news | 2010-05-25

The project progress bar

See where we stand, and where we will go next.

A single glance at the project progress tells you where we stand with our work and what the next steps will be.

All the steps a bit more in detail:

1) Team ready

The members of the Strategic Advisory Board, the Educational Advisory Panel and of the core developer team are selected and ready to start. This was already done by September 2009.

2) EAP takes up work

The Educational Advisory Panel begins to collect ideas on the Online Collaboration and Communication Platform (OCCP). This milestone was reached in November 2009.

3) EXPEKT starts

The EU-funded project EXPEKT ("Photonics Explorer - Developing a photonics educational kit for Europe's secondary schools") starts. EXPEKT encompasses the development, testing and scientific evaluation of the Photonics Explorer. The official start was in March 2010.

4) Non-profit organisation established

We will register a non-profit organisation that will be dedicated to the manufacturing and distribution of the Photonics Explorer from 2012 on. The details of this organisation (esp. the bylaws) will be discussed at the SAB meeting around Oktober 2010. We then will start the registration process towards the end of the year, expecting that it will take about a year before the organisation will be officially recognized as non-for-profit.

5) Workshop I

The first workshop will be held in summer 2011, well before the beginning of the new school year. At this workshop, all active project participants come together to review the Photonics Explorer prototypes. The workshop also marks the beginning of the field tests.

6) Field tests

The field tests will take place in the beginning of the school year 2011/2012. Pilot teachers in 7 European countries will test the prototypes of the Photonics Explorer. Researchers in science pedagogy will observe these tests to evaluate the educational value of the material. The field tests will be completed in December 2011.

7) Workshop II

The feedback from the field tests will be collected and discussed at the second workshop. The experiences and comments from pilot teachers, LAPs, and the first results from the evaluation will incorporated in a revised version of the Photonics Explorer. The second workshop will be held shortly after the field tests, probably in January 2012.

8) Final prototype

Towards the end of spring 2012 we expect to present the final prototype of the Photonics Explorer.

9) Distribution starts

From summer 2012 on, the non-profit organisation will produce and distribute the Photonics Explorer free of charge to science teachers at secondary schools.

Fast Answers

What is it all about?

The Photonics Explorer program will equip Europe’s secondary schools with up-to-date educational material on topics related to light and its technical use. The Photonics Explorer provides teachers with a class-set of components for hands-on experiments together with an inquiry-based didactic framework. It will be distributed free-of-charge and support teachers to engage, excite and educate students about the fascination of working with light.

What is photonics?

Photonics is the art of making light work for you. Just as electronics has changed the world by turning electrons into our every-day workhorses, photonics has changed our way of living by harnessing photons, small energy-units of light. We use them to carry information around the globe (e.g. for the internet), to generate electric energy, to detect diseases and heal, to cut and weld metal, to measure without touching or simply to read when it's dark outside. From the generation and shaping of light, to the transportation to its destination and its exactly controlled impact, photonics encompasses all aspects of handling electromagnetic radiation.

Why is it needed?

As more as teenagers like to possess and use the latest technological gadgets, as less they seem to be interested in what actually happens behind the user interface. At the same time, our society and everyone individually becomes increasingly dependent on science and technological progress. This raises the questions: Who is going to work on the scientific answers to the challenges we face as a society? How can we motivate young people to engage in the informed discussion about steering the efforts of scientists and the responsible use of technology?

The best place to raise young people’s interest in sciences is at school. Teachers play a key role in encouraging the next generation of scientists and engineers. The Photonics Explorer program therefore aims to support teachers in their efforts to make science an exciting and fun subject, while giving students a clear understanding of physical concepts and showing their relevance to the student’s every-day life.

For whom?

The work in this program is done for school kids. To make them experience the fascination of working with light first-hand, the Photonics Explorer will equip teachers for more engaging and exciting science lessons.

Who are we?

The Photonics Explorer program is teaming up teachers, scientists in pedagogy and experts in photonics to design an intra-curricula educational kit for secondary schools. More than 30 educators from 10 countries volunteer their time and expertise to ensure a high educational value and an easy integration of the material into the regular teaching.

This educational program is actively supported by sponsoring companies from several European countries.

The program is coordinated at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium) and scientifically evaluated by the Leibniz Institute for Science and Mathematics Education in Kiel (Germany).

How can I get involved?

The Photonics Explorer program builds on the enthusiasm of many volunteers that donate their time and expertise to improve science education in Europe. There are several ways you too can get involved, and each support is appreciated: