiners will meet with the student (publicly) and following his presentation, will convey their appraisal and criticism and decision of granting the Ph.D. degree. The last three months are devoted to finalisation of manuscripts and actively planning the next career step with guidance provided by the graduate school and the student’s tutors. 3.5. Tailored Teaching: Visiting Faculty Network, Curriculum As described above, the general emphasis is on formation of scientists through lab work with meagre importance of teaching. Indeed, the overall sentiments are that frontal formal courses are obsolete. However, one cannot underestimate the role of ‘good’ courses to the development of critical thinking and analysis skills and to their scientific culture. An interdisciplinary doctoral program assembles bright students with strong disciplinary background from prior degrees. Such an intellectual blend can serve as fertile nurturing grounds for common quests of knowledge tackled from different angles if mentored properly. Minimal intervention is called for; students share the responsibility of their own education by sharing their knowledge in a continuing ladder of questioning that would lead to unanswered scientific questions that are likely to be pertinent as they passed the scrutiny of different disciplines. Obviously, high level mentoring of such processes would be valuable for the graduate students. The graduate school mentors are to guide the process by providing the appropriate background and filling the ‘gaps’ where needed through a dialogue with the students rather than through frontal courses. As a rule of the thumb, 50% of such semester seminar curriculum is defined by the graduate school mentor in charge whereas the rest is decided built upon the arising interests of the student participants who are responsible in moderating the meetings, coupling students from different backgrounds for each presentation. Not every leading scientist is capable (or has interest) of high level mentoring and teaching based on the above guidelines. To assure the quality, diversity and attractiveness of the program, teachers, world-class leaders in their fields, will be invited. Courses include scientific courses such as initiation and advanced courses to modelling, statistical analysis, experimental design, but also history, philosophy and ethical aspects of science as well as seminars addressing topics at the interface between disciplines. Furthermore, graduate students should be trained to learn skills that will be essential for them in most of their future activities (inside our outside of the academic world) such as being able to find creative solutions, criticize firmly but sensibly, manage a

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project and a team and their various dimensions, be able to write reports and grants in English, communicate and collaborate with very different people and learn continuously to remain at the front of knowledge.

4.

Perspectives

The above skills are essential for future leaders in many if not most human activities and so we can expect that a PhD that will have actively learned such skills are likely to have a bright future in many career paths. We will focus here on the future of those that will chose to remain in academic research. Given the high level training such students will have achieved following such programs, they will certainly aim for postdoctoral positions in places where they will be able to maintain a high level of scientific exchanges while developing further their own projects and abilities in places that will given them the required support . The Bauer centre in Harvard or the new MedILS (www.medils.hr) are offering such perspectives to young and talented scientists that would want to develop their own projects in a nurturing environment where they will be able to learn throughout the most recent advances and use them to contribute to original discoveries. One can only hope that the number of such places will grow building on places where innovative learning and teaching takes place. In general, promotion of centres that provide autonomy and high-level interaction to young scientists both before and after their PhD will increase their potential and therefore their career prospect as well as their added value for society. Therefore creating a network of graduate and post-graduate centres allowing the development of original projects should be a priority for the European knowledge society. Given that the world is trying to attract the best young scientists and that “intellectual capital goes where it is wanted and it stays where it is and will be well treated” (Lesley Wilson, Secretary General EUA), creating such nurturing hubs for creative young scientists will be a must for any world-class academic environment.

5.

References

[1] [2] [3] [4]

Whalen, M.L. (2006) Graduate and professional education. Cornell university 2006–7 financial plan. European University Association (2005) Graduate schools in Europe, Finland as case study. Leshner, A.I. (2004) Science 303: 729. European University Association (2005) Report on the EUA doctoral programmes project (2004–5) And European University Association (2005) Trends IV: European Universities implementing Bologna. Golde, C.M. and Gallagher, A. (1999) Ecosystems 2: 281–285. Boote, D.N. and Beile, P. (2005) Educational Researcher 34: 3–15. Goleman, D. (1996) Emotional Intelligence, Bantam Books Publishers.

[5] [6] [7]

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Appendix – Lessons for a Graduate School Program Following Jim Watson Advice: “Succeeding in Science: Some Rules of Thumb” 1

In these rules of thumb, Jim Watson, in his blunt, not politically correct way, offered advice to those that wish to succeed in science. His very words are used among quotation marks. Here, we freely adapt his advice to individuals to a graduate program that aims at maximising the scientific successes of the next generation. Rule 1: “Avoid dumb people” It is important to be able to detect and keep off limits people that would not be able to contribute positively to the development of students. Graduate schools should aim at avoiding such students and mentors. However, as any selection procedure has its errors and as stupid ideas can be uttered even by the brightest, developing critical thinking and the ability to defend one’s idea should be a priority of a graduate program as it is probably one of the most efficient strategy. In this rule, Watson also emphasised the importance of interacting with ever more challenging people as a way to progress intellectually, making the parallel between the scientific game and any other challenging games. Ensuring a critical mass and a flux of interesting people of all age and academic levels should thus be a priority for a graduate school. Rule 2: “take risks” One way to encourage students to take risk is to tell them that “the greatest risk for a curious intellect is to spoil your life by making it a boring one” (see Rule 4). A graduate program can encourage risk taking by promoting an atmosphere where successes are rewarded and where individual failures are not punished but are discussed individually and collectively to serve as lessons to maximise learning. Furthermore, mentors should be examples of successful high-risk high pay-off careers and should be able to explain how to handle risky situations. Jim Watson himself advised rule number 3 in such cases. Rule 3: “have a fall back” So that you can survive if you fail; as failing is part of risk-taking and as we learn a lot from failures, one should not be afraid to fail (fear would block creativity and risktaking), measures have to be taken to ensure survival of the risk-taker. The graduate school should ensure a safety net for the risk-takers. This could be done partly by adequate mentoring by the evaluating tutor/supervising committee and by offering to students both time and opportunities to recover from a fall by identifying alternatives paths both within and outside of the academics. For instance, one should be able to offer an extra year to finish the risky project or to offer to those interested retraining to become teacher, patent officer, journalist, business executive... Rule 4: “never do anything boring” (“I’m not good enough to do well something I dislike. In fact, I find it hard enough to do well something that I like”).

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Clearly motivation is an essential component of both learning and research and being forced to do things without seeing their relevance leads to boredom. Boredom has even been programmed in robots to keep them exploring new facets of their environments rather than being stuck in analysing ever finer details. In this light avoiding boring things is looking for new sources of relevant information and ensuring that the time spent learning leads to increased important knowledge. Lessons for a graduate school would be to offer a wide choice of stimulating and interactive up to date courses where motivated students would be actively participating. Rule 5: “if you cannot stand your real peers get out of science” Success in modern science relies on interaction and cooperation with others as they are not only essential sources of relevant information but because additional ideas sprout from collaborations. Information is a special kind of public good that is not lost when transferred thus generating positive sum games among co-operators. Thus, a graduate school should teach students by practice the value of cooperation, information transfer among students and informal interactions. Emotional intelligence were shown to be a key component of scientific success [6], social skills and interactions should thus be fostered by creating a nurturing atmosphere where conviviality and cooperation can reinforce each other.

1

J.D. Watson (1993) Succeeding In Science: Some Rules Of Thumb The complete original Watson text can be found at http://www.chialvo.net/advice.htm; adapted from a talk given on March 2, 1993, at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory during a symposium honoring the 40th anniversary of the Watson/Crick discovery of the DNA double helix and printed in Science v261, September 24, 1993.

Session V Implementation of Successful Practices of Research Training in Central-Eastern Europe

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Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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How to Start and Develop a Nationwide Research Organization for High School Students? a

Peter CSERMELY a,b,1 Semmelweis University, Department of Medical Chemistry, Budapest, Hungary b Hungarian Student Research Foundation, Budapest, Hungary

Abstract. This chapter summarizes my experiences in establishing and developing the Hungarian research student organization (www.kutdiak.hu) in the last ten years. The chapter lists the basic conditions, which are necessary to establish such an initiative, and details the most important steps of development. I am happy to see that similar organizations have been started in several European countries, and there are plans for the adaptation of the program outside Europe. I hope that the experiences outlined here help to avoid a few mistakes I did and suggest a few good solutions in the process. Keywords. Research practice, high school students, mentors, networking

Introduction I have established an initiative to provide research opportunities for high school students in leading Hungarian scientific teams in 1996 (www.kutdiak.hu). During the last decade the initiative grew to an international endeavor (www.nyex.info), which was awarded by the Descartes Award of the European Union, and is adapted now in a growing number of countries. This success made it necessary to pinpoint a few steps and features, which are 1

Corresponding Author: Peter Csermely, Semmelweis University, Department of Medical Chemistry, P.O. Box 260, H-1444 Budapest 8, Hungary; e-mail: [email protected].

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important to establish such a movement elsewhere. The current summary is an attempt to give a “know-how” for those, who wish to mobilize the good-will of their society in this way. 1.

Why Does Your Country Need a Scientific Research Program for High School Students?

Science education is necessary for the recruitment of further generations for scientific research, and to grow a nation’s intellectual and economical potential in the long run. In this complex process a key point is the hands-on education of high school students, who are in a very susceptible age to ask clear questions about the world around them, and to seek answers in a methodological way, as science does. This age, between 14 and 19 is the age of self-test, where the adolescent tries his strength and capabilities. Scientific research provides a unique and unparalleled opportunity for outstanding achievements even in this young age. Science, unlike the usual school-contests, does not have limits. Science does not know “good answers”. There is always a new question, and a better, more complex view. Moreover, research training helps the social circles surrounding these students (schoolmates, family, relatives, etc.) understand science, and breaks the alienation from scientific research in a significant part of the society. A properly organized science education project time-to-time moves the talented student out of the original environment, helps social mobility, and gives a network of important contacts to the young scientists at a very early point. Moreover, research conferences and camps give friends with equal capabilities to these unique students, who remain often lonely in their original environment. This gives a better chance to educate the students to learn team-building and leadership roles, which are necessary for later success, but are often very difficult parts of talentenrichment projects. Students of the described scientific research training projects may be successful scientists, which helps innovations in your country. However, they may become successful businesspersons, politicians or members of the media. In all these places they will remember on the excitement of science, help it, and will use the wide contacts they established early on. 2.

What Is the Essence of the Project?

The project • •

• •

offers scientific research opportunities for high school students in top research teams of the country free of charge; builds on motivation and not on previous excellence, IQ, or results of any other tests (students may feel that by joining the project they became part of an elite, but they have to be aware that their excellence is based only on their continuous, high level work); offers the joy of science, but nothing else (no compensation money, etc.); gives a continuous support to enrolled students allowing them to present their findings in conferences, essay contests, web-site, journals, and helping them to establish a wide range of contacts and friendships;

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• • •

3.

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keeps a playful tone, builds on volunteer work, avoids any type of bureaucracy and allows multiple approaches; encourages and requires the self-organization of students; encourages the formation of teacher-student research teams in schools.

What Do You Need to Start a High School Research Project?

First: real and top science. You need at least a few centers of real and high (international) level research work in your country. If you want to motivate talented students you can not do it with, pre-digested or second-hand science. Second: values. You need at least a little circle in your society, where top level intellectual achievements are an important value. Without a support of such people, your energies might be exhausted before completing the first necessary steps. Societies, where at least a few top scientists accept the information of the public on their research as an essential part of their everyday conduct, have a major advantage to run such a project. Societies, where the best students are treated as special treasures of their high schools, and these students have special contests, programs and opportunities for their development also have a major advantage to run such a project. Third: starting network. You need a critical mass of contacts to important persons in the scientific life/educational institutions of your country OR you need a couple of very good friends, who trust you and have these contacts. Fourth: seed money. You need a sponsor (either governmental or private), who is willing to sacrifice approximately 5,000 to 20,000 USD to start the project, and to survive the first, critical year. Fifth: devotion. You will need to sacrifice a lot of your time and energy to run the project for the first few years. You need a job, or a situation of your private life, where you can do this, without endangering your own existence or your family life.

4.

The First Step: Establishing the Offer

When you start the project, first you have to establish your offer to the future research students in the form of at least a few dozens of research opportunities, where top level scientists in universities, research institutions as well as top teachers in good high schools are accepting motivated and talented high school students as members of their team. What are the properties of the initial offer of research opportunities? • •

It should not be concentrated to one or a very few centers in the country, and at least a few opportunities have to be reasonably close to most schools. It should not be concentrated to one area of science, but should give a fairly even offer from social sciences, humanities, natural and life sciences.

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•

•

Only those mentors should be asked to contribute, who will participate as volunteers, and who are willing to accept students in their teams as members with equal rights. (Obviously mentors may establish standards to accept the newcomer high school student as member of the team. Entrance exams, apprentice periods are fully welcome and justified. However, there should be always a clear pathway to become a full member of the team regardless of the age and time spent there). The opportunity should be free for the students: it should come as a gift acknowledging their special motivation and talent.

What are the first steps of network making? •

•

Convince a few “opinion-leaders” in the top scientific life of your country to support and to join the project. You may also want to convince a few central figures of high and unquestionable reputation (the president or king of your state, etc.) to accept patronage over the project. With these names already on your letter-head as supporters, ask a few dozens of scientist-friends (optimally from different areas of science and from different locations) to join as the first, founding mentors of the project by filling out a questionnaire similar to that of Table 1. Be sure to ask scientists from “both sides” whatever divides your country might have (political parties, tribal roots, different parts of the country, genders, values, etc.).

Table 1. Mentor questionnaire sample. Questionnaire for a database of “Research Opportunities for High School Students” Name of contact person: ………………………………………………………….. Postal address, phone, fax, email, home-page: …………………………………………….……………………………………………. Research area: (in 5 to 10 key words) …………………………………………….……………………………………………. I agree that the above data will be published in the database of potential mentors and sent to talented high school students and their teachers as well as published at a username/password accessible form in the website <www……….> with the understanding, if a high school student approaches me I will either accept her/him, or direct her/him to another colleague, or to let her/him know that our team can not accept her/him at the moment. (Signature) ********************************************************************* After filling the form out please send it back to: Contact person’s name: ………… Address: ………………….. Fax: ……………………. E-mail: ………@.........………. We would like to thank all your efforts and help!

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•

5.

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With the first dozens of joined mentors as an initial list, make a “mass-mailing” to hundreds of top scientists in your country asking them to join. By this time you have to have a plan for the whole program, starting with the distribution-plan of the list of mentors and ending with an initial plan for regular contacts with your research students.

The Second Step: Recruitment of the First Students

When your offer has been established in the form of a list of at least a few dozens of mentors, you should start to recruit students to their mentors. For this first you have to assemble the list of mentors in form a book(let). With a proper introduction this will also give you an opportunity to raise money for further steps of the action. Parallel with this, you have to set up a home-page for the news of the program, and for an on-line registration of the students. Whom to give an access to the list of mentors? The list of mentors should not be freely available to the public. This has three major reasons: • •

•

First, with an open access you would loose your control to monitor the number of students and ask for more mentors, if necessary. Much more importantly, students have to feel that they need to do something to become a member of the project. They have to prove their self-esteem and motivation – in an easy way. We ask two simple questions from the students who wish to join: a) Why do you feel that you are better than the average of your class? b) Why do you want to pursue research? The first question will screen for those, who are mature enough to bear the frustrations of scientific research, and who are mature enough to accept the high standards of top science for individuality. We do not require “good answers” to these questions. All reasonable answers are accepted. If the student responded, the second screen comes. She/he gets the list of mentors and has to approach the mentor alone. We do not help. Help only comes, if the first attempt was unsuccessful, or if the student needs a mentor with an expertise, which is missing from the list. Students, who proved their motivation and talent previously by winning competitions, or by establishing their teachers’ high esteem, may be directly recruited to the project omitting the first screen. However, they also need to find their mentors alone. Parents are excluded from this process. If a mom or dad approaches us, we tell her or him: send you daughter or son. The recruitment process also helps to establish a database of students for future contacts. Research students should be informed approximately each second week on an interesting opportunity (research seminar, scholarship option, news on other students, etc.) by email and each half year by a traditional hard-copy mailing.

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Spreading the news of the project: •

• • • •

6.

You should have an access to a complete mailing list of all high schools in our country. Preferably with names of the directors, or librarians. (Interestingly, librarians are often much better targets than directors: they do not throw a book to the trash…) You may put a simple, xeroxed poster besides the letter to the teachers telling them the essence of the project asking them to hang the poster at the school notice-boards. You may ask teachers to show the book to their students and ask the students to get back to us for their own copy. You may enclose a response-card with names and contact details of teachers, who accept to be a contact person for this opportunity at the school. You should collect as many lists of excellent students (contest winners, etc.) as possible and send them the list of mentors directly. You have to manage to put links to the web-site of the program to many scienceand high-school related, popular web-sites of the country. You should make the growing student and teacher database interactive, asking students to send you names and contact addresses of proper teachers, and teachers to send you names and addresses of proper students in their neighborhood. Whoever approaches you, teacher or student, has to receive a prompt and encouraging response.

The Third Step: Continuous Support

After you received the contact details of more than a hundred students, you may start to ask them, if they wish to show the results of their research work. If more than a dozen responds with a “Yes!”, it is time to organize the first student conference of your movement. This may be in the form of a scientific conference, but may also happen as a part of a research camp. If a longer research camp is established, besides student lectures, you should give ample time for •

• • •

discussions with eminent scientists on their science, life and values (you may extend this circle to artists, priests, businesspersons, politicians, or media personalities being extremely cautious that our sample should be a morally unquestionable, unbiased, and top quality sample in each direction); discussions of the students with each other organizing many opportunities to get them together; to show the talents of participants other than science (sports, arts, etc.); to give a chance to discuss their personal problems with members of the camp with bigger experience (e.g. with young psychologists).

In all these events you have to keep a very delicate balance between a real scientific conference and a contest. This age will not tolerate a pure scientific meeting without any competition and excitement. On the other hand, too much emphasis on the contest part, strict evaluations, points, ranks will destroy the joy of science. You should give much time for discussions of the results, their faults and the future work.

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Other – later – elements of continuous support may be: • • • • • • •

7.

if the number of students grows, you may start to make a pyramid of conferences, starting with a regional conference, where the first one third goes to the national level, where the first third gets to the above research camp; you may initiate essay contests for those, who are not good in oral presentations; you may ask your mentors to organize scientific seminars either in their own place or by going to schools announcing the possibility to join to their team or other teams of the initiative; you may seek publication, and media opportunities for your best students; you may seek contacts with foreign research camps and conferences (see www.nyex.info for a list); you may encourage to form teacher-student research teams in schools; you may start a research student club to discuss the personal matters of students in a regular way (this may be initiated by a Forum at the web-site).

The Fourth Step: The Financial Background

If you reached the first student conference, you already have a regular flow of money transactions. This obviously can not be done from your pocket. The best way to solve the problem is to establish a foundation to support the action. This will also give an opportunity to ask financial support from the private sector, and to apply for local and international funds. In our case this step was necessary in the third year of the action.

8.

The Fifth Step: The Self-Organization of the Students

After approximately five hundred to a thousand students the movement can not be maintained as a “hobby”. It needs a professional office as well as a democratic leadership. By this time you have enough students to initiate the establishment of a National Research Student Organization. Members of the organization should be only those research students, who made a significant research work, e.g. they already won at least some recognition in our research conferences. An appropriate place to ask the students to elect their leaders is the end of the research camp, when the best (in our case 80) students were together for a whole week, and got to know each other well enough to make a proper choice. We had extremely good experiences with the self-organization of our research students. They are fully responsible for the financial matters of the movement, and put an enormous volunteer work to establish the programs. The maintenance of an office with a paid coordinator requires a magnitude higher amount of money than the initial sum (for us in Hungary 5000 students, 800 mentors and 800 teachers could be handled with a single coordinator and with 100,000 USD/year).

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Closing Remarks

After establishing the National Research Student Organization you may start to establish a similar organization for your research teachers. This is the time when you became big (and if things go well: rich) enough to maintain a wide range of international contacts (for help, please look for the web-site of the Network of Youth Excellence, www.nyex.info). Finally, you may also want to help our students to utilize their scientific findings and/or innovations by setting up an advisory service for patent applications and business contacts. With this I reached the point, where the Hungarian movement stands after ten years. For any questions please write to [email protected]. Good luck in starting your own network!

Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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Ten Typical Weak Points in Parallel-to-School Science Education of Highly Motivated Teenagers Vigor MAJIC 1 Petnica Science Center, Valjevo, Serbia

Abstract. Here the author presents some the most frequent problems that appear in a number of science camps, workshops, and summer schools prepared in order to support gifted and talented students. Many such problems are typical and could be eliminated if organizations or teams involved in such programs spend certain amount of time and efforts in mutual communication and exchange of information and experience. Some problems are result of the lack of co-operation between teachers or experts interested to help students in certain field of science or technology and people with knowledge and experience in teenagers’ team work, group life and behavior, such as psychologists, pedagogs, trainers, etc. Keywords. Gifted education, Science camps, Science education

Introduction In many countries worldwide youth camps are traditional form of extracurricular activities or just for safely send children far from parents to spend a week or two with other children of similar profiles of interest. The organizers could be many types of organizations, groups, schools, churches, local communities, or even industrial companies. Some camps are with long tradition, and one can expect with high accuracy what exactly on each day will happen there and what typical problems can occur and how they will be solved. There are also a number of camps organized for the first time. Here, the lack of tradition is often compensated by the attractive advertizing. 1

Correponding Author: Petnica Science Center, POB 6, 14104, Valjevo, Serbia; e-mail: [email protected].

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Contrary to long tradition in regular schools where curricula and school rules are precisely defined, in most cases through state laws, typical youth camps are based on good will of enthusiastic organizers and their previous experience. Because of such “liberal” atmosphere, we can find a colorful landscape of various types and forms of youth camps. At the same time it is possible to find ingenious projects and something similar to old-time village schools or boy-scout camping place. In this paper the author is focused on youth camps in Science which are more and more popular in the recent years in many countries. Like the majority of other types of youth camps, the most of science camps are positioned in the summer time and offer a combination of learning, practical work, plus recreational and social activities. Many such camps are faced with typical dilemma – more challenging science program which understand narrow group of potential participants, or simply, more popular activities ready to be attractive for broaden spectrum of children. The result is, in many cases, a kind of oscillation between these two extremes with not enough risk to experiment looking for optimal structure of activities. It is also a common practice that the limited structure of teachers or enthusiastic scientists are involved in preparation process with rarely contacts with specialists in children psychology or people experienced in youth camps of other profiles, such as sport, art, environment, or specialized youth organizations such as scouts that have rich experience in various type of youth camps and gatherings. The author uses his thirty years long professional experience in youth science camps and contacts with a number of organizations and people actively involved in similar activities to list some the most frequent problems that occur in youth science camps in order to help existing or future organizers to be aware of some typical problems.

1.

What Organizers Want to Make

There are some general objectives that the most of organizers wish to fulfill: • • • •

Safety – the camp must be safe for all participants. Any risk for injuries or any type of accidents must be eliminated. Satisfaction – it is important that participants will be satisfied with the program in order to spread the positive impressions to other possible participants or to the people who can influence new participants such as teachers or parents. Positive financial balance. To make camp better than previous camp or camps organized by others.

All above objectives cause some constraints. Worrying about safety could eliminate some of the most attractive and the most effective activities such as lab experiments, some kind of field works, direct contacts with animals, free social interactions and events, free and individual access to some sorts of equipment, etc. In recent years in a number of countries rigid safety regulations endangered science education in schools and many practical training.

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Preoccupation with participants’ satisfaction also can minimize some important learning methods and eliminate all types of activities which imply some level of risks that somebody could not reach the top results, or be faced with living, social, or working problems. Such programs become sterile, opportunistic, and therefore non attractive for the most promising and gifted participants. Well constructed financial balance is reasonable imperative for the most of organizers, but it implies that the normal solution must be that the program should not start if the optimal budget for the minimal acceptible program structure is not completed. It is more realistic than to expect to obtain minimal budget for the optimal program. The last of above general expectations is rather emotional than rational, but it could produce some serious problems. One typical is an intention that, for any price, something new (and not proven or at least not well prepared) must be included into a camp program. The other problem arise when organizer recognizes some element of the camp’s program or activities, that has been very effective and successfull in previous camp(s) or in other comparable camps, and forces it to become the central part of the entire camp’s program. In both cases the result is changing the “science camps scene” into something chaotic where too many “innovative” camps are offered to public ignoring the existing good practice or excellent results of some “traditional” camps and, of course, the fact that both schools and parents don’t like experiments – they want to be sure about the qualities, structure, and the program of announced camps.

2.

Classification

Here, the author tried to introduce several criteria where the most of camps could be grouped. Youth science camps according to dominant profile of activities • • •

Lecture-based camps, i.e. camps where lectures are prevalent type of activity. In the most of cases, this type is the simplest for preparation and organization. Project-oriented camps, i.e. camps where the core activity is participants’ practical work, including lab work, field work, construction work, research, etc. “Let make it” camps, i.e. camps where until beginning of the camp is not clear which activities will prevail. Because of weak preparation, often happens that both organizers and participants do not know what will be tomorrow working agenda – it depends of good will of visiting lecturers or external people including just their coming and presence. In some cases weak preparation is just the result of small budget.

