An Initiative to Make Mathematical and Physical Theory Accessible by Means of Aviation Bruno Wiesler 1, Michaela Bernreiter 1, Erich Reichel 2, Uwe Apel 3, Christian Siegmund 3, Simon Belder 4, Lonneke Boels 4, Vassilios Theofilis 5, M ichael Schlapkohl 6 FH JOANNEUM 1, Pädagogische Hochschule Steiermark 2 (Austria), Hochschule Bremen 3 (Germany), Christelijk Lyceum Delft 4 (The Netherlands), Universidad Politecnica de Madrid 5, Deutsche Schule Madrid 6 (Spain). bruno.wiesler@fh-joanneum.at, michaela.bernreiter@fh-joanneum.at, Erich.Reichel@phst.at, uapel@fbm.hs-bremen.de, christian.siegmund@hs-bremen.de s.belder@chrlyceumdelft.nl, L.Boels@chrlyceumdelft.nl, vassilios.theofilis@upm.es, michael.schlapkohl@dsmadrid.org Abstract One of the major challenges of modern European school systems is how to teach and learn especially abstract forms of natural sciences like mathematics and physics. Facing the future challenges of modern Europe these competences together with key and social competences are considered to be of crucial importance for development and reaching the goal of being the most knowledge driven society in the world. The substance of the subjects envisaged create pedagogical challenges in a more and more concrete, practical and life oriented school environment. These challenges are faced by the project FLY HIGH which is using a subject of public interest aviation - to teach mathematical and physical competences as well as interdisciplinary and key competences in a modern, lively and interesting way. Within FLY HIGH a creative and interactive curriculum for secondary schools (lower and upper level) including the guidelines for teachers is developed. The corresponding demonstration objects and teaching means, gliders, a transportable wind tunnel, a water jet plane and a learning game, available on smartphones and tablet PCs, are key elements. The curriculum is a strong motivation factor for pupils girls and boys equally to deal with physics, mathematics and engineering sciences. The material can be used for the initial training and the continuous professional development of teachers in the field of physics and mathematics and related transversal key competences to make strongly theory based learning contents more attractive and accessible to pupils. This material aims to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom by using interactive methods that allow instant experiences of the learning contents close to reality and working life. 1. Introduction Teaching of modern natural science in relation with necessary transversal key competences like learning to learn and basic scientific competences, e.g. formulating a basic hypothesis as basis for verification through experiments, forms one of the crucial challenges of modern school pedagogy as a common knowledge in natural sciences and related transversal competences is considered to be one of the driving forces of the European society. "Science teaching at school must be sensitive to children s common sense understanding of scientific phenomena in order to be effective (that is, spontaneous or pre-scientific reasoning leading to naive representations or conceptions of phenomena). This has been conclusively shown in a broad body of research, which underlines the myriad ways in which children see and interpret the world around them (see Science Education Research and the Training of Science Teachers ). Knowledge of what this implies and the ability to take account of such common sense understanding in the science classroom and laboratory are, however, missing from top-level programme guide education systems at ISCED 1 and at education systems at ISCED 2." (See Science Teaching at School in Europe, Policies and Research Eurydice, Brussels: Eurydice, 2006). Especially physics as a subject with a high degree of abstraction and not so close relations to the world of work and civil society create a huge challenge in school education, and teachers notably insecondary level (lower and upper level) lack suitable tools and instruments to teach physical subjects in a more vivid, work oriented and motivating way. "The criticisms and suggestions are suggestive of two main strands for the development of experimental work (1)
providing a richer and more diverse picture of what is involved in doing science and (2) giving more autonomy to pupils: engaging them in more open-ended tasks." (See above). Teaching natural sciences especially in lower and higher secondary school appears to be a quite similar challenge in all European countries and innovative approaches including the use of modern ICT as teaching method are needed in basically all school systems (see Euridyce report 2006). For this reason, the development of a teaching and learning package to support the teaching of natural sciences and related interdisciplinary and transversal key competences seems to be requisite. The nature of the subject implies a European dimension and value as such: the aviation industry and subject is a European one, flight technology and aviation science feeds a huge European industry relevant for all European countries in a global world. Examples used support the involvement and identification of pupils and teachers with European and common issues and values. On the basis of these two factors a European added value can be generated which goes beyond the teaching and learning process of pupils in the subject areas approached. 