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This paper describes recent developments in Ireland to promote a greater interest in science among students in the 12-15 age group by means of practical work involving Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE). The tasks, know as Investigations, are a component of the assessment of the subject Science which is studied as part of the Junior Certificate examination for 15 year-old students. The introduction of Investigations has been one of a number of responses to the 2002 report of a government Task Force on the Physical Sciences, set up to consider the problems facing the teaching of the physical sciences in second-level schools in Ireland. This report has resulted in rapid reform of the science curriculum at both junior and senior secondary school level. Whilst practical work has a long and varied history in science education in Ireland, it was only in 2003 that practical work became compulsory with the introduction of a new Junior Certificate science syllabus for students in the 12-15 year old age group. The paper describes the two types of practical work introduced in the syllabus and discusses the results of a survey carried out by the Irish Science Teachers' Association to ascertain the response of teachers to this practical work and the role of Investigations in promoting IBSE in Ireland.

There is increasing evidence that zoos and aquariums do, as intended, educate their visitors. However, even though most zoos offer a wide array of educational experiences, few studies have considered if the duration of an educational experience affects learning or whether learning lasts beyond the immediate visit. The current study used matched-pairs surveys to investigate children's knowledge, attitude and knowledge of positive behavior during both a five-day zoo camp and six months after an aquarium visit. The participants of the study included children aged 9-12 years some of whom had participated in a purposefully designed educational intervention. First, the impact of a five-day zoo camp experience on children's learning was investigated. Second, learning retention was investigated six months after a school tour at an aquarium. Results showed that during the camp learning was positively affected by participation in the educational intervention and by previous zoo experience. Girls were more likely than boys to have an increase in learning six months after an aquarium visit. The study demonstrates that learning persists, but that education can be enhanced with longer programs. Thus, zoos can play an increasingly important role in igniting pro-environmental behavior.

Children comprise many of the visitors to zoos every year, yet few studies have explored the impact of a zoo visit on children's learning. This study employed a repeated measure design using data gathered from 500 questionnaires to investigate students' knowledge, attitude, and behavior before and after visiting a zoo or aquarium in Ireland. A treatment group participated in a purposefully developed educational intervention, which included a hands-on activity, intended to enhance learning. Results indicate that learning does occur after a zoo or aquarium visit. However, students visiting the zoo and those who participated in the educational intervention showed the greatest increases in learning. A zoo visit has educational benefits for children, but to maximize this benefit an educational intervention should be offered.

The signing of the Bologna Agreement in 1999 has major implications for all involved in third level education throughout the world. By 2010 in the 45 countries that have signed up to the Bologna process, all modules and programmes in third level institutions will be written in terms of learning outcomes. In addition, many countries outside the Bologna process are aligning their third-level educational systems to be compatible with the Bologna process in order to facilitate description of qualifications, mutual recognition of degrees, and mobility of students. This paper covers the background to the concept of Learning Outcomes, the use of Bloom's Taxonomy to write learning outcomes, the relationship between learning outcomes and competences, and the linking of learning outcomes to both teaching and learning activities as well as to assessment. In addition, the author discusses the effects of the introduction of learning outcomes into the teacher-training programme for science teachers in his own university with particular reference to the assessment of student learning. (Contains 2 figures and 4 tables.)

Science Across the World is an exchange programme between schools world-wide. It has two main components: existing resources for students (age 6-10) and a database with all participating schools. The programme exists since 1990. It is carried out in partnership with the British Association of Science Education (ASE) and international pharmaceutical industry GlaxoSmithKline and is growing rapidly. This paper deals with the Science Across the World programme in Teacher Training in three countries: the Netherlands, Ireland and Germany. It shows how international collaboration can be fostered by participation in the programme. Amsterdam Teacher Training College in the Netherlands offers Science Across the World as an elective course to Dutch and European Erasmus students, who work in international interdisciplinary groups. They study the Science Across the World website and choose a topic to study in more detail. Later they write an implementation plan for their teaching practice school. At University College Cork in Ireland Science Across the World is part of a (Higher Diploma in Education) course on Science teaching methodology. Participating students implement the programme in their teaching practice schools. An elaborate research was carried out to investigate the success of this implementation. Teachers are enthusiastic about possibilities the programme offers and suggest an in-service training course on the programme and methodology. The government of the State of Hessen, Germany has just started a new concept in Biology methodology. The government decided to base Teacher Training in Biology on "Competencies and Standards." With increasing globalisation in the next decades the largest, easy to use, global exchange programme Science Across the World can help to achieve aims if modern education in all countries. Teacher Training can help with training student teachers in international collaboration on school level. The triangle Teacher Training--Science Across the World--Research should be promoted.

