18 March 2009

DASG projects 2008

The Department of Science Education (DSE) at the University of Copenhagen (UoC), has during the academic year 2007-2008 participated in three projects with Danske Science Gymnasier (DASG, http://www.dasg.dk/)(Danish Science Upper Secondary Schools).

Participants from DSE: Lene Møller Madsen and Christine Holm

1. Didactical reference research on "Data Collection and Data Processing"

During the spring of 2008, DSE staff follow teaching at upper secondary schools in the project "Data Collection and Data Processing" in preparation for an analysis on the didactical aspects of the project. The focus will be on the influence of new methods of data collection on the experimental work (development of the students' experimental competences, degree of authenticity and openness, use of different types of representation etc.).

For practical reasons it has only been possible to follow physics teaching during the spring of 2008 (since the other participating subjects do not use the experimental setup until the beginning of the basic science course in the autumn of 2008).

This project is reported in a research article in the MONA Journal (1/2009), prepared in cooperation with the involved teachers. Furthermore, DSE staff offer to participate with presentations at the DASG course during autumn 2008.

  • Link to MONA article (Danish): "Ude i verden har man heller ikke en brugsanvisning", MONA, no. 1 2009, https://www.ind.ku.dk/mona/ ("In the real world you do not have instruction manuals either")

2. Final evaluation of "Science for Everybody - basic science course"

The final evaluation is based on the midway evaluation and relates to the aims of the project and the results accomplished. The study is carried out as a desk-study of the materials produced and a web-based questionnaire along with follow-up interviews with relevant participants.

3. Midway evaluation of "Observations of the Earth"

The purpose of this project is to document the technical potentials and problems associated with use of hardware and software. Furthermore, a description is given of what new academic competencies the projects can provide as well as of the didactical experiences collected during the first project phase with improvement of the last project phase in mind.

The study is carried out as interviews with teachers and students on a single selected school, as well as through focus group interviews with selected teachers on a course day during spring.