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Atmospheric Environment 43 (2009) 5415–5422

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Atmospheric Environment

journal homepage: www.elsevier .com/locate/atmosenv

Educating the next generation of atmospheric scientists withina European Network of Excellence

E. Schuepbach a,*, E. Uherek b, A. Ladstatter-Weissenmayer c, M.J. Jacob b

a University of Berne, Physical Geography/cabo3, 3012 Berne, Switzerlandb Max-Planck-Institut fur Chemie, 55128 Mainz, Germanyc Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany

a r t i c l e i n f o

Article history:Received 29 January 2009Received in revised form22 July 2009Accepted 3 August 2009

Keywords:European Network of ExcellenceAtmospheric composition changeIntegrated Learning EnvironmentNext generationEarly-career scientistsSchoolsScience workshopsTransferrable skillsE-learning

* Corresponding author. Tel.: þ41 (0) 31 631 8843;E-mail address: eva.schuepbach@gmail.com (E. Sc

1352-2310/$ – see front matter � 2009 Published bydoi:10.1016/j.atmosenv.2009.08.001

a b s t r a c t

In order to promote the next generation of atmospheric scientists, the task Training and Education (T&E)in ACCENT, the European Network of Excellence in Atmospheric Composition Change (www.accent-network.org) has developed and implemented an Integrated Learning Environment (ILE). For schoolteachers and their students, the Internet-based ‘‘Global Change Magazine’’ provides up-to-date andfreely accessible scientific material in English and five other languages. Additionally, T&E has producedonline teaching material for early-career scientists. These e-learning modules are now being used inUniversity Master’s courses across Europe. T&E also organised training events for early-career scientists,combining scientific content with development in transferable skills, to focus on interdisciplinarycollaboration, interaction with senior scientists, communication with stakeholders, and dissemination tothe general public. Evaluation based on participant feedback evidences the effectiveness of these events,e.g., in terms of motivation to remain in the field. Methodologies and materials from T&E are beingpublished in a Handbook on Best Practice, intended for both educators and scientists around the globewho are involved in education in the field of air quality and climate change science.

� 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

1. Learning about atmospheric composition change inACCENT – an introduction

ACCENT is a Network of Excellence (NoE) in Europe (www.accent-network.org; 2004–2009) that seeks to establish andmaintain durable means of communication and collaborationwithin the scientific community working in atmospheric compo-sition change. Its ‘‘Training and Education’’ (T&E) programme aimsat playing an integrating role in Europe and beyond to promotingcreative and innovative researchers and teachers, and encouragethe next generation to remain in, or move into the field. Educationaland training activities of ACCENT T&E are framed within the globaldevelopments of the 21st century posing sweeping challenges tothe community of atmospheric scientists.

Being a new instrument within European modes of funding,ACCENT has explored ways of disseminating scientific informationthat are different. Two expert meetings at the beginning of ACCENTfocused on the identification of target groups and their needs, andhow gaps in education in air quality and climate change science in

fax: þ41 (0) 31 631 8511.huepbach).

Elsevier Ltd.

Europe can be matched with core competences in the ACCENTnetwork. The outcomes were compiled in a Position Paper(Schuepbach, 2005) describing the strategy to be pursued withinT&E, the broad avenues of educational and training activities, andthe tools, software and material to be developed.

The following objectives were defined:

(i) to promote early-career scientists;(ii) to encourage School children and High School students to

move into the field;(iii) to support scientists from eastern Europe, emerging and

developing countries;(iv) to offer specific support structures for female scientists, in

collaboration with the ACCENT Gender Awareness Group;(v) to develop an educational infrastructure, tools, and training

material, and carry out training courses for the defined targetgroups;

(vi) to establish good practice in using a European Network ofExcellence for teaching and learning about atmosphericcomposition change.

The process of meeting these objectives and implementation ofthe strategies has been ensured by a Coordinator (Evi Schuepbach),

Fig. 1. Organisation of, and cooperation within the ACCENT Network.

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aided by a Steering Committee, has implied cooperation with allother Tasks and Subprojects in ACCENT, and with the network ofPartners and Associated Partners (Fig. 1). Collaboration withinACCENT has been extended to other networks such as, e.g., scienceteachers both at European schools and Universities, with whomjoint activities have been carried out (e.g., Workshops with theNordic Graduate School, see http://www.atm.helsinki.fi/CBACCI/).Regular exchanges have also been arranged with the internationalscience education community, e.g., during Education Sessionsorganised by ACCENT T&E at the European Geophysical UnionMeetings in Vienna, Austria, or contributions to Education Sessionsat the American Geophysical Union Fall Meetings in San Francisco,U.S.A. (Schuepbach, 2007).