As a rapidly growing field, biophotonics demonstrates an increasingly higher demand for interdisciplinary professionals and requires the implementation of a structured approach to educational and outreach activities focused on appropriate curriculum, and teaching and learning for audiences with diverse technical backgrounds and learning styles. Our study shows the main findings upon applying this approach to biophotonics workshops delivered 2 consecutive years while updating and improving learning outcomes, teaching strategies, workshop content based on student and teacher feedback. We provided resources for a variety of lecture‐based, experimental, computer simulation activities. Quality of subject matter, teaching, and overall learning was rated as "Very good" or "Good" by 88%, 76%, and 82% of students in average, respectively. Application of our teaching strategies and materials during short‐ and long‐term workshops/courses could potentially increase the interest in pursuing careers in the biophotonics field and related areas, leading to standardized approaches in designing education and outreach events across centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes and discusses the role of practical work in science education in Ireland. The 2002 report of a government Task Force on the Physical Sciences, set up to consider the problems facing the teaching of the physical sciences in second-level schools in Ireland, has resulted in rapid reform of the science curriculum at both junior and senior secondary school level. Whilst practical work has a long and varied history in science education in Ireland, it was only in 2003 that practical work became compulsory with the introduction of a new Junior Certificate science syllabus for students in the 12-15 year old age group. The paper describes the two types of practical work introduced in the syllabus and discusses the results of a survey carried out by the Irish Science Teachers' Association to ascertain the response of teachers to this practical work. Compulsory practical work has also been introduced into physics, chemistry and biology at senior secondary school level (ages 16-18). The paper reports on a research study to evaluate the effectiveness of a proposed new assessment model for practical work involving the use of a visiting examiner to interview students and examine their ability to carry out tasks in the school science laboratory. The main finding was that the new model provided a more valid and fairer assessment of students' ability in the area of practical work. (Contains 4 tables and 3 figures.)

Reports on a research study into the assessment of practical work at the upper high school level in Ireland which involved the use of a visiting examiner. Indicates that the new model provided a reliable and valid assessment of a range of practical abilities. (Contains 20 references.) (Author/ASK)

Learning in the zoo is a complex process with many influences affecting outcomes, which traditional methods of evaluation may not consider. This study used conversational content analysis, an innovative and under-used technique, to investigate children's learning in the zoo setting during an educational experience. The children's conversations were observed at Fota Wildlife Park and Dingle Aquarium in Ireland at three different animal exhibits (1) free-ranging ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) (2) Gentoo penguins (Pygoscelis papua) and (3) Humboldt penguins (Spheniscus humboldti). Some groups of children (the treatment group) participated in a purposefully designed educational intervention, while others (the control group) experienced the standard curriculum only. Descriptive statistics indicated that all children engaged in diverse topics of conversation indicative of learning as they viewed animals. However, further analysis using a general linear model showed that participation in the treatment or control group (p < 0.001) and species viewed (p < 0.001) affected the proportion of positive comments made by children. Groups that viewed free-ranging ring-tailed lemurs and Gentoo penguins made more types of positive comments than those that viewed Humboldt penguins, and children who experienced the educational intervention made more types of positive comments than children in the control group. Conversely, children in the control group made more types of negative comments (p < 0.001) than those in the treatment group. The results indicate that children do learn in the zoo setting; however, this was enhanced based on the type of educational activity the children experienced and the species they viewed. Overheard conversation offers a unique insight into the visitors' experience at the zoo, but further research is required to establish if conversation can reveal a propensity for pro-conservation behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Microhabitats in the oral cavity differ in microbial taxonomy. However, abundance variations of bacterial and viral communities within these microhabitats are not fully understood. Aims and Hypothesis: To assess the spatial distribution and dynamics of the microbial abundances within 6 microhabitats of the oral cavity before and after sleep. We hypothesise that the abundance distributions of these microbial communities will differ among oral sites. Methods: Using flow cytometry, bacterial and virus-like particle (VLP) abundances were enumerated for 6 oral microhabitats before and after sleep in 10 healthy paediatric sleepers. Results: Bacterial counts ranged from 7.2 ± 2.8 × 105 at the palate before sleep to 1.3 ± 0.2 × 108 at the back of the tongue after sleep, a difference of 187 times. VLPs ranged from 1.9 ± 1.0 × 106 at the palate before sleep to 9.2 ± 5.0 × 107 at the back of the tongue after sleep, a difference of 48 times. Conclusion: The oral cavity is a dynamic numerically heterogeneous environment where microbial communities can increase by a count of 100 million during sleep. Quantification of the paediatric oral microbiome complements taxonomic diversity information to show how biomass varies and shifts in space and time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is associated with increased vascular resistance in children and adults. Persistent increased vascular resistance damages vascular endothelial cells-a marker of which is increased platelet activation.Objectives: This study compared whole-blood impedance platelet aggregation in children with clinically diagnosed SDB warranting adenotonsillectomy and healthy control subjects.Methods: Thirty children who had SDB warranting intervention clinically diagnosed by experienced pediatric otolaryngologists were recruited from adenotonsillectomy waitlists, and 20 healthy children from the community underwent overnight polysomnography to determine SDB severity (obstructive apnea-hypopnea index). Snoring frequency was collected from parents. In the morning, a fasting blood sample was taken, and whole-blood platelet aggregation was measured.Measurements and Main Results: Children with SDB exhibited increased platelet aggregation to TRAP (thrombin receptor-activating peptide) (children with SDB = 114.8 aggregation units [AU] vs. control subjects = 98.0 AU; P < 0.05) and COL antibody (96.7 vs. 82.2 AU; P < 0.05) and an increased trend in ADP antibody (82.3 vs. 69.2 AU; P < 0.07) but not aspirin dialuminate (82.1 vs. 79.5 AU; P > 0.05). No significant association was observed between either the obstructive apnea-hypopnea index and any aggregation parameter, but parental report of snoring was positively associated with TRAP aggregation (Kendall's τ-c = 0.23; P < 0.05).Conclusions: The finding of increased platelet aggregation is consistent with endothelial damage. This suggests that the profile of cardiovascular changes noted in adults with SDB may also occur in children with SDB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]