Exo4Edu teacher training courses, 14–15 February 2026

Over the weekend of 14–15 February 2026, a new session of teacher training courses took place as part of the Exo4Edu programme, delivered through the collaboration of the teams from Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca. The course activities were designed as a coherent learning pathway, combining scientific explanations with hands-on exercises and teamwork. In this way, the participating teachers received information and developed the skills needed to turn their students’ curiosity about exoplanets into concrete classroom activities, based on up-to-date educational resources.

The programme began with a lecture on extrasolar planets in their historical and astronomical context, followed by discussions and questions. The teachers then moved on to the practical activity “How do you imagine an exoplanet?”, an exercise that stimulated both imagination and reasoning by drawing on accessible scientific information. The courses continued with a presentation dedicated to exoplanets and detection methods, followed by a hands-on activity using the Stellarium software. Continuing in the same practical mode, participants were able to observe, through specialized equipment, the star closest to us – the Sun – during which the general operating principle of the telescope was presented.

The second day of the course began with a visit to the Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy. This moment provided a special setting in which science naturally met historical memory. The group of trainees followed in the footsteps of the great forerunners who, at the Bosianu Villa, helped prepare the Act of the Union of the Romanian Principalities of 24 January 1859. During the guided tour, the teachers were able to see in the Institute’s museum rooms, the scale of the national effort to build and capitalize on a vast scientific heritage, which made it possible to achieve and sustain standards of excellence in Romanian astronomy.

As the course continued, attention shifted to the project’s resources and to teaching scenarios that are easy to replicate in the classroom. Participants worked in groups with the Exo4Edu platform, explored the Exo3D game and the exoplanet database, which enabled them to extract lists of exoplanets and use them in educational contexts. The applied component continued with elective activities, such as developing an exoplanet exploration scenario grounded in information and plausible reasoning.

The session concluded with a group-wide reflection on the topics covered, aimed at identifying best practices and strategies that can be readily adapted in schools, as well as with the final evaluation and the awarding of participation certificates. The courses were delivered by educators, lecturers, and trainers Mirel Birlan, Ana Naghi, Iharka Csillik, Carmen Busu, Alin Nedelcu, Cristian Omăt, and Sorin Marin.

Published on: Feb 17, 2026