2. The challenge of disseminating scientific knowledgein the 21st century

Science is a form of culture with its own language (Roth andLawless, 2002). Science teaching also inherits properties ofprofessional science culture, such as information density, techni-cality, abstraction, and authoritativeness (Fang, 2006). In spite ofthese common grounds, the challenges that scientists, learners andteachers face with disseminating scientific contents are huge. Inaddition, the process of producing scientific knowledge is under-going rapid and significant changes. For long, the production ofknowledge within the academic community has excluded theparticipation of other groups. Today, end users of scientific resultsare no longer confined to the academic community, or sciencejournalists, alone. The increasing interest of the educated society inthe 21st century to understand how climate change works, and therising importance of air quality and climate change science in thepolitical agenda and the media create new challenges for scientists.Many scientists are now required to collaborate and communicatewith teams that have a practical role in society (like, e.g., thecorporate world), or engage in discussions with politicians, thegeneral public, and – very importantly – the media. Consequently,scientists now face a situation where so-called transferrable skillsto e.g., address scientific issues of diverging interests have becomean invaluable resource in professional life. These skills are, however,not traditionally part of the air quality and climate change science

curricula at institutions of Higher Education in Europe, althoughhave been increasingly required by funding organisations such as,e.g., the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council.

The next generation of atmospheric scientists is especiallychallenged to explore avenues for addressing this new role. ACCENTT&E has hence carefully evaluated the needs for training in bothscience and transferrable skills of teachers and their students (aged12–18 years), and of early-career atmospheric scientists (Master’slevel up to five years after completion of a PhD). As for early-careerscientists, they expressed needs to be taught a diversity ofcompetencies both in science and transferrable skills in order to besuccessful (Schuepbach et al., 2006). Access to scientific activitiesand the possibility for networking within the ACCENT networkwere as important for early-career scientists to move into, orremain in the field, as was training in science and transferrableskills. For the ACCENT community to reach out to schools andinstitutions of higher education in Europe, and disseminateACCENT contents to a wider audience (e.g., to emerging countries),some reflections on science education in Europe were necessary,including methods to didactically prepare the scientific materialand media. Here, we provide a brief summary on the publishedliterature in the field (see also Uherek and Schuepbach, 2008).

3. Education in atmospheric composition andclimate change science in Europe

Curiosity about earth, air and life naturally develops at a veryearly age. Elements of environmentally sustainable behaviour canbe playfully taught at pre-school and at a more scientific level atschool age. Personal conviction, however, requires a basic under-standing of the processes and interactions of the natural environ-ment. Environmental behaviour research shows that incentivessuch as cash, subsidies, credit points, etc. can encourage thepeoples’ commitment towards a clean environment. Yet theimpacts generally do not persist after the incentives are removed(Dwyer et al., 1993). Commitment strategies, where the partici-pants set a personal goal for combating environmental pollutionand are personally convinced to do the right thing, have demon-strated greater success in fostering durable environmental behav-iour (Gardner and Stern, 2002; Covitt, 2006).

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Little room is given to environmental topics in day-to-dayteaching at European schools, however, and core aspects of atmo-spheric composition change are not normally part of the curricula.Except for special courses, neither gas-phase chemistry, norphotochemistry or aerosols chemistry and their role in the climatesystem are compulsory teaching topics. Several studies hencereport on severe misconceptions among the next generation(Andersson and Wallin, 2000; Dove, 1996; Rye et al., 1997). Forexample, while the basics of the greenhouse effect are explainedand, in particular, carbon dioxide is introduced as the most relevantgreenhouse gas for the human-enhanced greenhouse effect, it isoften not understood that the natural greenhouse effect is key tolife on Earth, and that water vapour is the most important naturalgreenhouse gas. As for ozone, the ozone hole is sometimes viewedas worth an explanation at European schools, and – less often –summer smog is tackled. Yet, students do not only mix up reasonsand impacts of the greenhouse effect and the ozone hole (Boyes andStanisstreet, 1993; Osterlind, 2005), but also tend to simplifyenvironmental issues. Consequently, they do not appear to havea clear idea of the dimensions of environmental problems and theirsocietal impacts, and are not able to distinguish between differentproblems and targeted ways of mitigation. This is not onlyconfirmed in peer-reviewed studies in science and environmentaleducation journals, but also in personal exchange with teachersfrom many European countries (Uherek and Schuepbach, in press).

