East Midlands, UK: Communication, Education and

Training ActivitiesCatherine L. Muller

Simon Roberts, Alan Wells, Anu Ojha, Chas Bishop, John Remedios, Terry Moore, Adam Edwards

East Midlands CET activities

The East Midlands CET activities involve:– National Space Centre – Space Academy project (curriculum focused)– University researchers and research groups (UoN/IESSG; UoL/SRC)– Teachers– School children; undergraduates; graduates; post-graduates– General public – ‘science in society’– Industries, businesses, SMEs, charities– Societies (Royal Meteorological Society, British Geographical Society, Institute of Physics)– University-established business development schemes / knowledge-exchange hubs (G-STEP;

GRACE)– Funding bodies and partners (i.e. emda, UK Space Agency, research councils, STEMNET, SLC)

East midlands initiatives aim to establish links across the board: – To build a ‘vertical’ network – from Academics to PhD students to undergraduates to

schools to parents.– To build a ‘horizontal’ network – across universities, industries and schools.– To support and encourage students from school up to university, through to careers and

beyond.

NSC Statistics

PUBLIC LECTURES-Visiting scientists and professors-Latest research

SCHOOLS–Primary to 18 years–‘Formal’ teaching: Space Academy–‘Informal’ reaching: Primary and secondary school trips–60,000 visiting school children–10,000 kids doing curriculum based STEM work

CHALLENGER / eMISSIONS-‘Informal’ teaching-Decision-making tasks

MUSEUM: DISPLAYS / EXHIBITS- 220,000 visitors / year- ‘Hands-on’ exhibits

- Hands-on, curriculum-focused masterclasses- Teacher-training – 60-70 teachers at

conference / year, plus several CPD events - Road-shows- Careers events- Web resources- Computer-based exercises

using open-source GIS and remote sensing software

WEB SITES / RSS FEEDS-Regularly-updated news feeds- latest news about Space and Space technology- Online resources

FULL-DOME SHOWS-Educational animated films made by in-house creative team.

www.ukspaceacademy.org

http://sites.google.com/site/spaceacademygeospatial

The Space Academy Model

Pictures from

Dissecting salmon heads Molecular disco! Glow sticks – rate of reactions

Thermal camera

EO applications

UV &

fluorescence

Universal indicator rainbow

S.A. Photos...

Impact EvaluationPhysics MasterclassExternally commissioned:• “The Masterclasses appear to have immediate positive effects on GCSE students’

confidence in both understanding and using physics. This effect is still largely present after two month.”

• “A-level student data showed rises in confidence that continued across the sampling phases. This effect was particularly marked in questionnaire items with low initial ratings.”

– Quality of course 87% very good 12% good 1% satisfactory – Usefulness of course to work/practice 71% very good 28% good 1%satisfactory– Personal interest and enjoyment 88% very good 11% good 1% satisfactory

Teacher Conference• Feedback from DCSF subsidy• Significant impact• Sustained Impact of the Conference 2009:

– Impact on your knowledge and skills 2.47– Impact on your practice 2.37

0 = little or no impact or none yet3 = significant impact (maximum)

Academic & vocational masterclasses & training in STEMSecondary to KS5 (18 year old)

Centre for Geospatial Science

Undergrad & Post Grad degrees, leading research centre

in geosciencesPost Grad degrees in Satellite positioning, Engineering surveying, Earth

observation, Remote sensing and Navigation. Leading research centre in GNSS & geospatial technology.

Business & Industry Workforce Public

PeopleInnovation & knowledge

R & D, Business incubation

Undergrad & Post Grad degrees; leading research @ SRC; active outreach activities:UK Space Agency-funded primary school masterclasses (KS1&2)RCUK-funded EO masterclasses KS4 and website “blue marble”KS5 EO masterclassesComputer-based exercises

Undergrad & Post Grad degrees, leading research centre, numerous outreach programmes:

Space School UK Lessons in a box Workshops

Helping business to access EO data: Partner, Innovate, Broker, R&D, undergraduate-placements, SME training

The geography department: focus on the pedagogy of geospatial technologies; taught postgraduates and the enhancement of spatial literacy in HE.

Academic & vocational masterclasses & training in STEM – Secondary to KS5 (18 year old)

Business & IndustrySpace Academy has links with numerous companies:• SSTL/DMC

– Support careers events– GMES-themed teacher inset sessions

• EADS Astrium: – Support careers events– STEM work experience support– Work with engineering students we select.

• Magna-Parva– Support careers events– STEM work experience support– Work with Space Academy Apprentice who is employed by Magna Parva

• MSSL / Rolls Royce / RAF Fylingdales / RAF Henlow:– Support careers events– STEM work experience support

• Infoterra:– Support careers events– STEM work experience support

G-STEP (GMES Space Technology Exchange Partnership) : • Helps business to access Earth Observation data by innovating,

partnering and brokering services and solutions to meet the needs of companies and government organisations.

• place high-quality undergraduate and graduates into regional SMEs working on industry led-problems, assisting job creation and increasing prospects of long term employment.

• Develop and deliver tailored training, awareness and easy service access to support EO/GMES technology in the East Midlands community.

G-STEP Knowledge ExchangeRaising SME end user awareness of the variety of GMES data and applications to promote regional development of services and solutions

Monitoring Air Pollution Mapping Trees Monitoring Crop Growth

Dr K Wyche Dr k Muthu Dr S Almond

G-STEP Training and CommunicationTailored workshops and bespoke training

• Lifelong learning, beginner to advanced• Utilisation of academic expertise and existing training

modules, improving accessibility.

Summary & Future• Need for vertical and horizontal networks to support and encourage students from school up to university,

through to careers and beyond for the benefit of the downstream end-user community.• Education: university-industry-school partnerships for curriculum-focused education;• Communication: expert guidance for improving awareness and reducing miscommunication;• Training: university-industry partnerships for developing downstream end-user products, training

programmes, support and appropriate tools.• Future?

– Establish whether any overlap already exists between the regional CET activities already carried out;– Share any successful methods and ’best practises’ for disseminating information and improving CET; – Reproduce activities in all NEREUS regions maximise benefit to EU.

• Collaboration:– maximise efficiency; – enable a ‘lifelong’ support mechanism to be established;– improve geospatial / STEM uptake at universities;– enable better career development;– improve the abilities of future EU workforce and thus the downstream end-user community.

• Funding– CET WG should be able to identify pedagogical issues related to the teaching and awareness of space

technology, as well as any shortfalls and requirements in training and education. – CET WG partners should then address these issues, either by establishing consortia to bid for specific

calls within the EU and beyond, or by initiating themes and calls within existing programmes.

Websites and ResourcesEast Midlands:• http://www.spacecentre.co.uk/Page.aspx/1/Home/• http://www.ukspaceacademy.org• http://sites.google.com/site/spaceacademygeospatial• http://sites.google.com/site/earthbluemarble• http://www.leos.le.ac.uk• http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/iessg/• http://www2.le.ac.uk/projects/g-step• http://grace.ac.uk/

Other relevant educational projects:• GLOBE international environmental programme: http://www.globe.gov/• Eduspace: http://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_EN/• CALIPSO: http://calipsooutreach.hamptonu.edu/

EU funding:• http://ec.europa.eu/education/index_en.htm• http://www.lifelonglearningprogramme.org.uk/