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Participants’ profile (I) – Motivation • • •

Already devoted to Science Just curious or not yet clear about the career expectations or field of interests No special criteria

Participants’ profile (II) – Knowledge and experience • • •

Average school-level (including “bellow school-level”) High school-level Talents

Participants’ profile (III) – Preparation • •

Prepared for the program. In some cases preparation take place in the school Unprepared

Program profile • • •

Narrow (e.g. “DNK mapping techniques” or “Binary star spectrometry”) Discipline-based (“Summer Camp on Physics”) Broad (“Summer Science School”)

Generation scope • • •

Extremely broad (10+ years of age difference) Broad (4–10 yrs of age difference) Narrow (up to two years). Typically linked with certain school grade

Leaders + facilities profile • • •

Full professional staff. Their dominant job is organization of youth camps and similar activities Semi-professional. School teachers are within this category Youth-to-youth. Something close to scouts

Duration • • • •

Short camps/workshops/conferences/meetings/campaigns (up to 4 days) Medium (5–13 days) Long (14–28 days) Very long programs (more than 4 weeks)

Just to be clear – in any of above listed categories, we can find very good and very weak camps. Category doesn’t imply quality!

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Now it is possible to list some typical mistakes caused by imbalance between certain categories: • • •

• • •

• • •

3.

Unclear category. It could dramatically increase costs and complexity of preparation, application procedure, and camp management. Imbalance between expectations and abilities. It could be applied both for participants and organizers. Underestimation of participants knowledge and expectations. Here, I don’t think that overestimation is something problematic in the case of science camps (in sport camps it could be dangerous!). In the most cases demanding program could pull participants to test their hidden abilities. Typical existing school system supress children real abilities. Too much improvisation. Some level of improvisation is always welcome. It makes camp flexible and increase feelings among participants that they can influence the program. “Hyper-detailed preparation”. It is impossible to forecast everything. Too much details means, by definition, that something big is ignored. See above! Obligations toward sponsors are dominant over respecting participants’ expectations. This is something subtle, but dangerous. If the camp is designed for clever and even talented children, they will easily recognize that the function of the camp is not to support their needs and expectations, but to fulfill sponsor’s requirements. The result could be disastrous. Not well established rules, limitations, and managing hierarchy. Anarchy among teenagers is a nightmare for everybody. Weak understanding of teenage psychology and social behavior. Camp is not an extension of school. Ignoring the function of experience accumulation and sharing. There are many groups and organizations involved in design, preparation, and organization of camps who are close to each other (geographically or in time), but which do not communicate, or even know anything about others except a name.

Generalization of Problems

Here is a synthesis of some the most frequent problems (as author concluded) that could be used as a kind of a guideline in evaluation procedures. It could be a useful tool for camp organizers, before all. 3.1.

This Is Not I’ve Expected! Problem, i.e. participants are not sufficiently prepared and informed about the complete program, activities, facilities, and regulations. • • •

Because it is not clear even to organizers. Because there are too many improvisations. Because underestimation of personal qualities of participants.

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3.2.

Narrowing the Scope of the Program • • • • • • •

3.3.

Teacher’s scope of interest is dominant in the program design. Teacher avoids some important topics because of limited knowledge or resources. Facts dominant over concepts, principles, and processes. Topics and activities are too much linked with the school curricula. Certain field of science is presented as completed and closed instead as something opened and challenging. Imbalance between theoretical and practical activities. Disciplinary boundaries are too rigid and dominant. Unclear Participants’ Selection Criteria

• • • 3.4.

Group inhomogeneity according to motivation, expectation, and background knowledge. “Open doors” philosophy (everybody is welcome) demotivates the most promising participants. “Why I am here?” problem. “Hyperfocusing” on the Knowledge Enhancing

• • • 3.5.

Underestimation of other participants’ needs and expectations. Not enough room for practical work, social activities, recreation, creativity space, etc. Experienced colleagues and psychologists/pedagogs are not included in the program design and preparation. “Opportunism”

• • • • •

3.6.

Too many ad hoc solutions of typical running problems. Ignored problems could rapidly increase and explode. “Class differences” among participants (favorization beyond principles). Making of some participants “stars” could demotivate others. The other side of political correctness. Young participants could easily discover that some “bright leading principles” are just an artificial cover for some ambitions, but not for deep understanding of related problems. Focus Alteration

•

Favorizing demands/expectations of sponsors, politicians, publics, etc. over the basic program goals and objectives. (“Everything else is more important than participants and their expectations and needs”).

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• •

3.7.

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Too many guests, visitors, media, etc. could interrupt activities and make participants nervous. Spending too much money in side activities. It is dangerous if participants conclude that organizers save money for science activities, but spend too much money for other not-essential (according to participants) programs and costs. Underrating Qualities of School

Many science (and not only science) camps advertize their qualities using criticism of local school system. It could help in attracting some participants (directly or by attracting parents who are by definition not satisfied with school system), but it could weak relations with school teachers and schools. Camp promotion is much better if organizers present what they will do, not by explaining what other do not. 3.8.

Glorification

Overestimation of results of current camp will increase expectations for the following one maybe above the level of organizer’s power. It is wise to be moderate and increase quality of camp carefully and gradually, year-by-year. 3.9.

Self-Sufficiency

No need to be informed about other similar camps. It can happen that the participants are much more informed about some other camps than the organizing team. The result could be repetition of mistakes and problems, loosing external supporters, lecturers, and collaborators. The result also can be that the general position of youth camps in certain region or country (e.g. related to the financial support from public funds) weakens because fragmented and non-consolidated links between camp organizers. 3.10. Discontinuity Continual, year-by-year programs make further support easier, increase number of interested teachers, schools, and participants, and accumulate experience. Schoolteachers like to co-operate with camps that last many years, because they can motivate some children promising them to be candidates for next camps. Irregularity decrease confidence.

4.

Conclusions

There are many, and each year more and more youth science camps of various types and profiles. Among them there are many innovations, brave initiatives, and creative ideas. Unfortunately, because of lack of efficient links and communications, the majority of these camps are not informed about others, and there is insufficient aggregation of experience.

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This paper is prepared in order to help camp organizers to recognize some, maybe at very moment hidden problems and challenges. The author is aware that the paper is based on limited information. The problem list presented here can be improved, but this is the clear intention of the paper.

Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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Biological Summer Course Arachne Spider Web Connecting People and Different Branches of Science Jan MOUREKa,b,1 , OndĜej KOUKOLa,c, Magda HRABÁKOVÁa,b, KateĜina ýERNÁa, Pavlína BRETTLOVÁa, Eva NOVOZÁMSKÁa, Jindra MOURKOVÁa,b, Petr JANŠTAa,b and Blanka ZIKÁNOVÁd a Arachne Association, Czech Republic b Charles University Prague, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology c Charles University Prague, Faculty of Science, Department of Botany d Charles University Prague, Faculty of Science, Department of Microbiology and Genetics

Abstract. Biological Summer Course Arachne is an optional training course for high ability secondary school students, held by the Arachne Association (Prague, Czech Republic) since 1998. The two weeks stay (designed for 30 - 35 participants) is organised by a team of enthusiastic university students in cooperation with the scientific staff of the Charles University, Faculty of Science and Academy of Science of the Czech Republic. Participants gain current knowledge in a broad spectrum of biological disciplines and practical skills as well. In addition these activities encourage them in further search for information and in critical thinking. The biological scientific program, occupying on average 4.5 h a day, consists of lectures, practical classes, short excursions and optional workshops. Each year, the scientific program has a different framework topic. Several sessions are reserved for teamwork on research projects. The scientific program is supplemented with a wide variety of activities, such as fine arts, dance, non-professional theatre, rhetorical training and team cooperation. All these activities promote further development of the students` abilities, namely creativity, communication and team cooperation. This complex approach is exceptional compared to similar courses in the Czech Republic. Keywords. Biological Summer Course Arachne, gifted students, biology, extracurricular education, creativeness, students’ projects

1

Corresponding Author: private address: Václava Rabase 871, CZ-272 01 Kladno 1, Czech Republic; E-mail: [email protected]

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Introduction In this contribution we would like to share our practical experience from nine years of organizing the Biological Summer Course Arachne (abbreviated as “Arachne Course” in further text) and to introduce our approach in the informal biological education. The Arachne Course is a bi-weekly residential extracurricular course for gifted and highly motivated secondary school pupils in the Czech Republic. In this course we combine theoretical and practical biological education with various nonscientific activities, which help to improve the pupils’ creativity and social skills. The symbolic name Arachne refers to the Ancient Greek mythology as well as to the animal kingdom: The Lydian princess Arachné exceeded Pallas Athena in the art of weaving. The goddess in a chafe tore to pieces the Arachné’s marvellous work. The desperate weaver intended to take her own life, but Athena turned her into spider (“arachné” in Greek). The descendants of Arachné continue in weaving their admirable webs till present. The Arachne Courses aim to help the pupils to find connections between different pieces of biological knowledge into a meaningful complex, to cross the boundaries between different branches of science and to build bridges between young personalities.

1.

View into the history of the Arachne Course

Good things often begin with coincidence of simple lucky chances. Indeed, the first Arachne Course (in fact without its symbolic name at the beginning) in 1998 was organised thanks to lucky chance. A handful of biology students from Charles University Prague were encouraged by the organisers of Summer Course in Mathematics and Physics (headed by Dr. Leoš DvoĜák and Dr. Irena Koudelková) to join their course with a group of pupils interested in biology. After some hesitation and doubts they agreed. In rather limited time, they even got financial funding from the Open Society Fund and with a great deal of improvisation prepared a meaningful and diverse scientific program. In 1999, the organisers founded a small NGO - Arachne Association 2 (Sdružení Arachne in Czech) for the purpose oforganising biological summer courses. For the first four years, the mathematical-physical and biological courses successfully took place under the same roof. Each course had an independent scientific program, but they both had similar framework, the same time schedule and common non-scientific activities. After several years, the organisers had gradually realised, that even if the partnership between both groups had been mutually inspiring, their needs were essentially specific. In 2002 they decided to organise both courses independently.

2

More details about the Arachne Association and the Arachne Courses are available on www.natur.cuni.cz/~arachne.

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Who are the weavers of the web?

Organisation of the Arachne Course depends on the team of –eight to ten organisers, who are present during the whole course. They prepare the schedule of the program, organise non-scientific activities, care for the participants’ welfare and partly act also as lecturers and supervisors of the students’ projects. Pre-gradual as well as postgradual students of biology on Charles University Prague, Faculty of Science and their friends form the core of the Arachne team. They are volunteers, devoting great deal of their free time to the Arachne Course. Most of them are members of Arachne Association. The stable Arachne team is accompanied with further 10 - 15 lecturers, who come to the Arachne Course for –one or two days to give specialized lectures or practical classes. The lecturers are recruited mostly among the students as well as among the scientific staff of Faculty of Science, Academy of Science of the Czech Republic and other research institutions. We are proud to say that several former participants already became Arachne organisers and lecturers. The comparatively small age gap between the organisers and the participants facilitates the effective flow of information and informal atmosphere. We believe, that younger lecturers are often able to better understand the needs and interests of secondary school students than are the professors and senior scientists. This advantage can even compensate their limited professional experience.

3.

Who are the participants?

The first important decision we had to make was to choose the target group of participants. Since the beginning we rejected the way to set strict criteria, such as entrance tests, and choose “the best of the best”. 3 Our aim has been to give chance not only to those, who are specialized and advanced in biology and who are expected to become outstanding scientists. We welcome also to highly motivated beginners and those, who like biology, but are not sure about their future specialization. Therefore we try to accept all applicants, if it is allowed by the limited capacity of the course. Very soon we realised, this decision was right. The participants of our courses form a diverse assemblage of interesting young personalities, spending the days and nights not only sitting at the microscope or discussing the structure of DNA, but also observing stars, dancing, playing the guitar or writing profound letters to their friends. Interestingly, there are significantly more applying women than men. If there are more applicants than we can accept, we select them according to entrance questionnaires. In the questionnaire each applicant has to describe his or her interests, 3

In the Czech Republic already exists another biological summer course for gifted secondary school students, designed only for the winners of Biological Olympiad (www.biologickaolympiada.cz). The course as well as the Biological Olympiad itself, is organised each year by the National Institute for Children and Youth. It has a long tradition and capacity about 60 participants. Similar courses and competitions specialized e.g. on chemistry or humanities are held by the same institute as well.

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hobbies and expectations about the Arachne Course. The questionnaire also helps to prevent the cases, when the less motivated applicant might be annoyed with the intensive scientific program or on the contrary by the non-scientific activities. One of the questions helps to assess the applicant’s creativeness, sense for humour and improvisation. The applicant usually has to answer the question: “What is in the picture?“ and is encouraged to modify the picture, as he or she likes. The picture is usually a semi-realistic drawing with multivalent meaning. However, the questionnaires have a limited informative value and must be evaluated with caution: x

x

On average the boys of our target age (14 - 20) are usually more reserved than the girls. They often “ignore” personal questions and their answers are usually shorter and “superficial”. This does not necessarily mean, that they are less creative or motivated in biology. Creative but introvert people often hesitate to express themselves to unfamiliar (“anonymous”) organisers.

Another good decision was to allow the participants to take part repeatedly. The participants who already attended one or more previous years of the Arachne Course (on average, one half to two thirds of participants attended at least two courses) form a solid core and help to keep the tradition. On the other side the “newcomers” are always quickly integrated. The “solid core” has also a very motivating effect on the team of organisers and on the diversity of the program; no one lecture or game can be repeated in two or three successive years. We also try to find always a new locality for the course.

4.

Capacity of the Course

There are usually more interested applicants than we are able to accept. Raising the capacity of the Arachne Course would bring not only technical problems (e.g. to find enough workspace and equipment in the labs), but would also damage the friendly intimate atmosphere. Thirty to thirty-five participants per course, divided into two groups for the lectures and practical classes, revealed a meaningful compromise. According to our experience, this number is the upper limit, when the organisers and lecturers are still able to keep an intensive contact with each participant. The comparatively small capacity of the Arachne course is also positively reflected in the intensive contacts within the group of participants. At the beginning of each course, the participants are group of young people full of expectations; at the end a gang of good friends full of plans how find the possibilities to meet each other during the school year.

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Finance and equipment

Since the early beginnings, the Arachne Course has been supported by the biological division of the Charles University Prague, Faculty of Science. Our alma mater kindly provides us not only with financial support, but its particular departments borrow us laboratory, field and didactical equipment, such as: scientific microscopes, dissecting microscopes, field glasses, data-projectors and literature. The encouragement and advice by senior colleagues are also essential for us. Arachne Association itself possesses only minor equipment and small library. An important deal of the equipment (e.g. computers) and literature is private property and is regularly borrowed by particular organisers and lecturers. The advantage of the Arachne Association as NGO is the possibility to apply for grants by different public and private institutions. During the last four years we got financial support from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic, the Ministry of Culture of CR and Tomáš BaĢa’s Foundation. On average, approximately one half of the expenses are covered with the support from the biological division and with different grants, the rest is covered with the participant fees.

6.

Scientific program

One of the keystones of the Arachne Course is, that we prefer active pupils’ work to passive reception of information. Besides the current biological knowledge the participants shall get acquainted with elementary laboratory and field methods and learn from direct observation of living objects or fixed material. Therefore we include not only lectures, but also practical classes and field excursions as much as possible. Several sessions are reserved for teamwork on students’ research projects, representing an integral part of the course. The scientific program extends beyond the secondary school curriculum. We try to focus on the topics, which are either neglected or insufficiently represented in the biology classes on Czech high schools. The biological scientific program occupies daily on average 4.5 hours. It is divided into 3 hours morning block and 1.5 hours afternoon block. Ordinary lectures last 1.5 hours; less often 3 hours sessions are reserved for time-consuming practical classes. For the scientific program (except for the projects) the participants are divided into two parallel groups according to their age, experience and attendance of previous Arachne Courses. The scientific content of the program is the same for both groups, but the level is adjusted.

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Table 1. Framework topics of the previous years of the Arachne Course 2002 – 2006 and examples of topics of particular lectures and practical classes. Year

Framework topic

Examples of specific topics

2002

Ecology of Organisms and Communities

Macroecology Role of water in living organisms

Analysis of sounds Identifying insects in the field

2003

Evolution and Developmental Biology

Microevolutionary processes Endosymbiotical origin of plastids and mitochondria

Identification of insect larvae Fertilisation and embryogenesis in amphibians

2004

Interactions among organisms

Sounds and auditory organs in animal kingdom Parasitism Influence of invasive organisms on ecosystems

Comparison of mimicri in different bumblebee species Identification of soil fauna Practical course of photography

2005

Biodiversity and Biogeography

Historical sources of biodiversity in Central Europe

Preparation of chromosomes

2006

Function and Structure in Living Organisms

Photosynthesis Physiology of Insects Molecular genetics

Differential staining of plant tissues Human anatomy Histology of nervous system and sensory organs

Lectures

Practical classes and field trips

6.1. Annual framework topics Biology actually represents an extremely wide spectrum of disciplines and topics. The two-weeks course is too short to introduce all branches to the participants. Thus, after first two “crowded years” we decided to focus each year’s course on a different framework topic (see Table 1). The topic shall be comparatively broad, attractive and cross the boundaries of different biological disciplines. Relevant specific topics of particular lectures and practical classes are selected within various biological disciplines such as botany, microbiology, zoology, genetics, etc. They shall exhibit various scientific approaches and contributions of different disciplines to the framework topic. 6.2. Lectures Our intention is to stress not only the biological information itself, but also to explain its relation to other scientific branches. Therefore we regularly include also lectures on biophysics, such as the role of water in living organisms or sound and function of auditory organs. Lecture about the philosophy of ancient Greece as one of the roots of European culture met also surprising success. Several evenings are usually reserved for optional informal lectures or slide shows from different expeditions. The lectures are interactive and the participants are continuously encouraged to ask questions or to interrupt the lecturers whenever they do not understand. Topics of different lectures together form rather a mosaic than a compact whole. We believe

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that it is more important to keep high diversity of the program and to give the participants stimuli for further study than to exhaust each topic.

Figure 1. Example of a practical class in Arachne 2004: comparing mimicry of different bumblebee species.

6.3. Practical Classes and Field Excursions Approximately one half of the sessions are dedicated to practical classes and short walks in the nature, during which various organisms and ecosystems are demonstrated. There is usually also one whole day excursion to an interesting natural locality. The practical classes and excursions shall (at least to some extent) fill the gap, which arises due to the restriction of practical education in biology in secondary schools’ curricula. The participants practice basic laboratory and field methods, such as light microscopy, aseptic cultivation of microorganisms, staining of plant tissues and dissection or identification of different organisms. 6.4. Students’ Projects Students` expectations about their future career in biological research are rather unrealistic, based largely on high quantity of theoretical knowledge. Therefore, one of the main aims of the Arachne Course is to allow these students to experience real scientific work for at least the limited time of several days. There are three to five sessions reserved for students` projects during the two-weeks course. Supervised by lectors, research teams of two to four students work on different topics, proposed at the beginning of the course by the organisers. Particular topics cover variety of disciplines including faunistic or floristic survey, ecological observations, microbiological laboratory experiments or morphological studies (see Tab. 2). Teams are supplied with standard scientific laboratory and field equipment and necessary literature. The supervisors are ready for advice and help in any difficulties, but the participants are encouraged to plane the experiments and observations and collect data by themselves, as much as possible. The work ends up on a "scientific conference" where each team presents and discusses its results. The students are expected to write a short report for the "conference proceedings".

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The work on projects promotes the students` thinking about the pros and cons of scientific career before deciding for it. Those who are interested in project methods used in Arachne Course can find more information in [1]. Table 2. Selected students’ projects realized during previous years of the Arachne Course. Year

Acquired methods

Nature trail

Topic

2000 2004

Field survey of natural objects of interests, compilation of information from the literature, popularisation of scientific information

Proposal for a nature trail with the text of information panels

Outputs

Habitat preferences of the House Sparrow

2003

Description of habitats, categorisation of bird activities, ethological observation of focal animal, questionnaire among the residents and cottagers in the village

Description and map of the habitats preferred for breeding, feeding and other activities

Resistance of bacteria against different sorts of tooth paste

2003

Techniques of extraction, cultivation and counting of bacteria, preparing the design of an experiment

Comparison of antibacterial effect of different sorts of tooth paste on two model species of bacteria

Dyes extracted from plant tissues and their suitability for staining of cloth

2003

Different techniques of extraction of plant dyes and different methods of staining of cloth

Colour card of different cloth stained with different plant dyes, evaluation of colour stability

Quality of recycled paper

2004

Hand preparation of recycled paper, physical measurements and quality testing

Comparison of various parameters of different sorts of self-prepared recycled paper

Photosynthesis

2006

Planning, conducting and evaluation of biological experiment

Comparison of intensity of photosynthesis in different abiotic conditions.

Sounds of Orthoptera (grasshoppers)

2006

Identification of different species of Orthoptera, recording and computer analysis of animal sounds

Comparison of sonograms of several orthopteran species

Figure 2. Work on a students’ project, Arachne Course 2004: observing predatory soil mites.

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Non-scientific program

The scientific program is integrated with a wide variety of activities, such as fine arts, dance, non-professional theatre, challenging outdoor games, rhetorical training and solving model problem situations in the teams. They serve not only as leisure program to recharge batteries after exhausting lectures. All these activities promote further development of the students` abilities, namely: creativity, communication and team cooperation. This combination of scientific and non-scientific program is exceptional compared to similar biological courses in the Czech Republic.

Figure 3. Example of non-scientific activities, Arachne 2004: marionette theatre produced by the participants.

Each year, the non-scientific activities are framed with different annual libretto. We usually choose an inspiring period of the Czech or world history (see Tab. 3) or “virtual travel” to foreign cultures. Particular activities may be inspired by important historical events, traditional handicrafts or local customs. Before the course, the participants as well as the organisers and lecturers are expected to prepare their own traditional dress and to wear it during festive occasions during the course (e.g. dinners and evening councils). The organisers also prepare annual songbook, distributed to each participant. Annual libretto, traditional dress and songbook are essential to achieve unique atmosphere of the Arachne Courses and help to motivate the participants. Another effective mean how to motivate the participants is to introduce the activities with short scenes played by the organisers. The non-scientific program is scheduled in afternoons and evenings. There are also two to three night outdoor games during the course. Most of the activities are collective. The participants are usually divided into five to six small groups, less often into pairs. Only part of the games during the Arachne Course are typical competitions, with clear winners and losers. Most of them, especially the creative activities, do not have any winners and losers, or more precisely formulated, “all are the winners”. The current society, as well as the science, is too much “competition oriented”, therefore we support rather the positive feeling from the team cooperation, than the prestige gained by beating the competitors. The participants should feel at least some satisfaction, even if their team lost. New teams are established for each activity to prevent negative

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feelings between the members of different teams and negotiations among the fellows within the team. Table 3. Annual librettos of the non-scientific program in Arachne Courses 2002 - 2006. Year

Annual libretto

2002

Czech National Revival

2003

Ancient Greece

2004

Middle Ages in Bohemia

2005

World Congress of Nations

2006

The 1960ies

Table 4. Examples of particular non-scientific activities in Arachne Course 2003 (Ancient Greese). Abbreviations: ind - individual activity; coll - collective activity in groups; p - activity in pairs Name of the activity Olympic games Ancient tragedy Battle of Salamis Pottery Sophists

8.

Nature of the activity - physical competitions (ind) - amateur theatre respecting the rules of antic drama (coll) - ritualised reconstruction of a naval battle (coll) - training of work with foot-operated throw (ind) - rhetorical training, disputation between two speakers (p)

Daily rituals

During the years of Arachne Courses we introduced several regular customs or rituals. They are nice tradition and improve communication between the organisers and participants and among the participants themselves: Daily evening Council: This is the everyday friendly meeting (0.5 - 1 hour) of all participants, organisers and the lecturers. The council provides space for announcements regarding the program, evaluation of non-scientific activities, participants’ wishes and opinions and for collective singing. During the Council everybody is wearing the traditional dress and is sitting on floor in circle. Sharing the feelings: Usually at the end of the Council, the participants have space to share their feelings (usually connected with the days’ program) with the others. This ritual has different forms according to the annual libretto of the non-scientific program. E.g. in 2006 we strewed together the mandala. After several minutes of silent meditation with music, the people were encouraged to express themselves and to strew one field of mandala. Internal post: Everybody has a chance to send letters to other participants or organisers via the internal post. The letters are dropped into a special post box and later distributed by the postman or postwoman (one of the participants) during each evening Council to the addressees.

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Participants’ feedback

The participants’ feedback helps to improve the program of future Arachne Courses. First is the immediate response of participants during the activities. The lecturers and organisers, however, do not always perceive it, because of concentration on the lecture. Some of the psychologically oriented games are followed by common analysis, serving primarily the participants, but also inform about the success of the game. At the end of the course the participants fill two questionnaires - one about the scientific program and the second about the non-scientific activities. They evaluate particular lectures and other activities with school marks and add their comments and suggestions. Last, but not least positive feedback, is that many of the participants want to attend the Arachne Course repeatedly and recommend it to their friends.

