Abstract:

Here I present activities of a new Science Teaching and Dissemination project that I conceived and realized in the framework of the XXXIV edition of "FUTURO REMOTO", the Italian Convention aimed to Dissemination of Scientific and Technological Culture (https://www.futuroremoto2020.it/). Born with the aim of communicating and inspiring passion for the world of research and innovation in the field of Biosciences, "Biology laboratory at home or in the classroom: call a scientist!" is a project that represents the evolution of those previously reported (ICERI, 2019, 2020; INTED 2018, 2019, 2020) aimed at bringing the activity of a scientific laboratory inside the home walls during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. All participants of all ages (students and non-students) were able to live a unique experience through a videoconference, and were able to engage in remote laboratory activities, but they were also able to be updated on the research currently underway at some laboratories of the Biology Department of the Federico II University of Naples. The activities were enriched by interactions in live chat with the new idea to stimulate questions in the audience also to get career advice. Audience engagement has been integrated with mentimeter.com, an interactive presentation software smartphone‐based. Over three days in the same week last November the participants, often high school students, were able to choose between twelve different activities delivered remotely (http://www.dipartimentodibiologia.unina.it/futuro-remoto/) focused on typical themes of biology disciplines from anatomy to molecular biology, ecology, plant ecology, genetics, microbiology, zoology to reinforce the idea that biology is present in everyday life, even if many are not aware of it. All activities of this project can be considered an example of inclusive, innovative, interdisciplinary distance teaching, and a free access opportunity to contribute directly to the training of university and non-university students and to the training and updating of secondary school teachers who have participated (Long Life Learning).
Each one of live activities lasted 75 minutes online and was organized with a speech, a video of a lab activity produced by biology department researchers teams, always integrated with live chat. All activities were booked and sold out online, and all were rated positively by participants using Microsoft forms modules. Participants were admitted to the microsoft teams platform individually from their PC, and in some cases the connections were also with multiple classes of students from the same school to experience firsthand. The information and training of the participants (especially high school students) will have repercussions on their future training (orientation) while for the teachers it was also opportunity for professional updating. Remote mode has also made it possible to produce materials that can be reproduced over time. As a research-oriented university Federico II involves undergraduate and high school students in its own academic laboratories. This new multidisciplinary project could be an example of a well-defined online engagement plan that connects all students off-campus and could be of help to students excited about research and biological disciplines as education moves online in response to the pandemic COVID-19. It was been also a way to assess student satisfaction in the absence of a regular presence in the laboratory.

Keywords:

CLIL, ICT tool, blended laboratory, Long Life Learning, innovative, interdisciplinary distance teaching.