different media for communicating science to different groups

DIFFERENT MEDIA FOR DIFFERENT MEDIA FOR COMMUNICATING COMMUNICATING

SCIENCE TO DIFFERENT SCIENCE TO DIFFERENT GROUPSGROUPS

Derek FishDerek FishUnizul Science CentreUnizul Science Centre

South AfricaSouth Africa

AFRICAN AFRICAN ISSUESISSUES

GLOBAL WARMINGGLOBAL WARMINGGENETICALLY MOD. FOODSGENETICALLY MOD. FOODSTECHNOLOGY ADDICTIONSTECHNOLOGY ADDICTIONS

ENERGY CRISISENERGY CRISIS CLONINGCLONING

MAD COWMAD COW

DAY TO DAY

SURVIVAL

South Africa has South Africa has RACERACE problems problems

•ROADSROADS•AIDSAIDS•CRIMECRIME•EDUCATIONEDUCATION

RACE

AIDSAIDS: The Problem: The Problem

AIDSAIDS: Attitudes: Attitudes

AIDSAIDS: Attitudes: Attitudes

AIDSAIDS: Response: Aids Exhibits: Response: Aids Exhibits

AIDSAIDS: Response: Aids Maze: Response: Aids Maze

CRIMECRIME: The Problem: The Problem

CRIMECRIME: Attitudes: Attitudes

CRIMECRIME: Attitudes: Attitudes

CRIMECRIME: Response: Careers: Response: Careers

CRIMECRIME: Response: Prison Visit: Response: Prison Visit

EDUCATIONEDUCATION: The Problem: The Problem

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

Learners 35 32 70 84 203 96 265 233 419

A B C D E F G GG H

HG PASS30%

SG PASS25%

FAIL45%

MATRIC (FINAL YEAR) SCIENCE RESULTS (HG) EMPANGENI REGION

EDUCATION: The ProblemEDUCATION: The Problem

Hendrik Verwoerd: S.A. Prime MinisterHendrik Verwoerd: S.A. Prime Minister"When I have control over Native education I will reform it so that the Natives will be taught from childhood to realise that equality with Europeans is not for them ... What is the use of teaching the Bantu mathematics when he cannot use it in practice?"

Rondebosch Boys’ High SchoolRondebosch Boys’ High School

Most South African SchoolsMost South African Schools

TIMSS 1995326

411

574

607

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

SOUTH AFRICA

COLOMBIA

KOREA

SINGAPORE

TIMSS 1999243

323

568

569

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

SOUTH AFRICA

MOROCCO

SINGAPORE

TAIPEI

TIMSS 1995 - 1999

TIMSS 2003

244

255

365

571

578

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

SOUTH AFRICA

GHANA

BOTSWANA

TAIPEI

SINGAPORE

RanRankk

CountryCountry GDP (PPP) GDP (PPP) $M$M

——         WorldWorld 64,903,31464,903,314——         European UnionEuropean Union 14,712,36914,712,36911         United StatesUnited States 13,843,82513,843,82522         ChinaChina 6,991,0366,991,03611

33         JapanJapan 4,289,8094,289,80944         IndiaIndia 2,988,8672,988,86755         GermanyGermany 2,809,6932,809,69366         United KingdomUnited Kingdom 2,137,4212,137,42177         RussiaRussia 2,087,8152,087,81588         FranceFrance 2,046,8992,046,89999         BrazilBrazil 1,845,6421,845,6421010         ItalyItaly 1,786,4291,786,4291111         SpainSpain 1,351,6081,351,6081212         MexicoMexico 1,346,0091,346,0091313         CanadaCanada 1,265,8381,265,8381414         South KoreaSouth Korea 1,200,8791,200,8791515         TurkeyTurkey 887,964887,964

RanRankk

CountryCountry GDP GDP (PPP) $M(PPP) $M

1616         IndonesiaIndonesia 837,791837,7911717         AustraliaAustralia 760,812760,8121818         IranIran 752,967752,9671919         Rep China Rep China

