EGF 2008September 4-7, 2008, Poiana Brasov, Romania

STEPS TWOStakeholders Tune European Physics Studies

TWO

LauraŢugulea Jan Naudts University of Bucharest University of

Antwerp

EGF 2008September 4-7, 2008, Poiana Brasov, Romania

EGF 2008September 4-7, 2008, Poiana Brasov, Romania

AIM of STEPS TWO

The principal aim of the present project is to support the university

Physics Departments in their strategic institutional development, following the

structural changes by the Bologna process, with greater European vision to overcome some of the local and national

obstacles. The EUPEN network allows to target

higher education institutions providing Physics education from all EU countries.

EGF 2008September 4-7, 2008, Poiana Brasov, Romania

OBJECTIVES

1.Helping universities to bring greater incentive to respond to the challenges of broadening the educational offer to “non traditional” students and to assess curriculum innovation

through comparison between curricula in Physics education, notably with regard to the development of a European dimension, interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity;

2. Providing universities with the tools to enhance student-centred and flexible learning, as well as to expand the

utilization of modern teaching methods, ICT based pedagogies in Physics education;

3. Sustaining the Physics Teacher Education in universities, notably with regard to the trends in European Teacher

Education, in order to reinforce the study of physics subject before university.

EGF 2008September 4-7, 2008, Poiana Brasov, Romania

OPERATIONAL OBJECTIVES

• Development of the Network web-site and capabilities to support larger data bases, serving not only the physics students, teachers but also the whole physics community in EU countries on long term; • Enhance the visibility of the EUPEN network by the web-site in order to promote the cooperation with other networks in subjects like: mathematics, natural sciences, economics, humanities;• Restructuring the web-site to serve for management of the project and all activities within the network; • Reinforce the cooperation with EPS (European Physical Society) and its national branches, EUPEN acting as the operational arm for the EPS division for education; • Enhancing the involvement of physics students and physics high school teachers, via their professional national and European associations; 6. Enhancing the awareness of the society (employers, pupils, public bodies) as regarding the competences of Physics graduates in a knowledge based society

EGF 2008September 4-7, 2008, Poiana Brasov, Romania

Three lines of action:I. Curricula after Bologna & Lifelong learning

II. Modern teaching methods in Physics education & student centred learning

III. Physics Teacher education & European dimension

9 workpackages:• Coordination (MNGT)

• Monitoring and evaluation (QLPN)• Visibility & Dissemination (DISS)

• Curricula after Bologna & LLL I (DEV)• Curricula after Bologna & LLL II (EXP)

• Modern teaching methods& student- centred learning I (DEV)• Modern teaching methods& student- centred learning II (EXP)

• Physics Teacher education I (DEV)

• Physics Teacher education II (EXP)

Workpackages 1(MNGT) & 2 (QLPN)

The Management Committee (MC) of the project: University of Bucharest (RO) - Coordinator (CO)

University of Antwerp (BE) - Applicant (APP) Chair-persons + secretary persons of

Workgroup 1 (WG1)Workgroup 2 (WG2) Workgroup 3 (WG3)

Advisory board (AB) formed by experts:University of Gent (BE)

University of Padova (IT)Imperial College (UK)

University of Poznan (PL)Leibniz University (DE)

External experts

EGF 2008September 4-7, 2008, Poiana Brasov, Romania

Workpackages 3 (DISS)

The Management Committee (MC)Advisory board (AB)WG1:• Responsibility in preparing the Forum 2008 and poster session• WG1 will provide data for web-siteWG2:• Responsibility in preparing the Forum 2009 and a satellite Symposium• WG2 will provide data for web-siteWG2:• Responsibility in preparing the Forum 2009 and a satellite Symposium• WG3 will provide data for web-site

EGF 2008September 4-7, 2008, Poiana Brasov, Romania

EGF 2008September 4-7, 2008, Poiana Brasov, Romania

WORKGROUP I ( WP DEV & WP EXP)Leading structures for Workgroup I:

Chair: University of Linz, (AT)Secretary: University of Lodz (PL)

Main activities:• Collection of data concerning:- curricula in all partner universities and higher education institution (asking

specific reports-on template) after the Bologna reforms- educational programmes: Physics & other subjects, joint masters, inter-

disciplinary and transdisciplinary programmes including Physics- educational offers and practices regarding a comprehensive lifelong

learning perspective-update the inquiry on doctoral degrees, area just entering the Bologna

process-measures concerning gender issues as regarding student recruitment• Reinforce the cooperation with EPS (European Physical Society) and its

national branches. The Chair person of WG1, Professor Urbaan Titulaer, is also member of the board of EPS- Physics Education Division.

• Working-visits in universities (host university during WG1 meeting, by other ocasional events) for identifying good practice cases.

EGF 2008September 4-7, 2008, Poiana Brasov, Romania

WORKGROUP II ( WP DEV & WP EXP)Leading structures for Workgroup II:

Chair: Technical University of Eindhoven (NL) Secretary: University of Sofia (BG)

Main activities:. Collection of data concerning:- Student centered learning approaches in different universities- Developing student’s academic skills and competences by means of

interactive learning methods and portfolio- New methods for teaching using ICT, MM- Examples of good practice in using MM• Identification of cases of good practice in using new teaching methods• Participation in the translation of physics videos and multimedia in other

languages• Collection of data about use of project-based learning in physics and

identification of examples of best practice for various target groups• The presence of representative of student association in all Workgroup

activities is envisaged, in order to get a feedback from the target group.

EGF 2008September 4-7, 2008, Poiana Brasov, Romania

WORKGROUP III ( WP DEV & WP EXP)Leading structures for Workgroup III:

Chair : University of Patras (GR)Secretary I: University Al. I. Cuza, Iassi (RO)

Secretary II: University of Palermo (IT)

The main activity within this work package will be the Collection of data on:

- Physics teacher education in all partners- New methods for teaching education- Exchange of experience among partners.Especially, the approach to Physical Studies in Pedagogy

Departments, are crucial for the education of future school teachers.

The quality of their training influences the sort of their teaching. It is widely accepted that students’ favourable or unfavourable attitude towards a subject, depends on the status of the teaching of the first teacher who taught it to them.

Examples of good practice will be collected.• Representatives of GIREP, Physics Teacher associations are

foreseen to cooperate with WG3 within this work package.

EGF 2008September 4-7, 2008, Poiana Brasov, Romania

Acknowledgement

The STEPS TWO application

was supported by 70 EUPEN PARTNERS!

THANKS FOR YOUR FUTURE SUPPORT!