Care: The students dealt with the issue of the integration of RES in the landscape, a real problem that occupied the students of Tinos in view of the massive installation of wind turbines in the landscape of Tinos. The students who participated in the activities were twenty-eight (28), 14-year-old students of the 2nd Class of the High School.

Know: The students used knowledge about the role and importance of RES considering their rational integration in landscapes and ecosystems, considering their functions and value.

The skills the students practiced were:

• question processing,
• data analysis,
• discussion of claims and evidence,
• drawing or drawing conclusions,
• familiarity with the ways and stages of conducting a research,
• familiarity with techniques for searching, evaluating and presenting information through a variety of sources,
• development of collaboration, creative expression and presentation skills.

Do: At the end, students put their knowledge into practice by doing field research. A 2-day Educational Visit was made to the landscape of the paths of Andros (in collaboration with KPE Korthiou). The program of the visit included group work in and outside the field, namely: Practical-Experiential Part: hiking, information, observation, photography, exploration and activities, landscape experience with all the senses.

In detail, the practical-experiential part contained:

• Observation and recording of field characteristics
• Familiarity with the space through all the senses
• Perception of space through various games
• Identification of species of flora (mainly) and fauna
• Map reading
• Completing worksheets
• Presentation of the habitats of Andros and the most important historical stations
• Discussion about the needs of the people who created the landscape of Andros.

Creative Part: recording of valuable elements and problems of the landscape and ecosystem, discussion related to threats and proposals for better management. The result was a group presentation of the results of all work groups through a powerpoint work, which was presented by student representatives at an event organized by the High School of Tinos at the Spiritual Center of the Holy Foundation of Evangelistria on Thursday 25 May 2022 at 19.00, in which they took part and their parents/guardians. The presentation emerged from the discussions with the scientists in the context of the “learn” section and from the practical-experiential part of the training which included filling in worksheets (of the KPE), individual notes and group discussions.

The parents/guardians of the students who participated in the CONNECT program were informed about its content both in person (those who visited the school) and electronically with frequent messages describing the activities. This ensured as active an involvement as possible them in the whole project (a fact that helped to cultivate the scientific capital). The results of their program were presented extensively at a live event organized by the school.

Conclusions on Open Schooling: The action was not embedded in the curriculum, but indirectly related to it. It was useful and innovative as it related to the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes (as discussed below). Open schooling can also be useful for other teachers because it can combine knowledge and apply it in the field (eg identifying and valuing natural and cultural wealth of an area)..

The change/innovation was supported by:

[ x ] School management [ ] school association/network [ ] Local government [ ] Other: ________________________________

Student results: The students showed interest in the thematic subjects of the program, submitted questions and participated in discussions. They took into account what the scientists conveyed to them and a relationship of trust was cultivated. This was reflected in the results of the action. Notably, there were also examples of relatively weak students showing great interest in the collaborative method and field research and taking initiatives. They responded with particular enthusiasm to the educational visit (outside the island), which was an important motivation for their activation at all levels of thinking and action.

This practice contributed to the increase of:

[ ] engaging families with sciences [ x ] involving girls in science [ x ] raising awareness among students about careers in the natural sciences

Please specify: Parents participated in the collection of questionnaires for the student survey. The girls actively participated in the mapping and literature review and in general all students showed a special interest in digital maps and the contribution of geomorphological terrain to road construction.

• Care: In this phase, students’ curiosity and need to upgrade their knowledge level are stimulated, pre-existing ideas are explored and prior knowledge is activated. Interest and participation is fostered through real work based on a community problem, in this case the control of COVID-19 and ways to build a sensitive sensor device. The concerns and needs related to the problem are identified and the challenges to be investigated and the affected social actors to be involved are prioritized. To engage students by inviting them to participate in a participatory research project to develop strategies for the prevention and control of Covid-19 (and other similar infectious diseases) and also to consider how it is possible to build the study device themselves. They begin by first exploring their concerns and needs with their families and then prioritizing the challenges that need to be explored. The scenario is formed based on the need for more direct communication in the classrooms without losing the sense of security. The students who took part in the activities were 15-17 year olds who were studying at the Lyceum. A total of 35 students participated in the whole process.