(Taiwan)(Taiwan)695,388695,388

2020         NetherlandsNetherlands 639,512639,5122121         PolandPoland 620,868620,8682222         Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia 564,561564,5612323         ArgentinaArgentina 523,739523,7392424         ThailandThailand 519,362519,3622525         South AfricaSouth Africa 467,089467,0892626         PakistanPakistan 459,958459,9582727         EgyptEgypt 403,961403,9619494         GhanaGhana 31,33131,331104104         BotswanaBotswana 25,67625,676

GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCTGROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT

TIMSS 1999 - 2003

TIMSS 1999 - 2003

?

PIRLS 2006

REA

DIN

G SK

ILLS

302

323

564

565

0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700

SOUTH AFRICA

MOROCCO

HONG KONG

RUSSIAN F

“I am a product of Bantu education and when I look back, it really seems

much better than what education appears to be today.”

Wendy Luhabe: Chancellor: University of Johannesburg

“I agree with her!”Mamphela Ramphele: Vice Chancellor: UCT

EDUCATIONEDUCATION: Government Response: Government Response

“We went for a Rolls Royce model to deal with that

[Apartheid education] – but the Malawians are driving a Volkswagen and they are

driving past us.”Mamphela Ramphele: Vice Chancellor: UCT

“[We have adopted] a curriculum of education totally unsuited for our

environment. Why? Because we didn’t have the self-

confidence to acknowledge where we are.”

Mamphela Ramphele: Vice Chancellor: UCT

71

63

53

3

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

JAPAN CANADA BRITAIN SOUTHAFRICA

SCIEN

TISTS AN

D

TECH

NO

LOG

ISTS PER

1000 PEOPLE

If you think education is expensive, try ignorance!

Losses caused by ESKOM: R 50 billion!

More than half of the South African population is in the grip of extreme hunger and poverty and in places entire rural communities go without food for days, according to a report tabled by the President and founder of African Monitor, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane. The report comes on the 10th anniversary of the National Poverty Hearings in Cape Town today.

Poverty in South Africa has deepened over the past 10 years, with more than half of the population grappling chronic food shortages. Hardest hit are rural communities in the Free State, Northern Cape, the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and Limpopo bearing the biggest brunt. October 22, 2008, 18:00

““Tabula Rasa”Tabula Rasa”

Carl Friedrich Carl Friedrich GaussGauss

(1785 - age 8)(1785 - age 8)

1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + ………...97 + 98 + 99 + 100

100 +99 + 98 + 97+ ……….+ 4 + 3 + 2 + 1

101+101+101+101+ ……...+101+101+101 +101

100 x 101 = 10100 = twice the sum

The sum= 100 / 2 x 101 = 5050

= ½ (Number of terms) [First + Last]

= ½ n [ a + l ]

Punishment : Add the numbers from 1 to 100 !

10 km

LED = Light Emitting Diode: LED = Light Emitting Diode: 15%15% FET = Field Effect Transistor: FET = Field Effect Transistor: 2%2% LASER = Light Amplification by LASER = Light Amplification by

Stimulated Emission of Radiation: Stimulated Emission of Radiation: 0%0%

Difference between fission and Difference between fission and fusion reactions:fusion reactions: 42% 42%

Teacher knowledge: Teacher knowledge: Terms in new curriculumTerms in new curriculum

De Broglie Wavelength: De Broglie Wavelength: 36 %36 % Red Shift: Red Shift: 12 %12 % Logic Gate: Logic Gate: 17 %17 % Doppler Effect:Doppler Effect: 19 % 19 % Electron Microscope:Electron Microscope: 43 % 43 % Photon:Photon: 67 % 67 %

Teacher understanding: Teacher understanding: Terms in new curriculum (2)Terms in new curriculum (2)

EDUCATIONEDUCATION: Response: Response

CONCEPTUAL (cognitive)

VISUAL (perceptive)

MOTIVATION(affective)

