This PPT presents an overview of the Science Fiction in Education EU funded project. www.scifieducation.org

1. SciFiEd: Science Fiction in Education
527471-LLP-1-CY-Comenius-cmp
Project Overview
Dr. Charalambos Vrasidas
www.cardet.org
This project has been funded with support from the European
Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of
the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein.
http://www.scifieducation.org

2. “Science is my territory,
but science fiction is the
landscape of my dreams.”
- Dyson

4. The Partnership
• P1: CARDET LTD, Cyprus (Coordinator)
• P2: University of Pitesti, Romania
• P3: County Meath Vocational Educational Committee, Ireland
• P4: Public Library in Ursus District of the City of Varsavia, Poland
• P5: Innovade Ltd, Cyprus
• P6: ASEV, Italy

5. • Research tells us that the introduction of
narrative in science education significantly
increases students’ memory, interest, and
understanding
• The consortium believes that Sci-Fi
narratives, in particular, can bring about
impressive improvement in European
science education
Rationale of the SciFi-Ed Project

6. The SciFi-Ed project aims
1. To increase pupils’ motivation and achievement in
science and other subjects, through the introduction of
Science Fiction in education.
2. To enhance the quality of teaching Science and
Technology, as well as an array of other subjects to
children aged between 9-15 years old.
3. To connect science education with real-life issues
such as the environment.
4. To provide girls and other marginalised groups with
better access to science education.
5. To contribute to the improvement of initial teacher
education and in-service professional development of
science teachers and to the exchange of innovative
teaching practices.

7. The SciFi-Ed project specific objectives
1. To introduce European educators of pupils aged between 9-15 to the
genre of science fiction and its subgenres, and convince them about its
literary and pedagogical value.
2. To provide educators with analytical information regarding acclaimed
international and European authors of Science Fiction for children and
young adults, and Sci-Fi titles available in partner countries.
3. To describe general approaches and specific methods and techniques to
teach through Science Fiction key competences and concepts in Science
and other important areas of the curriculum.
4. To support educators in utilizing film, multimedia, and Web 2.0
technologies to introduce Science Fiction in education.
5. To design sample Sci-Fi cross-curricular teaching units that may be used
by educators but also function as models for building new teaching units.
6. To pilot and implement Sci-Fi cross-curricular units in European schools,
record observations and conclusions, and make the results available to
teachers, schools, and policy makers in the form of case-study
descriptions.
7. To assort and disseminate relevant resources to European educators

8. The SciFi-Ed project Innovative Aspect
• European educational practice currently ignores or
even downgrades Science Fiction
• SciFi-Ed is the first project of its kind to tap on the full
potential of this exciting genre. The project’s innovation
lies exactly in the interdisciplinary/ cross-curricular
approach it proposes for infusing lessons across the
curriculum with the power of a good Science Fiction
story, and attracting students’ interest in science,
technology, and an entire spectrum of other fields of
knowledge.

9. Four Reasons in favour of using Science Fiction
to teach science fact:
1. the power of a good story
2. sci-fi’s ability to make a potential future come alive
3. its potential to make people curious about scientific
concepts
4. its tendency to provide insights into the world
(Raham, 2004)

10. Sci-Fi stories in education
Motivation and
achievement in
science and other
subject
Girls and other
marginaled groups:
better access to
science education
Enhance the
quality of teaching
Science and
Technology

11. SciFiEd project outcomes: The Toolkit
PART I: The SciFi-Ed Approach
PART II: Introduction to Science Fiction and its
Subgenres
PART III: Review of significant SciFi Texts
PART IV: Guidelines and ideas for incorporating SciFi
PART V: Suggestions for utilizing film & ICT
PART VI: Sample Cross-Curricular SciFi Units
PART VII: SciFi-Ed Case Studies

12. Project Milestones
•Research report and summary of suggested approaches and methods
•Introduction to Science Fiction and its Subgenres
•Review of significant SciFi Texts for Children and Young Adults in
partner countries
•Guidelines and ideas for incorporating SciFi in various educational
areas
•Sample Cross-Curricular SciFi Units
•Working version of SciFi-Ed Toolkit (without the case studies)
•Teacher Training Modules
•Piloting and Implementation
•Publication of the complete SciFi-Ed Toolkit
•European Conference