Outreach initiatives operated by universities for increasing interest in science and technology

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in European Journal of Engineering Edutaion on 2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/03043797.2015.1121468Since the 1990s, the low number of students choosing to study science and technology in higher education has been on the societal agenda and many initiatives have been launched to promote awareness regarding career options. The initiatives particularly focus on increasing enrolment in the engineering programmes. This article describes and compares eight European initiatives that have been established and operated by universities (and in some cases through collaboration with other actors in society). Each initiative is summarised in a short essay that discusses motivation, organisation, pedagogical approach, and activities. The initiatives are characterised by comparing the driving forces behind their creation, how the initiative activities relate to the activities at the university, size based on the number of participants and cost per participant and pedagogical framework. There seem to be two main tracks for building outreach activities, one where outreach activities are based on the university’s normal activities, and one where outreach activities are designed specifically for the visiting students.Gumaelius, L.; Almqvistb, M.; Arnadottir, A.; Axelsson, A.; Conejero, JA.; García Sabater, JP.; Klitgaard, L.... (2016). Outreach initiatives operated by universities for increasing interest in science and technology. European Journal of Engineering Education. 41(6):589-622. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2015.1121468S58962241

Subject(s) matter: a grounded theory of technology teachers’ conceptions of the purpose of teaching technology

Technology education internationally has for some time struggled to achieve continuity between what is depicted in policy and curricular documents and the reality of day-to-day practices. With its focus often articulated through the nature of activity students are to engage with, technology teachers are recognised as having significant autonomy in the design and implementation of their practices. From this, it is important to understand teachers’ beliefs about technology education, as their conceptions of the subject will inform practice. As such, this study sought to investigate teachers’ conceptions of the purpose of teaching technology through reflection on their enacted practices. A constructivist grounded theory methodology was employed for the design of the study and analysis of data. According to our analysis, despite similarities between the nature of student activity that teachers designed and implemented, teachers represented the purpose of the subject in different ways. Three different conceptions of the purpose of teaching technology were identified; obtaining knowledge and skills for application, ability to act in a technological way, and ability to think in a technological way. Central to the three conceptions were contentions in the representations of what constituted subject matter knowledge in the subject, and the role that different application cases played in teaching technology. Without consideration and explicit articulation of the purposes for teaching technology, this lack of clarity and differences in rationale for teaching technology are likely to continue

Localizing the biochemical transformations of arsenate in a hyperaccumulating fern

Copyright © 2006 American Chemical SocietyThe fern Pteris vittata accumulates unusually high levels of arsenic. Using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and XAS imaging, we reveal the distribution of arsenic species in vivo. Arsenate is transported through the vascular tissue from the roots to the fronds (leaves), where it is reduced to arsenite and stored at high concentrations. Arsenic-thiolate species surrounding veins may be intermediates in this reduction. In gametophytes, arsenite is compartmentalized within the cell vacuole. Arsenic is excluded from cell walls, rhizoids, and reproductive areas. This study provides important insights into arsenic hyperaccumulation, which may prove useful for phytoremediating arsenic-contaminated sites, and demonstrates the strengths of XAS imaging for distinguishing highly localized species.Ingrid J. Pickering, Luke Gumaelius, Hugh H. Harris, Roger C. Prince, Gregory Hirsch, Jo Ann Banks, David E. Salt, and Graham N. Georg