NUCLEAR E-COLOGY - THE CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECT AND THE HIGH-SCHOOL MODERN PHYSICS EDUCATION

Abstract

We have examined the possibility of using university scientific laboratories and the scientific stuff to establish the interesting and, in principle, worldwide concept of teaching nuclear and more general ‘modern physics’ students of the high schools far from big scientific centres. We developed citizen science project called “nuclear e-cology” and proposed it to high school teachers. Many groups of students initially registered to the system and started the serious scientific work. Some of them finished the study in the expected one year period and we found results of their activity of the real physical value. We presented them successfully to the professional audience. We have also found some weak points appeared at the first attempt, the launch, of our project, but we have also found the great advantage of the method, in general, and we believe that the further work in this citizen science direction could be fruitful and successful from the point of view of students and teachers.