• Know:  This phase facilitates the acquisition of knowledge and the development of the scientific skills and attitudes required to address the issues under consideration. Students used knowledge of physics, chemistry and programming. The skills the students practiced were:
  • To understand how to deal with a topic-challenge that they find interesting.
  • To acquire research skills
  • To understand that often in a given target problem there is a conflict of interests and to realize the existence of different approaches.
  • Formulate proposals-recommendations to the citizens and agencies involved
  • Well-informed discussion, communication, writing, interpretation, drawing and presenting conclusions based on knowledge
  • Collaboration
• Do:  In this phase, students applied the knowledge and skills acquired to develop the final product assigned to them. In this case, the final product was titled “Development of a sensitive CO2 sensor for the control and protection against viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 in closed spaces”. Studies and means of achievement were summarized and shared in an open letter. A school scientific conference was organized, where groups of students presented their work and proposals to the educational community. Representatives of policy makers and other relevant bodies were invited to the conference. The project was also presented at the 4th Panhellenic Scientific Conference P.D.E. Crete in May 2022.

Conclusions on Open Schooling: Community participation in the Connect-Horizon 2022 program discussed the vital role that education plays in preparing students to collaboratively address global challenges and local issues facing humanity today, such as global warming, climate change , environmental destruction, disease, inequality and violence. Students’ contact not only with teachers but also with scientists and policy makers makes them think together and learn science to address global and local problems.

The change/innovation was supported by: [ x ] School management [ x ] school association/network
[ x ] Local government [ ] Other: ________________________________

Student results: The purpose of this Project was to create the right conditions for the students to develop a scientific way of thinking in their daily life. Low cultural familiarity with science, lack of role models, insufficient exposure to experimental methods of inquiry, as well as limited opportunities to participate in science outside of formal education lead to a lack of “scientific capital”. The solution is to add more opportunities to the curriculum for these students to learn what scientists do, talk to their families about science, and appreciate the impact of science on the world. The satisfaction level of the children after the end of the project was great as they saw their efforts rewarded, they completed the construction successfully, they met many scientists with whom they solved several problems and they communicated their results with great joy at the CONNECT conference.

This practice contributed to the increase of:

[ x ] engaging families with sciences [ x ] involving girls in science [ x ] raising awareness among students about careers in the natural sciences

Please specify: Parents participated in the collection of questionnaires for the student survey. The girls actively participated in the mapping and literature review and in general all students showed a special interest in digital maps and the contribution of geomorphological terrain to road construction.  

Care: Students were engaged with the possibility of using drawing and art to visualize real-life problems and discuss the best places to play in and explore their local environment. The 20 students who participated in the activities were between the ages of 10 and 14 and attended local public schools in the morning, while studying at the NGO during the afternoon.

Know: The students used their knowledge of visual thinking exercises, perspective, character development and model sheets, 3D and volumetry aspects, coloring, discussion, and collaboration to develop a collective mural of art and storytelling, exploring the historical local problem of a polluted river.

Do: At the end of the initiative, the students prepared Illustrated Mind Maps to record points of personal interest and created two Art Murals to express and share their ideas. One of the murals registered their “vision” and dreams, while the other one visualized data/actions and places in the city and community. We believe that science and scientific problems should be integrated and visualized with easy comprehension for vulnerable persons living in complex scenarios. The activities were completed in groups with support from three professors and an employee from the cleaning department.

Findings related to the Open Schooling approach: This activity was not part of the curriculum, but it was so relevant in integrating university students and professors with vulnerable communities, with a focus on visualizing a problem and sharing a vision of the future. Open schooling might be helpful for other teachers because it can provide a collaborative, not expensive, and co-creative process to facilitate explaining complex content for vulnerable communities, visualizing data, drawing projects, registering a system of ideas, and sensitizing persons to become changemakers.

