Bus ConCiencia (Bus "With-Science"), learning to research in science on wheels
| Coordinating Organisation | Fundación Ecoscience, Chile |
|---|---|
| Organisers/Type of Organisation | Scientific Foundation |
| Initiative Type | Mobile laboratory of Natural Sciences and Technology |
| Field of Science Involved | Scientific education |
| Target Audience(s) | Primary school children and general public |
| Reach | Local, regional and national |
Main Objectives
- Motivate the enjoyment for learning Science and Technology, through inspiring and easily replicable scientific experiences;
- Develop scientific thinking in school-age children;
- Encourage inquiry-based science education in the classroom and the active learning methodologies in science, supporting teachers in the management of the curriculum.
Description of work
Bus ConCiencia is an initiative aimed to promote the development of research skills in science and the learning of scientific contents in 8-12 years old students. For this, classes are held with students and teachers in a mobile laboratory mounted on a bus that travels through different cities and rural villages of Chile, parking in the schools. The philosophy is to align with the work that teachers are doing, in a way that prior to a lesson, staff from Fundación Ecoscience make an advanced visit to design activities with them in coherence with the learning objectives that they might have planned. Children in classes work in groups, they learn through experiments and/or models made with low-cost materials, so that the experience can be replicable in later years with other children in the same level.
Fundación Ecoscience also works with the general public in events of diffusion and valorisation of sciences, conducting scientific 'maker' workshops, addressing issues of citizen interest (e.g. climate change), and training teachers in methodological, didactic and evaluative tools for science education.
Results
- Since 2012 to date, inspiring classes of science have been given to more than 20,000 students across Chile;
- More than 700 teachers of primary school have been trained with methodological, didactic and evaluation tools to transform their science classes into opportunities to learn to research;
- Two new mobile laboratories are currently being built (2017), aiming to reach out more students and teachers from remote places in the country, and to promote equal access to opportunities that spread and value science.
Resources used or generated
Mobile laboratory, supplies and office, kitchen or hardware materials to perform the experiences of enquiry, low-cost scientific instrumentation, guides, working protocols and evaluations co-designed by the team of educators of the foundation together with the teachers of the schools visited.
| Contact Details | |
|---|---|
| Principal Contact | Fabián Bravo Manonella, Director of Education, Fundación Ecoscience |
| Address | Avenida La Dehesa 1201 oficina 825, Torre Oriente. Lo Barnechea, Santiago |
| [email protected] | |
| Website | www.ecoscience.org |
| Social Media |
Facebook Twitter - @BusConCiencia Flickr YouTube |