FACTORS AFFECTING LEARNING

METHODS:•Observation•“Stories”•Drawing•Questionnaire•Test

INTERACTIVITY

INDIVIDUAL PAIRS SMALL GROUPS LARGE GROUPS . . EXHIBITS WORKSHOPS

SHOWS TALKS

MODE OF EXPERIENCE

GROUP VISITING

URBAN TOWNSHIP RURAL

Wealthy, urban, mainly whiteWealthy, urban, mainly white ConfidentConfident CockyCocky NaughtyNaughty QuestioningQuestioning High expectationsHigh expectations Broad general knowledgeBroad general knowledge English speakingEnglish speaking Technologically literateTechnologically literate Excited by interactivesExcited by interactives Favour individual learningFavour individual learning Most have computers at homeMost have computers at home

Poor, rural, mainly blackPoor, rural, mainly black Lacking confidenceLacking confidence ReservedReserved Well behavedWell behaved AcceptingAccepting Low expectationsLow expectations Poor general knowledgePoor general knowledge isiZulu speakingisiZulu speaking No access to technologyNo access to technology (Initially) Afraid of interactives(Initially) Afraid of interactives Favour group learningFavour group learning None have used a computer before . . . Ever!None have used a computer before . . . Ever!

In between: Township Schools

Wealthy, urban, mainly whiteWealthy, urban, mainly white

ConfidentConfidentCockyCocky

NaughtyNaughtyQuestioningQuestioning

High expectationsHigh expectationsBroad general Broad general

knowledgeknowledgeEnglish speakingEnglish speaking

Technologically literateTechnologically literateExcited by interactivesExcited by interactives

Favour individual Favour individual learninglearning

Have computers at Have computers at homehome

Lacking confidenceLacking confidenceReservedReservedWell behavedWell behavedAcceptingAcceptingLow expectationsLow expectationsPoor general knowledgePoor general knowledgeisiZulu speakingisiZulu speakingNo access to technologyNo access to technology(Initially) Afraid of (Initially) Afraid of

interactivesinteractivesFavour group learningFavour group learningNever used a computerNever used a computer

Poor, rural, mainly blackPoor, rural, mainly black

URBANURBAN

ConfidentConfidentCockyCocky

NaughtyNaughtyQuestioningQuestioning

High expectationsHigh expectationsBroad general Broad general

knowledgeknowledgeEnglish speakingEnglish speaking

Technologically literateTechnologically literateExcited by interactivesExcited by interactives

Favour individual Favour individual learninglearning

Have computers at Have computers at homehome

Lacking confidenceLacking confidenceReservedReservedWell behavedWell behavedAcceptingAcceptingLow expectationsLow expectationsPoor general knowledgePoor general knowledgeisiZulu speakingisiZulu speakingNo access to technologyNo access to technology(Initially) Afraid of (Initially) Afraid of

interactivesinteractivesFavour group learningFavour group learningNever used a computerNever used a computer

RURALRURAL

CONCEPTUAL (cognitive)

VISUAL (perceptive)

MOTIVATION(affective)

FACTORS AFFECTING LEARNING

METHODS:

•Observation

•“Stories”

•Drawing

•Questionnaire

•Test

INTERACTIVITY

INDIVIDUAL PAIRS SMALL GROUPS LARGE GROUPS . . EXHIBITS WORKSHOPS

SHOWS TALKS

MODE OF EXPERIENCE

GROUP VISITING

URBAN

TOWNSHIP

RURAL

CONCEPTUAL (cognitive)

VISUAL (perceptive)

MOTIVATION(affective)

FACTORS AFFECTING LEARNING

METHODS:

•Observation

•“Stories”

•Drawing

•Questionnaire

•Test

INTERACTIVITY

INDIVIDUAL PAIRS SMALL GROUPS LARGE GROUPS . . EXHIBITS WORKSHOPS

SHOWS TALKS

MODE OF EXPERIENCE

GROUP VISITING

URBAN

TOWNSHIP

RURAL