The VIRTUE Project (Virtual University Education), under the sponsorship of the Swedish-based Wallenberg Foundation, involves a collaboration between the University of Bergen (Norway), the University of Maryland, and Goteborg University (Sweden) to develop research projects, outreach, and education programs that will address common concerns about the marine environment and expand innovative educational techniques. A major goal of the project is the enhancement of life-long learning involving public outreach and teacher education in the area of marine science. One of the first steps was the development of an "on-line marine science magazine" (www.virtue.uib.no/magazine) dedicated to the description and depiction of various research projects at the three institutions. The site describes unique projects that range from plankton in the marine environment to molecular biology. The site also includes a "teaching tools" section that can help enhance classroom content. Feature lessons posted at this time include Using Plankton in the Classroom and Biofilms and Biodiversity. Both lessons provide extensive information and excellent techniques.

A second step toward improving outreach and education took place on Oct. 5, 1998. The public outreach committee, headed by Dr. Wayne Bell (UMCES) and Dr. Roger Lindblom (Goteborg University), organized a video conference between teachers in Maryland, Goteborg, and Norway. Six teachers from Maryland, Brian Stoll, Dale Johnsen, Dale Peters, Ann Williams, Pat Chambers and Jim Gilford, represented a group that had participated as 1998 Summer Research Graduate Fellows at the Center of Marine Biotechnology, Horn Point Laboratory, Chesapeake Biological Lab, and Maryland Sea Grant. The focus of the meeting was the description of a biofilm and biodiversity project, initiated by the Center of Marine Biotechnology and Maryland Sea Grant, that can be utilized as a extension in science classes to study aquatic ecosystems. The project has been implemented at a few high schools in Maryland that have access to a local stream or river. Brian Stoll, Woodlawn High School, described the biofilm research he performed at COMB during the summer and how he planned to implement techniques and strategies in his classroom. In addition, Jim Gilford, Westminster High School, described how he used the Maryland Sea Grant biofilms and biodiversity web lesson as a research project the first 3 weeks in his science research class. The conference lasted one hour with an exchange of information in hopes that Swedish and Norwegian teachers would like to collaborate in the future and exchange data.

Since that first meeting, the teachers from Maryland have been implementing various parts of the biofilm project in their classroom by studying field samples or using the Biofilms and Biodiversity lesson on the Maryland Sea Grant web-site as an enhancement. On March 22, 1999, the second VIRTUE Project outreach meeting will occur here in Maryland at the Center of Marine Biotechnology to outline a specific biofilm investigation that all three collaborating countries can perform starting this spring. There is great interest from the VIRTUE outreach committee in investigating the potential for an exchange program between Maryland, Goteborg, and Bergen for teachers participating in the investigation. This would be the first of many future exchanges of information and resources in the years to come that would help enhance science education in Maryland and internationally.

Experimental biofilm disks after three month in Baltimore Harbour

For more information on this program contact, Adam Frederick at 410-234-8850 or frederic@mdsg.umd.edu VIRTUE Project ... "Changing the way of teaching"

http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/Extension/msgsnn/msgsnn01_2/virtue.html