In a U.K. study involving 1277 students (most are 14 or 15 yearsold), 76% indicate that threats to the environment are of concern,and 70% believe that each member of the society can makea significant contribution. On the other hand, 42% argue that peopleworry too much about the environment, and 57% are not willing tomake sacrifices to solve environmental problems (Jenkins and Pell,2006). The patterns of the responses are similar for other indus-trialised countries in Europe, but stand in contrast to the ones ofstudents from emerging countries (Schreiner and Sjøberg, 2003).

Lack of time is the most significant barrier teachers obviouslyface to gain a deeper personal understanding of the environmentalscience behind the lesson contents. Many teachers even expressfeelings of discomfort and incompetence when required to teachenvironmental science (Monroe, 2002), and rather concentrate onthe basic composition of air, its physical properties and gases ingeneral. In addition (see e.g., Carvalho, 2007), the Europeanstudents’ perception of environmental changes is usually morestrongly determined by the politically influenced media discoursethan by a comprehensive, unbiased education at school.

Fig. 2. Schematics on enhancing interactivity in teaching. Left: Interactivity inconventional classroom lecture. Middle: Interactivity in blended learning (integrationof e-learning in classroom teaching). Right: Interactive, electronic whiteboard forgroup work.

4. ‘‘Integrated Learning Environment (ILE)’’ in atmosphericcomposition change

As a response to the above developments, the European sciencecommunity in the field of atmospheric composition change hasaimed at addressing some of the gaps identified in Europeanenvironmental science education, and proposed an integratedapproach for sharing and disseminating knowledge to reach out tothe defined specific target groups as defined in the ACCENT T&EPosition Paper (Schuepbach, 2005). Vaguely following Monroe et al.(2007), who classified environmental education into four types ofactivities being (i) to convey information, (ii) to build under-standing, (iii) to improve skills, and (iv) to enable sustainableactions, ACCENT T&E has developed an ‘‘Integrated Learning Envi-ronment’’ to promote early-career scientists, encourage the nextgeneration to move into the field, reach out for newly associatedand candidate countries to the EU, and emerging countries. Effortshave also been undertaken to foster an open and positive attitudetowards ACCENT issues in the corporate world.

As the field of atmospheric composition change is a global issue,an open system of teaching and training, which allows bothstudents and teaching staff to experience and acquire knowledge inan international learning community, was set up. Elements of thissystem are (i) free access to scientifically sound interactiveresources for classroom teaching and blended learning, and (ii)shared tools for cooperative and explorative learning, and themanagement of learning activities and processes (see also Figs. 2–4). Real-life environmental problems drawn from the ACCENTcommunity offered a wealth and diversity of resources for learning,and opportunities to develop new ways and skills for findingsolutions and make decisions on problems. Examples are describedin the next Section.

5. Illustration of learning environments

5.1. Electronically-supported learning tools and material

As part of the ‘‘Integrated Learning Environment’’, ACCENT T&Ehas realised a series of effective, electronically-supported learningmodules on atmospheric composition and climate change. This‘‘Virtual Knowledge Train’’ (Fig. 5) carries a wealth of scientificknow-how from experts involved in ACCENT, packed into interac-tive, multilingual, web-based learning units. These are charac-terised by appropriate design standards, are for free use andexchange among the global community, and meet current e-didactical, methodical and technological requirements to serveinstitutions of higher education and schools in Europe, and a wideraudience.

Stops of the virtual knowledge train in the real world are theinstitutions or cities of (associated) partners in the ACCENTNetwork. Until now, the train has stopped at Helsinki (Finland) forteacher training events in new information and communicationtechnologies at Thessaloniki (Greece), Riga (Latvia), Ulan Bator(Mongolia) and Interlaken (Switzerland) for training in electroni-cally-supported learning on the retrieval of nitrogen dixode (NO2)from space and air quality–climate interactions. All e-learningcourseware in ACCENT is suitable for blended learning and is hencewidely used in classroom teaching across Europe.

