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Pilot Project: The Virtual Observatory

The Virtual Observatory (VO) project is bringing together pedagogical experts, researchers, scientists, and students to introduce the use of robotic telescopes in school education. The VO project aims to evaluate the educational perspectives of the use of robotic telescopes in secondary education and to propose an innovative method for science teaching that will renew enthusiasm for scientific studies among youngsters. The VO system is mainly based on the integration of the services offered by the EUDOXOS project in Greece.

Target age group
Students aged 15-17 years old and their teachers

Languages
English and Greek

Methodology

• Effective training to be offered to teachers and science centre staff of the participating institutions
• Training will include a teachers' workshop, where the VO service will be presented and a series of online seminars through the Internet
• Teachers and students will be able to use the robotic telescope and perform their experiments

Location
Schools, museums and science centres.

Planned outputs

• Local Network  02/2005
• Delivering material to the Working Platform Website  05/2005
• Report of the Pilot Projects outcomes 05/2006
• Participation to the Science Teachers Conference 11/2006

Impact
A pedagogical framework for the effective use of the remotely controlled telescopes in the classroom will be developed and a better understanding of the opportunities, which are associated with eLearning methods, will be achieved.

Evaluation strategy

• In the framework of the specific project, the general evaluation methodology developed by the pedagogical group of the PENCIL Consortium will be implemented according to their guidelines.
• It has to be noted that the Project activities will be implemented with the participation of 100 teachers who will be selected by EUN.
• The role of EA is to provide them with the necessary training for using the applications in their classrooms and support them during the whole process (e.g. by making sure that the telescopes are available upon request).

Pilot coordinator

Ellinogermaniki Agogi, Athens, Greece

Ellinogermaniki Agogi is a private educational organization, officially recognized by the state in Greece. Ellinogermaniki Agogi was the first Greek educational organization, which applied ODL in secondary level education in 1993. Since 1995, the organization has established a devoted department, the Research and Development Department, for the design, development and implementation of the research activities in education, expanding the collaboration with Universities and pedagogical Institutions across Europe, as it provides the best test bed for research applications. The Department employs 20 people.

Contact details
Ellinogermaniki Agogi,
Doukissis Plakentias 25,
GR 152 34 Halandri,
Athens,
Greece
http://www.ellinogermaniki.gr

Project coordinator
Dr. Sofoklis Sotiriou (Head of R&D department)
Tel. no.  +30-2106032550
Fax no. +30-2106032554
Email: sotiriou@ea.gr

Partners

Scientific partners
• National Observatory of Education EUDOXOS, Kefalonia, Greece

Educational partners
• The Greek Ministry of Education, Greece
• Eugenides Foundation, Greece