Students’ outcomes: The students were involved in art and Paulo Freire’s cultural cycle, discussions to discover local themes, and enjoyed the process. After three weeks, I observed that they were more self-confident in the process, with me as a “researcher,” and with our common purpose. For example, a student mentioned the very hard moments that they lived with their families and local crimes, as well as the difficulty of playing or even being close to the river because it was always dirty and polluted, and there were not many good places to play near the school/NGO. I believe that this gathering of feelings and opinions, especially from children living in vulnerable scenarios, is an opportunity to listen to real problems and integrate the university into society. Therefore, the outcome is deeper than just the method or even this lived experience. For the students, this constant exchange can amplify their vision of the world and provide possibilities to change difficulties.

CARE:  High engagement in the lesson, especially in following up reflections from the videos about microplastics, and group work designing their solution

Students were asked to interact with their families. They were invited to implement Holiday research into their single plastic usage.   Most children did not complete this however they had access to the resources required

KNOW: Students had an opportunity to learn from scientists through Video built into the lesson about researcher in microplastics. Increased understanding of microplastics and their impact on the planet, inc in the food chain.

DO: Some great group discussions and problem solving about capturing microplastics. Some interesting reflections and facts about our impact on the Earth and how we might mitigate this.

Findings: Some of the slides needed a little more background to them to make them wholly relevant, especially for KS3 students, for instance the slides on plastics and oceans.
It would have been nice to have a link to a video about how plastics are collected in the sea as there are some great examples of the boon being used.

They link nicely into the Materials chemistry curriculum which we happened to be teaching at the time, hence our choice of this lesson to teach.
The resources were good but needed a little tailoring in order to be really classroom-ready.

Outcomes: Appreciation of the difficulty of tackling plastic usage because of its pervasiveness in everyday life and the size of microplastic samples.
Understanding of some of the technology that can be used to tackle the problem.

I built in two practical activities: one demonstrating bioaccumulation and how plastics mount up as they pass through the food chain. Another looking at filtering of microplastics by using glitter in water. Both increased engagement and provided a tangible angle for students to link to.
I also showed them a laundry bag that I use for my plastic clothes (nylons, polyesters etc) that catches microplastic fibres and stops them from entering the water in the washing machine. We discussed which one would be easier to use: a filter on the machine or a bag around the clothes.
There was not enough time to go into the scale of microplastics in great detail, although for the Y8 students that we taught, this would have required too much broader knowledge to be easy to deliver straight away.

Forty-six students contributed to the open schooling research questionnaires. All of them mentioned that they would like to do more activities like this one. Most students practiced various skills including discussions and developing a project. They liked doing practical activities, working with friends and learning about microplastics.

More details of our report: on this link.

CARE: Excellent!  High level of students’ participation. Students were very engaged.

KNOW: Students were in contact with scientist through video link provided

Calculations converting units with guidance from the task sheet

DO: Students with families were involved with the design of filter and reducing the use of plastic and providing suggestions

Findings: Time was an issue as I had to give some of the activities as home learning.

I was ambitious trying to finish in 90 mins

Outcomes:   Nicely with all the skills embedded

All the skills covered . Literacy, numeracy , team worker etc

Fifty- five students contributed to the open schooling research questionnaires. All of them mentioned that they would like to do more activities like this one. Most students practiced various skills including discussions and developing a project. They liked to work with the microscopes, doing the practical, and seeing the experiments reactions.

More details of our report: on this link.

CARE: Students were not aware faecal transplant existed. This attracted their curiosity and interest with need to know more about the topic to make decisions.  Students were engaged with families and communities through newsletter and twitter

KNOW: This also developed their knowledge from GCSE Biology Organisation – Digestion Topic. The curriculum link was the role of bacteria in the digestive system. It also was designed to teach students how to be critical about the results from scientific studies.

All students were asked to review the reliability of sources and present a 5 min oral presentation on what they found out.

DO: Students worked together in groups of 3 to create a 5 min oral presentation giving their friend advise, with reasons for their opinion.

Findings: It fits in very well with AQA Biology Topic 2 Organisation – Digestion.

Outcomes: No problems apart from students’ confidence in presenting to the whole class.

Some suggestions for teachers are to give students information on how to plan a presentation, give them a template to complete.

Fifty students contributed to the open schooling research questionnaires. Most of them mentioned that they would like to do more activities like this one. Most students practiced  various skills including discussions and research. They liked to work in groups with friends, practical activities and doing research.

More details of our report: on this link.

