Scientific Literacy and the Public Understanding of Science
History of CRYSTAL
CRYSTAL-Alberta, along with four other CRYSTALs across Canada, initially was established with funding from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). The aim of the centres is to increase understanding of the skills and resources needed to improve the quality of science and mathematics education (K-12), and understanding of the best ways to enrich the preparation of young Canadians in these foundation subjects.
CRYSTAL-Alberta was established to provide guidance to improve students' interest in and engagement with science and mathematics. CRYSTAL-Alberta has produced and tested teaching materials for particular grade levels and topics in science and mathematics. The materials are designed to improve students' scientific and mathematical understanding and to transform teaching and assessment. Some materials can be found on the outreach website. Additional materials and research can be found on the website of individual CRYSTAL-Alberta investigators, under projects, and under publications.
CRYSTAL-Alberta is a collaborative effort. The major collaborators are the Faculties of Education and Science of the University of Alberta, The King's University College, and the Edmonton Public and Edmonton Catholic School Boards. Our other major partners are highlighted on this site.
We also encourage you to check out The King's Centre for Visualization in Science at King's University College, which has been developed with CRYSTAL-Alberta support into a major resource of visualization expertise.