No. 2: 2000
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Barney Desroches
Program Representative, Science Education Gateway (SEGway) at the University of California Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, Berkeley, CA
A Model of Collaboration -- The Science Education Gateway:
An On-line Science Education Network Built on Museum Partnerships

Abstract
The phenomenal growth of the Internet and the wealth of resources from institutions such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have the potential to significantly enhance science education in our schools. Forging strong collaborative partnerships between organizations such as science museums and NASA allow new space science discoveries to be transformed into well designed Web-based learning materials. These resources offer exciting new learning opportunities for teachers, students, and the general public.
The Internet has also created a new means by which museums function and interconnect with other institutions. Interesting new work environments are opening up for museum professionals who enjoy blending education, public relations, science, and technology talents with museum and teaching experience. Technology has thereby expanded opportunities for professionals to find employment outside of the museum, but in contexts that support their mission. Such openings, for example, can be found in collaborative partnerships with museums established by universities, school districts, and even the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Introduction
The Science Education Gateway (SEGway) is a national consortium of science museums, research institutions, school districts, educators, and scientists who are working together to bring the latest NASA science discoveries to K-12 students, teachers and the general public. With a team approach, SEGway adapts Earth and space science research and the latest discoveries into educational components which are presented as Web-based lessons and self-guided learning modules. In addition, SEGway serves various NASA space science missions as they carry out their required component of Education and Public Outreach (EPO), developing on-line lessons, designing space mission EPO Web sites, coordinating teacher training activities, and promoting on-line Webcasts of special events. Now in its sixth year, SEGway has extensive experience in adapting space science for the benefit of K-12 schools using Web-based learning technologies. Improving the quality of science education in the United States is a fundamental goal of SEGway.
Recent reports from the US Department of Education indicate K-12 students are ranking poorly in science test scores. The Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS) found that 12th grade students scored well below the international average in general science knowledge and in some cases among the lowest of 21 participating nations (NSTA Reports! April 1998). It was found that science teachers often feel confused about what to teach and how to teach it. According to Gerry Wheeler, NSTA Executive Director, teachers struggle to find enough time to develop lessons or exchange ideas with colleagues (Wheeler 1998). The National Science Board states that K-12 mathematics and science education is, in fact, a national shared responsibility that requires coordination and support from many parties for improvement. It recommends supporting partnerships form among various stakeholders to help ensure positive changes in math and science education. More specifically Bruce Alberts, President of the National Academy of Science stated: "I now view effective science education partnerships between scientists and teachers as the only hope for lasting change in pre college science education, and therefore, as an important national priority for the United States" (Alberts 1993). In this spirit, SEGway is building a network of partnerships among educators, scientists, and science museum personnel to help improve science education.

The SEGway Model
The benefit of a highly collaborative model is that it leverages the unique skills, expertise, and resources of a variety of individuals, and museums such as: Exploratorium, Lawrence Hall of Science, Science Museum of Virginia, and Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. In addition, a number of other experts from around the United States are participating in the development, pilot testing, and assessment of SEGway educational resources. SEGway and its partners are funded and sustained through a network of NASA grants and individual space mission budgets.
Although SEGway is a program composed of many contributing museums and organizations across the United States, its coordinating, lead institution is the Space Science Laboratory on the UC Berkeley campus. The SEGway team includes a program director, science curriculum expert, program coordinator, computer programmer, graphic/web page designers, and several part-time teachers and K-12 curriculum developers. A total of 3.5 FTE (full time equivalent) personnel contribute to the implementation of SEGway. Computer servers in the Space Sciences building host all SEGway resources: lesson plans, JIF and JPEG image archives, RealAudio sound files of interviews with astronomers, digitized movie and animation clips, lesson plan templates for teachers to use when creating their own Web-based lessons, quizzes, games, classroom activities, and links to related space science materials on the Internet. The Web sites of the four museum partners publicize and link to SEGway. This network directs thousands of Web visitors to SEGway each month.
To illustrate this model more clearly, we can imagine the ripple effect when space science information is transmitted from a central source outward through networks of museums, the SEGway Web site, the World Wide Web, with the finished products reaching a broad, encompassing audience. NASA space missions and scientists are at center. They are the primary source of new space science discoveries and data. Next, science museums staff help translate space science discoveries into learning modules. SEGway in turn assists the museum staff and places what lessons they have developed onto the SEGway site. Finally, the World Wide Web, the conduit through which an on-line space science education program can flourish, permits end users--the students, teachers, or public to access new and engaging scientific lessons (see figure 1).

