The goal of this proposed national thematic Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence-Technology and Engineering for Knowledge (COSEE-TEK) is to innovate and adapt approaches to improve the quality, availability, and impact of ocean science education by linking ocean science, technology, and engineering to catalyze learning and communication of STEM topics for teachers, students, scientists, and the public. To achieve this goal we propose the following objectives: 1) provide effective activities that enhance knowledge, pedagogical insights, community connections and experiences for the research community in formal and/or informal education environments to strengthen broader impacts; 2) develop innovative resources to improve the quality, availability, and impact of ocean science and technology in education efforts; and 3) foster communications and collaborations amongst the ocean science, technology, education and public outreach communities. Each of these objectives will be met through a series of innovations and activities that continually seek to link ocean science and technology with education and outreach. We will showcase ocean technologies with emerging information and communications technologies.
The intellectual merit of this proposal lies in its important focus on the tools and technologies that are critical to ocean science. From the earliest research vessels to SCUBA and occupied submersibles to remote sensing and sampling to observing systems, ocean technologies and engineering have been essential to the advancement of ocean science. The Center will seek to develop innovative teaching resources derived from ocean science and the exciting new technologies being applied and developed to address a host of socially relevant topics. Furthermore, this project will catalyze learning and communication opportunities for researchers, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) educators, both formal and informal, students and the public. The Center will also evaluate the effectiveness of a number of approaches (Technology Teams, lectures, Technology Institutes) and media (webinars, online encyclopedia of technology) to deliver and disseminate science and technology content. The intellectual merit is based on the technology and engineering that enables ocean science and integrating these with education, outreach and workforce development.
The technical and engineering information being conveyed through COSEE-TEK activities and materials will be presented in a way that is easy to understand for any layperson, from students' parents, to the visitors at an Aquarium, to the senior citizen attending a public lecture. A diverse network of partners will be utilized to affect broader impacts of COSEE-TEK's work. Many of the activities of this proposed COSEE will use information and communications technology, allowing for global participation and access to resources. We will partner with the American School for the Deaf to address the needs of underrepresented deaf and hard of hearing and efforts will be made include educators from the deaf community and ensure that educational materials can be readily used by deaf persons. We will forge additional partnerships with the National Association of Black Scuba Divers, the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation. We will engage ocean industries in our Technology Teams and work with the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology to integrate the needs and opportunities for ocean technology in the development of STEM workforce. An undergraduate course module on the history of ocean technology will be developed and made available online for other colleges, universities and educational facilities to use. The audience will include people entering the work force, as well as their mentors, who will gain valuable knowledge to help prepare them not only for careers in ocean science, but in computer science, the shipping and transportation industry, electronics, acoustics, data management and transfer, data telemetry (satellites, radio waves, microwaves), and more.