10. Beyond the Arachne Course It is difficult to distinguish the direct influence of the Arachne Course on the participants’ personalities from their previous experience and abilities. We did not attempt to make any statistics yet, but we have direct as well as indirect positive evidence: (i) After attending the Arachne Course, the pupils often decide to participate in different biological competitions and are successful. (ii) Many of the participants visit each other during the school year and organise informal meetings. This means, they became real friends. (iii) Former Arachne participants are usually successful in entrance exams on different universities. (iv) In Charles University Faculty of Science, former participants often belong to the best students, measured not only with their results in exams, but also with their activity during the semesters (e.g. asking questions during the lectures).

References [1] Mourek J., Koukol O., Fišerová J. and Hrabáková M., Secondary school students taste the real science: project methods used in the “Biological Summer Course Arachne”. 9th Conference of the European Council for High Ability, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain, September 10 - 13, 2004. Proceedings (on CD), 2004.

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The STaN-ECHA Newest Activities Eva VONDRÁKOVÁ1 ECHA CR Bellusova 1827/53, 155 00 Praha 5, Czech Republic [email protected]

Abstract. The Czech ECHA branch took up its activities in the spring of 1989. Since than many tasks in gifted children education started to be realized. We are beeing informed about a contemporary situation in GC education around the world and we can compare it with the situation in our country. Our Club of parents meetings and counselling to parents and teachers of gifted children is an invaluable information source. Thanks to it we can see what is considerable to do if we want to realize future scientists´ potential. Unfortunately there are still many obstacles preventing to effectively develop namely intellectual talents. Both good and bad experience and the newest activities which aim to improve chances of very young future scientists to develop their potential will be mentioned in this chapter. Keywords. Motivated young children, Science in kindergarten and primary schools, Club of teachers, Parents-teachers-psychologists´ point of view, Networking.

Introduction The Czech ECHA branch (Society for talent and giftedness - STaN) started its activities in the spring 1989. Since that time we have organized 53 STaN-ECHA seminars for teachers and psychologists, 2 – 4 times a year. The first one was realized on the 27th of October 1989, the last one took place on the 3rd of November 2006. At the very beginning we organized Club of clever and curious children (10 – 14 years old). It existed in the 1989/90 and in 1990/91 schoolyears. During this period more than 50 meetings took place. The Club of parents of gifted children started to be active in 1993. There were about 1

Correponding Author: Book Production Manager, IOS Press, Nieuwe Hemweg 6B, 1013 Amsterdam, The Netherlands; E-mail: [email protected].

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30 meetings realized in the first stage. After nearly two years break we decided to renew its activity because many parents asked us for such meetings. The first newly organized Club of parents meeting took place on the 21st of January 1998 in the Chlupova 1800 school, Prague 5. On the 21st of November 2006 the 80th meeting takes place. There have been more than 100 Club of parents of GC meetings organized until now.

All the time we offered consultations to parents and later also to teachers and psychologists who looked for advice and help with their care of gifted children. More on the STaN-ECHA history you can find in previous NATO ARW Proceeding books. During 17 years of STaN-ECHA´s existence we became experienced in the gifted children education both in theory and in practice. President of STaN-ECHA (newly: ECHA CR) Eva Vondrakova is psychologist experienced in gifted education. She is co-author of previous drafts of system of the care for the gifted in the CR. In 2001 she prepared “System of care for gifted students in the CR” for the Ministry of Education. Thanks to international conferences, meetings and informal communication with our colleagues from all over the world we are informed on current news and trends in the gifted children education. Our aim is to apply what is known in this topic and improve the chance of GC to fully realize their potential.

1.

STaN-ECHA´s contemporary activities

1.1 Club of Parents The most considerable of STaN-ECHA´s activities is the Club of Parents of Gifted Children. Its regular meetings take place in Prague 5, Chlupova 1800 school. Program has two main parts: invited guests present some information useful and interesting for parents of GC. Time for discussion follows after it. Participants are not only from Prague. Many parents look for an advice and help in their gifted children education. They are from the whole Czech Republic and correspond with us mainly via e-mail. To visit our meetings they sometimes come even from places which are far away from Prague. Since STaN-ECHA has been established more than 1000 parens have contacted us. Hundreds of gifted children and many extremely gifted children received some form of help from us.

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Club of Teachers

In recent years more and more teachers and psychologists were motivated to help their gifted students aand started to look for information on GC education and contacted STaNECHA. Despite former recommendations and plans for implementing pre- and postgradual courses mentioned in conception on GC education and other official documents there is no systematic teacher training in GC education in the CR until now. Many teachers believe that GC does not need any help. On the other side there is a growing number of other teachers, who feel to be insufficiently ready for teaching GC. They look for information, advice and help. Some of them have such a child in their class and are confronted with his/her unusual problems. They would like to work with GC effectively but do not know what to do. That is why Club of teachers was established in November 2005. Meetings are held irregularly, sometimes together with Club of Parents. 1.3 Club of Students The newly emerged group of university students, mostly future teachers and psychologists interested in GC education, GC personality and talent development came to STaN-ECHA not long time ago. Club of parents meetings give them answers to many questions, provoke new ones, inspire and offer materials to students´ research. Club of Students takes up its activities in these days, i.e. in October 2006. 1.4 STaN-ECHA seminars At the very beginning the STaN-ECHA seminars were dedicated to psychologists and medicine doctors above all. Soon the teachers were invited. Parents of the gifted children were invited much more later. It proved to be a very good idea to meet members of all the groups together. Seminars use to bring new information from conferences and workshops. Good practice, research, interesting things and news from science and technology namely from the world of education create part of program. Organizing interactive seminars and other meetings for mixed groups of participants proved to be effective. Thanks to familiarization with different points of view participants can receive much more plastic and detailed information about the GC education topic. It is highly recommended to present the problems without identifying data. If the parents and teachers are not from the same school than they do not care wheather the child known to both of them and they can speak and analyse problems without fears of threat and conflict. They can ask members of counterparty questions not allowed in their everyday practice. It makes them possible to become familiar with problematic parts of GC enlightenment.

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Science and technology in GC education

2.1. Age suitable for talent in science development The NATO ARW meetings are focused mainly on science education for the gifted. Reports are mostly dedicated to the care for able and motivated high school students. It is not easy to find sufficient number of students motivated in science. Many of them had lost their former interest in science and inquisitiveness in the course of school attendance. We dont have as many future scientists as it is needed. That is why we are looking for a way how to increase interest of students in the science and technology. Far too many reports on a small gifted children´s show strong inner motivation of many very young children in science and technology. Parents at STaN-ECHA meetings report their children´s thirst for information and effort to gain insight into problems. Matyas is known from my previous report thanks to story with dinosaurs, was interested in radioingeneering as well. When he was 4 years old he used to wake up his mother early mornings and demanded reading from the Journal of radioingeneering. When he was in the 2nd class of primary school he was able to repair lamplets. At ten he became successful in repairing radios. Before his 12th birthday he constructed a functional radioset. Only some of such children are lucky enough to develop their interests and talents. If yes, it is so mostly thanks to their devoted and inventive parents. It is easy to find leasure time activities for small children if you are looking for dance, music, arts, sports or foreign languages. Situation is quite diferent if you are looking for something similar in science and technology. Many potential talents are not supported in their interests at time of their strong inner motivation. That is why they fall away. Offerring support at high school is too late for many of them. 2.2 Science in kindergarten and primary school Many very young children are enthusiastic about systems, technical equipments, and different topics from science. Let me to introduce you four very nice variants of support scientific thinking development in children. “Small Owls” is a class for gifted children in the Rozmarynek kindergarten, Prague, CR. We prepared program for children on the basis of our experience from Club of parents. Excellent teacher Sonia Novotna works on projects for her mixed aged group of 18 3-6 years old children, explains and answers their questions. Children are enthusiastic and happy. Not long ago the teacher brought a microscope to the class. Children could watch a leaf partly dead and teacher explained them difference in alive and dead part of it. Children were enthusiastic, unlike the inspector who visited the class. Her question to the teacher was: “And can they sing any folksongs?” The School for highly gifted children and Grammar school in Bratislava, Slovakia is another nice type of school. The education program of this school allows children to

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explore and create. It increases their self-confidence, independence and motivation to learn. You can find more information on www.smnd.sk. In September 2006 the 10th ECHA conference was held in Finland. One session was dedicated to Science Education. All presentations there were excellent. Two of them (prepared by British authors) were dedicated to primary schools: David Coates: The Development of Elementary Teachers. Understanding of Challenging Science for Gifted Pupils through Action Research. Helen Wilson: Jenny Mant: Challenge the Gifted in Elementary Science and Raise Standards for All: The Astrazeneca Project. Homeschooling is another variant of successful ways of education. In the CR it is allowed only for primary school age. STaN-ECHA cooperates with Association for Homeschooling. Children are friendly and self-confident. They are motivated and most of them are highly successful at school later.

3.

Recommendation

Look for motivated and able students at high schools. Do not forget to support interest and motivation even in preschool age. Teach all children to communicate (speak, use ICT, foreign languages). Help them to be open-minded. Create networks. Distribute information.

References [1] D. Coates and H. Wilson, Challenges in Primary Science, A NACE/Fulton Publication, London 2003

Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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Open Science a

Anna MARTINKOVÁa The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

Abstract. The project Open Science is intended to provide support and further education to secondary school students and their teachers; also it improves public awareness about research. Keywords. Science, popularization, secondary school students, teachers, further education

Introduction Recently a steady decrease of interest in science by young people has been observed. The average age of researchers and scientists at the institutes has been increasing and the age structure reveals a diminishing ration of young generation. Since the level of science and technical development is one of the prerequisites which ensures the advancement of a society and influences its political and economic position among other societies, it is obviously important to reverse this trend. Enhancement of the competitiveness of the Czech economy on the European market is among the key tasks of the Czech Republic. This effort must be concentrated above all on suitable target groups – on young people just deciding on their future career (i.e., high school students) and on their teachers, who are in close contact with them and have the necessary specialisation. They are in a position to implement the effort of attracting young people to careers in science and in research. The role of the teachers in this process is crucial because they act as mediator between the student and science, their influence can be either negative or positive. The respective impact depends on a teacher’s knowledge and excitement, on their training and staying current in science, teaching methods and other professional skills.

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A. Martinková / Open Science

Open Science to the wider public

1.1. Basic facts about the project Aware of this long-lasting unacceptable situation, the project Open Science1 has been launched to deal effectively with this problem. The project is being coordinated within the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, which is located in Prague (Czech Republic). It has the approval of the Czech Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs as a part of Single programming document 3 of the region NUTS 3. There are three main sources of funding of the project Open Science: • • •

ESF State budget Budget of the city of Prague

In light of that all the activities of project Open Science will encourage young people to consider careers in science, will provide educational resources to their teachers and finally increase knowledge economy of the Czech Republic. The project has been designed to function for two years and currently has successfully reached the first half of its duration. It started on September 1st 2005 and will be concluded on August 31st 2007. Some of the students who joined the project are already continuing their scientific activities at the universities. 1.2. Target groups There are three main target groups of project Open Science; first of all the project focuses all its activities on secondary school students and their teachers, the third but not less important secondary target group is the wide public. Nearly all the documents and information about the activities carried out within the project are freely available on the Internet and therefore anyone can make use of them. The information about science and research is presented in a format easily understood. 1.3. Aims Our aims as target groups can be divided into primary and secondary aims. The main goal of the project is to improve knowledge economy of the Czech Republic and thereby increase its competitiveness. Under this aim the focus is on bright secondary school students. In its intentions the lecturers from partner Institutes give them support, strive to enhance and broaden their interest in science. Those students by their own example can consequently raise their school peers’ interest and therefore disseminate the ideas of the project to the wider public. 1

www.open-science.cz

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The next aim is educational. This effort is aimed at all the target groups and includes provision of further educational and informational resources. Within these activities important and successful researchers will convey up-to-date information on current science and research activities that are not yet included in the textbooks. Promotion of science and research to the wider public is the last but not least aim. One of the most important contributions of the project is that all the materials (collections of lectures, presentations etc.) are also available on the Internet, on the website of the project. To achieve this aim the contributions will be comprehensible for the target group. Promoting activities are considered crucial indeed; it is necessary to cooperate with the communications media. Therefore the project has four media partners (Czech radio stations Radiozurnal and Leonardo, the magazine 21. stoleti and the company Kratky Film Praha, a. s.) that inform the public about current activities. Open Science has been presented to the Czech as well as to the foreign public, i. e., the international conference of the organisation EUSCEA (Iceland, June 2006) or on the science festival Veda v ulicich (Science in the streets), end of June 2006, Prague. Interesting reports about researchers’ work and interviews with students have been developed into articles appearing in newspapers. This project was initiated at a press conference where a number of journalists were informed about its aims and planned activities. Unified Internet presentations of the various scientific institutes make also important part of the project. But teachers need not despair of further assistance when the project comes to the end in next August. After the close of the project all the materials, lectures, presentations as well as the unified Internet presentations of the partner institutes will remain available on the Internet. The institutes will administer their website on their own then.

Figure 1: From the event Science in the Streets (Prague, June 23th-24th 2006)

1.4. Activities The project team organises various types of activities so as to meet the aims of Open Science. The project would like to interest and assist as many people as possible and therefore the collections of lectures from the conferences and courses are distributed to the participants and published afterwards on the website of the project which enables anybody to make use of them.

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The activities can be divided according to the target groups: • • • • •

Scholarships for students One-week practical training courses for teachers Seminars Other occasional activities (courses, seminars, lectures) Other outcomes (interactive DVDs, unified Internet presentations)

Figure 2: Practical training courses on biology (Nove Hrady, Czech Republic, summer 2006)

Students can compete for 150 different scholarships at the various scientific institutes (including institutes of the ASCR and of partner universities). Led by tutors, important researchers, students either participate in ongoing research projects or carry out their own research activities. The scholarship enables them to get in touch with real research. Although the offer is wide, not all the students can participate, because of some restrictions, i.e., sometimes an age limit of 18 is imposed. In general students can either chose between interesting topics provided by tutors or even bring their own topic. In all their activities experienced and skilled scientists assist them and introduce them in that way to the world of science. Some students make their studies at a university whilst they are pursuing their research in the scientific institute. One-week practical training courses are organised for secondary school teachers, where they can hear lectures and do practical exercises under supervision of the best scientists from the various research institutes or universities. The courses usually take place in summer and are concentrated on three main topics: physics, chemistry and biology. Each participant receives collection of lectures from the course which is available of course then on the website of the project. That information reaches not only the participant of the course but also their colleagues and the via Internet other people can make use of them likewise. The courses have been accredited by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic. According to surveys carried out at the end of each course, the participants were satisfied with the content of the course and would participate again in similar courses. This means they are making note of the content of the next course. A large number of them participated already in the last year sessions.

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Figure 3: Collection of lectures on biology from Practical training courses 2005

Multidisciplinary seminar is organised for teachers in autumn. Some activities have not been planned in the project yet they came out after it started, among them the seminars on Faculty of Science of Charles University in Prague (Winter practical courses at Vinicna Street), the lectures on immunology at the Institute of Microbiology of ASCR or the lecture on biology of the cell by Prof. Arnošt Kotyk, an important Czech scientist, at the Institute of Experimental Medicine. Students who joined the project could also participate in the Student Scientific Conference (September 25th-26th 2006, Prague) where they were able to present their researches and reflect on the atmosphere of a scientific conference. The conference simulated a real scientific conference and was open to the wider public. A collection of lectures from the conference was prepared and distributed to the participants. Later it was put on the website of Open Science.2 Apart from the courses and seminars the outcome that will persist after the end of the project are being prepared. Among others interactive educational DVDs and unified Internet presentations. The educational interactive DVDs on biology, chemistry and physics are intended to provide the teachers with useful up-to-date tailored materials. They are created in cooperation with the target group; thanks to that the teachers will have the chance to influence their content. And real teams composed of specialists university and secondary school teachers have been created for that purpose.

2

List of contribution from the Student Scientific conference is in the attachment.

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Figure 4: Educational DVD

Partner institutes were asked to create special websites linked to the main website of the project Open Science. Unified Internet presentations will remain available after the project is over and the Institutes will administer their websites on their own. On the website, the Institutes will introduce themselves, and the scope of their research. Obviously this will be comprehensive to the wider public because the project seeks to attract the attention the largest number of people possible apart from the target group. Up to now most of the scientific informational resources on the Internet are not comprehensible to nonspecialists, in fact they are not intended for them.

2.

Conclusion

During its assigned period we can say the project has been successful. Through its activities it effectively reaches its target groups contributing to the promotion of science to the wider public, helping talented students to perform real research and subsequently enabling them to present their results at the Student Scientific Conference. Secondary school teachers are given an opportunity to meet scientists to get information regarding upto-date research, new technologies. They not only get to express their needs regarding educational resources but also to participate on the creation of those resources (e.g., interactive DVDs). In addition they are able to upgrade their education and transmit the knowledge to their students. Although the project closes at the end of August 2007, it will continue mainly because all the materials will remain available on its website for the wider public; that means anyone interested in science. Through unified Internet presentations, the scientific Institutes will transmit the knowledge in a comprehensible way. It is important that the public would be well-informed about science and that talented young people have an opportunity to pursue their interest and eventually establish their life’s career in science. After all they represent the future of the nation’s continuing development and increase competitiveness of the whole country not only in the important field of science for the 21st century.

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Attachment

List of contributions from Student Scientific Conference which took place on September 25th-26th in Prague: State behaviour of binary liquid mixtures at normal pressure The potential of betuline for the preparation of anticancer drugs Species of the Picea genus in the park of the Institute of Botany ASCR in Pruhonice (Czech Republic) A study of neutron production in fission reactions Preparation of new materials and polymers based on boron compounds Plasmochemical purification of water Tokamak – controlled thermonuclear fusion reactor: Measurement of plasma radiation Structure evolution of polyaniline films at 80 °C monitored by infrared spectroscopy Preliminary measurements of Seebeck coefficient and electrical conductivity of Yb0,19 Co4 Sb12 as a function of temperature Detection of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in food and food resources Applications of nuclear analytical methods Application of natural fibres in polymer recycling Visualization of powder particles in thermal plasma flow Liquid-liquid equilibrium in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate and butan1-ol system Electrochemical study of intramolecular electronic interactions in nitrocalixarenes Xenopus as model organism Mass transfer during thermal treatment of pores in InP Alloys with shape memory New biologically active terpenoids prepared by C-C bond synthesis method The expression of the chemokine CXCR4 receptor in the case of the gliome cell lines A172 and GAMG Measurement of plasma turbulence in the CASTOR tokamak Schizophrenic rats High-resolution microwave molecular spectroscopy Determination of pressure amplitude of a shock wave by the experimental device SHOW Indoor environment aerosols Transgenic plants for phytoremediation of heavy metals: Biotechnology in practice Anaerobic fungi in ruminant’s paunch Preparation of new esters of belutinic and platanic acids with potential cytotoxic activity Disorders in development of dentition of mice with tabby syndrome Scanning probe microscopy: nanoworld imaging method

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Gamma-ray spectroscopy Retroviruses Electrochemical processes in lyotropic liquid crystals: Preparation of nanostructured metals A sensor for ERAB enzyme Liquid flow in a microreactor Photochemistry in microwave oven Liquid crystals Computer modelling in biology: Structure and interactions of intracellular and extracellular proteins

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Recruitment of Talents for Life Sciences in Slovakia: Finally Moving Eliska GALOVA a, Gabriela GAVURNIKOVA b, Lucia MENTELOVA a, Katarina MIKUSOVA b, Jozef NOSEK b, Silvia PETREZSELYOVA a, Miroslava SLANINOVA a, Barbara SVIEZENA a, Andrea SEVCOVICOVA a, Lubomir TOMASKA a,* Departments of aGenetics and b Biochemistry, Comenius University, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Mlynska dolina, Bratislava, Slovakia

Abstract. A general problem of decrease in interest of high school students for science education in Slovakia is amplified by local-specific ‘phenotypes’ including culturally inherited preference of conformity and discrimination of originality and talent. In this context it is not surprising that Slovak universities are very passive towards talented high school students. This lack of an assertive attitude might eventually lead to a massive exodus of gifted young individuals and the Slovak universities will be left out with average and marginal importance. To avoid this pessimistic outcome, the implementation of a systematic search for talents, their recruitment and motivation, is a necessity. The specific aim of our project is to organize one-week workshops for 10-15 high-school students (15-16 years of age), where they are exposed to several topics of the contemporary genetics, molecular biology and biochemistry. The students are selected for the workshop based on (i) recommendations of their teachers, and (ii) letters of intends they are required to write in order to apply. The selected students are divided into 4 groups (2-3 students per group). The personnel involved in the project prepare four one-day laboratory courses, ranging from functional complementation test through DNA isolation, transformation to analysis of gene expression. Each student performs the experiment with an assistance of the assigned teacher. The students are obliged to write down notes into laboratory notebook and generate conclusions and hypotheses resulting from their experiments. We believe that the workshop represents a powerful tool for attracting young talents into the field of life sciences. Keywords. Laboratory workshop, TalNet, genetics, molecular biology, high school students and teachers

*

Correponding Author: Department of Genetics, Comenius University, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Mlynska dolina B-1, 842 15 Bratislava, Slovakia; Tel: +421.2.60296.433; fax: +421.2.60296.434; E-mail: [email protected].

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Introduction As pointed out two years ago at the 2nd NATO-UNESCO Advanced Research Workshop, activities related to talent recruitment for biomedical sciences in Slovakia were nearly absent and local grant agencies completely ignored even sparks of interest that would eliminate this ignorance [1]. In the final remarks of that chapter it was stated that “the only Slovak governmental grant agency supporting educational activities rejected the proposal for building the talent network based on a vague statement and without any (positive or negative) feedback. However, the potential fruits of the effort are too irresistible to give up yet. Exchange of ideas with communities having long-term experience with successful quest for talents should be instrumental in overcoming the current (and perhaps transient) obstacles in Slovakia.” During the next two years, thanks to the enthusiasm of a handful of people, we were able to raise financial resources (see Acknowledgements) and organize two pilot workshops for high school students with the ambition to expand this type of activity to other fields and institutions.

1.

TalNet 2005: Let us play with genes I

Thanks to the financial support of UNESCO-ROSTE we organized a one-week workshop for 12 high school students from the School for exceptionally gifted children in Bratislava. The students were selected by a biology teacher and we did not interfere with the selection (see 2. TalNet 2006:... below). We called the workshop “Let us play with genes!” as all laboratory activities as well as lectures were connected by different aspects of genetics. The students were divided into 4 groups and each group performed a single laboratory exercise a day. Namely, we have prepared the following laboratory activities: x x

x

x

Genes are inherited – using Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism the students learn one of the basic rules of mendelian genetics Genes are mutated – students perform complementation test using two strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutated in two genes affecting the same biochemical pathway Manipulation with genes – plasmid DNA is digested with selected restriction enzymes to obtain its physical map. In addition, students construct a necklace with their own DNA precipitated with ethanol. Genes are regulated – using a simple bacterial system the students learn how to analyze differential regulation of gene activity by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

Each exercise is supervised by two teachers who spend with the students the whole day including the lunch break. This provides an opportunity to explain all details of the protocol and interpretation of the results. In addition, the whole-day interaction of the teacher with the students is instrumental in explaining more general issues including the prospects of studying life sciences at the University.

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The laboratory exercises were complemented by two (60 min) lectures, one general (Biology as an experimental science about life) and one about the great potential of transferring DNA into cells (Genetic transformation or how (and why) we introduce DNA into cells?). The lectures took place during the last day of the workshop and each was followed by informal discussion with the students. The workshop was evaluated by the participants using a questionnaire (Fig. 1). Overall the students rated the workshop very positively. Some of the negative comments were taking into account (e.g., the corresponding parts of the textbook were modified) for the TalNet 2006 workshop. My interest for life science, especially biology and/or chemistry is: a. high (30%) b. average (I still consider to study life sciences) (35%) c. average (I do not consider to study life sciences) (35%) d. none (0%) in case of the answer b.-d. state what do you plan to study My overall impression from the workshop is: a. excellent (75%) b. good (15%) c. neutral (10%) d. loss of time (0%) If somebody asks me, if he/she should apply for the workshop, I would say: a. certainly yes (82%) b. if you do not have any other activity, it might be helpful (18%) c. it is one of the many possibilities how to escape one week in school (0%) d. certainly not (0%) The content of the workshop: a. was incomprehensible for me (0%) b. was a good complement of my current knowledge (100%) c. copied my current knowledge (0%) d. was trivial (0%) Evaluate the corresponding categories by grades from 1 (excellent) to 5 (useless):

Textbook Explanation by the teacher Quality of the laboratory material Possibility dor individual work Novelty of provided information Possibility for discussion

Lab 1 Genes are inherited

Lab 2 Genes mutate

Lab 3 Manipul ation with genes

Lab 4 Genes are regulate d

1.2 1.0

2.1 1.0

3.2 1.4

1.1

1.3

1.0

Lecture 2 Genetics transforma tion...