Role of Scientists
Scientists, with their technological and scientific know-how, contribute the discoveries and data upon which new SEGway lessons are based. Periodically they interact with the team to relay the latest developments in their research, which are then adapted into educational resources or used to update current ones. Throughout this process the scientists serve as ‘science inquiry’ role models for K-12 teachers and students--a point which is emphasized in the SEGway lessons. Teaching and modeling ‘science as inquiry’ is a primary objective on all levels of science education. It is a standard which helps students develop their own ability for exploring science. Scientists also provide scientific validation and review of resources as well as participate in Webcasts and on-line chats.

Role of Science Museums
Science museums offer high profile venues for publicizing and disseminating SEGway resources. Lessons are presented as part of the on-line package of public programming. Museum personnel contribute by collaborating on the development of new lessons. For instance, Alan Gould, director of the Holt Planetarium and Learning Environment and Development Program at the Lawrence Hall of Science, worked with Oakland Unified School District teachers to design and pilot test Find That Planet! This lesson is designed for middle and high school students, who learn to make a horizon planetarium and sky map to find the locations of planets in the sky. At the Science Museum of Virginia local teachers worked with staff to produce the Classifying Galaxies lesson. In this module middle school students learn to identify and classify galaxies the way astronomers do. Best of the Solar System introduces middle school students to planetary research through images of solar system objects. It was developed by museum staff and educators from local schools at the National Air and Space Museum. All of these resources and lessons highlight NASA space science. Showcased are planetary and astronomy data and images obtained by space missions such as the Hubble Space Telescope, and planetary probes such as Magellan, Voyager, and Galileo.
Museum educators offer teacher professional development workshops that utilize SEGway lessons. Museum computer labs with reliable Internet connections are ideal settings for these workshops. The Exploratorium, for example, has an excellent array of teacher programs in the instruction of astronomy. The Lawrence Hall of Science has classrooms where staff can instruct teachers in how they can best teach The Comet’s Tale lesson to their students. The Comet’s Tale is a SEGway module about comets which includes a section on "How to Make a Comet" using dry ice, water, dirt, and other substances.
Museums that have modern technical infrastructure are also able to benefit SEGway by hosting educational on-line chat sessions and Internet Webcasts. In a recent example, the Lawrence Hall of Science and SEGway team collaborated to provide 40 Bay Area Girl Scouts with an on-line chat experience during the August 1999 total solar eclipse. Using NASA Ames Research Center QuestChat technology set-up in the Lawrence Hall of Science computer lab, Girl Scouts were able to ask via computer eclipse-related questions to an astronomer (see figure 2). This author moderated the chat by screening all Scout questions, relaying the most pertinent ones to the astronomer to answer. The event was highly successful, and the Scouts enjoyed using the computers as a tool for communicating with an expert. During the same evening, the Exploratorium offered a similar on-line chat for the general public that was moderated by SEGway staff. Then, near the time of totality, the Exploratorium hosted a live Webcast of the Total Solar Eclipse which was broadcast to millions of viewers via the Internet including the Scouts at the Lawrence Hall of Science. SEGway was a collaborating partner in this production, and has plans for collaboration with future Webcast events.

The Role of Educators
Teachers contribute experience with curriculum development, knowledge of science education standards, and innovative ideas for classroom instruction. Educators also pilot test and refine resources. They give presentations to colleagues on how on-line resources can be used most effectively. In-service gatherings help build a network of peer support and promote SEGway to other teachers.

SEGway in the Classroom
In the classroom, SEGway benefits teachers and students by providing an educational space science K-12 curriculum on-line. With more than 20 Web lessons to choose from and more in development, schools, libraries and museums can offer lessons to a wide range of users and class levels. Parents of home schooled children also make use of these materials. Each lesson is pilot tested, organized by grade level and content area, and is aligned with the National Science Education Standards. SEGway lessons include both computer intensive, interactive components, as well as hands-on "off-line" activities. This combination has proven very effective as a means to engage a variety of learning styles and accommodate a range of classroom situations. A ‘teachers guide’ section on each module provides a lesson overview, technical requirements, lesson handouts, assessment tools, and links to related science resources.