5.1.1. ACCENT Global Change Magazine for SchoolsSince many schoolbooks do not cover atmospheric chemistry

and physics, as well as aerosol science, the web has developed intoa valuable source of information on these issues. However, access to

Fig. 3. Hands-on tool to visualise cooperative and explorative learning duringexchanges on interdisciplinary Ph.D. supervision of students from emerging countries.

Fig. 5. Virtual Knowledge Train in ACCENT, carrying both scientific material andteaching resources on atmospheric composition change developed for different targetgroups across the globe.

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sound scientific publications on the Internet is still limited, inparticular in languages other than English. Consequently, both,students and teachers have to cope with a twofold translation: fromEnglish to their mother tongue, and from a scientific language toa language suitable for the science level in the classroom. Hence,the ACCENT T&E online teaching material developed for schools hasnot only aimed at pedagogic processing of scientific core knowl-edge, but also at translating the material to major Europeanlanguages. The ACCENT T&E series of multilingual editions (English,German, Italian, Spanish, French, Russian) of an interactive tool forschool teachers and their students carries the title ‘‘Global ChangeMagazine for Schools’’ (www.accent-network.org/schools), andbridges conventional schoolbook content and science topics asinvestigated by the ACCENT community (Uherek and Schuepbach,2008).

The ACCENT ‘‘Global Change Magazine for Schools’’ has beencreated in close collaboration with teachers, and covers a broadrange of topics ranging from the role of carbon dioxide or sulphurgases in atmosphere–biosphere exchange to background ozone inEurope and aerosols from diesel vehicles. All Magazines are free ofcharge, free of advertisements, and available as .doc and .pdf files

Fig. 4. Evaluating interactive, electronically-supported learning by ACCENT scientistsusing an electronic whiteboard.

for download from the ACCENT website, direct printout, individualadaptation by the teachers, and dissemination in the classroom.

5.1.1.1. Regular editions. The ten regular editions offer a handyteaching package appropriate for two to four classroom lessons,explaining where the topic may fit into the average Europeancurriculum. Key elements of the regular editions are a clear struc-ture and the connection to typical schoolbook content. The Maga-zine’s structure is designed in memorable symbols and colours asfollows:

C The Green Polar View symbol for research: insights intoscientific life, state of the art data, advanced information andprocessing of primary literature for students.

C The Yellow Notebook symbol for fundamentals: overlaps withschoolbook content and information that teachers andstudents are familiar with. The Magazine shows where theresearch is anchored in the context of day-to-day teaching.

C The Red Flame symbol for activities: worksheets, webquests,hands-on approaches, group work and experiments. TheMagazine offers tools assisting teachers to involve students intopic-related activities beyond simple reading and repetition.

C The Blue World symbol for links: offer help on where to findreliable resources on the World Wide Web without usingsearch engines.

5.1.1.2. Special issues. Several special issues have been developedon topics which brought climate change science to the headlines inthe media: IPCC AR4 report 2007, hurricane Katrina, peak exten-sions of the ozone hole, core factors driving the climate system, etc.Such media headlines are popular starters for a new lesson series inschools, as the media do not always provide sound backgroundinformation on hot science topics.

The special issues of the ACCENT ‘‘Global Change Magazine forSchools’’ offer scientifically correct overviews on some of thecomplex science issues mentioned above, and present a series oftwelve editions on climate change, each for one double or twosingle lessons. The main goal of the series is to support teachers,who are, in most cases, not familiar with atmospheric and climatescience, and hence are hesitant to present the topics in detail. The‘‘climate classes 12’’ editions answer frequently asked questionsconcerning uncertainties, issues popular in media, or arguments ofclimate sceptics. ACCENT T&E hopes to thus strengthen the confi-dence of teachers, and enhance their ability to teach complex

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topics, including burning issues such as climate change the teachersmay not be familiar with, and to provide answer to questions oftheir students. The series further provides teachers with ideas forexperiments, which have been tested and documented. These arevery valuable, as science classes dedicate much time to learningfrom hands-on experiences. Since experiments in classroomteaching are time-consuming, only few Internet publications havedealt with experimental learning on burning issues in atmosphericand climate change science.

5.1.1.3. Special editions on the ‘‘Answers to the Urbino Questions’’. Asuccessful pedagogical translation of an activity involving a largefraction of the ACCENT community is the series of three editions onthe ‘‘Answers to the Urbino Questions’’. The questions were askedby representatives of the European Commission to scientists inACCENT, and the answers are regarded as the first policy-drivensynthesis of the network (Raes and Hjorth, 2006). The specialeditions of the ‘‘ACCENT Global Change Magazine for Schools’’explain the ‘‘Answers’’ in a schoolbook context on a very basic levelappropriate for students. Detailed information for teachers abouthow and where to make use of this teaching resource in day-to-dayclasses is also provided.

