U.S.-Australia Cooperative Research: Public Education aboutChemicals in Society

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This award will support cooperative research between Dr. Herbert Thier of the University of California at Berkeley and Dr. David James of Deakin University, Australia. The outcome of this cooperation will be more effective materials for educating teachers, students, and the general public about chemicals and the societal issues related to the use of chemical in both countries. The project is in three phases: first, investigation of how one measures what students learn in a societal issue oriented science course that is different from the outcomes of a traditional science course in the two countries; second, analyses and comparisons of the impacts of implementation of U.S. and Australian societal issue oriented science courses; and, third, a cooperative conference at which the accomplishments will be summarized and plans developed for continuing the collaborative effort. The project represents excellent collaboration between the Australian and U.S. science education communities. Dr. James has expertise in applied chemistry and the implementation of societal issue oriented science materials to the public. The Royal Australian Chemical Society (RACI), with 8000 members throughout Australia, will act as the Australian coordinating body for the further development and implemention of the U.S. and Australian materials in both countries. Dr. Their, under NSF funding, has developed a unique set of U.S. materials, the Chemical Education for Public Understanding Program, (CEPUP), which has been extensively field-tested and evaluated in the United States. The cooperation is important fundamental work in developing and evaluating societal issue oriented science courses in a cross-cultural setting, and has the potential to network school and community educators in courses such as biotechnology and global warning in the U.S. and Australia.