4.0 2.5

Lecture 1 Biology as experime ntal science... 1.4 1.0

1.1

1.2

-

-

1.4

1.3

1.5

-

-

-2.2

1.3

1.0

- 1.3

2.5

1.6

1.0

1.0

1.0

1.8

1.4

1.2

1.8 1.2

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Write comments to the individual activities associated with the workshop that would help to improve it in the future: Comments Textbook Lab 1 Lab 2 Lab 3 Lab 4 Lecture 1 Lecture 2 Organization Other comments Figure. 1. Questionnaire filled out by the participants of the workshop. The numbers are derived from the evaluation of the TalNet 2005 workshop.

2.

TalNet 2006: Let us play with genes II

Whereas the workshop TalNet 2005 was aimed exclusively at students from the School for exceptionally gifted children in Bratislava, the TalNet 2006 was organized for high school students from the whole Slovakia. The workshop itself was basically identical to that organized in 2005. In 2006 we wanted to train the logistic involved in organization of a workshop for students from the whole country. This included propagation, selection, organization of travel and accommodation 1 . We realized that the critical part of the 2006 workshop will be selection procedure. In March 2006 we have e-mailed application forms to almost 150 Slovak high schools with the cover letter asking the schools authorities to distribute the forms to students through biology teachers. The deadline for application was April 25, 2006. In addition to personal data, the forms contained an entry for the teacher to characterize the student and his/her qualities. Finally, the student wrote a short motivation letter explaining why he/she was interested in attending the workshop. We received about 100 applications from almost 40 schools and based on the information we selected 10 students and 5 accompanying teachers. It must be noted that the selection was slightly biased by legal and financial limits. Namely, each student under 18 years must be accompanied by an adult (teachers were preferred before parents as they can participate at the activities and then possibly implement some of them at their schools). As we had financial resources that would cover travel and accommodation expenses only for 15 participants, in some cases we selected two students from the same school that were accompanied by a single teacher. In some cases we coordinated the selection with he parallel chemistry workshop (see footnote 1) such that one teacher accompanied two students, one attending the biology and one the 1

A team led by dr. Andrej Bohac from the Department of Organic Chemistry at the Comenius University organized a parallel workshop for children interested in chemistry. Both workshops were supported by the grant ESF SOP-LZ (2005/1-101).

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chemistry workshop. After the selection (finalized in early June 2006), all schools whose students have sent the application forms were informed about the results. In addition, all participating schools received a CD with electronic versions of textbooks for both biology and chemistry workshops. The selected students and their teachers were asked to confirm their participation and provide an agreement signed by their parents the director of their school. As in 2005, the workshop took place in mid-September. This proved to be an ideal period of the year for two reasons. First, the winter semester at Comenius University starts about at this time and so the laboratories and seminar rooms are not occupied by university students. Yet, the participating children are exposed to the atmosphere at the University. Second, the school year at high schools is just in its third week and the schools are more willing to excuse their students.

3.

Perspectives

Although limited, our experience with organizing the workshops is very positive. In spite of still rigid administrative rules and various types of obstacles, the week of interaction with motivated high school students is highly rewarding. Importantly, the reward seems to be reciprocal and a substantial fraction of children originally aiming at the Schools of Medicine or Pharmacology started to think about a future career in life sciences. Thus the workshops provide an excellent opportunity to recruit students for our Faculty in general and our Departments in particular. The only limitation is the number of students that can participate at a single workshop. Therefore it is extremely important to expand this type of action to other departments (as is the recent case of the Department of Organic Chemistry) and possibly other institutions. This is the major task of our future activities.

Acknowledgements The TalNet workshops were supported by the grants from UNESCO-ROSTE (875.847.5), ESF SOP-LZ (2005/1-101) and KEGA (3/2021/05).

References [1] L. Tomaska, Recruitment of talents for life sciences in Slovakia: State of the art. NATO-UNESCO Advanced Research Workshop No. 980515: Science Education: Talent Recruitment and Public Understanding. Eger, Hungary, October 1-3, 2004. In: Science Education: Best Practices of Research Training for Students under 21. Csermely, P., Korcsmaros, T., and Lederman, L. (Eds.) IOS Press, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, ISSN: 1387-6708, pp. 226-231, 2005.

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The Role of Science Clubs and Science Fairs in Science Education in Schools Dan SPOREA1 and Adelina SPOREA Lasers Metrology and Standardization Laboratory, National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, Romania

Abstract. The paper reviews the most important lines of the European Union policy on scientific literacy, and presents our main results in science education in schools. Our achievements in the field are related to the work as part of the EU Comenius network “Hands-on Science” and in the frame of the national project “Science Education and Training in a Knowledge-Based Society”. The major directions of action in science education through science clubs and science fairs are described, along with the various means we use to engage young students to follow technical carriers. Keywords. Hands-on science, science club, science education, science fair

Introduction In the last five years, Europe has designed a coherent strategy and has adopted several programs aiming to the accelerated development of education at all levels (preuniversity, university, vocational training, lifelong learning), and focusing on the implementation at continental scale of the new, knowledge-based society, ready to be a major competitor on the global labour market.

1

Dan Sporea: Head of Laboratory, National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor St., Magurele, RO-077125, Romania; e-mail: [email protected].

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The paper shortly reviews the main lines of this strategy and illustrates the implementation of these programs in Romania, at pre-university level, in the field of science teaching, through extracurricular activities.

1.

The European Agenda on Science Teaching

During the Lisbon meeting (March 2002), Heads of State and Government of the European Union established a new strategy for Europe’s development. They aimed to make the European Union “the most dynamic and competitive knowledge-based economy in the world” by 2010. This set of ambitious reforms at national and European level will be reached by establishing an effective internal market, by boosting research and innovation and by improving education among other measures [1,2]. The role of education within the Lisbon strategy is pointed out by the conclusions of a report for a European Council meeting held in Brussels (February 2002) as “the essential role to be played by education and training in improving the level of qualifications of the population. It seeks to respond not only to the challenges issued by the Lisbon European Council in March 2002 … but also to the wider needs of citizens and society. Education and training are thus in the Lisbon strategy a basic priority area” [3]. Within this frame, the quality of the education and training in Europe by 2010 will be proved by the fact that “Europe will be recognized as a world-wide reference for the quality and relevance of its education and training systems and institutions”. The implementation of the Lisbon Agenda in the field of education and its main direction of action are defined in the programme “Education and Training 2010” [4]. The official documents recognize that an adequate supply of scientists is crucial for a knowledge-based economy, and for this reason, the Council has set two objectives: “to bring about an increase of at least 15% in the number of graduates in these fields by 2010 and at the same time to redress the imbalance between women and men” [5]. The Lisbon European Council identified among the 5 areas of “new basic skills for the knowledge-based economy: ICT, technological culture” [6]. Scientific literacy is viewed as a dimension of the “Democratic citizenship”, as far as an informed citizen can better contribute to the decisions of the community he/her belongs to. A European Commission document issued in 2002 indicates clearly some paths to follow in the field of school education along with some precise targets [7]: •

“Europe must do more to encourage children and young people to take a greater interest in science and mathematics, and to ensure that those already working in scientific and research fields find their careers, prospects and rewards sufficiently satisfactory to keep them there. Motivating more young people to choose studies and careers in the scientific and technical fields in a short and medium term perspective”;

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• •

“By 2010, the percentage of low-achieving 15 year-olds in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy will be at least halved in each Member State, compared to the year 2000”; “By 2010, the EU-average level of participation in lifelong learning should be at least 15% of the adult working age population (25–64 age group) and in no country should it be lower than 10%”.

In the framework of the education development, some of the key competencies to be reached by the EC Work Programme under way are “mathematical literacy and basic competence in science and technology, ICT, learning-to-learn” [8]. In the mean time, the Working Group on Indicators and Benchmarking established by the Commission pointed out that some of the final indicators to be used to evaluate the educational level across Europe are [9]: “students enrolled in mathematics, science and technology as a proportion of all students in tertiary education; graduates in mathematics, science and technology as percentage of all graduates; total number of tertiary graduates from mathematics, science and technology fields; share of tertiary graduates in mathematics, science and technology per 1000 inhabitants aged 20–29”. In 2003, the Working Group on “Increasing Participation in Math, Science and Technology” made in 2003 five recommendations as it concerns the path to be followed on teaching science and technologies in schools [10]: “the teaching of mathematics, science and technology should be an entitlement for all children from the early stages of education and should be mandatory at all levels; more effective and attractive teaching methods should be introduced in mathematics, scientific and technical disciplines at both primary and secondary level, in particular by linking learning to real-life experiences, working life and society and by combining classroom-based teaching with extra-curricular activities; the professional profile and practice of MST teachers should be enhanced not only by providing them with opportunities and incentives for updating their knowledge of both content and didactics of MST through the provision of effective initial and in-service training and by improving teaching resources, but also through the provision of incentives and special measures to ensure their long-term commitment to the teaching profession; measures involving teaching methods, pedagogical tools and assessment measures for special needs groups such as high and low achievers and pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds should be addressed along with measures to address gender-specific attitudes to mathematics, science and technology; strong and effective partnerships between schools, universities, research institutions, enterprises, parents and other players should be strongly supported and encouraged at all levels, both to improve the quality and attractiveness of teaching and to effectively prepare young people for working life and active citizenship.” In the mean time, European Union Research Advisory Board – EURAB recommended in its 2002 Report the sustained support for science education in schools [11]: “the introduction of innovative, hands-on science education into all Europe’s primary schools; the introduction of Creative Science Teaching modules into the formal training period of all primary school teachers; concerted efforts to mainstream

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science, engineering and technology curriculum and teaching innovation into secondary school systems; all science, engineering and technology organizations – industrial, academic, professional, governmental – reassess and strengthen their commitment – at a local, national and European level – to supporting the development of school science, engineering and technology education. All such organizations should publish its policy and activities in support of school science, engineering and technology on its Web site. Regional, national and European awards might be developed for such activities.” In the EU there are a lot of initiatives to support these policies in a formal and nonformal way to teach science and technology at school level and during the whole life. For example in the UK, the British Association for the Advancement of Science is running several programmes “to promote openness about science in society and to engage and inspire people directly with science and technology and their implications”, through the organization of science weeks, science festivals and open discussions [12]. Another British initiative is the ecsite-uk – the UK Network of Science Centres and Museums which support the organization of exhibitions on scientific themes and help schools to organize “science clubs” [13]. In France, the education of science in primary schools is assisted by the programme “La main à La pâte” through classroom activities, documents, training aids [14]. A training Laboratory for young researchers (students over 16 years old) is active at the University of Gottingen, where both national and international students spend up to three weeks in doing scientific research under the supervision of qualified staff on physics, lasers, chemistry, material sciences [15]. The European Molecular Biology Organization is running training workshops for biology teachers across Europe and in the mean time is offering consultancy on the way workshops for science teachers have to be prepared [16]. In Hungary, the Hungarian Research Student Association helps school students to find a mentor in order to perform scientific research at a very early age [17]. Under the auspices of the European project Comenius “Hands-on Science” 28 institution from Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Germany, Portugal, Romania, United Kingdom, Slovenia and Spain (research institutes, universities, high schools) and the transnational consortium CoLoS are working together to develop new means and methods for science teaching based on the experimental approach (real or virtual experiments). The consortium organizes every year an international conference and several workshops in the member countries [18]. At international level the support for science teaching in schools is offered also by the newly created Network of Youth Excellence which groups major players in the field of science and technology education from four continents. The network is supported by NATO, UNESCO and EU [19]. From these points of view, Romania already adopted a strategy as it concerns scientific literacy and science teaching issues. The National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics coordinates in Romania, at national level, two educational projects: the Romanian part of the European Comenius network “Hands-on Science”, and the Romanian project “Science Education and Training in a Knowledge-Based Society – SET 2010”.

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The Comenius network main topics are: to invite local communities and authorities to be involved in debates on science education; to promote and deliver training courses for school teachers and educators in different languages and countries on science related curricula; to promote Hands-on-Science contests and fairs at national and EU level; to promote science clubs activities in schools; to develop and disseminate new ICT and multimedia education materials; to create a network of teachers interested on this subject to serve as possible disseminators; to organize international conferences and thematic workshops on this subject. As it concerns the national project “SET 2010”, its target is more general: the science education in the frame of lifelong learning and scientific literacy. Nevertheless the two projects overlap in our efforts to build a bridge between academia and research institutes on one side and the pre-university teaching infrastructures. We use various activities and means of organization within these projects to raise young generation interest into science related topics and help them to find a way towards technology related carriers. The paper illustrates our results in this field and points out to our main targets in science education.

2.

Extracurricular Science Education in Romania

Within the set up Comenius project frame, we continue our efforts toward the training of school teachers on the use of PC-based data acquisition assisted by virtual instrumentation developed with the National Instruments graphical programming environment LabVIEW [20]. Several schools in Romania employ data acquisition boards in connection with sensors and actuators to handle laboratory experiments, a fact which is a premiere at European level. They are running complex experiments designed to study mechanics, electricity, optics and even the behaviour of plant and small animals (Fig. 1). Virtual instrumentation was also extensively used in designing virtual experiments to demonstrate some principles of physics (Fig. 2). In these cases, the teachers developed interactive animated experiments into which some short films of real experiments are embedded. The training on the use of virtual instrumentation and PC control of the Lab experiments is quite advanced so that teams of teachers and students are demonstrating their skills at national and international conferences and in some cases deliver life demo sessions across the country in less privileged area or poor or minority communities. For this last purpose we prepared a small mobile laboratory with major experiments run under LabVIEW. We even have a special session for school teachers at the Annual National Conference of LabVIEW Users. The training we are offering on the implementation of PC-based experiments extends beyond the national boarders. We delivered short presentations at two high schools in Brussels (Fig. 3a) and a training workshop at the International Conference of the Hands-on Science project in Portugal [21]. The international visibility of the projects results was also assured by the booth we had at the international conference “Communicating European Research”, organized by the European Commission, in Brussels, in November 2005 (Fig. 3b).

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Figure 1. The investigation in the school Laboratory of sounds emitted by pets: a – the automatic data acquisition; b – the analysis of the captured signal (Courtesy Mrs. Mihaela Garabet and Mr. Ion Neacsu, teachers at the “G. Moisil” High Theoretical School in Bucharest).

Figure 2. Virtual experiments on physics run under LabVIEW (Courtesy Mrs. Emilia Pausan, teacher at the “T. Vladimirescu” High School in Bucharest).

a

b

Figure 3. Participation of the Romanian team to European events: a – training course on the use of virtual instrumentation in the school laboratory delivered at the European High School in Brussels; b – project stand at the Communicating the European Research international conference in Brussels (photos from authors’ collection).

Another line of our extra curriculum science teaching policy is represented by the organization of science club activities during week-ends. Within these activities several schools in the same neighbourhood host one after the other science related presentations,

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a

b

Figure 4. Science club hands-on activities: a – environmental “experts” testing the quality of the drinking water; b – training on consumer protection, tests on the quality of milk (photos from authors’ collection).

demo experiments, exhibitions, and some artistic events. The presentations cover a broad spectrum of subjects starting from archaeology, to astronomy, food, laboratory safety or genetics. Generally, the presentations are based on web-based research. Demo experiments are focused on a specific subject (i.e. the quality of the drinking water – Fig. 4a; the identification of fake food staff – Fig. 4b) and are developed by the students using trivial materials they can procure in their immediate environment. The school teams were are also preparing various exhibitions on subjects such as: the safety use of house appliances (Fig. 5a); a flash-back into scientific instruments history (Fig. 5b); mathematics and the garden decoration (Fig. 5c); selection of drawings on chemistry applications; a selection of posters related to the World Year of Physics and Albert Einstein Celebration (Fig. 5d). Some of the exhibitions are real and some are virtual exhibitions, in e-format. Twice per year we are organizing either at regional or national level a science fair, a contest for experiments developed and run by school teachers and thieir students. This contest has an open format, all the participants exhibit in the same time the products of their work, and both visitors and the jury can pass from one stand to the other to attend demo sessions or to have a direct dialog with the participants. Generally, such a meeting involves from 150 to 200 attendants. In most of the cases, the science fair also includes also some artistic moments used to catch the students’ attention towards science subjects through drama, songs and dance, all having science related content (Fig. 6). There is a school student band in Romania directed by their teacher. The band is playing songs on Mathematics such as: Pythagoras’s theorem, the number Pi; isosceles triangles, etc. Other students have prepared some drama on subjects drown from Physics, Chemistry or consumer protection.

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b

c

d

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Figure 5. Science related exhibitions: a – results of the inappropriate use of house appliances; b – old science educational kits; c – mathematics and gardening; d – poster contest for the celebration of World Year of Physics (photos from authors’ collection).

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b

c

d

Figure 6. Science and theatre performances: a –“Archimedes and the king’s crown”; b – “A meeting with Einstein”; c – “Renown Romanian chemists”; d – “Chemistry in everyday life” (photos from authors’ collection).

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Figure 7. Homemade experiments built by middle school students (photos from authors’ collection).

Figure 8. Girl students performing Physics experiments (photos from authors’ collection).

In 2005 in relation to the celebration of the World Year of Physics we organized at national level a contest of posters on this subject. We received over 280 entries and assembled an e-album to be distributed in schools. In some schools other drawing contests are organized through the year on dedicated science subjects. During all these educational activities we paid special attention to young students at their very early encounter with science (Fig. 7), minorities and girls (Fig. 8), in order to assist them by special means to find their way in science education and to help them to develop skills for a future technical carrier. In May 2006 we organized in Bucharest an international workshop dedicated to “scientific literacy and lifelong learning” with the contribution from Austria, Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece, Hungary, Malta, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Sweden and UK.

3.

Plans for the Future

In the near future we plan: • •

to continue and diversify our educational work on the use of virtual instrumentation in school laboratories (more users, a greater diversity of sensors utilized); to introduce science teaching assisted by 3D computer graphics and animation;

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to promote training on robotics in Romania; to enhance the education on modern optics and photonics (lasers, optical fiber communications, optical spectroscopy, etc.) in schools; to organize next year another international workshop dedicated to extracurricular science teaching activities in school.

Acknowledgments The authors want to acknowledge the financial support of the European Union through the Comenius “Hands-on Science”, Project No. 110157-CP-1-2003-1-PTCOMENIUS-C3 and of the Romanian Authority for Scientific Research, Project “Science Education and Training in a Knowledge-Based Society – SET 2010”, contract No. 58/2006.

References [1] http://europa.eu.int/growthandjobs/index_en.htm. [2] http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/policies/2010/et_2010_en.html. [3] Pilar del Castillo Vera and Juan Carlos Aparicio Pèrez, Report for the 240 8th Council meeting – Education and Youth Affairs, Brussels, 14 February 2002. [4] Commission of the European Communities, Communication from the Commission, Education & Training 2010. The Success of the Lisbon Strategy Hinges on Urgent Reforms, Brussels, 11 November 2003. [5] Commission of the European Communities, Commission Staff Working Paper. Progress towards the Lisbon Objectives in Education and Training, Brussels, 22 March 2005. [6] Implementation of Education and Training 2010, Work Programme, Working Group B, Key competences, Progress Report, November 2004. [7] Commission of the European Communities, Communication from the Commission, European benchmarks in education and training: follow-up to the Lisbon European Council, Brussels, 20 November 2002. [8] Commission of the European Communities, Commission Staff Working Paper. New Indicators on Education and Training, Brussels, 29 Novemebr 2004. [9] European Commission, Implementation of the Education and Training 2010 Work Programme, July 2003. [10] European Commission, Implementation of the Education and Training 2010 Work Programme, Progress Report, December 2004. [11] European Union Research Advisory Board – EURAB, Working Group on Increasing the Attractiveness of Science, Engineering & Technology Careers, Background Document, September 2002. [12] http://www.the-ba.net/the-ba/. [13] http://www.ecsite-uk.net/index.php. [14] http://www.lamap.fr/. [15] http://www.xlab-geotingen.de. [16] http://www.embo.org. [17] http://www.kutdiak.hu. [18] http://www.hsci.info. [19] http://www.nyex.info/index.php. [20] D. Sporea and Adelina Sporea, The Romanian Experience within the Comenius Project “Hands-on Science”. In: P. Csermely, T. Korcsmáros and L. Lederman (Eds.), Science Education: Best Practice of Reserach Training for Students under 21, IOS Press, Amsterdam, 2005, pp. 200–212. [21] R. Sporea, Data acquisition and processing in school laboratories using virtual instrumentation, 3rd International Conference on Hands-on science – Science education and Sustainable Development, 4–9 September, 2006, Braga, Portugal.

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Creativity Training Programme – a Part of Gifted Education Programmes in Lithuania a

Dr. Daiva GRAKAUSKAITƠ KARKOCKIENƠ a,b Vilnius Pedagogical University, Department of Psychology of Didactics Lithuania b Educational Center for Gifted in Lithuania

Abstract. This article describes the provision for the gifted children and youth in Lithuania in Educational Center for Gifted in Lithuania as well as creativity training research in Vilnius Pedagogical University. Educational Center for Gifted was established in 2002 in Vilnius. The Center is the first organization in Lithuania aiming to deal with the special problems of gifted children and youth. It seeks to help people to recognize their abilities and use them in the best way in our changing society. The activity of the center seeks to encourage young people to become more responsible for their own future and pay attention to their real abilities (creative, intellectual, special). There are special programs for children. There are special courses for the teachers and parents. Our Center aims to bring together specialists and talented people who work with children and youth in other organizations which spend hours in a work with talented children with special needs in every week. The Center is a nonprofit public organization. We have already won the project in Lithuania “You can more” from Lithuanian Foundation for Educational Change (2002). In 2006 the Netherlands Foundations for Central and Eastern Europe supported the activity of Educational Center for gifted - the handbook of Creativity training for teachers, parents and students was published as well as summer camp was organized for the participants of the programs. Another part of the article is devoted to the problems of creativity training as a part of gifted education programs. The program of creativity training will be presented in detailes. Research extended during the period between 2004 and 2006 in Vilnius Pedagogical University, the pilot research was done in Educational Center for Gifted. Keywords. Educational Center for Gifted, creativity training programs

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Introduction Educational Center for Gifted was established in 2002 in Vilnius. The idea to establish the Center in Lithuania was formed by psychologists and other experts from Lithuania who took part in the conferences of NATO in Budapest 2002 and 2004. There is only one center in Lithuania for gifted children and youth. Our center works with parents and teachers as well. We seek to help them to recognize the abilities of their children and help them to develop and support their children. Our Center aims to bring together specialists and talented people who work with children, youth, parents and teachers. Our Center together with other institutions also does the scientific research seeking to create the programs for developing creative abilities. The survey of the effectiveness of the program will be presented in the article.

1.

The aims of Center’s activity: x x x x x x x

2.

To help children and youth to know more about their intellectual, social abilities and personal traits; To encourage young people to develop their abilities and to use these capacities in their future in active social life (professional career, social activity, etc) and to help them to find their place in the changing society; To organize groups for youth seeking to strengthen their personality traits (self-esteem, trust in themselves) and develop their communication skills; To organize training groups for preschool children (4-7 years old) from poor families; to help family in finding the best school suited for their children. To work with groups of teachers seeking to help them to know more about their pupils’ abilities and help them to find their place in our society. To work with groups of parents and help them to recognize the intellectual, personal and social abilities of their children and develop them. To seek to encourage young people to become more responsible for their own future and pay attention to their real abilities. Special attention would be paid to the young people from social risky groups (drugs, alcohol, street children, etc.).

Objectives of the activity x x x

To help gifted young people to find their place in our society. To provide summer camps, seminars or meeting groups for children with whom we were in contact. To share information about young people’s abilities with parents and teachers helping them to understand their own gifted children.

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x

3.

The forms of the Center activity x x

x x x

4.

To provide important information about education for the gifted and talented youth in our society for different education institutions in scientific conferences, articles etc.

Individual psychological consultations: for pupils, students, parents and teachers seeking to know more about their talents and about the education for the gifted. Various programs: The programs would help to develop their creative, intellectual and special abilities, to recognize and be conscious about real abilities and talents, to strength their self–confidence, positive self–evaluation and social ability. Consultations for proper schools: to help find the best school or other education institution (gimnasium, university, special school, etc.) according to their intellectual potential. Other activities: summer camps, conferences, seminars, providing public information of the importance of education for the gifted. Scientific research (subject: giftedness, creativity).

The program for creativity training – a part of the gifted education programs

4.1. The main results of the research Today scholars put particular emphasis on creativity. A definite part of scholarships inquiring particularly about the problem of human creative power covers a wide range of aspects of training for creative thinking. The present work seeks to explore the chances of fostering the cognitive and the personality components of creativity in university students (2006). The pilot research was done in Educational Center for Gifted. The present research regards divergent thinking as a cognitive component of human creative power. The parameters of divergent thinking measured by the present research include fluency, flexibility, and the originality of thinking. Thus, this particular aspect of creativity is highlighted in this work in order to verify the chances of training for divergent thinking by means of a special training programme. Training for creativity means now the fostering of human potentialities and the elaboration on inborn abilities. Both goals may be achieved by securing adequate training conditions and by using special training programmes. As it is indicated by foreign scholars, creativity training programmes can influence creative abilities effectively. Clearly, creativity training techniques and corresponding programmes are employed rather extensively in a number of areas (Scott et al., 2004; Plucker, Runco, 1999; Parnes, 1999).

