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Jun 27 2016

Meet an eMentor: Lauren Grimes

By Profiles

Lauren-4

Lauren Grimes

What are you studying?  I am in my final year of the Science Double Degree Program at La Trobe University. Through this program I have been able to study two degrees; Bachelor of Biological Sciences and Bachelor of Animal and Veterinary Biosciences, with majors in Agriculture, Zoology and Microbiology (and a minor in Psychology).

Tell us about your In2science placement:  This was my first In2science placement, and to make it even more exciting I was lucky enough to be part of the eMentoring pilot program. This meant that all of my In2science sessions were run over a chat program online! I worked with four year 8 science students from Cobram Secondary College. Given that it was just myself and the students, we had the freedom to talk about whatever came up and focus on any particular areas each individual student was interested in or needed help with; no two weeks were the same!

Why did you become an In2science eMentor?  I believe that, unfortunately, many people view mathematics and science as daunting or difficult fields of study, and therefore avoid them completely. For me, being an In2science eMentor was about breaking down these stereotypes and showing that science and maths can be interesting and fun. I specifically liked the eMentoring as the students I worked with had an extra set of obstacles to overcome as they live in rural locations.

What’s the best thing about eMentoring?  I would have to say the small groups (as opposed to being with an entire class), as it allowed me to get to know each student well and tailor the topics we covered to suit their interests. Although it was through a computer screen, it seemed much more personal and relevant for everyone involved.

What’s one of the biggest challenges of eMentoring?  One of the interesting things about eMentoring is that there is no teacher present; just the mentor and the students. Sometimes this made it hard to prepare in advance for our sessions, as I didn’t always know what topics were being covered in class. It meant I had to think on my feet and be flexible – luckily I was trained up and had ample resources from In2science to help with sessions.

What inspired you to study science and mathematics?  I love that science and mathematics always have a correct, concrete answer or concept. On top of this, with science in particular, there is always more to discover! I find it really inspiring knowing that there is so much we don’t know about the world we live in and that I could be the one to discover something new!

What do you want to do after you finish university and why?  My degree has allowed me to study many different areas of science, and this appears to be a blessing and a curse at the same time! Each year I seem to fall in love with a new discipline (this year it’s microbiology) and this means I am constantly looking at different careers and pathways. My end goal is to work in biosecurity and animal health though.

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist or mathematician, who would it be and why?  I would have to say Sigmund Freud! He was, and still is, a huge influence in the field of psychology and made so many interesting contributions. Although many of the theories he proposed have since been discredited, I would love to meet him to observe his personality and gain an insight into his absurd way of thinking.

 

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!

May 31 2016

May 2016 Reflections

By News

May has been a busy month for the In2science team attending events in the education community, in addition to running the program. Here’s a round up of events:

IMG_126 cropped

In2science mentor Eloise Molan helps students program their robot at Quantum Victoria

In2science & Quantum Victoria Event  Quantum Victoria, with assistance from In2science, hosted a day of immersive STEM workshops. Over 100 students from 3 schools, participated in workshops including 3D design through CAD software, playing with logic gates in Minecraft, and reverse engineering robots.

The students were accompanied by five In2science mentors, and had opportunities to ask the mentors about further studies in STEM and their experience of university. The event concluded with a Q&A panel session featuring the mentors, the In2science Program Director, Program Manager, and the Director of Quantum Victoria.

 

Encouraging Girls in STEM  Maddy Yewers, In2science Coordinator at The University of Melbourne, attended the “Encouraging Girls in STEM” event as part of Melbourne Knowledge Week. It was hosted by a start-up called Power of Engineering which runs one-off events in schools for girls to show the possibilities of engineering for women.

A number of great resources and ideas were discussed, including the importance of role models and incorporating Growth Mindset in STEM classrooms.

The language that people use when speaking to girls about studies and careers STEM is also important.  Girls benefit from collaboration, especially when they can participate and communicate fairly. Girls are motivated by projects they find personally relevant and meaningful.

Furthermore, it is useful to discuss careers in STEM in terms of the personal characteristics they require, not what STEM professionals ‘do’. Research also shows that, on average, women self-identify using adjectives (e.g. helpful, organised, friendly, shy) whereas men self-identify through activities that they are involved in like jobs, hobbies and interests.

These valuable insights will be passed onto In2science mentors in training sessions to further encourage girls in science and maths classrooms.

 

ACER workshop makes maths fun   What is the best way to get students to have fun with maths?  The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) ran a workshop last week to explore this question and RMIT University In2science Coordinator Claire Farrugia went along to find out more.

The workshop highlighted the importance of language when developing maths literacy and offered a plethora of examples, activities and games for developing maths language and skills.

Words that we know as having a mathematical meaning like volume or takeaway have other more common meanings for students. The workshop suggested that language is extremely important in teaching maths, and extra time should be spent to understand the context of these words so students become familiar with them.