SEGway for the Science Community
When the NASA space science community responds to NASA "Announcements of Opportunity" to develop and carry out space science flight (satellite) missions, they must allocate 2% of the overall budget toward education and public outreach. Taxpayer dollars fund missions, and EPO components therefore help enrich our nation’s understanding of, and education in, the space science which it supports. Public interest in space science programs has grown since EPO programs began showcasing the research and discoveries taking place. EPO web sites in particular contribute to bringing to the immediate attention of thousands the triumphs scientist are achieving in space science. Scientists and space science missions usually have limited resources and expertise for developing comprehensive EPO programs. Partnerships between the space science community and groups experienced in EPO are essential. SEGway provides an established and robust framework that taps the expertise and scientists and educators who contribute their unique talents toward an overall goal of inspiring the science education and science literacy of our nation.
SEGway, for example, is leading the EPO programs for the Fast Auroral SnapshoT (FAST) and High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager (HESSI) satellite missions. Scientists in the FAST mission are using an orbiting satellite to study the physics related to auroral activity at the southern and northern poles, and the influence that solar winds and the earth’s magnetic field play on the Northern and Southern aurorae. With HESSI slated for launch in July of 2000, scientists will use the very latest technology to study solar flares, which are among the most energetic and explosive events in our solar system. Detectors on the satellite will take, for the first time, X-ray and gamma ray spectra of flares, providing detailed images that will shed new understanding of particle acceleration and energy release in these powerful solar explosions. Thus, scientists and their involvement in missions such as HESSI will help generate content for future SEGway lessons.

SEGway for the General Public
SEGway resources are being enhanced for the enjoyment of broad public audiences. While teachers may need lessons with guidelines for instruction or handouts for testing and assessment, the general public desires lessons that are self-guided and well organized. SEGway’s Light Tour, The Comet’s Tale, and Exploring the Planets – An Online Gallery are lessons that exemplify this format. Light Tour introduces the properties of light with applications to astronomy in a self-paced style that middle school students or adults can easily follow. Exploring the Planets - An Online Gallery is designed similarly, placing the users in control of their own learning. Our goal is to provide all SEGway resources in two formats, serving both the formal K-12 instructional needs as well as the wishes of the general public.

Creating New SEGway Lessons
The SEGway lesson production cycle involves authoring, testing in the classroom, modification, and revision. Completed lessons are made available through the SEGway World Wide Web site at UC Berkeley’s Space Sciences Laboratory, and from links placed on Exploratorium, Lawrence Hall of Science, National Air and Space Museum, and Science Museum of Virginia Web sites. Sunspots, for example, a recent addition to SEGway, was developed by members of the Exploratorium, UC Berkeley Space Sciences Laboratory, and teachers from several California schools. This lesson explores the nature of sunspots, including the significance the Sun has played in ancient cultures, as well as the developments of modern solar research conducted from space (see figures 3 and 4). Interesting components of this Web lesson are: RealMedia audio-video interviews with solar physicists and archeo-astronomers (see figure 5), cutting-edge NASA images and movies, and guidelines for safe sunspots viewing with telescope or binoculars. Additionally, there is a student-centered, interactive research activity. The activity allows students to assume the role of the scientist by measuring, graphing, and comparing x-ray and white light solar images, investigating possible correlations between visible sunspots and X-Ray flux (flux is the amount of X-Ray luminosity as measured from the Earth). Measurements are plotted on graphs and compared with data collected by student peers (see figure 6 and 7).

Pilot Testing SEGway Resources
Pilot testing is critical for improving resources and their effectiveness. In some cases lessons are reviewed by individual science teachers; on other occasions SEGway participates in large-scale programs that involve school districts. SEGway has formed a three year partnership with the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) to support and expand its science curriculum for the academic year and for the Summer Step-Up Program (SSP). The SSP, designed to help students transition from junior to senior high school, offers an intensive summer arts and science curriculum to boost math, science, and English skills. The Sunspots lesson formed part of this curriculum and was used during a three week period in 1999 by four science teachers, each at a different high school, impacting a total of 600 students. For SEGway, results from this pilot test have been extremely informative and feedback was used to improve the lesson. The partnership with SFUSD helps enhance the District’s curriculum and affords SEGway a viable test bed upon which to pilot and improve lessons before national dissemination.

Benefits of SEGway Lessons in the Classroom
Based on classroom testing of SEGway resources and evaluation of the results, we found that Internet-based lessons can be a viable educational tool. Students are motivated to use computers to study space science. Teachers who pilot tested the Sunspots resource, for example, felt the on-line lesson provided stimulating and up-to-date information that traditional texts cannot offer in the same manner. Teachers liked the interactive Java graphing activity which engaged pupils and helped them understand measuring, graphing, and correlations. Guidelines in the teacher’s section were deemed valuable, facilitating content delivery and the organization of the unit. The sunspot viewing activity illustrated that on-line learning must be supplemented by hands-on activities that promote experiential learning. Student interest peaked when they realized the smallest sunspots they observed with the telescope were actually several times the size of the Earth! (see figures 8, 9 and 10). Overall, teachers felt the Summer Step-Up students learned a great deal about the Sun and its effect on the Earth.