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To quote S. J. Parnes (1999), creativity training programmes may: (1) speed up one’s mental operations and help utilise one’s all resources; (2) assist the assimilation of new information, develop one’s susceptibility to new information, and encourage one’s conscious curiosity facilitating in this way the spotting of relationship among distant areas of interest and operation; (3) eliminate a hindrance to the free functioning of mental operations and associative mechanisms; and (4) extend the area of creative processes for the effective promotion of creative power. As is indicated by a number of psychological studies, multiple programmes have been used for creativity training purposes. They were aimed at finding out what particular components of creative power responded to training. The research produced evidence that training was able to influence the cognitive, the personality (behaviour, attitudes), and the motivation component of creativity (Plucker, Runco, 1999). 4.2. Scientific novelty and practical implications of research Different psychological studies give different views on creativity and on the chances and methods of training for creative thinking. On a world scale, there are numerous and multiple studies on creativity training which have provided rather contradictory evidence. By offering an exhaustive analysis of the problem of creativity and training for creative thinking the present research tackles a subject underestimated excessively by Lithuanian psychological scholarships. Moreover, it provides a systematised body of data available from relevant research works carried out until now, and advances a more precise approach to creativity and training for creative thinking – it’s all was done for the first time in history of Lithuanian psychological scholarship. The present work is a novel one from another point of view: worked out within the context of corresponding Lithuanian and foreign studies, validated by pilot research extending over several years in Educational Center for Gifted and Vilnius Pedagogical University, and described detailed (structure, premises, validation, and methods), the programme is offered to Lithuanian users for the first time in history of national psychological scholarship. Moreover, it offers a comprehensive training programme for the fostering of multiple components of creativity. Thus, it is possible to assert that the present research is novel from the following points of view: firstly, for the first time in the history of Lithuanian and, partly, foreign psychological scholarship a systematised theoretical material is presented; secondly, a detailed description and a theoretical foundation of creativity training programme utilised in the present research is given; thirdly, an experimentally validated proof of the programme’s effectivity is produced, and fourthly, practical recommendations on the real chances of training students’ creativity are provided. The present research is significant from the point of view of its practical application: findings of the present research may be utilised by future researchers seeking to draw up creativity training programmes or to investigate into programmes’ effectivity within groups

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differing in terms of participants’ age or education. This particular programme may be used successfully for the training of students’ creative power. The programme may be utilised by specially trained professional psychologists in their daily working activities. Findings of this research may contribute to the improvement of the overall quality of studies at Lithuanian higher schools. More specifically, they may facilitate the renovation of methods used to impart education contents to students, or they may help to introduce active teaching techniques for the encouragement of independence and co-operations.

4.3 Research aim and objectives The present research aim - to reveal the characteristics of change in cognitive creative abilities of pedagogical profile social science students, and assess the chances of activating corresponding abilities via special training programme. 4.4 In support of the research aim, the following objectives were set: x x x x

4.5

To determine the level of effectiveness of the programme drawn up and specifically designed by the author for the training of cognitive creative abilities and the strengthening of attitude to one’s creativity in students. To reveal the level of statistical significance of separate cognitive creative abilities (the fluency, the flexibility, and the originality of thinking) under a special creativity training programme. To reveal the specific qualities of students’ attitude to their own creativity, and the level of statistical significance of their change under a special creativity training programme. To determine the interdependence between a change in students’ cognitive creative abilities activated by their training under a special programme and the structural qualities of intellect. Research method

Participants. Research involved 160 second - fourth year social science students at Vilnius Pedagogical University (mean age - 23 years), including 138 females and 22 males. Pilot group participants (n=80) received a four months’ training with 2 h/week training sessions (32 hours in total) under The Creativity and Self-actualisation Training Programme drawn up by the author. Training groups consisted of 20 participants each. The programme was drawn up and employed within the context of Psychology of Creativity subject offered to students by Vilnius Pedagogical University.

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4.6 Training methods Drawn up and validated by the author of the article, The Creativity and Self-actualisation Training Programme was used to foster students’ creative abilities. 4.7 The programme purposed to: x x

Develop students’ cognitive creative abilities and the need to reveal their own creative powers by cognitive and personality techniques for the fostering of their own creativity. Acquaint students with the psychological theories and studies dealing with creativity as well as with the techniques and programmes designed to foster creative power.

4.8 Programme assumptions: The programme is based on the assumptions of humanistic-existential and Gestalt psychology as well as on the postulates advanced by psychological theories of creativity. First of all, it rests on the humanistic theory contending that the character of each person conceals a tendency towards growth and self-actualisation. The programme is designed so as to give each trainee a chance of self-actualisation on the grounds of a vital human ability, i.e. the ability to realise one’s thoughts, senses, images, feelings, and desires. The programme also draws upon the internal (openness to experience, internal source of assessment, and ability to use available information in an unconventional way) and the external (secured psychological safety and psychological freedom) conditions for constructive creative activity defined by C. R. Rogers (1961). The programme is founded on the existential approach (May, 1959) to a growing human, and on the principles of sense, will, internal responsibility, and holistic education. Yet, above all, the programme rests upon the Gestalt theory of learning (Grenstad, 1996) and F. Perls’ (1968) principle asserting that learning means discovering. The role played by a group leader is essential in programmes designed to foster creativity. Understandably, the group leader did her best to promote an atmosphere of honest work and friendly co-operation which is absolutely necessary if one seeks to make each group member feel safe and free to join oncoming activities according to his or her abilities without feeling tense or repressed. Lively and enthusiastic learning prevailed. The leader’s behaviour encouraged each participant to be active and outstanding. The leader offered a chance to everyone to express his or her opinion and ideas.

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5.

Expected results: x x x

5.1

Creative thinking abilities are strengthened. Programme participants realise their cognitive and personality qualities related to creativity; moreover, their confidence in their own creative power increases. Programme participants realise to a greater degree their creative potentialities applicable subsequently to their daily activities and professional work. Assessment methods

To carry out the present research, the following assessment methods were used: Torrance Test of Creative Thinking - TTCT, 1974, verbal part, form A, by E. P. Torrance was used to estimate cognitive abilities related to creative thinking (the fluency, the flexibility, and the originality of thinking). To assess a subjective level of actual or desired creativity Dembo-Rubinstein’s polar profiles’ technique was employed. Dembo-Rubinstein’s technique is targeted on subjects of any age. In this work Dembo-Rubinstein’s technique was employed jointly with other methods in order to elicit from subjects their subjective opinions on their own creative power. The following four parameters were chosen, namely creativity, originality, ability to generate ideas, and curiosity. We believed that these parameters reflected the nature of creativity to the greatest degree, and that they were the most understandable ones to our subjects. Each group member was given a sheet of paper with four scales drawn on it. Students were asked to rate their own creativity, originality, ability to generate ideas, and curiosity in two ways: (a) by marking on the scale their actual position in terms of the above-mentioned parameters, and (b) by marking on the scale their desired position. The character of participants’ reply to each question was reflected quantitatively on a -3 to +3 scale. The techniques were administered to all subjects twice, at the beginning and at the end of research. 5.2

Results of the research x

x

Analysis of cognitive creativity parameter (fluency, flexibility, originality) estimates measured by E. P. Torrance TCT (verbal A form) and subjective rates of one’s own creativity measured by Dembo-Rubinstein’s technique showed that the creativity training programme drawn up and subsequently used by the author was effective. All differences between the arithmetical means of creative cognitive ability estimates revealed in the course of the treatment and the control test were statistically significant, p<0.001 (Empirical values of Student’s t criterion: fluency - t = 5.23; flexibility - t = 6.28; and originality - t = 7.03).

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x

x

6.

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Training under a special programme produces the most prominent growth in the estimates of originality and flexibility. A rise in the estimates of fluency is not as high yet it is also statistically significant. These findings are consistent with the data provided by other authors who carried out exhaustive investigation into the problem of training for creative thinking (Scott, Leritz, Mumford, 2004). Training under a special creativity programme produced a change in rates reflecting subjects’ attitude to their own creativity, both actual and expected. The most prominent increase was observed in actual creativity rates (p=0.0004), desired creativity rates (p=0.033), actual originality rates (p=0.001), desired originality (0.037), actual ability to generate ideas (0.012), and desired curiosity rates (p=0.024). Students trained under a creativity programme realise and recognise to a greater degree their own abilities. Moreover, the level of their desire to become more creative goes up.

Conclusions

The programs of Educational Center for Gifted helps: x x x x x

Children and youth to know more about their intellectual, social abilities and personal traits. Young people develop their abilities use them in their future active social life (professional career, social activity, etc) finding their place in the changing society. Parents, teachers and children know more about possibilities to develop abilities and could do it together as one community. To make real steps fostering young people abilities, strength their potential abilities and creativity. Learning methods used in the present research for the activation of creative powers may be applied to the teaching of students and elder pupils. Students’ training under a special creativity programme produces a favourable influence on creative abilities facilitating better realisation of one’s creativity and better evaluation of its possible implications. One’s creativity, particularly, one’s cognitive creative abilities and appreciation of one’s creative power help a personality to release his or her creative power both in everyday and professional activities.

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References [1] Grakauskaitơ Karkockienơ D. Knjrybos psichologija (Psychology of Creativity). Vilnius: Logotipas, 2003, 256 p. [2] Grakauskaitơ Karkockienơ D. Knjrybos psichologijos pagrindai (Basics of Psychology of Creativity). Vilnius: Logotipas, 2006, 101 p. [3] Grakauskaitơ Karkockienơ D. Kur dingsta Kodelþiukai? (Where do the "why askers" go?, Handbook for teachers, parents, students). Vilnius: Logotipas, 2006, 74 p. [4] Scott G., Leritz L. E., Mumford M. D. The effectiveness of Creativity Training: a quantitave review. Creativity Research Journal, 2004, Vol. 16, Issue 4, p. 327-361. [5] Plucker J. A., Runco M. A. Enhancement of Creativity // M. A. Runco, S. R. Pritzker. Encyclopedia of Creativity. San Diego, Ca: Academic Press, 1999, p. 669-675. [6] Parnes S. J. Programs and Courses in Creativity // M. A. Runco, S. R. Pritzker. Encyclopedia of Creativity. San Diego, Ca: Academic Press, 1999, p. 465-477. For more information about the Educational Center for Gifted activities and programmes: Daiva Karkcocienơ Email: [email protected] tel. mob. 8683 11803 Educatuional Center for Gifted Daukanto a. 1 LT – 01122, Vilnius Lithuania

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The Past and Present of Self-education in the Bethlen Gábor College

a

Ágoston DVORACSEK a,1 Bethlen Gábor College, Nagyenyed, Romania

Abstract. The past and present of the self-educational type of organisations in the Bethlen Gábor National College including present achievements. Keywords. Self-education, Nagyenyed, Transylvania

Introduction: The Past The tradition of self-education goes back for several centuries in the Bethlen Gábor College of Nagyenyed, founded by Gábor Bethlen, prince of Transylvania in 1622. The first attempt of such kind was made in1791, when a group of students led by Thoroczkay Pál undertook the task of cultivating the mother tongue. The students translated dramas to Hungarian nevertheless they also wrote style practices in prose and public speeches. The society was dissolved by the authorities. From 1820 on the youth of Enyed regularly commemorated the founder Prince of the college and the speeches and the odes were not only delivered and recited but also printed. In 1830 the students resolve again to found a school literary and debating society. Since they debated politics too, it dissolved itself in 1836 because of the persecutions of the authorities just like the 1833 founded Society of Reading by Debating.

1

Corresponding Author: Agoston Dvoracsek, Bethlen Gábor College, 515.200 Aiud (Nagyenyed), str. Bethlen Gábor, nr. 1, Románia, E-mail: [email protected]

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Public opinion holds the year 1859, as the founding year of the first school literary and debating society. This was the founding year of the Comprehensive School Literary and Debating Society for Youth, led by Professor Károly Herepei. Their determination was to publish a student’s magazine entitled Haladjunk (Let’s Progress). At the beginning they held weekly meetings, then every other week and delivered speeches on literature, science and philosophy. As well as this they recited poems and presented their endeavours in literature. In 1872 The Theological Literary and Debating Society is founded as a part of the Comprehensive School Literary and Debating Society for Youth, which became independent from 1879 and between 1887 and 1889 published the Teológiai Közlönyt (Theological Journal) and a yearly memorial volume. In 1893 a school literary and debating society is founded for secondary-school students, at first as part of the Comprehensive School Literary and Debating Society for Youth. From 1898 this was known as the Kemény Zsigmond School Literary and Debating Society. In the 1906-7 school year the Bethlen Gábor Society was founded with a religious agenda. In 1893 the students of the teachers’ training section established their own school literary and debating society called from the 1899-1900 school year as the Gáspár János 1 School Literary and Debating Society. These societies all thrived till 1920. The teaching staff and the Permanent Board supervising these societies conducted several competitions for the members of the abovementioned organisations. Between 1885 and 1920 approximately 300 code-named papers were written. The thoroughly prepared trips also played an important part in the physical and spiritual self-education of the students. Our college was destroyed several times. In 1658 the Turkish troops, in 1704 and in 1707 the Labanc (pro-Austrian) soldiers and in 1849 the Romanian revolutionaries burned it down. It was always reborn from its ashes! On the other hand there were two destructions, which did not touch the buildings of the school, but nevertheless caused an even greater spiritual damage! The first disaster was the “school reform” after the Peace of Trianon (1920); the second was the nationalization under the communists in 1948. As it is beyond the scope of the present paper to analyze the effects of the two heavy blows on the educational system, I will limit myself to the brief description of the changes in the life of the self-educational type of organisations. The increasingly crowded national programme leaves less and less room for self-education. In the 1921-22 school year there was a trial to fill vacant teaching positions with the students of the teachers’ training section. Albert Juhász, religion teacher made an attempt to continue the traditional students’ societies but the authorities did not favour those activities, which were not centrally organised. In 1929 the scouting movement was launched, in 1930 the Christian Association of the Youth was started and the János Gáspár 2 School Literary and Debating Society, led by Attila T. Szabó, one of the most distinguished Hungarian linguists, was resurrected for a brief period. In 1945 the KĘrösi Csoma Sándor Reading Society was founded on the initiative of Ferenc Deák and they restarted publishing the Haladjunk (Let’s Progress) students’ magazine. In the 70s self-education was realised through the Áprily Lajos Literary Association and 1

Gáspár János founded the teachers’ training section at Nagyenyed in 1853-ban

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through the debates in the students’ club. Soon after the 70s the teachers’ training section is closed, the number of secondary school classes is reduced and in the whirling of the communist educational system less and less time remains for the traditional type of selfeducation.

1.

The Present

After the changes of 1989 a return to the old values began, as Hungarian teaching was reintroduced in classes where previously Romanian teaching was used, the teachers’ training section re-opened. We could speak and write again about the past of the college, about former famous students and teachers. The Haladjunk (Let’s Progress) students’ magazine was published again followed later by the Lárma (Row) then by the Firkász (Scribbling). In October 1990 a literary society for the lower secondary students is started and soon a Literary Café is established for secondary school students, which has invited several prominent representatives of contemporary literature. At the end of the 90s our students entered the scientific students’ competitions organised in the Székely Region as well as those organized by the RKTDK (Protestant Secondary-school Students’ Scientific Conference) at Kunszentmiklós, Hungary. Although scientific research and papers were made before 2000 and our students succeeded at several Transylvanian and Hungarian scientific conferences held for students, we realised that it is more effective to work within an organised framework. On 27th September 2000 the “Fenichel Sámuel” School Literary and Debating Society was founded. At the beginning it was meant only for students with an interest for science but then we decided to help and offer our support to every student from our school who wishes to research, write or deliver a paper no matter of his interest in science, arts or else. Our decision was based on the answer to the question: What is in fact a selfeducational type of organisation? I found the answer of my fellow teacher and co-organiser of the debating society comprehensive and relevant to our case: “a spare-time school, on many occasions without walls, where there is no lesson hammering in, no compulsion or stressful recitation, but there is an even greater curiosity, initiative and originality. Here the joy of creating, discovering and of a good fellowship thrives. The students’ self-esteem grows and their personality develops in an autonomous way”. Our goals are to: x

x

Popularise and offer our support to any scientific activity of our students. To meet this we permanently search for the gifted students, popularize their prizes in the school, present their achievements through the written and electronic media, and publish their papers and students articles in magazines. We also provide financial support for the preparation and presentation of their work. Offer proper working conditions to our organisation’s students. The Budapest based For Researching Students Foundation and the Bethlen Foundation helped us

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x

x

x

x

x

purchase two modern computers, a CD- and a DVD-writer, a scanner and a printer. Organise scientific conferences for students and find the financial support for these. We organised three local scientific conferences to meet this goal. In the autumn of 2003 the Transylvanian TUDEK 2003 (The Conference of the Transylvanian Scientific Students’ Clubs) was held here. Popularise our college’s famous personalities and their collections. The students researched the works of the famous students and teachers of our college (Pápai Páriz Ferenc, BenkĘ Ferenc, Ifj. Zeyk Miklós, Fenichel Sámuel, dr. Sáska László, Áprily Lajos, Vita Zsigmond etc..) and the collections of the National History Museum, of the History Museum and the Bethlen Library. Present the important natural, ethnographic, historical and architectural sights. The students delivered papers about Torockó and its surroundings, the Szkerice-Bélavári preserve, the SzabaderdĘ from Nagyenyed, the Bottomless Lake from Magyarbagó, the castle from Bethlenszentmikós, the salt mine and bath from Marosújvár, the surroundings of Magyarlapád and Tövis etc. Since our students come from several regions of our country other areas and natural rarities were also presented like: the Hargita Mountains, the Vargyas Valley and its gorge, the Rétyi Nyír, the Szilágyság, the MezĘség, the Gyergyó Basin, the Gyimesek region, etc. Organise and support students’ activities related to the protection of the environment. In this respect we participated in the Norwegian Acid-Rain project and analysed the water of the Enyed River and the state of the segregation pool at the soda-works from Marosújvár. Offer financial support for the travels and trips related to the various activities in the students’ organisation. For this purpose we applied for and received support from various foundations 3 . As well as this several local and Transylvanian companies, businessmen, organisations and private people responded positively to our requests.

The students of our society regularly enter the RKTDK conferences held in Csurgó (previously in Kunszentmiklós), the student-article competition organised by the Természet Világa (World of Nature) from Budapest, at the TUDOK (The National Conference of the Scientific Students) Clubs conferences organised by the Student Researchers National Association and the related regional TUDEK conferences. They also entered the Innovator Competition in Budapest, the Inspiration Exchange in Bucharest, the Young Writers’ and Poets’ Festival in Sárvár and other similar events in Hungary and Transylvania. Without entering the competition they were present at other events, too at the following venues: at Titu Maiorescu College form Nagyenyed, (in 2001 in Romanian), the Piarist Secondary School from Szeged (2002), the Csíki Gergely Secondary School from Arad (2003), the Secondary School of the Reformed College from Debrecen (2003), the Free University in

3

Természet-Tudomány Alapítvány, Budapest, Kutató Diákokért Alapítvány Budapest, Communitas Alapítvány Kolozsvár, Bethlen Alapítvány, és Pro Scholae Alapítvány Nagyenyed

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Torda (2005), the Free University in Aranyosgyéres (2006) and the Hungarian section of the Secondary School in Aranyosgyéres (2006). Up to the present, the members of our organisation wrote 93 papers. It would take too long to detail all their achievements; however, the summarized achievements are the following: 69 prizes received in Romania (21 first prizes, 19 second prizes, 15 third prizes and 14 special mentions), 66 prizes in Hungary (12 first prizes, 16 second prizes, 11 third prizes and 27 special mentions). Our members published 48 articles and scientific papers. Hopefully, our activities will be successful in the future too, under the shelter of the Prince who has been protecting his favourite school for 400 years. Translated by Elemér Fodor, English teacher at the Bethlen Gábor College, Aiud

References: [1] 150 éves a nagyenyedi tanítóképzés, Mentor Kiadó Marosvásárhely, 2003 (Bakó Botond: A nagyenyedi tanítóképzés rövid története) [2] A Bethlen-kollégium emlékkönyve, Nagyenyed-Kolozsvár-Budapest, 1995 (Ikafalvi Diénes JenĘ: Nagyenyedi diákélet a XIX. század végén) [3] A Bethlen-kollégium emlékkönyve, Nagyenyed-Kolozsvár-Budapest, 1995.(Vita Zsigmond: A Bethlen-kollégium az erdélyi kultúrában) [4] A Bethlen-kollégium emlékkönyve, Nagyenyed-Kolozsvár-Budapest, 1995 (GyĘrfi Dénes: Bethlen Gábor végrendelete és adománylevelei) [5] A nagyenyedi ev.ref. Bethlen-Kollégium értesítĘje az 1905-1906-ik iskolai évrĘl, kiadta az igazgatóság, Nagyenyed, 1906 [6] Hogyan tovább, erdélyi fiatalok?, összeállította Fülöp István, Tinivár – Kolozsvár, 2003 (Bakó Botond: Önképzési hagyományok szellemében) [7] Nagyenyedi album MCMXXVI, szerkeszti dr. Likinich Imre, kiadja a Nagyenyedi Bethlen-kollégium volt Diákjainak Testvéri Egyesülete, Budapest (dr. Szigethy Lajos: A nagyenyedi Bethlen-kollégium története) [8] GyĘrfi Dénes: Nagyenyed és a Kollégium, „Philobiblion” sorozat, Kolozsvár, 1997 [9] Dvorácsek Ágoston: A fizika oktatása a Bethlen Gábor Kollégiumban (Nyugati Jelen Évkönyv 2004)

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Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

Bulgarian Education’s Reform and Strategy for Diagnostics of Gifted Children Plamen GRAMATIKOV a,1, Dobrinka TODORINAa and Maria GRAMATIKOVAb a South-Western University “Neofit Rilski”, 2700 Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria b Vocational High School “Ichko Boichev”, 2700 Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria

Abstract. Transformation of the higher education system of Bulgaria according to the European requirements, problems of the high vocational training and high school – university relations are discussed. Problems with identification of talent children, possible approaches and variant of strategy for diagnostics of gifted pupils are presented in this paper. Keywords. Vocational & higher education, lifelong learning, diagnostics strategy

Introduction After a child is born, numerous physiological problems occur during the various stages of its growing-up. The child is gradually maturing, and then it goes to school where the environment is not like the environment at home. If a student is not correctly educated right from the beginning, he will not be able to overcome any obstacle until his graduation. By increasing the requirements to the education of the students, the responsibility of a teacher in the pure scientific and teaching work is increasing too. Because of economical reasons too many of the best and “brightest” young people from the former socialist countries continue to emigrate today for further education and job opportunities. In order to confine this tendency the educational systems of these 1

Correponding Author: Department of Physics, South-West University “Neofit Rilski”, 66 Ivan Mihailov Blvd., 2700 Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria; e-mail: [email protected].

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countries must be reorganised and improved. For example, many observers indicate that Bulgarian classrooms are still dominated by rote memorization, authoritarian teachers, theory without practice, and little chance for children or young people to exercise their creative, problem-solving abilities.

1.

Synergetics and Education

1.1. Scientific Education The methods of scientific knowledge are widely applied in education. The quantitative growth of scientific facts itself does not lead to changes in the traditional reproductive educational system. Essential changes occur when the methods of research and other active methods take part in the cognitive process, peculiar to scientific investigation in engineering activity, i.e. so-called “Knowledge triangle” (Fig. 1). The setting up of scientific competency among the students becomes a necessary condition for efficient educational activity and scientific and technological oriented education.

Figure 1. “Knowledge triangle”.

In the past decades new ideas for the nature and the world were built up. Two parallel transformations were outlined – from modern to post-modern community (and education) and form classical and neoclassical to post-neoclassical science [1]. One of the most important characteristics of post-neoclassical science is related with the concept of knowledge as a complex multilevel organisational system. Synergetics [2] is dealing with such system. As I. Prigojin says, the end of determination completes the paradigm of classical science [3]. The new science penetrates the world of non-linear thinking that reveals unexpected relations between the structures and the chaos and its constructive role for self-organisation of processes into open systems and their relation to the medium. 1.2. Introduction of Synergetics Principles in Education Our 21st century is a century of interdisciplinary researches. In this dynamic, non-linear world, every person or social group is facing the uneasy choice of ways of the own development. The education is that important link in the spiritual space of the human life, which is called upon to transfer the social experience between the generations. The new methodology based on the science could become a guarantee for a success in the pedagogic theory and practice. Synergetics as an interdisciplinary course in science studies the mechanisms of the evolution, the processes of self-organisation in complex non-linear open non-equilibrium systems. The education is open, complex, non-linear dynamic

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system, far from equilibrium, so the principles and methods of synergetics seem to be very valuable for solving its problems. Synergetics allows that new ways of training and education are worked out. The natural science education is humanizing, and the human aspect is impossible without the new natural scientific nonlinear methods of research. Synergetics can be introduced to education simultaneously in three directions [4]: • • •

“Synergetics for education” means the utilisation of synergetics knowledge at different levels of education in pre-school, primary and secondary school. It is expected, that materials illustrating the synergetics principles, are included in private disciplines taken from natural sciences as well as from humanitarian area. The accent is on the synergetics of the process of training and education itself.

