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

该奖项将支持加州大学伯克利分校的赫伯特·蒂尔博士和澳大利亚迪肯大学的大卫·詹姆斯博士之间的合作研究。这一合作的结果将是更有效的教材，用于教育教师、学生和公众关于两国化学品和与化学品使用有关的社会问题的知识。该项目分为三个阶段：第一，调查如何衡量学生在一门面向社会问题的科学课程中学到了什么，这与两国传统科学课程的结果不同：第二，分析和比较美国和澳大利亚社会问题导向科学课程实施的影响；第三，召开一次合作会议，总结取得的成就，并制定继续开展合作努力的计划。该项目代表了澳大利亚和美国科学教育界之间的良好合作。詹姆斯博士在应用化学和面向公众的面向社会问题的科学材料的实施方面拥有专业知识。在澳大利亚各地拥有8000名会员的澳大利亚皇家化学学会(RACI)将作为澳大利亚协调机构，在两国进一步开发和实施美国和澳大利亚的材料。他们博士在美国国家科学基金会的资助下，开发了一套独特的美国材料--化学公众理解教育计划(CEPUP)，该计划已在美国进行了广泛的实地测试和评估。这项合作是在跨文化背景下开发和评估面向社会问题的科学课程的重要基础工作，并有可能使美国和澳大利亚的学校和社区教育工作者在生物技术和全球预警等课程中建立网络。

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.