New Perspectives in Science Education

There are many studies that value the use of the history of science for its numerous educational effects and its use is suggested in the school programs of the various countries of the world. Through the study of history and the nature of science, students have the opportunity to appreciate not only the final results but also the processes that led to the formulation of scientific ideas, understanding how often the construction of a theory is the result of a long and tortuous process that over the past times clashed with fears, superstition, astrology and religion. In this didactic proposal we want to retrace what led Galileo to abandon a cosmological vision that has lasted for 2000 years and deal with his discoveries, achieved using a simple telescope, in which he believed so much to challenge authorities and prejudices, pursuing what was the goal of his whole life: demonstrating and spreading the heliocentric theory.
It is an important moment in the history of the thought of humanity: understanding the fundamentals of scientific and intellectual change is an essential exercise in order to transfer to our students what science is, when it was born and what it was born from. But how teach this to high school students? Many researches have shown how the teaching that involves more sensory aspects can promote motivation and learning and technology can be a fabulous tool to engage our students. What is proposed here is the use of the ThingLink platform as a tool that allows access to visual, interactive images, sounds and videos, even in a 360° degree's view. The smartphone becomes a tool to enjoy and build engaging paths even in the form of immersive virtual reality. During the presentation an 3D virtual path will be shown, acting as a support and stimulus to the lesson. The path will show the  importance of Galileo's astronomical discoveries and their consequences in  physics, philosophy, religion and how there is a trace of them in the artworks of museums, churches and palaces in Florence, Madrid, Monaco, Rome, as a demonstration of how art, at that time, received scientific innovations and was an important medium in spreading new ideas. In conclusion, the history of science can be a means to help overcome the traditional separation between science and humanities and technology  a powerful tool to stimulate the interest and creativity of our students according to the instructions of one of the notifications of the European Community (May 22nd, 2018) on key competences, pointing on  “… fostering the acquisition of competences in sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), taking into account their link to the arts, creativity and innovation …”..

Keywords: history of science, Galileo, virtual reality, motivation.

References:
[1] Camerota, F. (2009). Arte e sciencia. Da Leonardo a Galileo. Florencia: Giunti.
[2] Galilei, G. (2007). La gaceta sideral. Madrid: Alianza.
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