Moving UniServe Science website to Web2.0 and beyond

2009 UniServe Science Proceedings Moving UniServe Science website to Web2.0 and beyond Hazel Jones and Alexandra Hugman, UniServe Science, Faculty of Science, The University of Sydney hjon0202@usyd.edu.au, a.hugman@edfac.usyd.edu.au Abstract: UniServe Science was originally set up in 1994 with some Federal Government funding as a clearinghouse for information about new technologies in tertiary science teaching. Since that time it has changed its focus and currently it is funded by The University of Sydney through the Faculties of the Sciences to expand its activities to better serve its clients. UniServe Science now has two main activities: • Supporting tertiary science teaching, both within the Faculties of the Sciences at the University of Sydney and the broader community • Serving science and mathematics teaching in NSW Schools and the broader community. The various sections of our website contain information about, and links to resources for a wide range of topics across the science disciplines suitable for staff teaching from kindergarten through to tertiary level. Ours is a dynamic website and information is constantly being updated and amended and we welcome feedback and contributions from educators as we continue to expand our community and endeavours. As our website is in the process of moving to a new Content Management System (CMS) we are looking at ways we can make the site more useful for our clients and encourage collaboration and interaction amongst science and mathematics educators in the tertiary sector, as well as across all sectors. Questions we are asking ourselves and the wider community include – do we include blogs and/or wikis, do we move some of our educational resources to a Learning Management System, and if so what are the implications, what support services and resources are academics seeking and how can we best provide these. Through general discussions we hope to find some of the answers to these questions and hence provide a more effective service and resource for our clients. Preparing Demonstrators for First Year Science Laboratories Mauro Mocerino, Department of Applied Chemistry, Curtin University of Technology, Australia Shelley Yeo, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Curtin University of Technology, Australia Marjan Zadnik, Department of Imaging and Applied Physics, Curtin University of Technology m.mocerino@curtin.edu.au Abstract: The laboratory class is a unique learning environment with the potential to achieve a number of theoretical and practical learning objectives. Consequently, the demands on students are also great. They must not only learn manipulative and experimental techniques, but also link theory to practice, problem-solve, interpret data, interact with staff and other students, and successfully navigate the lab itself. Learning in this situation can be greatly assisted by an instructor who is able to guide students through this complex of practical, cognitive and affective issues.1,2 Frequently though, these laboratory sessions are taught by some of the least experienced members of the teaching staff. In the Department of Applied Chemistry at Curtin, we prepare our demonstrators by using a four stage process: (i) a full day workshop on teaching in labs, (ii) a half day safety and laboratory induction, (iii) use of a demonstrators' preparation sheet and (iv) weekly group meetings. Details of these activities will be provided in this paper. Motivating Science Undergraduates: Ideas and Interventions 205