Session F1 - NES/AAPT Executive Committee Meeting.
INVITED session, Saturday morning, April 15
Room 104, Clarke Science Building
Inspiring students to enter the sciences, in particular more traditional hard sciences and certain engineering disciplines, has become a greater challenge in the days of high tech computer jobs that pay far higher wages. In addition maintaining student interest in the classroom has also become more difficult with the increasing complexity and sophistication of home computer technology. Often students have better technology at home than they have in school. There is no substitute for actually being in an exciting location, but the cost of such elaborate field trips often outweighs the learning advantage. By developing state-of-the-art and inexpensive distance learning tools based on existing technology, Durham Research is bringing remote and exciting places and experiences live into the classroom as a way of inspiring students to eventually enter the sciences. In this presentation we will speak about our cornerstone distance learning program, the Space Experiment Education Kit, and how we hope it helps to inspire a future generation of scientists and people who appreciate science. We will also briefly talk about some of our other related programs. All programs are geared toward all grade levels from elementary through graduate school.