The proposal intends 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. Actually 3D printing is being used in many schools to create interactive, mechanical and technical lessons. This inspires young minds, guiding them to STEM careers and makes learning funnier, also allowing them to develop global citizenship competences. The project activities will be developed with reference to all school educational levels and will see as main outcome the elaboration of a proposal for building a global education model incorporating informal schooling based on 3D printing activities in school curricula, allowing its accreditation and the evaluation of the reference educational contents. 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. According European Commission perspective, making science education and careers attractive for young people is an ambitious goal, since it targets to drastically improve science and technology-literacy in our society. Innovative formal and informal science education teaching and learning is important in order to raise both young boys' and girls' awareness of the different aspects encompassing science and technology in today’s society and to address the challenges faced by young people when pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). Skills in STEM are becoming an increasingly important part of basic literacy in today’s knowledge economy. To keep Europe growing, we will need one million additional researchers by 2020. Yet science education can no longer be viewed as elite training for future scientists or engineers; only science-aware citizens can make informed decisions and engage in dialogue on science-driven societal issues. The project activities will be developed as follows: a) 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. b) 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. c) 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. d) 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. e) 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. 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 proposal of educational model will be asked also to support and improve in students the development of global citizenship competences., transversal to the different subjects. 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.
FUN@SCIENCE had developed and tested 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 had 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 activities was developed with reference to all school educational levels and will see as main outcome the elaboration of a proposal for building a global education model incorporating informal schooling based on 3D printing activities in school curricula, allowing its accreditation and the evaluation of the reference educational contents. FUN@SCIENCE project activities had developed as follows: a) Collection and analysis of interesting practices in the 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. b) 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. c) 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. d) Testing the model at all educational level in different classes for each participating country, according to a common framework based on a well defined educational project. e) 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. FUN@SCIENCE project action was 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.