5.1.2. E-learning modules for postgraduatesE-learning modules for early-career scientists developed in

ACCENT T&E show a big variety in terms of their technical real-isation. They are either stand-alone, interactive online text booksto facilitate teaching of remote sensing of the troposphere fromspace (Ladstatter-Weißenmayer et al., 2009), or a series of smallere-learning bricks on aerosols, atmospheric chemistry–climateinteraction, changing paradigms in air pollution, or nitrous oxide(N2O). As an example, the e-learning module on remote sensing isdescribed in greater detail here, as the retrieval of information fromsatellites is a large and growing task.

Remote sensing instrumentation on board orbiting satellitesprovide a wealth of global information about pollutants in thetroposphere and, in some cases, in the atmospheric boundary layer(Martin and Burrows, 2007). Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) has beenchosen as the main pollutant in the e-learning module because it isan important indicator for air pollution, both natural and man-made, can be readily detected in satellite spectra, and exists both inthe stratosphere and the troposphere. Hence, all importantretrieval steps from satellite data, including stratosphere/tropo-sphere separation, can be demonstrated.

The overall learning goals of the module are to communicate (i)an understanding of the role of NO2 observations in atmosphericchemistry (Wayne, 2000), and (ii) the retrieval and use of NO2 fromspace (Leue et al., 2001; Richter and Burrows, 2002, Richter et al.,2005). There are an increasing number of research groups involvedin obtaining tropospheric data, validating and evaluating it, andusing it both to improve our understanding of the global tropo-sphere and to study the changes under the impact of humanactivities (Ladstatter-Weißenmayer et al., 2003). Thus, the moduleoffers an online introduction and background for those interestedin the possibilities of remote sensing of the troposphere from space,requiring a graduate-level background in science. It also aims atnew postgraduates and Master’s students and familiarises themwith the science fundamentals in the field, as the students oftencome from very different academic disciplines (e.g., physics,chemistry, earth sciences, mathematics).

In the first part, the module offers study pages to presentscientific content on remote sensing, the basics of atmosphericradiation transfer, and retrieval procedures. This step-by-stepintroduction to the use of satellite observations for the calculationof NO2 distributions in the troposphere also includes instructions

on how to derive results from a real set of raw data observed by thesatellite-borne instrument, how the data is interpreted, and offersreferences and links for further reading. A big variety of subsequentinteractive exercises allows the students to check and test theirknowledge, and improve their comprehension of the material.

The module has been designed to be complementary to a prin-ted textbook and other learning material, and has been developedto follow the e-pedagogy in Schuepbach et al. (2003). It is nowbeing used in postgraduate teaching courses at the Universities ofBremen, Crete and Heidelberg, and is available online at http://dev1.nilu.no/moodle/at2/exerciseTutor/ExerciseModule.htm?/moodle/at2/at2-els_NO2/at2-els_NO2.htm.

5.2. Training the next generation of atmospheric scientists

Training workshops for early-career scientists have beenorganised and hosted by ACCENT partners in different Europeanregions (Mediterranean, Eastern Europe, Central and WesternEurope) and associated partners outside Europe (e.g., China,Mongolia). The workshops both aimed to globally reach out todiverse learner groups, and offer a platform to create and expanda network of next generation atmospheric scientists for them toacquire the competencies needed to act as leaders in the field.Topics of the training modules ranged from air quality in theMediterranean (Thessaloniki, Greece) and Eastern Europe (Riga,Latvia), air quality modelling (Sofia, Bulgaria), air quality–climateinteractions (Interlaken, Switzerland), surface emissions andprediction of atmospheric composition change (Ile d’Oleron,France), to the development of a roadmap on research, educationand policy on air pollution (Ulan Bator, Mongolia), and changingparadigms in atmospheric chemistry (Guangzhou, China andKaohsiung, Taiwan). The calls for the workshops were published,and registration of the participants was administered using e-application procedures installed on the ACCENT website. Alllectures, including material in the local language (e.g., lectures ofMongolian scientists, press releases of the Cafes Scientifiques inGreek and Latvian), were uploaded on the ACCENT Training andEducation pages for public access at www.accent-network.org/portal/education.

