PromoSolsEduc: a tool for identification and valuation of educational resources on soil knowledge and preservation

Abstract

International audienceThe french branch of the International Union of Soil Science, the ‘Association Française pour l’Étude du Sol’ (AFES) is a national society which aims to share knowledge about soils in order to contribute to the protection of this crucial resource. Among the various activities undertaken by AFES, the PromoSolsEduc project gathers and shares teaching material to improve soil education.The PromoSolsEduc project brings together a community of more than 80 scientists and teachers involved in the development of good practices in soil science education, through a network where they can discuss their experience, exchange on difficulties encountered and share solutions. This initiative is based on a multidisciplinary working group comprising members of AFES Board, soil researchers and engineers from various structures, teachers and soil education specialists.The first step was to compile, but also to evaluate existing resources (books, videos, web sites…) and to develop a search engine on the AFES’s website, allowing easier access to this material. In a second phase, a survey was conducted among education institutions, showing the great diversity of teachers engaged in the transfer of knowledge in soils sciences. Furthermore, this investigation revealed the specific needs of teachers, such as scientific support in order to access more efficiently complete and reliable teaching materials. This works led to a dynamic mapping of the key resource people in soil education. A new step has recently been reached with an interactive workshop where teachers pointed out difficulties, helping the AFES Board to plan future improvements of its website