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Hands-on & Brains-on

During the last decades, science centres and museums have been leading the way with hands-on learning and teaching in Europe. The multidisciplinary contents of modern science centre exhibitions are large and unique forming a reliable learning source. In the Hands-On & Brains-On project, a network of eight institutions (science centres and museums) is now developing educational programmes for primary schools in co-operation with school authorities, teacher education institutes and schools.

Mainly targeted to primary school teachers, the objective is to create a European network that links formal and informal learning with the organisations ECSITE, EUN and ESHA.
The project puts together the processes of teaching cognitive facts at school and learning how to make observations in science centres and museums.
The objective is to identify key elements within the curricula of different countries in order to teach the scientific research process using interactions between science centres and schools. The science centres will use the teachers’ pedagogical expertise as well as the curriculum development input by the educational authorities.

The latest research results related to the effect of informal learning sources to the career choices of young people – especially girls – are further developed in this project. The aim of hands-on-based methods is not only to produce more scientists and technologists; it is also to create a new generation of citizens who are scientifically and technologically literate. Using ICT strategies is the main element for the development of European co-operation and for the dissemination of the results. The project is also directly linked to several other European projects (PENCIL, CONNECT, CALIBRATE) through the “Science is Primary" theme. It gives added value and synergy for formal and informal hands-on science learning clearly supporting the goals of the Lisbon Agenda.

Science teachers of primary schools are invited to participate in the project and contribute its validation.
If you are interested, you need to follow the next steps:

1. Download one or several of the following descriptions of projects:

a) Hands-on Chemistry - Heureka, Energiakeskus
b) Science is Primary
c) Travelling Theatre
d) Technical Club for girls
e) EGO-TRAP, English version and Online info
f) Electronic Rally
g) On line experiments
h) Travelling Science
i) Telecommunications, Robotics, Biotechnology
j) Applied mathematics
k) Discover Science

2. Choose a project you want to try.
3. Participate in the “Start-up survey” (EN, FI, GR, IT, NL) and tell us your expectations about the chosen project.
4. Download the guide for the chosen project:

a) Hands-on Chemistry - Heureka, Energiakeskus
b) Science is Primary
c) Travelling Theatre
d) Technical Club for girls - Electrogame (EN, NL), The Swaying Butterfly (EN, NL), Wooden Visiting Card (EN, NL)
e) EGO-TRAP
f) Electronic Rally
g) On line experiments
h) Travelling Science
i) Telecommunications, Robotics, Biotechnology
j) Applied mathematics
k) Discover Science

5. Read the manual and plan how to integrate it in your classroom. You might want to ask the project leader for details.
6. Participate in the “Mid-Time survey” (EN, FI, IT, NL) and tell us how your expectations about the chosen project changed.
7. Run the project in the classroom.
8. Participate in the “End-Time survey” (EN, FI, GR, IT, NL) and tell us how your practical experiences where running the project.

Your participation is of great importance to the project, as we try to support teachers by giving them good teaching material. The results of the surveys will be published here. Teachers and developers can benefit from your experience.

In case of any difficulties, please contact Karl Sarnow.

Read the Hands-on & Brains-on Newsletters:

Newsletter 6 - April 2007

Newsletter 5 - March 2007

Newsletter 4 - November 2006

Newsletter 3 - July 2006

Newsletter 2 - April 2006

Newsletter 1 - February 2006

Results of Hands & On Brains On meetings:

Copenhagen, 26.3.2007 - 27.3.2007
Formal learning vs. informal learning (Jens Dolin)
Experimentarium (Asger Høeg)
Hands On & Brains On (Hannu Salmi)