Old is Still New: Changing Global Concerns and Enduring Educational Values

In 1982 the primary technology of disseminating educational information was the printed book and the typewriter with the mimeograph machine. In 2012, the world wide web, interactive books, and social media are major players in educational technology. Students have moved from passive reading and listening to constructing their own knowledge. In 1982, the paradigm in science education included exploring the common interests of science and education, the role of formal and informal education, and the importance of providing scientists for the workforce. In 2012, conversations have broadened to include topics of citizen science, stakeholder involvement, and risk communication to policy makers and communities. As the population of Earth has grown from over 4.5 billion people to over 7 billion people in the same time period, the role of science education has expanded to global concerns. The Asia Pacific region bears a significant proportion of the world's population and high risks associated with natural hazards and with climate change. Educational conversations include how science impacts and informs public policy, community empowerment, and collaborations among the various types of groups which can affect change. These organizations include scientific research and educational institutions,; non-governmental organizations (NGOs); educators in schools, museums and science centers; and government officials from local to national levels. There is considerable interest in bridging disciplines that impact the populations at risk, i.e. education, development, disaster risk management, public communication, and others. Despite the broadening of concerns, changes in technology, and the ways people get information, education still focuses on some basic issues that have not changed. Some of these include interesting young people in STEM study and careers, providing messages that are clearly understood, trying to understand nature of working across disciplines, and involving the right stakeholders. Education continues to struggle with communication between scientists and the people who might benefit from scientific advances.