Winter 2001
Volume 3, Number 2
  




Nuclear Science and
Technology Workshop fuses
science and education By Kerry A. Newman

What do the manufacturing of paper and plastic, the construction of roads and the inspection of large structures such as the Statue of Liberty have in common? They use nuclear technology. Nuclear energy and radiation cannot be measured by the senses of sight, sound, taste or touch — only the effects are apparent. As a result, the topic of nuclear science is often not easily understood, and many people feel apprehensive or fearful about it.

Despite the negative, or inaccurate, perceptions that are held by many people, nuclear science and technology plays an important role in the everyday lives of Americans. Its presence touches many fields, including the health care, manufacturing and food industries, and more than 37 percent of Pennsylvania’s electricity is generated by nuclear energy. In order to combat some of the prevalent misconceptions, educators from Penn State designed Nuclear Science and Technology: A Curriculum and Issues Workshop, a special program to educate teachers about nuclear science and technology.

“Education moves us to another level, where we don’t fear,” said John R. Vincenti, project director and one of the program developers. “Fear is not the only thing. It’s about information and really respect for the technology and what its capabilities are and how one uses it. The course offers that, and we created it that way.”

Held for the second year, the Penn State colleges of Education and Engineering partnered to host the five-day Nuclear Science and Technology: A Curriculum and Issues Workshop for Pennsylvania K–12 teachers, counselors and administrators. The goal of the program was twofold: provide teachers with a better understanding of nuclear science and technology and help them to better incorporate the topic into their curricula and instructional programs.

During the summer, 20 educators gathered on the University Park campus and engaged in daylong sessions about nuclear science. The program was designed and instructed by Vincenti, coordinator of special projects for the College of Engineering’s Energy Technology Projects office; Candace C. Davison, research and education specialist and supervisor of reactor operations at the Radiation Science and Engineering Center; and Dr. Robert F. Nicely, professor of education in the departments of Curriculum and Instruction and Education Policy Studies at Penn State.

The program format consisted of in-class lectures, hands-on experiments, computer simulations, presentations by invited speakers and seminars. Guests included faculty from the Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, utility representatives and medical professionals. A visit to see Penn State’s nuclear reactor was a special highlight of the week.

First piloted in the summer of 1999, the program continues a 30-year history of Penn State programs designed for science teachers. The tradition began in 1969 when the Pennsylvania Department of Education sponsored programs out of the (then) Department of Nuclear Engineering. Other programs were later created as Penn State’s reputation grew, and the University received support from organizations such as the National Science Foundation.

The Nuclear Science and Technology: A Curriculum and Issues Workshop was developed at the request of Pennsylvania teachers who wanted to learn about the latest advancements in nuclear science, new applications for the technology and ways to supplement their curricula. Vincenti, Nicely and Davison created the workshop based on these considerations, intermeshing science and education. Topics addressed during the course included radiation control, nuclear energy and waste, career opportunities, future applications of nuclear technology and the nature and role of curriculum standards in schooling.

The workshop was offered for a nominal registration fee that included accommodations and meals for the week stay at University Park. All other costs and a travel stipend for each teacher were covered by the colleges of Education and Engineering. The teachers elected to take the program either as a noncredit course or for 2 graduate science education credits. Participants in the graduate credit option were required to complete additional assignments, including a final paper or project.

Nicely, former associate dean for outreach in Penn State’s College of Education, coordinated the education curriculum and credit option of the program. He described the collaboration between the colleges as “a nice partnership.”

“The nuclear engineering folks bring an up-to-date and rich background in terms of nuclear energy policies, research, practices and resources,” Nicely said. “We try in education to bring to this partnership an emphasis on ‘what’s going on in education’ in terms of the new curriculum standards that are being developed by national science education organizations and Pennsylvania science education organizations.

“We have the capability of making it a win-win-win situation,” Nicely continued. “Engineering wins, Education wins and the students win — everybody can benefit from this type of partnership. It’s a nice collaborative venture.”

Addressing new state education standards and Act 48 requirements were important considerations when developing the curriculum for the program. According to Vincenti, under the new Act 48, every five years all Pennsylvania teachers must earn 6 credits of continuing professional education to apply toward their teaching certification. The recent enforcement of Act 48 ensures a future audience for the Nuclear Science and Technology Workshop and offers possibilities for its expansion and the development of new teacher education programs.

Davison also worked with Vincenti and Nicely to develop and lead the workshop. As an experienced educator of technical-based nuclear engineering programs and a licensed senior nuclear reactor operator at the Radiation Science and Engineering Center, she offered a plethora of activities and experiments that could be incorporated into the curriculum. An afternoon participating in hands-on activities at the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor Building was just one highlight of the workshop.

Davison acknowledged a need for the program because of the sometime overwhelming nature of nuclear science and the lack of publicly accessible objective information.

“There is not a lot of good, objective information available — even in textbooks,” she said.

Davison described one of the most important aspects of the program as helping the participants overcome the misconceptions often associated with nuclear science.

“We like to present the facts — the scientific basis — and discuss the issues,” she said.

In addition to learning about the facts, such as the history of nuclear science and technology, research advancements and environmental, legal and economic concerns, the participants engaged in many hands-on activities and experiments. Each teacher received a Geiger counter to take back to the classroom, courtesy of a grant from the American Nuclear Society. In addition to learning how to read the counters and use them to conduct classroom experiments, the educators also received a computer program that simulated the operations of a nuclear reactor and a workbook of projects to incorporate into their own class curricula.

The future of the workshop is promising. In addition to supplementing the curricula with new topics, Davison and Vincenti both see opportunities for integrating distance education into the program. The ever-increasing capacities of the Internet, e-mail and computer technology offer possibilities for expanding the course. Developing partnerships with organizations and private industries could also increase the audience base and elevate the program to the national level. Davison plans to maintain connections with the participants and help them find educational resources in their own communities, too.

Vincenti spoke optimistically about the future of the program, professing that nuclear science and technology will increasingly continue to impact society. As a result, people will possess the need for more information about the subject.

“The implications for the future are enormous,” he said. “One of the reasons why is because nuclear science and technology is something that society must accept. Society cannot accept it in a vacuum of no or little information. An informed public will make better decisions in terms of any use of anything that may be considered controversial. We cannot go backwards; we have to move on. Nuclear science and technology will play a role in this.”

For more information about the workshop, and for firsthand accounts from the participants, visit www.engr.psu.edu/etp.

For more information about the Penn State Nuclear Engineering Program and the Radiation Science and Engineering Center, visit www.nuce.psu.edu.

An outreach program of the College of Engineering and the College of Education


As a licensed senior nuclear reactor operator and supervisor of reactor operations at Penn State’s Radiation Science and Engineering Center, Candace C. Davison adds her technical expertise to the Nuclear Science and Technology workshop, which is designed for Pennsylvania K–mp12 teachers, counselors and administrators.
John R. Vincenti is project director for Nuclear Science and Technology: A Curriculum and Issues Workshop. He also is coordinator of special projects for the College of Engineering's Energy Technology Projects office and executive secretary of the ACURI Association Inc., which promotes the safe, effective and efficient use of radioactive materials.
Dr. Robert F. Nicely is coordinator of the education curriculum and credit option of the Nuclear Science and Technology workshop. He makes sure the latest curriculum standards are addressed during the program. The next workshop will be held in July at University Park.
  

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