2. Didactic Concept The topic of flying combines a multitude of contents in fundamental mechanics, especially in fluid mechanics. Those parts which require detailed subject-specific knowledge can only be taught efficiently through instruction. However, it is indispensable to introduce pupils to the topic by means of inquiry-based learning. For this purpose, single units of inquiry-based learning are integrated into the curriculum. In this way, pupils construct knowledge under the guidance of an instructor, who progressively releases learners into the independent construction of knowledge. For the realization of this concept, learners must develop competences which are indispensable for the natural sciences and general education. Additionally to natural sciences further topics in respect to aviation can be addressed, such as: history, geography, navigation, meteorology, biology, bird flight and information technology. These subjects are well suited for pupils to exercise the gathering of information from literature and the internet, prepare the material and present it to the teacher and the other pupils of the class. For a transfer to the European context, the didactic concept works with a standard model for describing scientific competences (Fig.1) compiled by a group in Austria (Bifie, 2011). The standard model presented is applicable to various educational systems across Europe. The model operates with three-dimensions: the content dimension, the competence dimension and the performance dimension. The content dimension will not be described in detail, as it is determined by the given topic. Fig.1: Model for describing scientific teaching Inquiry-based learning develops competences that follow the scientific method: Observation (of a phenomenon) Asking questions about the observation Making presumptions about the answers (hypothesis) Answering by planning and performing experiments Gathering knowledge (theory)
The contents are prepared in such a way that they correspond to inquiry-based learning and support the related syllabus. The aim of the project is the construction of a glider, wind tunnel testing and the J-plane s s test flight. In order to optimize the glider s flight performance, target-oriented knowledge and experimental observation are essential. Therefore, this topic is ideally suited for this didactic concept. 3. Results and Outcomes A project FLY HIGH was set up on a European level. The aim of FLY HIGH was to develop a creative and interactive curriculum for secondary schools (lower and upper level) including the guidelines for teachers and the corresponding demonstration objects and teaching means. The curriculum is a strong motivation factor for pupils girls and boys equally to deal with physics, mathematics and engineering sciences. The material can be used for the initial training and the continuous professional development of teachers in the field of physics and mathematics and related transversal key competences to make strongly theory based learning contents more attractive and accessible to pupils. This material aims to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom by using interactive methods that allow instant experiences of the learning contents close to reality and working life. To reach this main project aim the following items were developed: 1. Curriculum FLY HIGH: Aviation Special : The curriculum describes the teaching approaches, learning outcomes and competences envisaged at pupils in natural sciences on the basis of the FLY HIGH : Demonstration Objects. It gives a detailed introduction and overview of the learning content provided in this aviation special and provides a detailed instruction for natural science teachers related to learning content use (experimentation, plane building). The documentation contains the physical and mathematical background, how to build the objects, recommendation and guidelines how to practically arrange the teaching units and how to use the material also for interdisciplinary projects (e.g. with geography, history, biology) to foster key competences. 