The European Physical Society signed a new EC contract, called “COSMOS”.

The main purpose of COSMOS is to create an experimental laboratory for students and teachers in order to improve science instruction by expanding the resources for teaching and learning in schools and universities and by providing more challenging and authentic learning experiences for students. Two major repositories, the Discovery Space Portal and the Educational Repository of the Schools Observatory project will be used as sources of science education content (projects, activities, lesson plans, astronomical images and scientific data, videos and simulations of physical phenomena, questionnaires and on-line tests).

The COSMOS approach will be implemented at two levels:

• at secondary education: The COSMOS approach will make educational materials (educational scenarios, lesson plans, collaborative projects with the associated content) easily accessible for creative, hands-on interactive science lessons to meet the needs of school curricula, suitable for small-group collaborations

• at university education: The databases of the observatories of the COSMOS network will be used to improve the quality of science instruction at the university level, while offering to the students the opportunity to realize their own projects and to gain experience in carrying out independent scientific research. Astronomy (or other closely related fields) students and faculty can use COSMOS for teaching practical astronomy laboratory techniques and research astronomy courses (that is, a minimum of related theoretical background is required). Essentially (due to the nature of telescopes) optical observational techniques can be taught.

The main outcomes of this work will be the COSMOS Tool-Box and the Roadmap for the implementation of a Pan-European Educational service, which will include recommendations for European Quality Certification of science education content. The project will begin the analysis of the user needs and requirements that are expected to affect the introduction of the proposed content in the formal education systems of the participating countries. A specific Pedagogical Framework will be developed to support the introduction of the specific content to the formal educational activities of schools and universities through the demonstration of a series of innovative educational scenarios.

website: http://www.ea.gr/ep/cosmos