Dissemination refers to “the process by which, using certain strategies, results of a project are made available, comprehensible and usable by potential users” (Debry et al. 2013). Disseminating materials and ensuring their use is a core aspect of the INSTEM project. Working towards this is embedded from the outset, both with respect to short term opportunities as well as to strategically planning long-term dissemination and exploitation. The activities carried out to disseminate and exploit INSTEM project results and knowledge are either web-based, paper-based or face-to face strategies.
A crucial point for the project has been the setting up of sustainable structures, which allow continuation of the work after the lifetime of the project on a national and/or international level. This was a major challenge, which INSTEM tried to meet amongst others by supporting partners to establish national working groups. The INSTEM model behind these working groups is to establish groups in each country to develop strategies for sustainable exploitation of synthesized project results. These reference groups are composed of teachers and representatives of stakeholder organisations including teacher educators, science education researchers, curriculum developers, quality assurance, industry and educational governance communities. These groups have been working together at a national level and will go on in doing so.
A number of strategies have been used in order to maximize the impact of the project outcomes:
Strategy 2: TALKS AT OTHER CONFERENCES AND WORKSHOPS
Strategy 3: NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE & WIKI
Strategy 4: NATIONAL WORKSHOPS
Strategy 6: USING EXISTING NETWORKS
Strategy 8: NATIONAL WORKSHOPS AND CASE STUDIES
To get to know more about Instem activities and examples of the implementation of the dissemination strategy in partner countries please see Instem activities_examples
Reference
Debry, M. et al. (2013): “Reach out. Improving Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Education in Europe.” Toolkit. Brussels: European Schoolnet. URL: http://desire.eun.org/c/document_library/get_file?uuid=19f37a23-d566-4a49-8106- 5a29857a16f3&groupId=12834 Accessed 09 March 2015.