CARE: students were very involved with the activity and I would have liked to have had more time.  It worked well for sowing the seeds of curiosity, they were very engaged

KNOW: The activity helped to increase their confidence in science; however the challenge was the  time limit. To help teaching the lesson can be delivered in 3-4 lessons and students can do task 1 of the DO stage at home.

DO: The activity asked students to:

Task 1: Calculate the efficiency of three different solar panels.

Task 2: Design a fundraising page for an energy-saving device

It was noticed the importance of having the required level of skill to adequately access the outcome task. Some suggestions for helping students are to:

Model how to calculate the efficiency of one solar panel, that they can do the others.

Make sure this Science Action is used after teaching about energy transfers and efficiency so students have required background knowledge.

Findings: The activity support students learning and it fit well with the curriculum. The topics related to the curriculum are energy transfers and wasted energy.

Outcomes: Meaningful discussions about Energy savers and research skills developed.

Teachers can further expand student outcomes by getting students to find out about real engineers who have designed energy saving devices. Students can also design their own devices.

Fifty students contributed to the open schooling research questionnaires. They mentioned that they would like to do more activities like this one. Most students practiced  various skills including discussions and asking questions. They liked to work in groups with friends, practical activities, doing experiments and becoming more confident.

More details of our report: on this link

CARE: students were very engaged with the activity,  Most were interested and involved to discuss the issue about the controversial use of faecal transplants. This activity was designed to attract students’ attention, curiosity and interest by using this new and unusual medical procedure.

KNOW: Some were able to critically evaluate the data e.g. if it was a double blind trial how did they get the figures. The link with the curriculum was the role of bacteria in the digestive system, a statement from the English KS3 National Curriculum.

DO: They learnt more about looking at the evidence/data/articles than the actual science behind poo transplants. Some did not like the idea and this affected their participation.

Some recommendations for teachers are to involve a scientist who works in the field of gut microbiome who can explain the importance of research into this area. Students could also find out about other medical procedures to treat obesity.

FINDINGS It filled the lesson, a little hard to follow at first and a lot of photocopying.

OUTCOMES: Didn’t fit into our scheme of learning so was done as a one off lesson.

Forty-five students contributed to the open schooling research questionnaires. They mentioned that they would like to do more activities like this one. Most students practiced various skills including discussions and developing a project. They liked to work in groups with friends, doing the practical activities and using the Bunsen burners.

More details of our report: on this link.

CARE: High engagement, students very interested in the topic and for many their first experience of learning about how science in the real world is tested. Students had the opportunity to make connections between science learned in the school to support in real-life decision making.

KNOW: Some great discussion about the validity of sources, students willing to argue for their opinions using evidence. Students use their knowledge of the digestive system, and the enquiry skill of judge quality of sources.

DO: Idea of valid evidence, placebos, range, sample size all beautifully covered in a way that made it much more impactful than a lab practical.

FINDINGS: Very little prior knowledge of how science works. Needed more than an hour. It fits in more with what we teach at ks4.

OUTCOMES: I don’t think they fit with the curriculum content that we teach, but it built on it beautifully and was much richer and extended and deepened thinking to make what we do teach more relevant.

Fifty- three students contributed to the open schooling research questionnaires. They mentioned that they would like to do more activities like this one. Most students practiced  various skills including discussions and developing a project. They liked to use the Bunsen Burner, performing the experiments and work in groups with friends.

More details of our report: on this link.

Care: The activities involved students. They were engaged with the content.  Some parents did not want to/appropriately take part however surprisingly a lot did. So students had the opportunity to engage with conversations about science – rewilding with their parents/carers, grandparents and siblings, including a vote system to collect opinions from different people about which animal should return to the environment.

Know: Students were able to understand the benefits and the risks when making a decision and using a theory. They analyse data that they investigated and discussed about the animals, and they increased their understanding about the how small chances (such as returning back to the environment) can create large implications (bring back the balance in the ecosystem to impact on biodiversity). They were able to improve their knowledge about ecosystems, food web and interdependence.

Do:  All student took place in a group that gave presentations and then the best of the classes presented in front of the whole year group a more in-depth presentation of their project. A scientist  from Chester Zoo evaluated the presentations and provided comments.