2. Teaching and learning materials FLY HIGH: Demonstration Objects: The FLY HIGH: Demonstration Objects contain a description of already built prototypes of the J-Plane (water jet plane) (Fig.2), Crazy Gliders (made of Depron) and the IHU-Wind Tunnel (Fig.3). The demonstration objects are described in detail: The J-Plane has to be built of light wood or synthetic material. The wing span is generally more than 70 cm. It is powered by a water jet based on the repulsion principle. The water isfilled in an empty commercial plastic bottle. With a standard bicycle tire inflator, the closed bottle is brought to a pressure level up to 6 Bar (the recommended bottles are tested up to 12 bar by the manufacturers). By quickly unlocking the bottle, the plane is released from a ramp. The principle is already known from water rockets. A plane offers, in comparison to a rocket, by far more potential for physical and mathematical content, different levels of complexity, variations of boundary conditions and the rules for a flight challenge. In general, the entire concept is environmentally friendly and safe for pupils and teachers. Aerodynamics can best be studied in a controlled environment like a wind tunnel. Therefore an Eiffel type wind tunnel for educational purposes was developed. Copies of this IHU-Wind Tunnel can be easily produced and expanded, since mostly standard parts are used. This wind tunnel type can be used by scholars for their research and for demonstration purposes in a class room. Paper gliders are generally well known to pupils (sometimes they even use them to spoil teaching units). During the project it was decided to use Depron instead of paper for the Crazy Glider as flights with the same design are better reproducible. They are cheap to build and do not need any particular care in terms of safety, making them ideal objects for educational purposes. Background information about the flight physics and a concept for teaching on lower secondary school level were developed. 3. FLY HIGH: ICT Tool : The FLY HIGH: ICT Tool (Fig.4) is the e-learning environment for learning about natural sciences in relation to the field of aviation (focusing on physical and mathematical competences). The motivation for learning is provided by a mobile device game (smart phones and tablet PCs), that will support scaffolding and learning of the player by explaining physics through the game play demonstrate the effects on the aerodynamics and responsiveness of the airplane.
Fig. 2: Demonstration Object Examples of J-Planes (water jet planes) Fig.3: Demonstration Object Crazy Glider and IHU-Wind Tunnel Fig. 4: Some pictures from the ICT-Tool
4. Outlook In the second year of the Fly High project (Oct. 2012 Sept. 2013) the following activities will be undertaken according to the elaborated dissemination and the exploitation strategy. 1. Educational Film: A film will be finished early in 2013. The film will be available for download on the homepage of FLY HIGH and at least on YouTube and VIMEO. 2. Validation and Pilot Implementation: During the test implementation and validation phase the developed teaching and learning materials contained in the FLY HIGH: Master Collection will be tested and validated in depth with a number of schools and pupils in the partner countries. The participating schools of lower and upper secondary education will be mainly involved in this phase. From each school a number of teachers (for lower and for upper secondary education as well as in a mixture between all related natural sciences and interdisciplinary subjects: physics, mathematics, geography, economics and languages) will study the learning and teaching materials and involve pupils from lower and upper secondary classes in the validation phase. The whole testing and validation phase will be observed by a comprehensive validation protocol in orderto identify all necessary adaptation potentials for the revision and adaptation phase. A validation and pilot implementation report will contain all experiences gained out of the intensive testing of the project outputs through teachers and pupils in the partner countries. The report will show concrete fields for modification and adaptation and give practical suggestions for the assessment procedure. 3. Revision and adaption phase: During the revision and finalization phase the project outputs (teaching and learning materials as well as the FLY HIGH:ICT Tool) will be revised and adapted according to the information and suggestions gained out of the action described above - validation and pilot implementation. The involved project partners will modify the materials and outputs according to their responsibility and finalize the outputs for publication and sustainable use. Also part of the revision and finalization phase is the development of a sustainability strategy for the project outputs to ensure a long lasting use and further development of the outputs. The modified versions of the project outputs will be developed according to the experiences gained from the validation and pilot implementation phase. The final versions will be developed for publication and will also be available for download from the project website and from relevant app websites or App Stores. 4. Dissemination and Exploitation: According to the dissemination and exploitation strategy, the 2 nd year of the project is dedicated to these subjects. The current events and publications will be announced on the web-site of FLY HIGH: www.flyhigh-321.eu. Reference Bifie, Bundesinsitut für Bildungsforschung, Innovation und Entwicklung des österreichischen Schulwesens (2011), Kompetenzmodell für die Naturwissenschaften, 8. Schulstufe, download: https://www.bifie.at/node/1472 (13.1.2013)