The training modules were carried out by scientists from theACCENT network, who sometimes contributed their lectures viavideo-conferencing. Early-career scientists and stakeholders werealso invited from outside the ACCENT network. The teachingmethods ranged from classical frontal teaching to peer-learningand self-evaluation, using hands-on (electronic) tools to visualisethe process of cooperation, and the entire cyber infrastructure forweb-based learning. Most workshops offered training modulesboth in science (e.g., emissions, remote sensing, atmosphericchemistry, atmosphere–biosphere interaction) and soft skills (e.g.,communication, leadership), incorporated interdisciplinaryapproaches, were complemented by debates with stakeholders(e.g., National ACCENT Days) and outreach events with the generalpublic (e.g., Cafe Scientifique).

Some workshops offered an occasion to study real-life examplessuch as the burning of a waste disposal site in Greece (Moussio-poulos et al., 2007), including an analysis of interdisciplinarydisagreements in the scientific investigation of the environmentalaccident, and of different conceptual models underlying naturaland social science (Schuepbach et al., 2006). Other workshopsrequested pre-workshop tasks from the participating students (e.g.,on air pollution in their country of origin), trained stage perfor-mance and presentation skills, the writing of policy briefing papers,or critical reflections on media reports (e.g., Brimblecombe andSchuepbach, 2006). Reports are available on all workshops and areuploaded on the ACCENT website (see e.g., Granier et al., 2007;

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Syrakov, 2006). Here, we illustrate some examples of the multi-faceted science content, learning environments and methods thatearly-career scientists were exposed to.

5.2.1. Critical reflection on media reportsEarly-career scientists were trained to reflect on environmental

reporting in the media, and the way in which items are laid beforethe public in journals, newspapers, etc. There was considerablediscussion among the students of the way in which members of thepublic were portrayed in published photographs, which oftenseemed to stress their lack of control over the environmentaldevastation around them. Also, students felt as though there isa focus on issues that go well beyond an air pollution problem like,e.g., water availability and water as an amenity. Media analysisrevealed that interest in an environmental accident lasts typicallyabout two weeks, standing in contrast to the time-scale of politicalaction of years. Most popular newspapers published frighteningpictures of a specific environmental accident and used strong words(e.g., toxic bomb, dead zone, nightmare, etc.). The informationdisseminated to the general public was mostly qualitative in nature;quantitative information was sparse and not precise. Lessonslearned are that the media can improve their reporting and playa constructive role in the dissemination of scientific contents onatmospheric composition change: rather than frighten people withstrong words and diffuse information, they could focus on quanti-tative and objective information. Such a communication policymight trigger social change and awareness (e.g., of waste recyclingfollowing European directives in accordance with safety regulations).

5.2.2. Science communication to the publicEarly-career scientists were encouraged to share know-how on

atmospheric composition change with the general public, includingby means of electronic information for citizens. Prior to meeting thegeneral public, the students were trained in science communica-tion with practical exercises actively engaging them in the realm ofnon-verbal communication, rapport with the audience, andkeeping the attention of the audience. This also involved a chanceto perform a (video-taped) presentation on stage, with subsequentfeedback from the trainers. The acquired skills were applied inCafes Scientifiques that ACCENT T&E organised in a large number ofcities across Europe (e.g., in Finland, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Greece,see www.accent-network.org), and on varying topics in relation toatmospheric composition change. The Cafes Scientifiques held byACCENT T&E aimed at reproducing the scientific debate that wastypical of Viennese cafes of the early 20th century, where famousphysicists and philosophers sat drinking coffee and debating issueswith the public. The idea was that early-career scientists engagewith members of the public in a familiar environment that seemsless threatening and formal than a lecture hall.

5.2.3. Exchange with stakeholdersEmissions require expensive and relatively complex technology

to be monitored and controlled by regulators and authorities set upto assess air quality. Some training workshops were hence organ-ised in the context of National ACCENT Days and engaged stake-holders in the learning process of the participating students (seee.g., Moussiopoulos et al., 2007). Stakeholders came from a widerange of age groups, socio-economic, cultural and educationalbackgrounds, and represented provincial/territorial, regional andmunicipal government, local authorities, non-governmental(environmental) organisations (NGOs), civil society associationsand concerned citizens, or the private sector. Early-career scientistslearned that each of the stakeholder groups perceived problemsrelated to air quality and climate change from a different point ofview. They also learned that stakeholders and politicians

C are very busyC value face-to-face communication (briefing papers, V.I.P.

