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The future of science education

Matt Thurling

25 January 2011

The University of Bristol has been awarded a grant to participate in HP’s Catalyst Initiative, a global social innovation program designed to develop more effective approaches to science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education worldwide.

HP is donating $6 million to 35 educational institutions, including the University of Bristol, across five consortia that will use the award to explore innovations in STEM+ learning and teaching.

The University is a member of the E-Scapes consortium, along with Adobe, Futurelab, Imagine-ed, Science.tv, ScienceScope and Science Learning Centre South West.

The partners will work with the next generation of Science teachers, who are currently studying on the PGCE teacher training course within the University of Bristol’s Graduate School of Education.  Using the technology and funding donated by HP, the group will research the use of peer-to-peer communication, digital media, location-based services and data-logging to enhance Science education.

Dr Neil Ingram, Senior Lecturer (Science Education) in Bristol’s Graduate School of Education said: “We’re excited about this project.  It gives us the space to explore exactly what roles technology should play in education and to share our findings with educational institutions from all over the world.”

About HP Catalyst Initiative

HP is building a global network of consortia that is attempting to develop more effective approaches to science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) education.  The goal is to create international collaborative ‘sandboxes’ of innovation that will explore what the future of STEM education can look like—a future where students use their technical and creative ingenuity to address urgent social challenges in their communities and around the world.

Further information

Please contact Joanne Fryer for further information.
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