Findings:    The resources where very good for meeting needs; however some the images thrown together created a lot of amusement rather than being thought evoking.

Outcomes:   Some students were confident in making claims using evidence, but others need more support. The activity fitted well in the curriculum. There were various students who  struggled with the time aspect of the lessons as well as developing  the knowledge and preparing their communication to present within a single lesson.

Care: Students were involved in this activity. They were asked to show what they discussed with their family. It was possible to confirm Visible discussions seen with their family. However, there were 50% of the class who were not able to show that their families were involved. It was not possible to see any evidence of discussion for various reasons.

Know: Students interacted with a STEM professional from Colchester Zoo who supported the open schooling activity by judging the presentations

Students demonstrated their knowledge with Heated debates for how animals interact with the food web. Students got very involved in class discussions and debates throughout the 8 lessons.

Do:  Students presented their rewilding projects using data and facts. Scientists evaluated the presentations and provided their comments. We could not complete the lessons in 8 lessons due to lack of background knowledge and had to reinforce the basics (eg. food chains before food webs).
Therefore, we could not complete the beaver lesson due to time constraints on the SOW. However, students seemed to be okay with final presentations and were happy with research, analysis and presenting.

Findings:   This open schooling project worked very well. No issues with completing specific activities. All activities are easy to follow and carry out.

The biggest issue was how to differentiate effectively to the very low ability students. All other students had no issues with the knowledge they were acquiring. However, lowest ability students were not even able to grasp food chains and use the key words. Personally, I was able to differentiate for these pupils by providing alternative worksheets I had made.

Most resources met our needs.
However – not enough resources for low ability students. This is fine though as teachers can source these depending on the group.

Outcomes:  High degree of student involvement. The whole class really enjoyed it. Very engaging, promoted discussion and lots of questions. Great for motivation and exctement about science.

The final task of a Presentation would have taken several lessons to complete, which we didn’t have so instead they made a persuasive poster to display on the science noticeboard.

Students:

• Developed the skill of research, analysing data and presenting skills.
• Developed social skills with use of group work.
• Developed critical thinking skills from the evaluation and voting – including the skill of justification.

All students in class were motivated to complete work and engaged. No issue with motivation.

Care: Students were intrigued by the resources including the videos about the topic. They were very motivated to solve an issue about biodiversity affected by human actions and climate change. They discussed about which animal should return back to the UK natural habitats such as beavers, wolves, and lynxes to improve the ecosystem and the biodiversity using a voting system.

Know: Students learned about food web and ecosystems. They also researched about natural habitats for these animals. They practiced scientific thinking and data analysis skills including graphs in maths, data in science, geographic information and scientists’ articles on the web about animals’ habitat and behaviour.

Do: There were some very good class discussions generated by the resources, specifically on rewilding of beavers and wolves in this topic. Students were able to disagree and make salient points against each other without taking things personally or arguing. Families discussed the various options for rewilding. This was a successful homework. Students shared questions, created influential presentations using data and facts. Scientist judged the presentations of the best class groups and provided feedback.

Findings:   The open schooling activity was useful for students’ engagement and meaningful learning. The ideas of food webs, food chains etc. fit well within the y7 curriculum. Very few were outside the curriculum.

Outcomes: Some students understood the topic well already, but links to real world idea cemented the topic very securely.

For lower ability the evidence-based task was difficult to deliver to retain attention.

For higher ability (at our school) very well. For lower ability more differentiation and other ways of delivering are required.

CARE: A project plan was proposed by a school teacher for students to identify a local problem. A group of four students from 17 to 18 years – the third year of secondary school at the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Osório Campus, Technical Course in Administration, found a piece of news in the newspaper about the construction of a bridge being a threat to the cooperative fishing community carried out by the porpoises (similar to dolphins).

The construction of the bridge in an inappropriate place is a threat to the porpoises, and may lead to their extinction.  The construction of the base of the bridge, that is, of the pillars to sustain it within the river, tends to lead to increased pollution and noise in the bar changing the natural habitat of marine animals.

