Bioinformatics Projects Supporting Life-Sciences Learning in High Schools

The interdisciplinary nature of bioinformatics makes it an ideal framework to develop activities enabling enquiry-based learning. We describe here the development and implementation of a pilot project to use bioinformatics-based research activities in high schools, called "Bioinformatics@school." It includes web-based research projects that students can pursue alone or under teacher supervision and a teacher training program. The project is organized so as to enable discussion of key results between students and teachers. After successful trials in two high schools, as measured by questionnaires, interviews, and assessment of knowledge acquisition, the project is expanding by the action of the teachers involved, who are helping us develop more content and are recruiting more teachers and schools.Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciênci

Responsible research and innovation in science education: insights from evaluating the impact of using digital media and arts-based methods on RRI values

The European Commission policy approach of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) is gaining momentum in European research planning and development as a strategy to align scientific and technological progress with socially desirable and acceptable ends. One of the RRI agendas is science education, aiming to foster future generations' acquisition of skills and values needed to engage in society responsibly. To this end, it is argued that RRI-based science education can benefit from more interdisciplinary methods such as those based on arts and digital technologies. However, the evidence existing on the impact of science education activities using digital media and arts-based methods on RRI values remains underexplored. This article comparatively reviews previous evidence on the evaluation of these activities, from primary to higher education, to examine whether and how RRI-related learning outcomes are evaluated and how these activities impact on students' learning. Forty academic publications were selected and its content analysed according to five RRI values: creative and critical thinking, engagement, inclusiveness, gender equality and integration of ethical issues. When evaluating the impact of digital and arts-based methods in science education activities, creative and critical thinking, engagement and partly inclusiveness are the RRI values mainly addressed. In contrast, gender equality and ethics integration are neglected. Digital-based methods seem to be more focused on students' questioning and inquiry skills, whereas those using arts often examine imagination, curiosity and autonomy. Differences in the evaluation focus between studies on digital media and those on arts partly explain differences in their impact on RRI values, but also result in non-documented outcomes and undermine their potential. Further developments in interdisciplinary approaches to science education following the RRI policy agenda should reinforce the design of the activities as well as procedural aspects of the evaluation research

Pendalaman Imunologi/Vaksin dan Pewarnaan Intraseluler bagi Guru SMA/Sederajat se-Malang Raya dan Sekitarnya

Malang merupakan salah satu kota pelajar yang memiliki berbagai sekolah dan perguruan tinggi yang terpercaya bagi pelajar dari berbagai daerah untuk mendapatkan pendidikan yang berkualitas. Pembelajaran di tingkat SMA bukan hanya terfokus pada kegiatan belajar mengajar, namun juga pada keterampilan laboratorium yang dapat meningkatkan kemampuan siswa terutama pada bidang biologi. Peningkatan minat siswa pada bidang sains mendorong para guru untuk lebih kreatif mengembangkan ilmu pengetahuan siswa mengikuti perkembangan teknologi. Pengabdian masyarakat ini diselenggarakan sebagai media transfer ilmu Biologi terbaru, terutama terkait imunologi dan pewarnaan intraseluler, kepada guru SMA/sederajat se-Malang Raya dan sekitarnya. Tahapan kegiatan diawali dengan persiapan dan sosialisasi program kepada peserta, perumusan materi, pelaksanaan kegiatan berupa pemaparan materi dan praktikum, serta evaluasi. Pendalaman konsep vaksin dan imunologi serta konsep pewarnaan intraseluler menggunakan flow cytometry telah terlaksana dengan hasil evaluasi menunjukkan adanya peningkatan pemahaman peserta dalam penguasaan materi yang diberikan. Evaluasi pada kegiatan menunjukan 93% peserta sangat berminat dan menunjukan tingkat kepuasan peserta pada kegiatan yang dilakukan. Kegiatan ini meningkatkan pemahaman peserta pada konsep imunologi dan vaksin sebagai bekal pembelajaran siswa. Kegiatan serupa sangat diharapkan oleh peserta untuk dilakukan secara berkelanjutan dengan pemahaman yang lebih kompleks

Hands-on Science. Advancing Science. Improving Education

The book herein aims to contribute to the advancement of Science to the improvement of Science Education and to an effective implementation of a sound widespread scientific literacy at all levels of society. Its chapters reunite a variety of diverse and valuable works presented in this line of thought at the 15th International Conference on Hands-on Science “Advancing Science. Improving Education