SPARK Science Learning System From PASCO scientific

LONDON—Jan. 13, 2010—The SPARK Science Learning System from PASCO® scientific earned an Award of Excellence for Best New Product from Tech & Learning, one of the leading education technology publications in the U.S. PASCO made the announcement today to thousands of international educators attending BETT, a leading world showcase for innovative information and communications technologies and education resources. 

“To receive an Award of Excellence for Best New Product from this esteemed publication is an honor and validation of PASCO’s efforts to coalesce a science learning community around hands-on, inquiry-based learning,” said Wayne Grant, Ph.D., chief education officer at PASCO. “We are very pleased to share the news with this international group of educators, many of who are here to support their nation’s investment in a ‘learn by doing’ approach to science education, specifically hands-on, inquiry-based learning that is centered on students asking significant questions, gathering data and engaging in their own scientific investigations.”

In choosing the “best of the best,” the Awards of Excellence program requires products to go through several rounds of judging. All entries are given a rigorous test-drive by qualified educators over a period of several weeks at various computer labs across the U.S. The criterion for evaluation includes quality and effectiveness, ease of use, creative use of technology and suitability for use in an education environment.

In a product review article on April 13, 2009, Tech & Learning said, “Science is not a study of facts and data; science is a process. The SPARK (Science Learning System) takes this process into account in a fun, easy-to-use tool.” The publication circulates to 100,000 administrators, curriculum directors, technology coordinators and teachers each month.