Over the past 20 years, there has been growing interest in science education in most European countries, developing specific policies usually having a dual purpose: to promote science literacy among all young people (and even adults) and attract young people to science and the disciplines of technology in secondary and higher education, with the aim of encouraging them to move to science and technology professions and/or research-scientific careers.
FUN@SCIENCE – Exploiting 3D printing for science education and scientific careers is project that aims to develop and test a model for science education, working on all school level, based on the valorization of 3D printing technologies and experiences. The implementation of this model will create learning experiences supported by 3D printing activities at schools which can improve students’ interest in scientific careers and in the development of logic and mathematics skills, complementing the other classroom activities or succeeding where the classroom might have failed.
The project action will be carried out at European level in 5 countries (Portugal, Italy, Poland, Czech Republic, Greece), in different national contexts characterised by different educational policies and needs so to design a global educational model incorporating informal schooling based on 3D printing activities in school curricula. The FUN@SCIENCE project started on 1st October 2017 and runs until 30 September 2019.
Project Activities
- Collection and analysis of interesting practices in at least 5 European Member States about science education in curricular activities with reference to 3D printing activities, for monitoring the effects of informal science education related to 3D printing on students’ interest in scientific careers and on the development of logic and mathematics skills.
- Elaboration of a proposal for building a global education model incorporating informal schooling based 3D printing activities in school curricula, at all educational level, allowing its accreditation and the evaluation of the reference educational contents.
- Design and implementation of peer learning experiences for teachers and trainers so to share and acquire the competences for designing, implementing and validating the model in their school contexts.
- Testing the model at all educational level in at least 4 classes for each participating country, according to a common framework based on a well defined educational project.
- Collection of open educational resources and reporting the results of the experimented educational practices implemented in the project, so to multiply the project effects and results.
This purposes require to be developed in a European framework and provide a more systematic cooperation across a range of actors and policies at EU and Member State level.
Project Partners
- Agrupamento de Escolas Emídio Navarro (Portugal)
- Creative YouthLand (Greece)
- Danmar Computers sp z o.o. (Poland)
- ASSOCIACAO PARQUE DE CIENCIA E TECNOLOGIA DE ALMADA/SETUBAL-MADAN PARQUE (Portugal)
- Evropská rozvojová agentura, s.r.o. (Czech Republic)
- Direzione Didattica III Circolo Perugia (Italy)
- UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PERUGIA (Italy)
- TIBER UMBRIA COMETT EDUCATION PROGRAMME (Italy)
