| The Learning Skills for Science (LSS) programme and materials were first produced at the Weizmann Institute of Science, for use in schools in Israel. In 2004, the Science Enhancement Programme (SEP) commissioned further work for the UK, including an extensive training programme. The project has achieved very widespread recognition and classroom influence, both in the UK and further afield in countries as diverse as South Africa, Brazil and the Republic of Ireland.
In the UK and elsewhere, there has been a shift towards placing curriculum content in authentic contexts, and assessment has increasingly rewarded ability to engage in research activity rather than simple recall of information. There is an increased emphasis on ‘high-order’ skills for dealing with information – enquiry skills, problem-solving skills, thinking skills, learning skills. The GCSE specifications at Key Stage 4 exemplify this shift.
LSS allows teachers who have experienced project training to use a flexible collection of student activities backed up by printed guidance and extensive web-based resources. The 42 activities, which are organised in 6 skill areas (see below) are not directed at any one Key Stage, but can be used flexibly. For example, some activities may be used several times with the same students, at different stages and in different subject contexts. Very often, it is the nature of the subject and the resources that determines the level of the work. All activities can be amended by teachers who have experienced the necessary LSS training.
In short, the project:
- develops information literacy relating to the specific needs of learning science
- prepares students for independent learning
- demands thoughtful engagement with resources (input) and audiences (output)
Skill area 1 – Information retrieval – from books, library, experts, internet
Activities: Ideas about information, using the library including classification, editing a scientific book, using e-journals, using the internet, evaluating websites
Skill area 2 – Listening and observing – to presentations, to video
Activities: Skills of learning from presentations and films
Skill area 3 – Scientific reading – of articles, textbooks
Activities: Assessing the usefulness of articles, browsing and scanning, re-interpreting text, identifying types of text
Skill area 4 – Data representation – by symbols, diagrams, graphs, tables
Activities: Sorting visuals, interpreting symbols and diagrams, classifying and interpreting tables, thinking about graphs
Skill area 5 – Scientific writing – of reports, case studies, papers, abstracts, bibliographies
Activities: Summarising, structures of articles, reports and papers, writing to a format, evaluating writing
Skill area 6 – Knowledge presentation – by oral presentation, poster
Activities: Making presentations, recognising and creating scientific research posters |
