Interactions in Understanding the Universe (I2U2)

Fermi Research Alliance, Llc, Chicago IL

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT 0736126 PI: Bardeen This award is for I2U2: Interactions in Understanding the Universe, an "educational virtual organization" (EDVO), which is designed to strengthen the education and outreach activities of scientific experiments at U.S. universities and laboratories by providing infrastructure support and a program framework for a portfolio of coherent, collaborative online science education laboratories. I2U2 maintains a growing online portfolio of educational laboratories for a diverse range of disciplines and provides tools and support services to assist developers in creating these educational resources. These laboratories break new ground by using the national Grid cyberinfrastructure for education in the same way that science increasingly uses the Grid. I2U2 collaboratories take two similar but distinct shapes. ?e-Labs,? delivered as Web-based portals accessible in the classroom and at home, are implemented with the ever-expanding capabilities of Web-based media. ?i-Labs,? are delivered as interactive interfaces typically located within science museums and similar public venues. I2U2 will deploy and maintain itself as a ?virtual organization? to provide support for participants across project boundaries and from many different home institutions who share a common interest in developing Grid-based education and outreach resources, and who seek to communicate, coordinate and reach their target audience through the Internet and the Grid. I2U2 will also extensively evaluate and assess the effectiveness and use of the portfolio of science education laboratories.