The internal potential of such complex system could be activated by insignificant external influences through so-called “resonance effect”. This approach can be applied to stimulate the talent potential of gifted children. The self-organisation in the context of education can be viewed as self-education, self-training, self-control, self-knowing, and self-development. Subject-objective interactions in the education process stimulate educational interactivity which leads to self-development of the system elements by stimulating the inborn talent. Application of the rules and principles of the synergetics to the complex system of training and education is in harmony with one of the key ideas of 21st century – idea for continuous education through the whole life, so-called Lifelong Learning (LLL).

2.

Bulgarian System of Vocational and Higher Education

Bulgarian educational system is undergoing a process of rapid change based on new value orientations and increased diversity after the reforms in the society in 1989. These changes includes a cautious policy involving a decrease in centralisation and increasing autonomy for schools and covers all training levels – primary, secondary, higher and adult education. Such changeable situation combined with economical difficulties leads to a massive exodus of gifted young individuals (“brain drain”). It therefore has become necessary to establish national education standards, to create common mechanisms with respect to the estimation of student achievement, diagnostics of gifted children of all ages and the grading of teachers’ performance. 2.1. Vocational Education Republic of Bulgaria as a candidate-country for accession to the European Union takes into account the European strategies, policies and practices in the domain of education in development of its national policy. The Lisbon strategy till 2010, the LLL conception, the Education and Training 2010 program, the European Employment Strategy, and etc. are leading for Bulgaria in this point of view.

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Since 2000 the accomplished reform in Vocational Educational Training (VET) in Bulgaria has set in direction to realize the European goals of the education and training systems. Bulgaria has participated in different initiatives of regional scale – in the framework of the Stability Pact for South-Eastern Europe in the part “Initiatives for reform in education for the countries in South-Eastern Europe”, bilateral projects, projects of European scale, etc. In the Copenhagen declaration’s perspective, Bulgaria has been included in the preparation of the Maastricht’s communiqué, which main goal has determined the new priorities and strategies for European cooperation in the performance of the Lisbon goals in the domain of VET. A National Strategy for Development of VET [5] and National Strategy for Introducing the Information and Computer Technologies (ICT) in the Bulgarian schools [6] have been accepted in 2004. The Law of VET [7] provides the legislative base on recognition of non-formal and informal learning. By accepting the Law of VET, the Bulgarian tradition students to acquire professional qualification during studying in high school is saved. As a difference to previous years, when the students have received their diplomas for high education after they have passed successfully exams for acquisition of professional qualification, now the students with the vocational high schools have the possibility to graduate their high education and to obtain diplomas after they have graduated ХІІ class. In the same time they may pass exams for acquisition of II degree of professional qualification and, if they wish, to acquire III degree of professional qualification by continuing their training in XIII class. Main difficulty in realizing the national policies for education and training are the limited financial resources. On the present stage, the financing of the Bulgarian education and training is performed mainly by the national budget, with quite limited participation of the business. The insufficient investments could effect negatively onto the quality of training. The employers still do not regard the training as a form of investment. In relation to the priority of improvement the conditions for access to education and training, main difficulties are the poverty and the social isolation, also a big part of the Bulgarian population has no access to information or suffers of lack of motivation. There are difficulties concerned with optimization of the network of professional schools and the network of higher schools too, mainly due to the big resistance on regional level. The investments in human resources are raised to a national goal and they are one of the strategic directions in the Law of National Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria [8]. The reform in the education sphere with aim to ensure equal access to quality education is engaged with additional investments for adoption of ICT; to embrace the children in student’s age by the high school educational system more fully; to promote the Bulgarian participation in national and international programmes and projects; to improve the qualification of the teachers; to improve the energy effectiveness of the Bulgarian schools; to optimize the scholar network; project financing of activities to improve the quality of the higher education. Some conceptual and strategic treatments in this domain are written in the Conception of the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy on LLL in view an improvement of employability and the Strategy on Further Vocational Training in 2005– 2010 [9].

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Figure 2. Bulgarian Educational Degree System [10].

2.2. Higher Education The Bulgarian degree system is a mix between one- and two-tier models – in most of the subjects the first degree is bachelor (usually after 4 years of education) and it ensures access to either master or doctoral studies (Fig. 2). PhD studies last four years after bachelor and three after master. But in certain subjects such as Medicine, Architecture, Law and some foreign language programmes the first university degree is master and the duration of studies is at least 5 years which is the old one-tier model. Due to this ambiguity universities are tempted to have only 5 years master programmes instead of designing new short-term (at least one year) master courses for upgrading the basic bachelor level. This trend is particularly strong in engineering where some universities refuse to implement the new two-tier structure. Up to 1999 master degree was a prerequisite for admission in PhD programmes. It predetermined the content of the master degree as a scientific degree, something like preliminary to PhD studies. The perception of the master as a specializing degree fitted the inherited specialized and research oriented Higher Education (HE) model. The latter allowed the universities to just re-label their old undergraduate courses without changing their content and to reshape specializations into master programmes. It is clear that such an approach does leave no space for interdisciplinary and pragmatically oriented master programmes. Since 1999 the master degree is not tied to the PhD and this allows more flexibility in building up a new format of curricula. In this case master studies could belong to a complementary rather identical subject area thus giving more labour opportunities to

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Figure 3. Tertiary level students in science, maths, computing, engineering, manufacturing and construction as a proportion of all tertiary level students, 1999–2000 [13].

the graduates. The simple re-labelling or re-packing existing undergraduate programmes does not meet the demands of the rapidly changing economic environment. Development of new curricula or qualitative improvement of existing courses is the only way to elaborate proper educational policies. Without overcoming the attitude of all South-East European academics to train academics but not professionals the introduction of the degrees will only overload the already overloaded existing curricula, which is the case in the region. In LLL context, the Bulgarian system for higher education offers education for young people mostly in regular form of education. The transition to mass system and system, which offers flexible training models to promote LLL is a premise to assume that the age profile of the students studying in the system of higher education, which now is similar of those of the other soon accessed countries (ACs) in the European Union (EU) will increase approaching the levels of the 16 countries in EU as Germany, and in some degree – United Kingdom. The degree of participation of people 18–23 years old in the higher educational system in 2000 have been about 24%, similar to this of Hungary and Czech Republic, which are the closest by population to Bulgaria. The percentage of people 30–34 years old who have graduated higher education is about 20% [11]. In terms of human resource development in the hi-tech field, Bulgaria does seem to have sustainable conditions and advantages. International competitions among pupils illustrate the level of education in mathematics and hard sciences is at a high level, and new science and engineering graduates account for 4.75% of the 20–29 yearold population, putting Bulgaria second highest across the 7 candidate and excandidate countries – Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Romania, Slovakia and Turkey [12]. The proportion of tertiary level students in science, maths, computing, engineering, manufacturing, and construction is shown on Fig. 3. Graduates from these subjects are

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widely recognised as playing a vital in economic growth and prosperity. The EU average proportion of students studying in these subjects is around 25 %, and Bulgaria is approximately at this level. This is a higher level than most of the former ACs, but there is still room for growth towards the higher levels demonstrated in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Lithuania.

3.

Care of Gifted Children

The problem about development of so-called “golden children of the society” (according to Plato) occupies today an important place in the European and, in particular, in the Bulgarian educational area. Up to 1989 a relatively good system for assistance of gifted children existed in Bulgaria. For example, many talented pupils in the technical areas have been covered by the National movement “Technical and scientific creative work of youth”. The winners of national and international competitions have been stimulated as they were accepted in appropriate technical universities without entrance exams. Wide known was the International assembly for gifted children “Peace Banner” held regularly in Sofia, etc. Now this system is destroyed. Children with a high level of intellectual development and special abilities have to be relied on to become a driving force of the entire economic, social and spiritual life. Considering the development of bases for further training since the earliest age, the children’s access to further training is improved by training the teams for complex pedagogic evaluation with the regional inspectorates on education and the teams in the kindergartens and the schools with aim to introduce them in the new requirements and the evaluation procedure on educational needs of children and students with injuries; developing and introducing individual programmes for training and growth; training and qualification of pedagogical and administrative specialists to work with children with special educational needs in common educational environment; training seminars for qualifying the teachers with the auxiliary schools. Lately the question about gifted children is being discussed more and more often. The Bulgarian expectations in this area are connected with the creation of a European pedagogical space. In this space the solution of every topical problem to be based on the general European philosophy for a gradual limitation of the differences between the Bulgarian educational system and the educational systems of the developed European countries keeping the national specificities and priorities. 3.1. A Variant of Strategy for the Development of Gifted Children To achieve good results in the development of the gifted children it is important to start with training of the pedagogical staff. This is in unison with the task to ensure good conditions for creation of European space for higher education, connected with the support and improvement of its quality, as well as with the purposes of the European Council for High Abilities (ECHA).

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Table 1. A variant of a training model for student of pedagogy for identifying of capabilities of gifted children [14]. Persons questions What is preferred?

Why it is being preferred?

What, how and where to be done?

Parents The parents observe what preferences the children develop at home – to read, to paint, to do sports, to embroider, write verses, to sing, play and compose melodies, to play by electronic games, etc. The parents share this with the teachers; they are interested in the children problems in the school. The parents discuss with the children about the reasons why they choose one and other kind of activity and determine the motives of this – imitate a favourite sportsman, an artiste, a performer; the pleasure obtained by certain kind of activity; a presence of opportunities, talents, abilities of thing, etc. The parents determine the opportunities for answering the children’s interests and they provide conditions for their development – buying the wanted materials and instruments; enrolling them in a circle of interests; invitation of engagement in activities for appearance; trans-shipment (if it is needed) to the point of interest, etc.

Teachers (Tutors) The teachers observe what the children love to do in the class and in the school in all forms of their education – to participate in dramatizations, to write verses and short stories, to sing songs, to solve problems, etc. The teachers share this with the parents and inquire whether the children have similar activities at home. The teachers hold discussion, inquiry or test for motivation of the children to the preferred activity and determine the cause for that – fortuitously fall because of a friend, for example; imitation of an idols; permanent interest because of definite abilities, etc.

The teachers orientate the pupils to definite forms of additional education outside the school according to manifested interests – enrol them in advanced classes or specialised schools; include them in teams for different contests, school Olympiads, etc.

Pupils The pupils share with their parents and teachers what they like to do at home, at school, in the centres of work with children. The children ask themselves “What do I want to make?” They do introspection and make conclusions about their interests. The children ask themselves “Why I love to do this?” and determine the reason – due to transient wish; to be attractive to friends; because of satisfaction of well done work; due to wanting for a manifestation the preothers because of nature aptitude, etc. The children show their preferences for engagement in different kinds of activity – enrolment in appropriate circles, schools and sections; entering in different forms for their own manifestation, etc.

Some ideas about a strategy for work with gifted pupils and a variant of training model for student of pedagogy how to identify and develop the gifted children is shown in (Table 1). The variant consists of two modules: A: Module for an orientation in the existing theories about this problem [14]. B: Module for practical training [15]. The first module is predominated by the strategy for development of gifted pupils based on the humanistic approach by a subject-subjective position towards the others and themselves. Some independent stages in realisation of this strategy, arranged in logical consistence, are suggested:

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• • •

A determination of the signs of the gift, the abilities and the talent, characterizing the gifted children. An utilisation of adequate methods to identify the gifted and talented pupils including the methods about determination of pupils’ interests and their development. An application of effective techniques and technologies to educate and develop the gifted children.

The student must acquire reliable methods to diagnose the capabilities, abilities and interests of the children, before applying the best technologies for work with them. For this purpose students must know very well the characteristics of these children, the signs of their gift, abilities and talent. The students receive their orientation in the existing theories about this problem not only by course of lectures, but through individual work as well. The students’ competence to identify the gifted children and to work with them develops in the second module “B”. This module is accomplished in the form of training (in groups or individual), which ensures good conditions for self-perfection and self-development. In the variant three series with five meetings in each have been envisaged, whose contents and purposes are adequate to the first module for theoretical investigation of the problem. Different interactive training methods with varied combination of frontal, group or individual forms of education; different variants of questions and tasks, games, cases and tests; different instruments applied in the pedagogical space inquiries, varied individual programs, strategies and technologies; exercises with different level of complexity can be used to include the students in imaginary and real situations of the pedagogical practice and ensure their creative work. To win students over the cause of “the golden children of the society” it is necessary to work purposefully for their motivation [16]. 4.

Conclusions

Based on the issues discussed above the following conclusions can be made: Concerning the vocational education: • • •

It is better the choice of profession to be postponed to later age (after X class for example). Vocational training has to be included as obligatory selected subject or selfdependent selected subject in the lower classes, but in manner to give the person a chance later to change the trained profession without additional training. It is necessary to change the role of the teacher (from lector to consultant), which includes training related to novelties in the professional sphere, new teaching methods; work with personnel computer, internet, studying foreign languages.

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Considering the higher education: • •

•

There are difficulties with respect to ensure the students access to modern textbooks, manuals, literature and reference base written in the basic languages in EU. It is necessary to improve the traditional system of teaching based on lectures, with aim to give the students the chance to have more self-study, developing their own independent thinking and analytical approach of solving problems and decision making. It is necessary to develop an informational system for control of the higher education and a national academic communication network, connected with the European networks of higher education.

Concerning strategy for selection and development of gifted children: •

•

•

• •

In Europe already exist organizations working actively in the European pedagogical area on the problems with gifted children of all ages by development and spreading of information. They expect all pedagogues will use their effective offers to realize a general European model. These organizations use different forms, methods and means which is topical for the Bulgarian pedagogues, too. They give advices to teachers, parents and pedagogical staff and offer concrete instruments to recognise their shortcomings and assets. The strategy for development of gifted children offered by D. Todorina [14] is adequate to the ideas of the European organisations about the integrative relations between pupils, teachers, parents and institutions and about the instruments and methods for realisation of the main purpose. The purpose of the training of the future teachers to identify and develop gifted children depends on the quality of higher education. There is a close relation between the philosophy of the European organisations for gifted children of all ages and the Bulgarian experience which keeps the national specificities, but reduces the differences between the Bulgarian educational system and the educational systems in the developed European countries. Therefore we can build together the European pedagogical space giving our common contribution to the competitive power of the European values in the World.

References [1] [2] [3] [4]

I. Ivanov and I. Marev, The Education in the Transforming Post Societies, Pedagogy 1 (2002) 1–5. G. Haken, Synergetics. Peace Press, Moscow, 1980. I. Prigogin, The end of the Determination. Heron Press, 2000. K. Marulevska, The Contemporary Education Paradigm within the Light of Synergetics. In: L. Tsvetanova-Churukova (ed.), The Educational Heritage and Dialogue in the European Pedagogical Space. SWU Press, Blagoevgrad, 2004, pp. 130–134.

264 [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10]

[11]

[12] [13] [14] [15] [16]

P. Gramatikov et al. / Bulgarian Education’s Reform and Strategy for Diagnostics

National strategy on vocational education and training 2005–2010, accepted by the National Assembly in 2004. National strategy on introducing ICT in the Bulgarian schools, accepted by the National Assembly, published, State Gazette № 21/2005. Law of Vocational Education and Training, published, State Gazette № 68/30.07.1999, last modified № 120/29.12.2002, last supplemented № 29/31.03.2003. Law of National Budget of the Republic of Bulgaria in 2005, published, State Gazette № 115/30.12.2004. National strategy on vocational education and training 2005–2010, accepted by the National Assembly in 2004. P. Gramatikov, V. Kovachev and M. Gramatikova, Transformation of the Bulgarian Educational System – Problems and Perspectives. 2nd Euro Fair on Education for Sustainable Development, Hamburg, 13-15.09.2006. B. Bekhradnia, Higher Education in Bulgaria: A Review for the Ministry of Education and Science. Higher Education Policy Institute, Oxford, UK, 2004 (http://www.minedu.government.bg/novini_new/ doklad.rar). Innovation Directorate, 2003b. Eurydice, Chapter F, 2002. D. Todorina, Strategy for development of gifted pupils, Blagoevgrad, 2001. D. Todorina, Programme for training of future teachers to work with gifted pupils. In: Society of the knowledge and education for everybody, Sofia, 2003, p. 401. D. Todorina, Orientation and motivation of students on the problem for gifted children and pedagogical theory and practice. In: Topical problems of the European pedagogical space, Blagoevgrad, 2003.

Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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New Aspects in Evaluating Creativity a

Maria HERSKOVITS a Hungarian Association for Gifted, Budapest, Hungary

Abstract. The activities at the Budapest Centre for Gifted Children has been introduced at the workshops in 2002 and 2004. About the services for highly able children and for their parents you could read detailed in the volumes of the Science Education Vol. 38, 47. Now I am only summarising briefly the main issues. Keywords. Creativity, Guilford Creativity Test, intelligence, drawing-test

Introduction The centre for Gifted was established in the Frames of the Budapest Institute for Educational services in 1994. The main tasks were providing counselling for parents and enrichment programs for 5–12 years old children (1). With the help of the OTKA Foundation T29273, in2000 we began a follow-up study with nearly 500 children, who took part in counselling (interviews, testing) and/or attended our enrichment programs between 1994 and 1998. Besides systematic analysis of earlier data, the 12–22 year old former clients go through a structural interview (made up especially for them). The clients’ testing includes the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS), the Big Five Personality Assessment (Carpara, 1993), Level of Aspiration Test (Herskovits, 1976) and the Guilford Creativity Test. The parents are also asked to complete a questionnaire. At first, we analysed a part of the questionnaires consisting of 35 questions, and the checklists consisting of 37 items completed by all parents at the first interview (2).

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This paper we deals with the signs of creativity, based on the Guilford Creativity Test (3).

1.

The Relation Between Convergent and Divergent Thinking: “Intelligence” and “Creativity”

Understanding the importance of divergent, flexible thinking and perception and the skill of generating ideas and associations with ease is vital to understand the nature of intellectual talent. However, there were many investigations and convincing results on the topic, it is not very well known that convergent (logical, problem-solving) thinking and creativity are not mutually exclusive constructs, that they are rather the two sides than the two types of intellect. In everyday life, many problems that one has to face are not too well defined, and thereby besides logic they require divergent thinking as well. Thus, intelligence and creativity usually go more or less hand in hand to a certain level. High IQ may coincide with above average creativity, and creative people are often very intelligent. Above a certain level – IQ > 120 – however, intelligence and creativity values tend to dissociate (4).

Figure 1. Some people with very high intelligence are extremely creative, while others are less, or not more creative than intelligent.

Creativity is usually measured through its four major factors: originality, flexibility, fluency and elaboration. Originality stands for the rarity of a response given to an exposed problem, flexibility shows that in what extent the person is able to get out of former circles of association and find new approaches to a problem after having solved it one way. Fluency simply registers the number of adequate responses. Elaboration shows (basically in drawing-tests) that how many elements are used for creating the result.

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As well as intelligence, creativity also has a verbal and a perceptuo-motor component, the former can be measured through collecting ideas verbally, while the latter through completing unfinished drawings.

2.

The Guilford Creativity Test and the Measured Variables

One of the Guilford Creativity Tests (3) GCT in the followings, consists of ten frames, each containing an unfinished drawing. The task is to finish these drawings and give each picture a title. The sequence of solving it is (supposed to be) the following: • • •

giving meaning to the lines through visualizing the completed picture doing the actual drawing finding a verbal label – a title for the picture

The basic factor measured by the GCT is originality. The originality values of the ten pictures constitute a varibale which stands for perceptual-motoric creativity. We are working on elaborating the standard values to this age-group, and on setting the characterising values of our special sample. Flexibility is taken in comsideration, while measuring fluency and elaboration is not possible in this case. However, there are other factors that could be taken into consideration during the evaluation of the test, so it would provide deeper insight into the creative process itself. Earlier experiences of ours and of others showed than just in individual cases of really creative adolescents the measured evaluating categories are not enough, or proper to catch the divergency of them. E.g. using of all the Torrance circles creating on compley picture would be scored very low, and this would be the case in one of the Guilford frames, where “nose” is the most common solution, but the title: “Virus A2 immunises itself against anti-biotics” shows an unique approach with absurd humour (5) Evaluating the drawings of the Guilford Test we have found some charachteristic solutions of divergent thinking, now we share the results of these first attempts. 2.1. Special Limitations of the Frames There are four different ways for doing that, which we have so far registered: • • • •

the “conform” way: the drawing can be fit into the frame without distorting the size ratios – this limits the possibilities of what can be drawn, therefore lowers the chances of finding an original solution. the ratios are distorted in order to fit something into the frame (this questions adequacy, and seems to be problematic). there is no distortion, but the price of that is the whole object can not fit into the frame, some parts are covered, missing – creative approach (Fig. 2). the drawing crosses the frame and continues over it – creative approach.

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Figure 2. The special meanings of frames.

Figure 3. A creative drawing with mulitple meaning.

2.2. The Ability of Changing Aspects Whether a person is able to quadruple the perceptual stimulus and thereby the number of possible solutions by rotating the frame in every way. There are two types of rotation: • •

the aspect is normal, only the things drawn are rotated – e.g. upside down – in the frame (e.g. tornado, chaos, etc.) the aspect is rotated, the picture is to be viewed from a rotated aspect

2.3. The Multiple Meaning Some creative persons can not decide which idea they want to realize, so they draw something which, from different aspects can be either one. For example in that frame a face and a map of a coast can be represented together (Fig. 3).

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Figure 4. The context – walking on blades – can make a common solution creative.

2.4. Dynamism There are individual differences in the dynamism of what people draw. The same golf club for example can be static or can be in motion. The ratio of static and dynamic pictures tells about personality, and has to do with the motivation for being creative. 2.5. Context Sometimes creativity appears not in the object drawn using the given lines, but in the context, in which the object is finally placed. For example fire is a common, noncreative reaction, it is creative context – e.g. underwater fire – that makes it a creative solution. For example the blade is a common reaction, but the context – e.g. walking on blades – can make it creative (Fig. 4). 2.6. Verbal Creativity This factor is measured by ananlyzing the titles given for the finished pictures. The special combination of verbal and visual elements, which transforms a “vulger” visual element to an original scene is well-known phenomen in evaluating the Rorschach Test, and this is an inportant sign of the high-level personality (6) • •

abstraction – the ability to give an abstract title instead of simply naming the object, for example entitling a heart “love” instead of “heart”. multiple meaning – for example: a picture of a golf club has te title: “this game is a hit!”, thus referring to hitting the ball and golf being fashionable at the same time. Another example is a picture of a dog poising vitamin pills on its nose, which is entitled “balance of vitamins” referring to the balance of the actual pills on the dog’s nose and also to the optimum level of vitamins in the body (Fig. 5).

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Figure 5. The multiple meanings of the title is also the sign of creativity.

•

•

narrative – the title suggests that the picture is only one from a sequence, like a cartoon, or a comic strip. For example, a mouse with a piece of cheese in front of it entitled “a soon not hungry mouse” makes one imagine the events preceding and following the actual moment. The picture thereby gets the dimension of time. humor – practically any kind of humor, including – irony e.g. entitling a picture of a tiny mouse “wild beast” – absurdity e.g. entitling a picture with a man hung on the gallows “games our forefathers played” – pun – as mentioned above at multiple meaning

When comparing two completed tests, one with easy solutions (like omission, closure, patternisation) and simple, common objects, and one, using many of the above mentioned creative solutions, the difference is striking. However, it’s needed much more work after having a divergent approch of evaluating creativity, gaining reliable results for these aspects of evaluation creativity.

References [1] Herskovits, M.: Developing Programs for Science-minded Children at the Age of 7–12, 2003 in: Science Education (ed. P. Csermely, L. Lederman,) IOS Press, Amsterdam, p. 44–53. [2] Herskovits, M.: Parents’ Concept about their Gifted Children, 2005 in: Science Education (ed. P. Csermely, L. Lederman,) IOS Press, Amsterdam, p. 168–175. [3] Barkóczi I., Zétényi T.: A kreativitás vizsgálata, (Pszichológia Vizsgálatok a pályaválasztási tanácsadásban, Módszertani Füzetek 2) Országos Pedagógiai Intézet, Budapest, 1981. [4] Landau, E.: A kreativitás pszichológiája, Tankönyvkiadó, Budapest, 1972. [5] Gerő Zs.: Esztétikusan rajzoló gyerekek követése serdülőkorig, 1982, in: Kreativitás és deviáció (szerk. Popper P), Akadémia Kiadó, Budapest, p. 45–58. [6] Mérei Ferenc: A Rorschach-próba, Tankönyvkiadó, Budapest, 1979.

Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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The Organization of Work with Students at the Belarusian State Pedagogic University Eleanora KAKAREKA Belarusian State Pedagogic University, Belarus

Abstract. The paper is devoted to the description of the tasks and organization of continuous education and scientific research work of the students at the Belarusian State Pedagogic University. Keywords. Pedagigic University, student, Belarus

Introduction High School at all times played a great role in educating intelligency and professional training of specialists capable of not only to reproduce social experience, but also to develop it, to expand professional work, to transform and create new knowledge and values. High School, at which future teachers receive education, is absolutely especial phenomenon. The matter is that in the report «Knowledge management in the learning society», prepared by the Parisian Center of Education Researches, it is spoken about the 21st century as times when management will be carried out by means of knowledge. But nowadays secondary, as well as high educational institutions lag behind other branches of practice immensely. Knowledge updating in sphere of education is carried out improbably slowly. This backlog is obvious. In the 21st century, in the situation of constant reforms and crises, it is in fact necessary for every person to have a number of trades, to be able to reconstruct their professional skills quickly to the needs of the society. And it is only probable if a person is of encyclopedic knowledge, i.e. knows the basic vectors of the knowledge development [1]. Therefore preparation of the future teachers which will educate children in the 21st century according to its basic calls - is the primary goal of our university.

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1. Organization of Continuous Education at the Belarusian State Pedagogic University 1.1 Tasks of the University The Belarusian State Pedagogic University (BSPU) consists of 10 departments, educates 18000 students and has more than 2000 professors. Students’ education is carried out at 10 departments: Mathematics, Physics, Natural Sciences, History, Russian philology, Belarusian philology and National culture, Psychology, Music and Pedagogy Department, Special Department, and the Department of Elementary education. There are a number of research laboratories at our university where students can be engaged in scientific work [2]. Speaking about the priorities of our university we should mention the following problems: x x x x

Training of the future teachers as creative personalities. Training in the person the ability to self-education and self-development. Training of the new way of thinking in understanding the societal processes and the nature of pedagogical activity. Training of constancy and variety of forms in methodical work of the future teachers.

1.2 System of the Continuous Education So long as we carry out training of the future teachers at our High school, the basic idea of this training is the idea of continuous education. It is a socially-pedagogical system of the interconnected forms, stages, means and ways of teacher training, the increase of his or her professional skill, and development of abilities in the course of the whole life. The idea of continuous education takes more and more appreciable place in a line of progressive ideas of 20th century. Our University carries its work in accordance with the project « Continuous education », approved by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Belarus [1]. Continuous education assists the answer to the 2 primary problems: x x

Training of the person for his or her inclusion in system of modern public and professional relations; development of the person already included in the system of social production with the purpose of his or her adaptation to constantly changing conditions;

Hence, it is possible to speak about 3 stages of such education (Fig.1.): x x x

pre-vocational training; vocational training; post-graduate education.

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At our high school this idea is solved as follows. Training of the future entrants at BGPU lyceum (high school), then training at pedagogical college, after that - higher education at university, further education is probable at magistracy, postgraduate study, doctoral studies, and, at last, increase of professional qualification at the University of Retraining of the pedagogical personnel (after university graduation).

1st stage Pre-vocational trainin Preschool establishments

Grammar schools

Lycea

2nd stage Professional training

Pedagogical college

Pedagogical university

3d stage Post-graduate education

Magistracy

Postgraduate study

Doctoral studies

Academy of postgraduate education

Figure 1. The scheme of continuous education which is carried out at the BSPU

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The scheme reflects the basic concept of development of pedagogical education in RB. It has been accepted by council of ministers in the year of 2000 with 10 years term of validity. In 1994 our university became the initiator of expert training based on multilevel system. The pedagogical college directs the graduates for work to children's preschool establishments, pedagogical university - to schools. At grammar schools, lycea and colleges the preference is given to masters and post-graduate students. Two streams are formed on the 3d year of the university education. The first stream - the future teachers finish education according to traditional system. The second stream - the future magistracy postgraduate students continue education after graduating the University. They study pedagogics of the high school, philosophy of education, methodology of scientific research, foreign languages. One of the features of their training is the big relative density of independent work, development of their analytical qualities and creativity in pedagogical work.

2.

Organization of the Pedagogical Process

2.1. Elements of Pedagogical Process Elements of pedagogical process. One of the major systems of university pedagogical process is professionally directed process of training. Elements of pedagogical process are the purposes, problems, the contents, laws, principles, methods, means, forms, technologies. This is the university didactic system. Beside the Didactics students are taught techniques of basic subjects teaching. These are the particular techniques connected with concrete methods of teaching of biology, chemistry, geography, history, etc. Our high school carries out training of elementary school teachers, teachers of various subjects for secondary school, teachers for preschool establishments, social pedagogues and psychologists, specialists on mental defects and physical handicaps, speech therapists. Students of some departments get two professions - main and additional. This practice justifies itself, especially in conditions of small countryside schools. 2.2. The Contents of Pedagogical Process The contents of teaching and educational process of a pedagogical high school (subjects and their volume) are defined not arbitrarily; on the contrary, they are worked up during accumulation of the scientific information on subject matters, development of scientific notion of a teacher’s trade. The contents, structure and volumes of subject matters are determined by normative documents. These are educational standards on each trade, curricula on each profession, qualifying characteristics, subject curricula. The model of the expert (the qualifying characteristic), in which requirements to the certain profession are contained, is the basis for the development of curricula and teaching programs. Programs serve as a reference point for creation of educational and methodical aids.

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There exists 3 blocks of disciplines participating in vocational training of teachers (Fig. 2). 1st block - a cycle of subjects according to the profession. It is called to educate the teacher for training pupils for a concrete profession (physics, mathematics, biology). 2nd block - a cycle of psycho-pedagogical disciplines. It assists the development of pedagogical thinking and professional values. 3d block - a cycle of disciplines on socio-cultural training of students. Disciplines of socio-cultural block dominate over the others in the educational process. They are History of Pedagogics, Pedagogics, Theory and Methodology of Educational Work, a Special Course on Pedagogics. Besides, students write course works on pedagogics and degree works if the theme of the latter is integrated (Pedagogics plus the basic subject).

Psycho-pedagogical disciplines

Social disciplines

Special disciplines Fig.2. Disciplines of the future teacher education

2.3. Students` research work The University is based on 2 leading equivalent types of activity: educational and scientific. At our university students are involved in both - educational and scientific. The importance of educational and scientific types of work is determined by the depth of the research, ponderability of theoretical materials and practical conclusions.

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These are course and degree educational research works. Course works are carried out by students of the 3d year, it is actually the first scientific research of independent character which can have theoretical or skilled-experimental character. If a student, since his or her 1st year, works at one of the scientific study groups, then the topic of his or her study can be transformed into educational course work. Students perform their study works under department professors’ direction. Usually course works become separate sections of further degree works and give an impulse for researches of higher level. Degree work performance is carried out during 2-3 years and can be presented in a number of stages (Fig.3).

Preparation for the research

Degree work protection

Research conducting ERWS

Degree work writing

Analysis and processing of results

Fig. 3. Stages of degree of work performance

Scientific research work of students has no binding character and can already be carried out on a voluntary basis since the 1st year of study. The students engaged in SRWS, join the Student's Scientific Organization (SSO). SSO carries out supervision and control over the work of scientific formations and prepares mass scientific events - conferences, seminars, olympiads. Scientific management over SRWS is carried out by high school teachers. They form scientific study groups and clubs, define their problems, supervise sections and debatable clubs, assist in conducting experiments, prepare collections of students’ scientific works, make reviews on students’ works. For the last 10 years more than 25000 students have participated in scientific activity, having presented 6000 scientific works on conferences of various levels. At our university there are various function forms of SRWS. They are the followings: x x x x x

scientific study groups scientific clubs student's scientific laboratories summer scientific schools competitions of students’ scientific works

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x x

277

olympiads on scientific disciplines conferences, seminars, symposiums.

Research activity in the process of students training, forms of training. The curriculum regulates the contents of training, the sequence and intensity of disciplines, kinds of educational occupations. The total amount of school hours which is allocated for the curriculum performance makes 54-hour study week (9 hours per day). It is allocated no more than 50 % of study week time for the students’ work in the form of obligatory auditory studies with the teacher. The rest of the time is intended for independent work, meetings with teachers and independent studying of the material.

3.

The organization of independent work at the university

It is distinguished the following kinds of independent work: x x

actually independent work, organized by students themselves during rational from their point of view time, motivated by own cognitive needs. controlled independent work in the form of teachers’ mediated management of the given research problem.

Moreover, all kinds of independent work can be both group and individual. The chain of controlled individual work is structured as follows: x x x x x x x

The teacher in common with the student defines the three-level purposes of the activity (reproductive, constructive, creative) Builds up a system of students’ motivation Provides them with educational-methodical materials Establishes terms of intermediate and final reports Holds an introduction lecture, gives consultations Corrects and estimates educational results Promotes self-checking and students’ self-reflection.

On the whole independent work should make up to 65 % of the 1st year students’ studying time, and should increase up to 75 % of the senior students’ time. For each discipline it is necessary from 20 up to 30 % of total hours [3]. At our university it is developed the block-modular system of approach to the independent work with use of information technologies. Besides, other effective means of independent work (IW) are projects, researches, rating system of knowledge estimation. Application of active training methods and forms assumes creation of educational situations which model various kinds of the future trade.

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At the university we apply both traditional and innovative methods and forms of training for educating our students. One of the most interesting forms is the problem training. Students are faced with a problem for independent solving during which they come to the realized knowledge. The idea of education lies in the students’ search activity. The basic stages of problem education are the following: x x x x x x x

4.

statement of a problem; cognitive problems; receiving information; hypotheses statement; program of the project and search; checking the hypotheses; decision grounding.

Conclusion

Thus, the students and the graduates of our university seizes the idea of education, on which receiving he or she is not afraid to enter into the new fields of knowledge, and also possesses the cores competence of the present-day person: is able to organize him- or herself as well as others, to work in a mode of dialogue and to study the whole life.

References [1] Pionove R. Organization of Pedagogical Process at High School. Minsk, 2001. [2] Belarusian State Pedagogical University. Minsk, 1999. [3] Self-dependent Work of Students. Minsk, 2004.

Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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Search of Talent Youth for Science: Experience of Ukraine and Other Post Soviet Countries a

Boris MALITSKY a and Lidiya KAVUNENKO a G.M. Dobrov Center for S&T Potential and Science History Studies of the NAS of Ukraine

Abstract. The authors analyze issues related to development and popularization of science, succession of generations in research teams, building up the national research potential in the conditions of ever increasing demands for qualified staff, search for contact points between the state and the scientific community are as important in our difficult time as never before, being a most important factor for building up the knowledge-based society. Keywords. Young scientists, succession of generations in science, national research potential, recruitment

Introduction The modern society requires deep changes in all spheres of socio-economic life, especially in education. Education is becoming the most important resource for economic, politic, scientific and technological development. This society puts emphasis on human development. The development of an individual is assumed as a basic measure for the advancement of a nation, on the one hand, and a drive force for further social progress, on the other. The issues relating to succession of generations, preservation of academic schools, transfer of traditions, knowledge and skills, going back to the early 90s, has acquired vital significance for the post-soviet area in general and in Ukraine in particular, as crisis tendencies in newly-born states, removal of science to the bottom of the priority list inflicted severe damage to the research potential. Ukraine’s transition to marketoriented methods of economy management has been accompanied by a severe

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economic crisis, which has had a grave impact on the Ukrainian society. Among the most important problems was the lack of adequate funding, which became the reason of destructive ruining of manpower potential of Ukraine. The human resources of the Ukrainian science system reduced more than twice by 2005 in comparison with 1990, of which the reduced share of young and medium age categories being very large. Migration of researchers into business and other branches increased due to its attractiveness in terms of salaries. Transformation process of science system changed seriously in the number of youth in research institutes. The share of young researches under the age of 30 years decreased by more than 2 times and the share of researchers above the age of 50 years increased by 2 times.

1.

Approaches to Recruitment in Science

The main source of recruitment of young scientists of the Ukrainian science system is the universities and institutes. According to statistical data, about 40% of the Ukrainian population was studying at Higher Education Establishments (HEE) in 2005. This is more than in countries with a high rate of per capita GDP. Over the last three years, annual increase of the share of specialists with HEE diploma in Ukraine reached 1%, while the number of students studying at HEE per 1000 of employed population grew twice over the latest ten years. In the Soviet Union was an effective system of education and training of qualified specialists. But economic and political crisis destroyed the contacts between universities and research institutes. Now only 15 leading universities of Ukraine have possibility to involve students in research projects. Among them is Kiev T.G.Shevchenko National University. This university has joint laboratories with leading research institutes of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) of Ukraine. Talented students work together with famous scientists and they continue their research on the post graduate courses in the research institute on the NAS of Ukraine (NAS of Ukraine conducts the core fundamental research). The NAS of Ukraine exerts active effort to expand collaboration of its institutes with HEE in education and training, through establishing research units with the so called “dual subordination”, joint research and training centers, departments, cathedras and laboratories. As of today, there are more than 60 units established by the NAS of Ukraine jointly with Ukrainian HEE. The number of students who have probation in research institutes of the NAS or prepare graduate thesis on the basis of research institutes of the NAS of Ukraine has also been up (Table 1). Table 1. Incoming of youth to the NAS of Ukraine (persons). Year

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Students in probation in the NAS of Ukraine 2192 2448 2936 3018 3204

Students preparing graduate thesis in the NAS of Ukraine 675 742 897 1009 1101

Who has prepared the thesis, recruited by the NAS institutes 78 152 161 154 244

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The NAS of Ukraine collaborates with the Moscow Institute for Physics and Technology, to attract youth to science: each year, the Institute’s commission, jointly with the NAS of Ukraine, arranges selection of Ukrainian students in Kiev, who go to Moscow and come back to Kiev having received Bachelor degree in Moscow, to continue Master training on the basis of leading research institutes of the NAS of Ukraine: 726 Bachelors of the Moscow Institute for Physics and Technology have received Master diplomas in Kiev, of whom 211 have become Candidates of Sciences and 18 – Doctors of Sciences. The Moscow Institute for Physics and Technology (MPTI) was organized specifically for training researchers and engineers on advanced areas of research and high technologies. In its earliest years a two-grade selection system existed to recruit students from across the USSR, and entrance exams of the first round were held in Moscow, Leningrad, Kiev, Tbilisi and Gorky, but the second round was only in Moscow. Applicants were advised “to mind that exams on math and physics which will have an increased complexity, although not beyond the curriculum”. Entrance exams have always been held in advance. Those who have passed the exams were interviewed by special commissions of representatives from profile cathedras. The Federal Correspondent Physic & Technology School at the MPTI, organized in 1966, has a specific role in recruiting. Its main areas are individual by correspondence training of pupils from secondary schools; training of pupils at optional groups under the supervision of teachers in math and physics, and methodological assistance to administrators of optional training courses. Pupils from 8, 9 and 10 grades of secondary school are trained in the school on standard supplementary education programs, and the training is built in a way so that a pupil of any grade can launch the course. The school has affiliation in Kiev (the now Ukrainian Correspondent Physic & Technology school) operating at the Physic & Technology Training and Research Center at the NAS of Ukraine by methods elaborated in the Federal Correspondent Physic & Technology School and the MPTI (about 1500 trainees from all the Ukrainian regions; 244 graduates in 2005, of which 17 (7%) passed entrance exams to the MPTI in Kiev). Also, of the budgetary arrangements to support youth in science, the following ones have been proven as the most efficient (Table 2). As of the beginning of 2004, of 188 recipients of Presidential stipends two were elected as corresponding members of the NAS of Ukraine, each of the five became Doctors of Sciences, 7 were awarded State Prize of Ukraine and Prize of the NAS of Ukraine, 14 held managerial positions. In 2004, the Academy launched a new form of the work with young researchers, adapted from the Siberia Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences: young researchers’ reports at the sessions of the Presidium of the NAS of Ukraine: 12 young researchers chosen by research institutes of the NAS of Ukraine have already passed reporting and discussion at the session. This can be seen as a kind of appraisal of our future generation, fostering young researchers’ self-assertion and their carrier advance.

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Table 2. Budgetary Arrangements to Support Young Researchers in the NAS of Ukraine. Arrangement

Amount

Periodicity

Presidential bonuses for young researchers

25 bonuses (2,000 $ each)

Annually

Bonuses of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers (nomination “for research achievements”)

10 bonuses (420,0 $ each)

Annually

Presidential grants for gifted youth

60 grants (15,000 $ each)

Annually

Presidential grants to support R&D done by young researchers

For Candidates of Sciences – 50 grants (4,000 $ each) For those doing dissertation for the degree of Doctors of Sciences – 20 grants (5,000 $ each) For Doctors of Sciences – 7 grants (6,000 $ each)

Annually

Presidential stipends for young researchers

200 stipends for 2 years term (40 $ paid monthly)

Biannual

Also, it’s very important that results of the reporting are judged as heavy arguments to launch additional research themes supported from the budget, to allocate targeted funding for them, and to nominate young researchers as supervisors of these themes. Many Academy’s institutes have their own forms of the support, including bonuses (stipends) named after distinguished scientists who formerly worked in the respective institute, extra payments for Candidate of Science degree, intra-institute grants for young researchers to purchase reagents etc. The NAS of Ukraine collaborates with public administration bodies in supporting research youth in the NAS of the Ukraine in particular and in Ukraine as a whole. Proposals of the NAS of Ukraine to establish annual Presidential grants for young researchers and annual Presidential grants to support R&D done by young researchers (Candidates of Sciences and Doctors of Sciences) were implemented by Presidential Decrees in 2000 and 2002. Also, the NAS of Ukraine could secure a legal provision by which a young researcher is one younger than 35, and not younger than 28, as before. This allowed to enter legal amendments in 2003, beneficial for young researchers, such as privileged long-term bank loans for dwelling construction (reconstruction) or dwelling purchase, or privileges concerning participation of youth in competitions for certain kinds of grants or prizes from the central budget, and others. Many forms of the support exist now, and nearly all of them was launched in the six latest years. We estimate that each of the five young researchers in the NAS of Ukraine (including post graduates and engineers) receives a bonus, a stipend or a grant from central or local budgetary sources. Our monitoring shows (Figs. 1, 2) a positive trend in the number of young researchers over these years (from 1309 to 2174 persons, e.g. more than 1.6 fold increase; the number of young Candidates of Sciences increased from 737 to 1013, e.g. about 1.4 fold).

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Figure 1. Share of young researchers (by 35 yeas) and the total number of researchers in NAS of Ukraine.

Figure 2. Share of candidates of sciences (by 35 years) in the total number of candidates of NAS of Ukraine.

However, the measures fail to change the ageing situation in the NAS of Ukraine radically: as of the beginning of 2005, average researcher in the NAS of Ukraine was 50.9 years old; average Candidate of Sciences was 51.3 years old; average Doctor of Sciences was 60.7 years old. It’s true that the situation is a consequence of the imbalance between young researchers’ outflow from and inflow in science in 90s. But if these measures had not been taken, the situation would have been even more serious, due to the following reasons. First, these are dwelling problems. Second, young researchers go to do R&D abroad or to business sector rather than stay in the NAS of Ukraine, due to impossibility to face research challenges today being equipped with out-dated facilities. (Note that 2004 was the first year over the last decade when the Academy received funds to modernization of the facilities and equipment, about

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8,000.000 $). Third, the problem cannot be faced without up-grading the social merit and status of a researcher, which requires an essential, e.g. manifold, growth in the researcher’s salary, as well as other stimuli and prospects for the research community as a whole. We believe that the key to the problem is in the state that must change its vision of the science, to move from mere statements to the effect of R&D priority to its massscale support on the whole and the young generation of researchers in particular. So, we cannot refer to discrimination of youth today, at least in excellent laboratories, when in comes to their coverage by additional material support. Yet, such elite labs still remain to be main suppliers of young researchers abroad. Why it so happens? What opportunities are available today with university students or postgraduated for carrier advancement? Answers to these questions were found in sociological research in Ukraine and Russia of university students, post-graduates and HEE researchers. Students’ interview was meant to find out their attitude to R&D work, their involvement in R&D at university departments and cathedras, and to judge how strong students’ intention is to engage in R&D in future. Students were asked at what academic year they begin to take part in R&D; what should be changed in R&D to make R&D more attractive. According to students, it’s necessary (in order of lowering priority): to pay for their job; to renovate laboratory facilities; to invite talented researchers as R&D organizers; to broaden students’ initiative; to engage students in research rather than in auxiliary functions. 67% of students believe that participation in R&D is useful for them, while only 5.5% do not see any sense in it. 16.7% of them intend to start post-graduate course (33.3% in S.-Petersburg and 18.7% in Moscow; 25.6% in humanities, and only 15.3% in engineering disciplines). However, the overwhelming majority of those who want to work in R&D are intended to work abroad for a time, except for only 3%. And orientation to long-term work abroad prevails (more than 30% would like to work there unlimited time, and about 25% – from 1 to 3 years). The prestige of science is higher in regions than in Moscow or S.-Petersburg, probably due to the value orientations of the past and the lack of job opportunities comparable with Moscow or S.-Petersburg. Students refer to innovation business as a factor in favor of their stay in R&D (Dezhina, 2006). Interview of post-graduates included a number of similar questions, although with different focus. Because post-graduates have already made their choice, it was important to inquire what had they done before, why did they study, what did they want to do in future. Most post-graduates said they came after the university (60 to 80%), while only 5–8% of they had worked by their dissertation profile. Of those who expected to engage in R&D in future, a significant share should like to work abroad, although a smaller one than with students. Unlike students, post-graduates are interested most of all in teaching (33%), while 30.4% didn’t decide what they would do. About 20% were not going to work in either science or education.

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The respondents who didn’t want to engage in R&D, explained this by the following reasons (in order of decreasing frequency of references): low salary; poor facilities; excessive bureaucratization in science; poor social conditions; low prestige of R&D job. In addition to the aforementioned, facing the problems requires the followings: to focus mass media on up-grading the social merit of science; to conduct institutional revision of the national R&D; to target research capacities on relevant problems, so that to have research institutes integrated in international programs; to expand young researchers’ participation in 7th FP, INTAS, ISTC, CRDF and other international programs; to establish legal background in R&D; to boost exports of the national R&D and technologies.

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Information Security Studying by Means of Extracurricular Research Projects a

Gevorg MARGAROV a,1 State Engineering University of Armenia, Department of Computer Systems and Informatics, Yerevan, Armenia

Abstract. This article is devoted to problems of information security studying by means of extracurricular research projects on base of the university. The expediency of a choice of information security as a subject of extracurricular studying is proved. Aspects of information security awareness are considered and their influence on educational process is discussed. The technology of studying by means of extracurricular research projects is briefly described. Keywords. Extracurricular research project, information security, aspects of awareness, studying technology

Introduction The world economy and the life are moving from a predominantly industrial society to a new set of rules - the information society. Digital technologies make accessing, processing, storing and transmitting information increasingly cheaper and easier. The sheer scale of information available creates huge opportunities for its exploitation through the development of new products and services. Transforming digital information into economic and social value is the basis of the new economy, creating new industries, changing others and profoundly affecting citizens' lives. Enterprises in all sectors are starting to transform their business into e-business - requiring from the consumer of more and more wide use of information and communication technologies in a daily life.

1

Corresponding Author: Gevorg Margarov, State Engineering University of Armenia, Department of Computer Systems and Informatics, 105 Teryan str., Yerevan, Armenia; E-mail: [email protected]

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In these conditions a secure information infrastructure is, after widespread availability of broadband access, the second enabler of a broader access to information technology for all. Acquaintance to means of information security is required to each user of electronic means of information interchange, therefore information security in the future becomes "the third literacy" along with "the second literacy" - possession of a computer and information technologies. Taking into account above stated in State Engineering University of Armenia the pilot program of high school and baccalaureate level university students training of information security by means of extracurricular research projects is developed and prepares for realization.

1.

Why the wide awareness of information security is so important?

The relevance of information security awareness is widely agreed upon among information security researchers. The concept of information security awareness is taken in the literature to mean that users should be made aware of security objectives (and further committed to them). Although information security awareness is commonly recognized, there are only a few scientific studies that consider it in any depth. Perhaps this situation can be traced back to the non-technical nature of security awareness and related areas. The concept of awareness may have been not considered in greater depth because it falls outside the scope of the traditional engineering and computer sciences [1]. Even though researchers interested in information security and they have recognized the significance of the awareness factor at the organizational level, it is interesting that they have failed to see its other aspects. However, the information society has a powerful need to extend this organizational viewpoint. We are based on a belief that the concept of information security awareness, in addition to the organizational viewpoint, should also constitute an integral part of the general knowledge of citizens in the information society. In other words, anyone who regards information in any form as an important asset should be aware of the possible threats related to it. For different reasons, a lot of people see issues and aspects connected with information technology (IT) through rose-colored spectacles, often blindly ignoring potential complications. For example, it seems that many companies, individuals and educational institutions think that it is important to increase technical IT skills, to use IT for almost every conceivable purpose and to advance the computerization of society in general. And often the main limits they see for such development are financial restrictions or lack of technical knowledge which should therefore be increased. Moreover, catch phrases such as "information revolution" or the names of particular programs (such as MS Word) have strong positive metaphorical associations, redolent of paradise. In addition, IT is already embedded in our everyday life to the extent that we often fail to notice it (let alone realize the encapsulated security flaws). As a result, even occasional IT users should be aware of basic security issues. Organizational informational security awareness is not sufficient to satisfy the concerns of security - additional aspects are needed.