Meetings)C wish to translate science into economic value/policyC have a strong desire for definite answers and rapid solutionsC have visions only as far as the next elections (politicians)C have careers (e.g., politicians) that are outlasted by long-term

issues like climate changeC and that it is difficult to deal with them politically

6. Evaluation

6.1. Evaluation of training activities for the next generation

The feedback on training activities for early-career scientistsorganised in ACCENT was compiled from questionnaires completedby the participants, with questions relating to organisation, contentand personal perceptions. Valuable feedback was also gatheredtowards the end of each workshop on how the participants hadperformed and to what extent they had achieved their learninggoals, using the ‘‘fishbone’’ method. This method let one group sit inan inner circle and evaluate the workshop, while the other groupassembled around the inner group and listened. The groups thenswap. This process resulted in an analysis of the dynamics duringthe group work, including reflections on team building and lead-ership, and of the workshop as a whole (Schuepbach et al., 2006).

During the fishbone exercise at the Thessaloniki workshop in2006, for example, it was noted that the participants lacked suffi-cient vocabulary to be able to describe their roles and the types oftasks they performed during the group activities. As a result, thislanguage was added to the training module on teamwork for thetraining workshop in Riga in 2007. The fishbone session in Rigashowed that the participating students were able to discuss howthey had performed during the workshop, as well as being aware ofhow their roles in their work groups were developing over thecourse of the workshop.

The role of the work group chairs, all scientists from the ACCENTnetwork, was very variable, ranging from carefully giving directionswhere the group needed it or asked for it, to interactive participa-tion in the group work or even leading the group (Schuepbach et al.,2006). Some participants consequently enjoyed peer-learning,while others felt rather frustrated at the beginning of the processbecause interaction in the group was not encouraged. Feedbackfrom the participants, as well as from the ACCENT scientists, con-cerning the infrastructure indicated the importance of the suit-ability of the rooms for group work and access to computers andthe Internet. Many participants reported a positive, new learningexperience in structured working and in how a group from diversescientific backgrounds and cultures can quickly come to a result,given a very strict schedule.

Most participants indicated that the training offered by theACCENT T&E workshops brought new ideas and was a good prac-tical exercise (Schuepbach et al., 2006). For some at the Thessalo-niki workshop, the waste disposal case study was too specific asa topic and many felt they lacked the background knowledge to beable to fully understand and process the information presented ina short space of time. It was proposed to have a more general topicon atmospheric sciences included, and this was implemented in thefollow-up workshops.

One of the key results of the exchanges with stakeholders andpoliticians during the National ACCENT days was that, despitetoday’s effective research development and progress, the majorityof stakeholders do not inform in a proactive way, and that there isstill a huge communication gap between researchers and thecommunity of stakeholders. An evaluation of the organised events

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highlighted the need for scientists’ appropriate training in orderto communicate efficiently with local authorities and to promotethe scientific results (Schuepbach et al., 2006), elements that werealso provided by the other outreach task in ACCENT (science andpolicy).

A further important lesson learned from inclusion of stake-holders in the training of early-career scientists is a request forcloser cooperation between scientists and stakeholders. In thiscollaboration, scientists need to offer more positive and practicalguidance to stakeholders, empowering them to take charge of, e.g.,an environmental crisis. The participating early-career scientistssuggested the following possible avenues:

C Training courses for stakeholders, so that they can gain a basicunderstanding of the fundamental concepts regardingatmospheric composition change, monitoring air pollutantconcentrations and control, and abatement measures.

C Each emergency environmental situation-episode or set ofproblems must be efficiently analysed and realisticallydefined, since comprehensive solutions of all problemssimultaneously may not be feasible.

The integrity of the communication process must be preservedby avoiding discrimination and protectionism. Although stake-holders may seek to modify information to enhance their interests,extension and outreach professionals must be willing to presentunwelcome information or admit a lack of information.

Schuepbach (in preparation) compiled experiences in usingCafes Scientifiques as a training field for early-career scientists. Onelesson learned is that the lack of formality means that Science Cafesare not necessarily easy to run successfully. Many organisersactually want a public lecture and sometimes not even a publiclecture, but more a kind of after dinner speech in a Cafe or diningarea. However, it is always the audience who should be in controland hence, it is important to deal with issues that are relevant tothe audience, to allow plenty of space for their questions, and tofollow their interests rather than the interest of the participatingscientists.

