A Modular European Education and Training Concept In Nuclear and RadioCHemistry - Norwegian Part

Hovedmålet med Euratom-prosjektet "MEET-CINCH" er å etablere en bærekraftig utdannelse og trening i kjerne- og radiokjemi. Spesielt viktig er det å tilby fleksible kurs som benytter moderne fjernundervisningsmetoder, siden radiokjemi kun tilbys ved et fåtall universiteter. Det norske bidraget til prosjektet har til hensikt å integrere kjerne- og radiokjemiutdannelsen i Norge med det som ellers foregår i Europa. Kjerne- og radiokjemi er et lite forskningsområde i de fleste europeiske land og det er derfor store gevinster å høste ved å samarbeide, både om utvikling og gjennomføring av kurs og treningsopplegg. Således kan Norge dra stor nytte av arbeidet som gjøres i MEET-CINCH prosjektet, men Norge kan også bidra til prosjektet på vesentlige områder, spesielt innenfor elektroniske læringsmetoder. Et eksempel her er det fjernstyrte radiokjemilaboratoriet «RoboLab» som er utviklet ved UiO og som lar studenter gjennomføre nukleære eksperimenter i et virkelig laboratorium via et web-basert kontrollpanel og video-overføring fra laboratoriet.

Work package 7 - the Norwegian Part of the EU-project - had two main purposes: 1) Determine an upgrade path for the technologically outdated remote controlled lab-exercises nick-named RoboLabs and upgrade the UiO systems to this new technology. 2) Overhaul the NucWik site for distributing teaching material with an easy to use and intuitive navigation structure and reformat all the old material to fit seamlessly with the new structure. In this way the material from previous CINCH-projects would not be lost. The Norwegian part of the project delivered - according to agreements - three Deliverables: D7.1 : RoboLab template running on LabView NXG D7.2 : UiO RoboLabs upgraded D7.3 : NucWik overhaul The outcomes, except for the Simulation package that substituted one RoboLab upgrade as explained in Deliverable 7.2, were according to plan.

From 2010 the three CINCH EU-projects, with Norwegian participation in the first two, has developed advanced and coordinated teaching in radiochemistry across EU. The third project will culminate with a range of teaching tools and material that is important for the future of Norwegian teaching and competence building in Nuclear and Radiochemistry. Originally Norway was meant to have a significant role in the third CINCH project ("MEET CINCH"), but the absence of NFR funding prevented this. The project therefore had to be restructured and other partners take over planed UiO responsibilities. This has worked out well for the production of the MOOC, but not for the modernization and expansion of the UiO developed "RoboLab" remote controlled radiation laboratory exercises. During the absence of funding for Norwegian participation, Prof. Omtvedt at UiO has been invited as "Scientific Adviser" to the MEET-CINCH project. Omtvedt has participated in all project meetings and also arranged a workshop in Oslo for the development and modernization of the RoboLab infrastructure. This has been funded by UiO from internal money. The current application will enable real Norwegian participation in the final year of the MEET CINCH project. This is important for two reasons: 1) Only UiO has the necessary expertise to upgrade and modernize the RoboLab remote controlled exercises. Without our input there is a real danger that all the work that has been invested in building up these exercises will have been in wain. 2) All the tools that have been developed in the three CINCH projects will be available to teaching Nuclear and Radiochemistry in Norway. This includes close collaboration with the CINCH partners in future joint teaching and application of the CINCH material. NFR funding will also contribute to ensure that the NucWik shared database of Nuclear and radiochemistry teaching material will sustained and openly available.