Discipline_Levrini

08/09/2026 Rafaela Rejane Samagaia Lamy-peronnet

Intensive Course for Graduate Students - 2025/2

FEDORA Project: Epistemic Uncertainty, Possible Futures, and Science Education

FEDORA Project – Epistemic Uncertainty, Possible Futures, and Science Education

DECEMBER 1–5, 2025

The science–society relationship is marked by techno-scientific acceleration, the generation of uncertainties, and complex socio-environmental challenges. The FEDORA project (H2020, University of Bologna) proposes a future-oriented model to “futurize” science education, fostering creativity, foresight, and competence for civic action. Incorporating these frameworks into teacher training and the curriculum meets the requirements of the BNCC and fosters informed engagement with socio-scientific issues.

FEDORA provides research-based frameworks (Manifesto, Handbook/Policy Brief, prototypical activities) to bridge school science with societal challenges under uncertainty, offering practical pathways to empower students’ agency and futures thinking.

General Information

Course Load

30h

Credits

2

Schedule

14h – 17h

Location

  • Monday (Dec. 1) – Institute of Advanced Studies (IEA/USP)
  • Tuesday (Dec. 2) – Institute of Physics (IFUSP)
  • Wednesday (Dec. 3) – Institute for Advanced Studies (IEA/USP)
  • Thursday (Dec. 4) – Institute for Advanced Studies (IEA/USP)
  • Friday (Dec. 5) – Institute for Advanced Studies (IEA/USP)

Please note: THE COURSE WILL BE TAUGHT IN ENGLISH

OBJECTIVES

  • To develop future-scaffolding skills applied to science education, integrating epistemic uncertainty, informed imagination, and responsible decision-making.
  • To translate recommendations from the FEDORA Manifesto and the Handbook/Policy Brief into instructional sequences and assessment tools.
  • To prototype inquiry activities that integrate science, technology, and society in contexts of acceleration and uncertainty, promoting student agency.
  • To foster future‑scaffolding skills in science education by integrating epistemic uncertainty, informed imagination and responsible decision‑making.
  • To translate FEDORA’s Manifesto and Handbook/Policy Brief into curriculum design and assessment tools.
  • To prototype inquiry activities connecting science‑technology‑society under acceleration and uncertainty, empowering student agency.

SYLLABUS

  • FEDORA Fundamentals: the society of acceleration, epistemic uncertainty, and future orientation in science education.
  • Future-Scaffolding Skills: scenario-building, systems thinking, transposition beyond the plausible, multiple temporalities of the future, and active hopes.
  • Manifesto & Recommendations: principles and curricular/assessment implications.
  • Handbook/Policy Brief: frameworks and tools for designing educational activities and policies.
  • Didactic Prototyping (DBR): design of two prototypical activities (climate, AI/quantum, energy transitions) and assessment rubrics for agency and future-oriented thinking.
  • CTS/SSI Integration: decision-making under risk/uncertainty (data, values, multiple horizons of
  • the future).
  • Research and Outreach: implementation strategies in schools and continuing education.
  • FEDORA foundations: acceleration society, epistemic uncertainty and future‑orientation in scienceeducation.
  • Future‑scaffolding skills: scenarioing, systems thinking, beyond‑plausible transpositions, multiple futures temporalities, active hopes.
  • Manifesto & recommendations: curricular and assessment implications.
  • Handbook/Policy brief: frameworks and tools for activity design and education policies.
  • Didactic prototyping (DBR): design of two prototypical activities (climate, AI/quantum, energy transitions) and rubrics for agency and futures thinking.
  • STS/SSI integration: decision‑making under risk/uncertainty (evidence, values, multiple horizons of future).
  • Research & Outreach: strategies for school implementation and teacher education.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Core Bibliography

  • FEDORA. Future‑oriented Science Education Manifesto (2022).
  • FEDORA. Pathways for a Future‑Oriented Science Education (Handbook/Policy Brief) (2023).
  • Levrini, O., Tasquier, G., Branchetti, L., & Barelli, E. (2021). Recognition and operationalization of future‑scaffolding skills. Science Education.
  • De Zuani Cassina, F., et al. (2023). Design of two prototypical activities within the FEDORA project. Frontiers in Education.

Basic Bibliography

  • Official FEDORA website; WPs and Deliverables (H2020, GA 872841).
  • CORDIS: results and links to public deliverables (2024).
  • Teach the Future – outreach materials about FEDORA.