The students were engaged and interested in researching and seeking socio-scientific solutions, including ways of raising awareness among the local population and tourists. The research began with the question of students seeking to find out if the construction of the new bridge would affect the natural and community habitat, as well as how this could occur.  In addition to the initial group composed of four students, the interaction of this discussion was shared with twelve other students of the class divided into three more groups. Thus, four main problems were identified: i) the threat of fishing cooperative; ii) sewage treatment in the city of Tramandaí, because the city does not have the entire sewage network, only in the center; iii) pollution in Lagoa do Marcelino; iv) disposal of plastic in the city of Osório.

Knowledge: Students used knowledge about ecology for environmental preservation in the locality where they live.  The skills that the students practiced were: elaborating scientific questions; researching scientific articles; interviewing scientists and public officials; examining the consequences of environmental impacts; estimating the risks of building the bridge for the region’s ecosystem; analyzing the percentage of the impacted population; estimating the pros and cons of building the bridge to justify their opinion; using ethics to reflect on the impact of the new bridge on the fishermen’s work; communicating their ideas from the creation of digital folders.

Do: In the end, students prepared digital information folders to be shared on social networks. They completed the activities by sharing a discussion on the topic and the results of the research in a large group. In addition, they also addressed scientific issues with their families and the local community to promote awareness and new knowledge.

Findings related to the Open Schooling approach: The activity was adapted to the curriculum and proved relevant, as it provided an opportunity for students to seek solutions to problems in their locality. In this practice, through scientific research, the students presented justifications to support their opinion and combat real problems.  Open schooling can be useful for other teachers through integrative and interdisciplinary projects, which can also seek the solution of local problems in search of sustainable development.

Student results: Students demonstrated great results in terms of their involvement, pleasure, and trust in science. As an example, one student mentioned “that he learned a lot about the region’s ecosystem and circular economy.”  Another student stressed “the importance of promoting sustainable development by supporting the local fishing community and ensuring the region’s fish with the protection of the river.”  In general, the importance of talking to families was highlighted in order to better understand the importance of sustainable fishing for the region.

Find out more here: Our report. 

“CARE”: Approximately 650 students from Early Years Education, Elementary School, and Low Primary Education engaged in investigating a theme of their interest: the animals. They were concerned about those animals they found in their city, and even in their backyard, which were injured or lost from their natural habitat. Their interests engaged them in several activities involving the project. Many of them were led by their natural curiosity expressed in various questions addressed to the science professionals, and also in the conversations with their teachers and family. They learned science through a real-life problem involving their families and experts.

“KNOW “: Students learned about animal types and classification, names, and differences, including behaviour, habits, environment and food. In addition, students not only developed skills such as asking questions, drawing, writing, reflecting on school assessment, communicating their conclusions, but also experienced discussions about the voting system and data analysis through mathematics.

“DO”: At the end, students created drawings, posters, campaigns and infographics with maths data, games, and interviews with printed and online resources. They developed the activities individually and collaboratively with experts, family, and community members. At the end, all students discussed about their views related to science in their lives and society with the self-assessment mobile application CONNECT-SCIENCE tool.

Findings related to the Open Schooling approach: The structured activity allowed a connection with the curriculum in an interdisciplinary way. Children developed knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values with activities in science, mathematics, geography, and Portuguese language communication. It was a useful, relevant, challenging, and innovative project as it involved many schools and teachers who supported the actions with great commitment. Open schooling can be useful and challenging at the same time as it requires planning actions within and beyond the school space. That is why it is critical for teachers to have opportunities to receive mentorship and training with access to easy-to-use resources, practical teaching strategies, technology support and also an assessment tool to examine the results of their practices.

Student outcomes: Students demonstrated increased engagement, enjoyment of scientific activities, such as: observation in the forest and zoo; analysis and comparison of animal data sheets; discussion of concepts; communication skills, like oral, visual, and written competencies. As an example, one student mentioned that science is important and recorded a short video at home on her cell phone expressing her views on what science means to her. By the same token, other students manifested their learning and new knowledge by stating: “Science is not just about doing experiments in the lab; it helps us think about how to help the world”; “I learned about the characteristics of forest animals, types of habitats and how to protect them; “Deforestation is increasing, and we need to do something.”

Find out more here: Our report.