| CODE | MSS2016 | ||||||||||||||||
| TITLE | Science in the Community 2 | ||||||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 02 - Years 2, 3 in Modular Undergraduate Course | ||||||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 5 | ||||||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 8 | ||||||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Mathematics and Science Education | ||||||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | The science provision must extend beyond the walls of the school to the resources of the community. Our communities have many specialists, in transportation, health-care delivery, communications, computer technologies, music, art, cooking, mechanics, and many other fields that have scientific aspects. Communities have access to science centers and museums, as well as to the science communities in higher education, national laboratories, and industry; these can contribute greatly to the understanding of science and encourage students to further their interests outside of school. In this study-unit students will review local science community resources to identify and evaluate their suitability in communicating and offering opportunities for learning. Particularly, students will be strongly encouraged to visit and spend a number of weeks at a science communication and learning setting in a foreign country. Such an experience would be highly enriching and provide a different perspective compared to local settings. Study-Unit Aims: - To investigate which science resources exist in the community. - To identify such resources and classify them according to their varying nature in relation to science communication and learning. - To assess the suitability of such resources in communicating science effectively and providing adequate learning opportunities. - To provide opportunities and encourage students to undertake an experience in a foreign institution or activity abroad that involves science communication and learning. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - identify the characteristics of a suitable community resource in science; - recognise the existence of community resources in science communication and learning; and - establish the community's resource contribution to learning of science and dissemination to students and the public in general. 2. Skills: By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - analyse and differentiate community resources for science communication and learning; - evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of such resources locally and abroad; - critique the philosophy and practice of the particular community resource under consideration; and - assess and report back on the nature, characteristics and efficacy in communicating and offering learning of the foreign (or local) science communication setting or initiative chosen. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Main Text: Patricia G. Patrick (Ed),(2017) Preparing Informal Science Educators: perspectives from science communication and education. Springer International Publishing. Supplementary Reading: Simon Beames, Peter Higgins & Robbie Nicol (2012). Learning Outside the Classroom. London: Routledge. |
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| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Fieldwork | ||||||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Edward Mifsud |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2025/6. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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