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Using the World Wide Web To Creatively Support Science Education in
Schools
Introduction
Conway Mothobi
Telematics Research & Applications Centre, Department of Computing
Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5GD United Kingdom
c.mothobi@doc.mmu.ac.uk
http://www.doc.mmu.ac.uk/trac/conway.html
Abstract: This paper reports on the construction of a framework that seeks to provide
schools with a robust forum in which to effectively experiment with the World Wide Web
and other Internet tools. It reports on the fragment of a pilot initiative which supports science
education in schools. The initiative is primarily directed at providing schools with an
interactive forum that permits cost effective learner-to-educator, educator-to-learner and peerto-peer
communications by providing;
• educators with a platform for effective use of Internet tools and providing learners with
the opportunity to conduct science projects over the Internet using the World Wide Web;
• schools with access to such interactive resources as the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories'
Virtual Frog and the ACT Laboratory dens;
• schools with an interactive window into such real time science experiments as NASA’s
Live from Hubble Space Telescope (LHST) programme.
The Faculty of Science and Engineering is committed to establishing mutually beneficial relationships with
local schools and colleges. For the last two years the faculty has hosted a Science Day for schools during the
UK National Science Week. Schools are encouraged to enter their projects in an exhibition with prizes
donated by local industry. On Science Day schools visit the faculty and demonstrate their projects, and young
people are encouraged to visit departments of interest to them to participate in some interesting activities.
Due to the university’s own work programme and the schools’ own schedules it is not possible to sustain such
activities other than as special occasion events. In order to encourage on-going activities the faculty has now
formed a free-to-join schools association. Schools can run their projects in collaboration with appropriate
departments.
Initial support for these activities is being realised through the [Passport to Knowledge project] which
facilitates access by schools and colleges to the faculty’s departments via the Internet. These accesses enable
the schools and colleges to collaborate effectively with the departments of their choice.
The Manchester Passport to Knowledge Project (PTK)
The project is based on the Passport to Knowledge concepts developed by NASA in their K-12 Internet
Initiative (an Information Infrastructure Applications project). It is particularly influenced by the Livefrom
Hubble Space Telescope (LHST) offerings for which a UK reflector was built in order to provide UK schools
with a window into real-time science, technology and engineering.
The PTK project is essentially a framework for site constructions that fully integrate the Internet into the
learning environment and schools provide a robust start point. The main communications tools are email, fax,
WebChats, CUSeeMe and the Mbone. The key objectives of the project are to:
• provide learners (and educators) with a dynamic interactive environment that supports diverse and
sometimes disparate learning styles;