The ASCEND Project: Able Scientists Collectively Experiencing New Demands
ASCEND – Able Scientists Collectively Experiencing New Demands – was a project for able and enthusiastic secondary science students using the nature of science as a starting point for developing challenging tasks for gifted science learners. The project involved a programme of enrichment activities held during after-school sessions at the University of Cambridge for students in the schools that comprised the secondary ‘Federation’ of schools in the City of Cambridge.
ASCEND was funded by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme.
One of the activates developed for ASCEND was a science analogy game: a fun activity intended to encourage creative thinking, and reflecting the key role of analogy generation in scientific thinking. A range of student-generated analogies were produced.
Director: Keith S. Taber (University of Cambridge Faculty of Education)
Researcher: Fran Riga
Graduate Teaching/Research Assistants: Philip Anding, Richard Brock, Hannah Burleigh, Clare Burton, Frank Flegg, Alejandra García-Franco, Andreas Georgiou, Jonathan Norris, Claire Pearson, Joanna Poddar, Fran Riga, Samantha Smith, Laura Wilson
Liaison:: Cathy Auffret (Chesterton Community College, Cambridge), Peter Biggs (St. Peter’s Interdenominational School, Cambridge), Susie Garlick (Netherhall School and Sixth Form College, Cambridge), Eloise Froment (Parkside Community School, Cambridge)
Enriching School Science for the Gifted Learner
Keith S. Taber
London: Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme. (ISBN 978-1-901351-68-2) (Book plus CDRom of teaching materials)
Editorial Consulatant - Prof. J. K. Gilbert
The ASCEND materials as published on the CDRom are all available from the National STEM Centre eLibrary.. Resources on the site can only be accessed by those registered, but registration is free. Once registered you will have access to an growing library of electronic resources.
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Dr Keith S Taber kst24@cam.ac.uk
University of Cambridge Faculty of Education
© Keith S Taber