Technical Challenges
We found several challenges in using technology-based lessons in the classroom. Often the infrastructure in schools is inadequate or outdated, and technical support is not sufficient. Teachers may have limited computer training and little time to spend configuring equipment. Moreover, they may be unfamiliar with strategies that allow for the smooth integration of technology into the curriculum. Insufficient technology and support can impede student progress and limit the full-range of lesson interactivity afforded to students. Educational Web materials must be designed to load quickly and function smoothly on older computers since many schools still have early technology. Lessons should use multimedia thoughtfully, and include text to convey the same information in the event the multimedia does not function on the user’s computer. Likewise, lessons should include suggestions for classroom activities, incorporating engaging pedagogical models that support a variety of learning modalities (reading, discussion, writing, drawing diagrams, watching on-line presentations, group work and group presentations). Finally, teachers often want to exchange ideas and know how others have used materials. To respond to this need a "Teacher Testimonials" section will be added to SEGway lessons. This feature will provide a forum where educators can offer their own strategies for teaching a lesson and read the comments of their colleagues. Samples of student work, handouts, or procedures for effective use of technology in the classroom can also be presented and will benefit the K-12 community.

Conclusion
The explosive growth of the Internet and the wealth of resources from NASA have the opportunity to significantly enhance science instruction in our schools. Appropriate use of information technology and well designed Web-based learning materials can provide teachers, students, and the general public with exciting new learning opportunities. Dynamic space science modules may help inspire students to excel in science and raise test scores. A number of challenges, however, need to be addressed. Schools with antiquated technology and slow Internet connections need upgrades. Teachers require on-going technical support in the classroom and must have training in technology-based instruction. Web-based lessons require thoughtful design to address a range of pedagogical objectives and to meet a variety of "real world" classroom technology configurations. Educators need to find Web resources easily through networks that cater to their needs—a main reason why SEGway lessons are organized according to topic, grade level, and National Standards. SEGway understands that a strong collaborative network is essential for synthesizing and adapting NASA space science discoveries into useful educational products. Leveraging the unique skills and resources of partner institutions benefits the K-12 community and general public. In addition, the structure of the SEGway-like model is one that will likely involve an increasing number of museums as institutions cooperate to achieve exciting new goals. Likewise, employment opportunities will increase for museum professionals with a passion to serve on collaborative programs in the future.

References
Alberts, B.
1993. President, National Academy of Sciences. [On-line]
http://www.nas.edu/new/2186.html, October 1998.

Battle, R.
1997. Light Tour SEGway lesson [On-line] Available
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/sii/lessons/light_summ.html, September 15, 1999

FAST
1999 (Fast Auroral SnapshoT) Space Science Mission [On-line] Available http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/fast_epo/, September 15, 1999

Gould, A.
1997. Find That Planet! SEGway lesson [On-line] Available
http://www.lhs.berkeley.edu/SII/SII-FindPlanets/Find-hmpg.html, September 15, 1999

Hastings, G., and Hastings, J.
1997. Classifying Galaxies SEGway lesson [On-line] Available
http://www.smv.org/hastings/galaxy.htm, September 15, 1999

HESSI
1999 (High Energy Solar Spectroscopic Imager) Space Science Mission
[On-line] Available
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/hessi_epo/, September 15, 1999
http://hessi.ssl.berkeley.edu/ground_systems/, September 15, 1999

Kerr, M., and Strain, P.
1997. Best of the Solar System SEGway lesson [On-line] Available
http://www.nasm.edu/ceps/SIIMAGES/, September 15, 1999

Miller-Bagwell, A., Battle, R., Hawkins, I., Ruderman, I., Spensley, D.
1997. The Comet’s Tale SEGway lesson [On-line] Available
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/comod/com.html, September 15, 1999

Strain, P., Portway, V., and Kerr, M.
1998. Exploring the Planets – An Online Gallery SEGway lesson [On-line] Available
http://www.nasm.edu/ceps/ETP/, September 15, 1999

Wanner, N., Spadaccini, J., Ruderman, I., Miller-Bagwell, A.
1998. Sunspots. SEGway lesson [On-line] Available
http://cse.ssl.berkeley.edu/segway/lessons/sunspots/, September 15, 1999

Wheeler, G.
1989. NSTA Reports! April, 1998.

(no author listed)
1998. U.S. 12th Graders Rank Poorly in Latest TIMSS Study. NSTA Reports! National Science Teacher Association, April.
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