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The main contribution and objective of the theoretical training during extracurricular research projects is to outline the various aspects of information security awareness and to explore certain key issues around these aspects. Additionally the categories (or target groups) in each aspect are distinguished. In other words, the scope of the theoretical training is limited to setting up information security aspects in terms of form and target groups by proposing a framework for awareness perspectives in order to raise certain issues and produce practical examples in the hope of inspiring further research and practical activities around the topic at a stage of performance of research projects. Conceptual analysis is used as the research approach and in order to justify the aspects and categories in the light of this conceptual analysis, a number of practical examples are provided.

2.

Aspects of information security awareness

As mentioned earlier, the aspects of security awareness are based on the belief that awareness is an issue that everyone using any form of IT services, either directly or indirectly particularly in an Internet environment, should bear in mind. It is possible that a wider knowledge of these awareness aspects may have negative consequences if it is used to commit abuses (this may be true of all kinds of knowledge, of course), and this may be one reason why information is not shared equally among the parties mentioned below. In an attempt to formalize an essentially informal issue with various aspects into an understandable pattern, the aspects of awareness may be classified as follows: x x x x x

organizational aspect general public aspect socio-political aspect computer ethical aspect institutional education aspect

Due to the informal nature of information security awareness, there may not be any exact and dear borders between these aspects. Within the organizational aspect, for instance, we have to take into account issues that belong to the general public aspect. Two very different characteristics of information security awareness have to be considered. The first relates to the division between descriptive and prescriptive, as modified and simplified from the theory of universal prescriptivism [2]. The term prescriptive denotes here (only) intrinsic, action-guiding commitment to the objectives of awareness (e.g. security guide-lines), while descriptive, albeit including some level of knowledge of information security, may not include such an action-guiding commitment to objectives. Other aspects of information security awareness are classified as descriptive, as commitment to certain security norms may not be necessary. As a second characteristic, it seems to be that security awareness may be difficult to internalize properly in the sense that it may often be regarded in the same way as a matter of health; nothing is done as long as nothing goes wrong. And when things go wrong,

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people are suddenly very keen on the issue. The problem is that when something undesirable happens, it often requires a huge effort to recover from the situation, if recovery is possible at all any longer. 2.1 The organizational aspect There seems to be common agreement that security awareness (like education) plays a significant role in the overall security level of any organization. Without an adequate level of awareness, many security techniques are liable to be misused or misinterpreted by their users, the possible result being that even an adequate security mechanism may become inadequate. Several approaches to increasing user commitment to organizational security guidelines have been presented [3], but most of these fail to pay enough attention to behavioral theories, and the empirical studies based on behavioral theories are especially urgently needed. Moreover, measurements of the adequacy of awareness approaches (e.g. whether the motivation of end-users towards security missions or end-user guidelines has increased) are far and few between and this is still an open issue which can be a subject of studying within the framework of extracurricular research projects. The categories of the organizational aspect of awareness refer to different target groups for security awareness at an organizational level. Examples of these categories may include the followings: top management, IT/IS (Information security) management, IS staff, computing/IS professionals, end-users of various kinds (e.g., casual end-users, parametric end-users, sophisticated end-users and stand-alone users) and third parties. From the organizational point of view, these target groups need different kinds of information on security. Regard the top management category, awareness is most closely related to the gap between top management and information security concerns. In this respect, the main objectives of awareness are A) getting the commitment of the top management; B) reaching an exact understanding and consensus within the top management as to what components of the organization require protection (along with the nature of that protection). The other possible categories starting from IT/IS management and going on to normal end-users are largely about sealing the gap between information security and the various target groups of the awareness programs (such as those mentioned). Necessary information concerning information security issues must be shared, and this information must be clarified to all the target groups to enable them to reach a state of commitment (the ideal state from an information security point of view). Finally; the third category of the organizational aspect of awareness consists of factors by which the company ensures that third parties are aware of the required information security level.

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2.2 The general public aspect The general public aspect can be divided into two target groups: IT/computer/IS professionals and other end-users. The professional skills of IT/computer professionals should include certain knowledge related to security. Consequently, professional qualifications should be established that harmonize and develop these skills alongside others. Furthermore, the professional associations should co-operate with educational institutions to manage this procedure and to determine the content of the relevant knowledge and skills. The main objective in terms of the other target group of the general public is to increase public awareness of relevant security issues. The main idea of this aspect is based on the argument that there are some central information security issues that every citizen using IT should be aware of. Although the Internet is one of the main causes, but there are many other information security threats not related to it, such as cash and smart cards (as used by ATM machines, mobile phones, etc). Many common practices if not carried out carefully, could constitute a secularity threat. Perhaps the most common ones include the failure to observe adequate password procedures and careless use of the Common Gateway Interface (CGI) or Application Programmer Interface (API). These practices, if neglected or undertaken carelessly offer an easy way for third parties to violate the system and the users (account holders) informational privacy and assets. In addition to the possible problem areas, Internet users, (organizations and individuals alike) should also consider carefully what information they put on their homepage, plan file (which is accessible via a finger command), voice mail, e-mail, speak mail, etc. Many people may not yet be aware of the insecurity of the Internet (as the TCP/IP protocol family is insecure without the use of additional cryptographic techniques and may send "classified" information by it (e.g. credit card numbers). 2.3 The socio-political aspect The socio-political aspect involves increasing people's information security awareness with respect to the socio-political nature of IT. This aspect includes the following categories (target groups): lawyers, public relations people, politicians and the government. Information security awareness is an important concern within the socio-political aspect and an important factor in terms of the overall well-being of society. Many countries are developing electronic services for official communications and trading. Failures to see the importance of security issues related to such solutions may lead to serious complications in terms of the well-being of the society in question. Laws are another case in point. As we know, legislation is often said to be lagging behind current technological development. Nevertheless, in order to be successful, it should reflect the moral view of society in question. For that reason, politicians should be aware of information security issues in high-level and ethical principles, because, at least in

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democratic societies, they are directly or indirectly responsible for making legislative decisions. Hence, along with lawyers, they should understand information security issues at a high-level. If the moral perspective of IT is neglected, a moral/legislative gap may emerge, implying conceptualist laws (laws for which the moral background has not been explored), which may be detrimental to human well-being. Many juridical experts on IT legislation are convinced that the Internet will force the introduction of some form of global legislation, mid various pressure groups such as the EU and the UN are already starting to push in that direction. However one weakness is that may be very few of people in these circles have an adequate knowledge of security issues, for many of these issues require thorough contemplation with the help of ethical theories and facts (including security issues). Finally, public relations people are also key players in the security game, because they are in a position to inform people of various information security issues. Information security practitioners should ensure the co-operation of this group in order to be able to influence the general public aspect through them. 2.4 The computer ethical aspect The objective of the computer ethical aspect is first of all to provide relevant (e.g. technical) information for (computer) ethics scholars, and secondly to learn from and make use of their conclusion. These scholars study, among others, ethical dilemmas and problems, and there is a strong demand to produce continuously updated issues (e.g. technical facts) that covers the whole area of IT. Information security researchers are likely to be helpful in providing information concerning security issues which computer ethics scholars can use when studying its moral aspects. Co-operation and sharing information between information security people and computer ethics scholars have been so far ineffective, in spite of the fact that such issues offer possibilities for synergism (they might share some of the goals, for example). Computer ethics can perhaps be defined as an approach for finding the best solution to the problem of enabling harmonious human life in the information technology domain. Although information security is not ethics (nor vice-versa), information security (or security generally) may have a special connection with the field of ethics. This does not mean that security activities are more correct per se than any other activities, whether scientific or practical (and as a result we should analyze all activities equally from a moral point of view). Instead, this special connection means that security activities, whether in terms of science or practice, are mainly stimulated by a concern to prevent certain activities that are interpreted as abuses. Moreover, demands have been raised by computer ethics scholars to develop (more specific) professional norms, the creation of which may benefit technical facts on information security - even though not purely based on these. In addition, issues related to computer ethics are intimately connected with legislative issues: behind successful legislation there is a moral aspect. Without a moral consensus, laws tend to be ignored, regardless whether the law is considered important - a lesson that

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the information age needs to learn. As it’s known, arguments appealing purely to legislation (e.g. "because this is the law or rule"), are not sufficient per se to qualify peoples actions. Therefore, a one possible mission of this aspect, from an information security point of view, should include the provision of persuasive arguments for legislation. As a result, the computer ethical aspect is important for information security. If people were to regard particular security breaches, misuses or abuses (e.g. distribution of viruses) as immoral, they might avoid them. Security people (or those who concerned about security) would likely to be beneficiaries of a strengthening in moral thinking in the area of computing, 2.5 The institutional education aspect Institutional education refers to a society-driven process of education that is aimed at making individuals proper members of society. In this way society-ideally-will develop and renew its culture in a desirable way (and hopefully in a way that is not based on indoctrination). However, the amount of technical education provided with respect to computers is increasing, and organizations are increasingly using computers and global computer networks such as the Internet. Unfortunately, as a result of it (and without any information security awareness), the sheer number of people who constitute a potential target for criminals and misusers is increasing. Consequently certain relevant information security concerns should be included in the educational programs, which is seldom the case at present. Many high school and university curriculums seems to be concentrating only on technical skills, while ignoring the relevant social, ethical and security aspects encapsulated in IT. Moreover, the increasing number of home Internet users and organizational end-users with little knowledge may cause damage through careless use (virus distribution and creation are cases in point). From the point of view of educational institutes, the former ease raises the need for providing relevant computer ethical education. Educational institutes play an important role in this, for in addition to imparting technical knowledge, they also teach ethics and bring up ethical topics for discussion. To summarize, the mission within this aspect is to share relevant information with various educational institutes, bearing in mind the fact that they have different educational needs.

3.

Technology of studying by means of extracurricular research projects

On the basis of the considered aspects extracurricular education should be carried out in several target groups which correspond to prospective future specialties of trained. In these conditions the most convenient form of information security studying has to be based on extracurricular research projects, which should include various aspects for each of the target groups. Inside of each target group a number of small working subgroups (3-5 students) are formed for performance of separate projects. Trained carry out several consecutive projects, each term of performance is one academic year. On the first year of the studies all subgroups receive research project tasks

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of survey character with approximately identical complexity. At the end of each academic year the public representation of projects is made with attraction of representatives of the enterprises interested in the result of projects. According to the marks received, during the representation of projects, new subgroups are formed thus each subgroup entered trained with approximately identical marks. For the next academic year new subgroups receive tasks for the following project. This complexity of projects is directly connected to the marks received by students in the subgroup. In other words more talented students who had the maximum marks receive more complex (difficult) project tasks with elements of scientific researches. The most interesting projects devoted to the decision of real technical and scientific problems are recommended for publication and application in corresponding organizations. Work in small subgroups allows not only to reveal the most talented students, but also to form ability to teem work and aspiration to leadership.

References [1] M .E. Thompson and R. von Solms, An effective information security awareness program for industry. – Proceedings of WG 11.2 and WG 11.1 of TC11 (IFIP): Information security - for small systems to Management of Security Infrastructure. 1997 [2] R. M. Hare, The Language of Morals. Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1952 [3] P. Spurling, Promoting Security awareness and commitment. Information Management and Computer Security, Vol. 3 No. 2, 1995, pp. 20-26

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Education and Recruitment of Gifted HighSchool Students in Armenia Gagik SHMAVONYAN a,1, Lili KARAPETYAN b, Gayane SHMAVONYAN a, Nelli YEGHIAZARYAN c a State Engineering University of Armenia b Yerevan State University, Armenia c Yerevan State Medical University, Armenia

Abstract. There is an urgent need for the implementation of a systematic search for talents, their recruitment and motivation in our country nowadays. The Board of Armenia-Great Britain society (which is a non-governmental organization) undertook the difficult and at the same time rewarding task of finding ways of recruiting and educating gifted high-school students. The lectures delivered by scientists and scholars cover different scientific disciplines, such as natural sciences, ecological issues, as well as language problems. Attracting gifted students to scientific research will provide a steady basis for the improvement of science in our country. Keywords. Scientific research, gifted students, education, recruitment, lectures

Introduction The modern world has been changing very rapidly in the recent decade. The issues of science and education are of utmost importance in our country nowadays. The states and nations of the world should be able to catch up with the ongoing changes and developments, meet the increasing requirements and challenges of contemporary life, and respond to the various events adequately and directly. The reforms in the field of science and education can play a key role enabling people to feel the pulse of the life and react to the modern developments in conformity.

1.

Motivation

A social consciousness of what science is about is a fundamental need of these times. Substantial and targeted education and advanced science can and should be the starting point and base of our society, thus being the pledge of the success in our state’s home affairs as well as its activity in the international arena.

1

Corresponding Author: Gagik Shmavonyan, State Engineering University of Armenia, 105 Teryan street, Yerevan, 0009, Armenia; E-mail: [email protected]

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The young generation especially should be well informed about the basics, the methods and the applications of sciences to be able to make informed choices in the future. Today’s students represent the rising generation of future scientists. In our country promotion of science is actual especially among students at the age of 15 and 17, so around high-school student age. It is very important that students should be introduced to scientific research at this age. In that case they are more likely to stay in the future in the field they have chosen. Many high-school students, their parents and graduate students, who want to continue their study further are very often not oriented how to choose their further profession and they need advice from renowned scientists from universities, academies of sciences, research institutions and industry specialists. As there are not enough governmental funds to support programs aimed towards revealing gifted students, the Board of Armenia-Great Britain society (which is a nongovernmental organization) undertook the difficult and at the same time rewarding task of recruiting and educating gifted high-school students. The members of the society, (which are mostly University professors and industry professionals) and invited speakers worked on voluntary terms.

2.

Means of fostering talent development

Being focused on practical advances and practical knowledge of scientifically gifted high-school students and having reviewed the programs offered at the 2004 NATOUNESCO Advanced Research Workshop on science education: Talent Recruitment and Public Understanding, as well as the programs widely promoted to students in Armenia, we organize: x x x x x x x x

Weekend Scientific Seminars and Lectures Science Clubs Olympiads and Other Competitions Meetings Workshops Intensive Courses for Students Discussions with Students’ Parents Teacher Training Courses

It might be useful to take a harder look at the advantages and disadvantages, strengths and weaknesses of each of the above mentioned items and make adjustments. Some of them have been to the point and successful for such a long time that change is not viewed as a valuable pursuit.

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We are trying to foster the youth scientific life in our republic through the above mentioned events, which are going to be regular and open to everybody engaged or interested in the spheres of our activity. To this end we are planning to publish a periodical of scientific papers of young researchers engaged in various fields. We are really firm to the scientific and educational needs of the young scholars and we are open to any constructive national or international cooperation. Among the scientists who accept the students in their laboratories and hold lectures and seminars for them are lecturers and professors from different higher educational establishments of Armenia, scientists from the academies of sciences, as well as members of various industrial organizations. The talks and lectures cover different scientific disciplines, such as natural sciences (especially physics and astronomy), ecological issues, as well as language problems.

3.

Results and future plans

The high-school students who participated in the above mentioned events were all very enthusiastic and active during the lectures asking a number of questions which were quite to the point. The practical experiments were more exciting for the students because they were carried out by the students themselves since the best way to develop creative abilities of students is to provide them with opportunities to do creative activities ( first of all scientific research, which is a creative activity) as part of their schooling. This is, of course, another indication of success. We think we have achieved our goal since we managed to contribute to the search for and professional improvement of high-school talents. Therefore, we think that it is in the interest of the society to provide talented students with the opportunity to participate in such-like events, which can be more structured, developed, offered at different levels, perhaps including highschool science teachers as well in the future. The questioneer, which was filled by the participants allowed us to improve our activities helping to choose further scientific topics and lecturers. We also gained some experience in finding ways to educate and attract scientifically gifted high-school students to science, to help them stand out among their fellow-students and to find friends among students with the same scope of interests. In future we will make more efforts to recruit more and more talented high-school students by organizing scientific conferences, meetings, establishing and strengthening ties with high-school students in other countries, in this way fostering exchange of experience and providing a steady basis for the improvement of science in our country.

Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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Concluding Remarks and Perspectives: The Second Board Meeting of the Network of Youth Excellence a

Korado KORLEVIC a,1 and Lilla BARABÁS b Visnjan Science and Education Center, Visnjan, Croatia b Network of Youth Excellence

For those, who read this book, it is obvious why to engage in scientific education of talented students, as early as possible to develop the critical minds or scientific method judgments. There are multitudes of initiatives all around the world; and the number of these programs are steadily increasing. However, most of these initiatives are local programs connected to one or two motivated teachers or professors. They work in isolation, often struggling with the lack of resources and stay unrecognized to the general public. This situation was a trigger to establish an international network, called the Network of Youth Excellence (NYEX) in 2004. The members of this network are organizations with a proven devotion to promoting scientific research among young students (i.e. under the age of 21). All member organizations delegate a representative to the Board, which is the main decision making body in important issues. The Board selects the Executive Board by entrusting a chairperson and two vice-chairs among themselves. The Executive Board is responsible for implementing causes, making everyday decisions and coordinating network activities. Those interested organizations, legal entities that do not meet the requirements for full membership or for other reasons prefer to have a more limited role in this network can choose to be partners of the NYEX. For the first 4 years the role of the Secretariat is performed by one elected member organization, namely the Hungarian Research Student Association. This work comprises all the administrative work, grant applications and maintenance of the website (www.nyex.info).

The Board Meeting The 3rd NATO-UNESCO advanced research workshop was organized by the Network of Youth Excellence between 20–22. October, 2006 in Balatonfüred, Hungary. It served a triple goal. First, our aim of exchanging experience and good practices was reached through a series of lectures. The invited lecturers presented not only their projects, but gave talks about student recruitment, program evaluation or how to solve various problems 1

Corresponding Author: [email protected].

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occurring during research trainings. Second, the included roundtable discussions in the program were source for new ideas to better future cooperation among the member and partner organizations. Thirdly, a formal meeting of the Board was held in the morning of the last day to vote on the raised questions and to elect the new members in the Executive Board. The board meeting took place with the participation of 16 board members with voting rights. Also, it was open to other interested participants of the conference to listen and to make comments if they wish to. The main issues can be grouped into four categories, however they overlapped somewhat more in the real discussion.

1.

Ideas for Future Collaboration

The meeting was opened by Peggy Connolly, the resigning chairperson of the Network. She summarized the results of the previous roundtable discussions. One part of these ideas can be possible examples for joint projects. For example: promoting more students exchanges between our programs, making a traveling exhibit to popularize science and scientific research programs among students, building international research programs where data are collected locally, but the method is the same and the analysis is a joint effort of the participants. Also some of these joint projects concentrated on a mutually supportive mission, for example developing a power-point presentation that each of the member organizations can use at professional conferences. The introductory pages would present the Network: its goals, members, projects, accomplishments. Individual pages would follow to promote the individual programs of each member institution. Similarly, supportive letters from NYEX could be used to help the members with grant applications and fund raising activities. The other part of the ideas focused on improving the communication within the Network. Member organizations were kindly asked to include the logo and link to NYEX homepage on their own web-pages. Also an idea of re-structuring the website to make it more interactive and more useful was raised.

2.

Priorities in Network Development

After the above mentioned ideas were summarized, a longer discussion developed about some basic issues concerning the future development of the NYEX. 2.1. Expansion of the Network On the previous roundtable discussion Julia Hasler suggested the Network to search more active co-operation with talent-support movements in the developing countries, in Africa, Asia and Latin-America. Vigor Majic warned the present Board members to be wise in the expansion strategy of the Network. He asked: “Are we strong enough at this point to raise the cost and lower criteria just to find organizations at certain regions?” Mary Luisa Tenchini added that there is a trade-off between strengthening the relationship between existing members and to expand and being more open and supportive toward other organizations. She called out to find the right balance. Peter Csermely, who was present as

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an external advisor to the Board and is also a professional expert on network-building supplemented some theoretical remarks. He said that a viable network needs strong links (intensive relationships) and weaker links as well. It is necessary to have many contacts, but no too many, because then the network becomes unstable. Peter Csermely also brought in the idea of searching increased support from the United States. He proposed to establish a legal entity in the US, because charity contribution from the US can only be tax exempt, if US citizens are in the board. Peggy Connolly was asked to make a research about the legal and financial aspects of launching a US NYEX branch. 2.2. Legal Status of the Network At this point of the meeting Szilard Kui, former secretary of the Network presented the financial status of the Network. He pointed out that all the money we received is transferred to the sub-account of the Network. The NYEX cannot possess a full account on its own, because it is not a formal organization. Herald Wagner indicated that the Network should be formed into a legal entity. Manuel F. Costa said that it is cheap and easy to make an association in Germany, but in many other countries it is not that easy and can have a considerable cost. Peter Csermely added that a legal entity would stay where it is registered, while the Secretariat is moving around, so it would not reflect the situation of the Network. Korado Korlevic called out for further investigation regarding this issue.

3.

Task-Forces

In order to do this work more effectively some task-forces were formed during the meeting:

4.

•

Legal entity task-force: to collect information about the advantages and disadvantages of forming legal entity according to the current laws in different countries. /members of the task-force: Harald Wagner, Korado Korlevic, Lilla Barabas/

•

Assessment task-force: a task-force for program evaluation. /members of the task-force: Rena Subotnik, Shlomit Rachmel, Zvi Paltiel/

•

Promoting our work toward the media and policy decision makers. /members of the task-force: Shlomit Rachmel and Anna Martinkova/

Voting, Changes in Leadership

In the last stage, the Board elected Korado Korlevic, former vice-chairman to fill in the place of the chairperson in the Executive Board after Peggy Connolly. It was a solid vote with no opposition. For the vacant vice-chairmanship left after Korado Korlevic we had two nominations, both from Israel: Shlomit Rachmel and Zvi Paltiel. The secret vote revealed Zvi Paltiel, representative of the Weizman Institute Young@Science program as

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the new vice-chairman in the Executive Board. The other vice-chairman, Myoung Hwan Kim from South-Korea remained in his position, since his mandate had been extended by an email vote of the Board until 2008.

Conclusions The meeting was highly successful, connecting programs, people, and indicating the direction of future development. The next steps will include the elaboration of the idea to establish a Student Board. Other issues were taken into consideration and their success will depend on the work of the task-forces. Overall, we have a strong base on which we can build collaborative initiatives. We think that now the foundation is laid and the way is signed. This report is not a conclusive description, rather we aim to stress on the proposals and remarks which appeared during the discussions and which will set direction for future development of the Network: • •

•

We need to further strengthen collaboration among the member and partner organizations of the Network of Youth Excellence. Initiatives for joint projects were raised. We need to improve communication within the Network. The website of the Network of Youth Excellence (http://www.nyex.info) will continue to serve as source for information and announcements as one of the most effective tools for networking. Both the web-site and the mailing list will be used for the dissemination of new practices as well as for the development of multilateral contacts. A follow-up meeting was proposed in 2007 (Petnica, Serbia) as well as in 2008. These follow-up meetings would be excellent occasions for the evaluation of Network activities and also to propose new ideas for further development.

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The participants of the NATO Advanced Research Workshop, 2006

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Science Education: Models and Networking of Student Research Training under 21 P. Csermely et al. (Eds.) IOS Press, 2007 © 2007 IOS Press. All rights reserved.

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Author Index Arvanitis, M.S. Axhemi, S. Barabás, L. Böde, C. Brettlová, P. Cartisano, A. Černá, K. Connolly, P. Costa, M.F.M. Csermely, P. Dvoracsek, Á. Edmiston, A.M. Fayl von Hentaller, U. Fayl, G. Fernández-Novell, J.M. Fitzgerald, C. Galova, E. Gavurnikova, G. Gilbert, P. Grakauskaitė Karkockienė, D. Gramatikov, P. Gramatikova, M. Grazioli, C. Guinovart, J.J. Hasler, J. Hemmelskamp, J. Herskovits, M. Hrabáková, M. Janšta, P. Kakareka, E. Karapetyan, L. Kavunenko, L. Kim, M.H. Korcsmáros, T. Korlevic, K. Koukol, O. Kui, S. Lindner, A.B. Mainguy, G.

140 47 297 55 201 66 201 3, 79 144 185 249 28 39 8, 39 124 149 225 225 103 240 254 254 66 124 10 103 265 201 201 271 294 279 95 55 297 201 15 172 19

Majic, V. Malitsky, B. Margarov, G. Martinková, A. Mentelova, L. Messer, J.M. Mikusova, K. Mourek, J. Mourková, J. Neher, E.-M. Nosek, J. Novozámská, E. Paltiel, Z. Petrezselyova, S. Plevani, P. Rachmel, S. Rayhack, K.M. Riboli-Sasco, L. Richard, A. Schulze, C. Sevcovicova, A. Shmavonyan, Gagik Shmavonyan, Gayane Slaninova, M. Sporea, A. Sporea, D. Subotnik, R.F. Sviezena, B. Taddei, F. Tenchini, M.L. Todorina, D. Tomaska, L. Viale, G. Vondráková, E. Wagner, H. Welzel, M. Wendt, T. Yeghiazaryan, N. Zikánová, B.

193 279 286 217 225 59 225 201 201 111 225 201 158 225 66 130 28 163 163 103 225 294 294 225 230 230 28 225 163, 172 66 254 225 66 212 118 103 103 294 201

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