6.2. Evaluation of web-based tools and products

Whilst the ‘‘ACCENT Global Change Magazine for Schools’’website has been accessed many thousands of times, it is not yetpossible to gauge the extent of its use in the classroom. Experiencesin ACCENT T&E show, however, that a more active role of scientistsin the field of science education is desirable. Systematic coopera-tion with pedagogues and social scientists might be aimed at toreveal in greater detail where misconceptions come from, and ifrising awareness or behavioural changes are triggered. In thiscontext, an evaluation of the learning process in the cyberspace andits sustainability would be highly beneficial. So far, it has hardlybeen measured how Internet-based resources are most efficientlyintegrated into classroom teaching at various learner levels, andhow efficient the learning process is in the long-term. This alsoholds for methodological steps to take in the direction of optimisingthe learning process in classroom teaching.

With regard to the evaluation of the e-learning modulesdeveloped in ACCENT T&E, feedback was obtained from studentsand senior scientists including postdocs and research students. Forexample, the e-learning module on remote sensing has been testedin European research groups and ACCENT training workshops atThessaloniki (Greece), Riga (Latvia), and Ile d’Oleron (France). Thefeedbacks were collected via the MOODLE environment on whichthe module was installed during the test phase.

7. Conclusions and future avenues

An avenue for disseminating the body of know-how, skills andcompetencies within a networked science community in atmo-spheric composition change in Europe has been pursued, based onthe needs of target groups identified at the start of developing theACCENT network (Schuepbach et al., 2006). To reach greater visi-bility and profile of ACCENT issues in the scientific world andbeyond, the World Wide Web has extensively been used. The greatchallenge attached to using the WWW for learning and teaching isthat it increasingly appears as an unmanageable and continuouslyexpanding knowledge pool requesting rigorous selection (Chou,2003). In some areas, the amount of information is by far largerthan what we are able to scan. This information, particularly in theatmospheric science field, is often controversial, simplified,outdated, or – if scientific primary information – highly complex.

The challenge of the ACCENT ‘‘Training and Education’’ (T&E)task has been to develop understandable, unbiased and high-quality scientific content, to accommodate for the increasingInternet use (Sorensen et al., 2007) by early-career scientists, schoolteachers and their students, and a wider audience. When ACCENTwas started in 2004, learning platforms on atmospheric and climatescience were just beginning to grow, and the amount of high-quality and topical information available for teaching was stilllimited. ACCENT T&E developed an entire cyberspace infrastruc-ture, applied e-pedagogy to translate scientific results to the nextgeneration, facilitated global dissemination of e-learning course-ware in the field, and established a networking platform fora diversity of learner groups in atmospheric composition change.

Updates of the educational web-based teaching resources arerequired in order to keep the learning platform attractive toteachers and students. Further extension to other language regionsand cooperation with similar projects in the future will allow evenwider dissemination. An example for cooperation in the future is,e.g., the Global Climate Expedition ‘‘Top to Top’’ under thepatronage of UNEP (www.toptotop.org).

ACCENT T&E has also introduced a shift in the internationalmindset and approach to early-career scientist’s training. Early-career scientists have not only been offered science training ina virtual world, but also experienced real training in science andtransferrable skills, and exchanges with both science experts andnon-scientists. ACCENT T&E has used real-life examples of envi-ronmental problems in the training workshops, and confronted theearly-career scientists with questions from the general public. In aninspiring partnership with stakeholder groups, opportunities werecreated for mutual learning and gaining experience in the processof translating air quality and climate change science to otherscientists and non-scientists. The core message is that the nextgeneration of leaders in the field should make sure that thistranslation is scientifically acceptable, and should stay in control ofthe translation process.

The wealth of experiences in teaching and learning aboutatmospheric composition change within ACCENT T&E is currentlybeing compiled in an EU handbook on evolving good practice(Schuepbach, in preparation).

Acknowledgements

We wish to warmly thank Peter Brimblecombe, University ofEast Anglia, Norwich, U.K for his support and valuable input toACCENT T&E. Funding from the State Secretariat for Science andEducation (SER) in Switzerland and from the European Commissionis gratefully acknowledged.

E. Schuepbach et al. / Atmospheric Environment 43 (2009) 5415–54225422

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