Using of Distant Education Approaches to Introduce Cutting Edge Science into the Secondary School Classroom

Abstract

The μΝet (microNet) project aims to deploy and operate an extensive school network of educational cosmic ray telescopes in Greece. As part of the μNet project, an extended educational program will be conducted, focusing on the construction, testing, and operation of a Cosmic Ray Telescope, as well as the remote operation of cosmic ray detection stations and Astroparticle physics detectors deployed at the Hellenic Open University (HOU) campus. During the 2021–2022 school year, a preparatory phase of the program took place engaging 150 students and 21 science teachers from all over Greece. The high school teachers and students were trained to the experimental procedures of cosmic ray physics using distance learning methods. In this report, we briefly present the methodology we followed, the tools we developed to support the educational program, as well as the findings and results of this preparatory phase.