Digital badges are graphical representations of an accomplishment. Open badges are a subset of digital badges that allow the badge owner to demonstrate achievement and the viewer to see the criteria for the badge. Open badges offer the opportunity to evidence and reward skill development, and to learn that existing formal qualifications do not. In…

Open badges are portable, digital credentials that offer the opportunity to reward learning in both formal and informal settings, providing an inventory of competencies and interests. Previously, a comprehensive framework of open badges in the 'Working Scientifically' strand of the National Curriculum in England (ages 5-16), extending into post-16…

Digital badges are graphical representations of an accomplishment. Open badges are a subset of digital badges, an image file in which additional data, metadata, are embedded. Not only will an open badge contain a description of the badge, the criteria, the issuer and issue date, but also, when appropriate, standards, tags, expiry date and…

Early in 2010, a group of year 11 students (age 15-16) studying GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) Astronomy at The Radclyffe School, Oldham, in the UK, teamed up with a similar age group from Tianyi High School, Wuxi City, in China, to undertake a joint astronomy investigation. This article outlines the outcome of the first stage…

Most students now have access to devices such as digital cameras and mobile phones that are capable of taking short video clips outdoors. Such clips can be used with powerful ICT tools, such as Tracker, Excel and TI-Nspire, to extract time and coordinate data about a moving object, to produce scattergrams and to fit models. In this article we…

The website "Earthlearningidea" was developed for the International Year of Planet Earth in 2007 and continues with one new activity per fortnight. Activities are devised to catch the attention of students and to enable them to enjoy the science of the Earth. Many activities require minimal equipment, for schools in developing countries, but there…

In order to understand the realistic use and impact of ICT on physics teaching in Ireland, a survey was used to gather information on teacher attitudes, confidence and concerns. Practical problems in the regular use of ICT affect some more than others. Factors such as availability of equipment and time to learn new skills (and interest in those…

Reports on the experience of teachers from 10 different secondary schools using information and communication technology (ICT) in science instruction. Discusses the teachers' thoughts on the materials they used, problems and advantages of using different applications, and necessary conditions for successful teaching outcomes. (Author/NB)

Describes the barriers that science teachers face in using computers in schools. Shares some methods that have been used to overcome those barriers and suggests some principles that might ensure more effective implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in science. (Contains 16 references.) (Author/ASK)

Describes a three-dimensional computer modeling system for biological molecules which is suitable for sixth-form teaching. Consists of the modeling program "RasMol" together with structure files of proteins, DNA, and small biological molecules. Describes how the whole system can be downloaded from various sites on the Internet.…

Described is the use of a spreadsheet to model dynamic phenomena using numerical iterative methods. Uses the discharge of a capacitor, simple and damped harmonic motion, and the flow of heat along a bar as examples. (Author/CW)

Describes when and how to carry out many of the most common statistical tests including mean, standard deviation, confidence limits, correlation, regression, t-test, Chi square test, and ANOVA. Uses Excel to perform these operations. (DDR)

Describes the methods and materials used to obtain satellite pictures from weather satellites. Discusses possible physics lessons which can be done using this equipment including orbital mechanics, and how the satellite works. (CW)

Describes a project sponsored by the Association for Science Education (ASE) that has proved successful and is now known as Science across the World. This project aims at linking schools in all parts of the globe. Describes how Science across the World works and reports on the evaluation of its use. (DDR)

Presented are five ideas for A-level biology experiments using a laboratory computer interface. Topics investigated include photosynthesis, yeast growth, animal movements, pulse rates, and oxygen consumption and production by organisms. Includes instructions specific to the BBC computer system. (CW)