The workshop also provided a number of different cooperative logic problems to build language, teamwork and confidence in mathematics.

These resources will be used to train In2science mentors heading into maths classes in semester 2, 2016 and beyond.

ACER run a wide variety of professional learning workshops across Australia. For more information visit their website.

 

Encouraging students to explore career pathways in STEM  Genevieve Lazzari, In2science Program Director, delivered a presentation at the Department of Education and Training’s STEM Education and Careers Workshop.

The presentation focused on the importance of mentoring in schools by university students studying science, engineering and mathematics courses. Genevieve was joined in the presentation by Sally IP of CSIRO’s Scientists and Mathematicians in Schools.

The event was a showcase of STEM careers resources provided to teachers in order to plan for enriched student learning experiences.

May 20 2016

Meet a Mentor: Jaydene Pearson

By Profiles

Jaydene Pearson Jaydene Pearson

What are you studying? I am currently in my final year of a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering (Honours) at Swinburne University. I really enjoy engineering as it applies maths to the real world and is a field that is constantly changing and moving forward with innovating ideas.

Tell us about your In2science placement: This is my third placement with the In2science program and I’m enjoying it a lot. Currently I am placed at Rowville Secondary College working with a year 8 science class. The class is a part of the Maths and Science Academy they run at the school. They are an amazing group of students to work with, and many different personalities making each class exciting to walk into.

Why did you become an In2science mentor? I saw the program as an opportunity to give back to the community, while encouraging students to consider STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers. As one of very few girls in mechanical engineering it’s an opportunity to show students that you don’t have to fit the stereotype to pursue a career you want. Later on in my career teaching is definitely an option so it also gave me a little bit of insight into the workings of a classroom.

What’s the best thing about In2science? The best thing about In2Science is how it connects students to the possibilities offered in STEM careers and brings the real world to them. In high school it is often hard to connect what you’re learning to the world around you and bringing in university students to help do that is a brilliant idea.

What’s one of the biggest challenges about In2science? I found over my placements the biggest challenge was the dynamics of the classroom, sometimes students clashed and others struggled to keep quiet. But through talking with the teacher and training provided by In2science you start to build a repertoire of skills not only helpful for placement but that can be used in everyday life.

What inspired you to study science and mathematics? I have always loved maths and science growing up, and for me studying engineering was the natural progression. It combines all aspects of science and maths and applies it to real world problems. It inspires me knowing what engineers can do to help improve the lives of many around the world.

What do you want to do after you finish university and why? Now the end of my degree is so close the true amount of career options that an engineering degree offers is making the decision a lot more difficult, but ultimately I would love a career that gives back to the community (possibly in the field of self-sustaining energy!).

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist, mathematician or engineer, who would it be and why? I would love to have a sit down with Nikola Tesla; his innovation was far beyond his time and to be able to talk about all his theories and ideas would be an experience like no other.

 

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!

Apr 22 2016

Meet a Mentor: Mitchell Griggs

By Profiles

Mitchell GriggsMitchell Griggs portrait

What are you studying? I am in my final year of studying for my Bachelor of Biomedical Science at La Trobe University, I initially enrolled in a different course and have since transferred into this course.

Tell us about your In2science placement. I have previously been placed at Epping Secondary College, currently I am placed in a year 9 science class at Roxburgh College in Victoria. We are currently studying diseases and have just finished studying the periodic table. The class has a great range of students which presents some interesting challenges.

Why did you become an In2science mentor? Firstly, I firmly believe that science communication and scientific literacy is critical to a healthy society, encouraging students in their studies in science, and by extension learning overall, is a worthy practice. Secondly, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics underlie so much of our natural and man-made universe and has challenged and filled me with wonder throughout my life, the opportunity to share this enthusiasm is very rewarding.

What’s the best thing about In2science? In2science connects mentors with groups of students who have a demonstrated need, and effectively match mentors with their positions meaning that all involved can get the most out of the program. The increased social and educational equity is a great outcome, there are also plenty of other fun and rewarding interactions to be had for all involved.

What’s one of the biggest challenges about In2science? The program requires you to think on your feet, take initiative in the classroom and deal with challenging and perhaps confronting situations with students. Overall the range in abilities and levels of interest provides a context in which it is hard to measure the impact you are having, it is therefore important to stay adaptive and motivated; which can be a challenge.

What inspired you to study science and mathematics? As long as I can remember I have had a keen interest in these fields, after spending time working as a musician and in several other fields my search for challenge and meaning in my life and work led me to return to study, science was a natural choice for me as it is a never-ending source of challenges and affords many opportunities for me to draw meaning from my life and work.

What do you want to do after you finish university and why? I aspire to continue into post-graduate study; my primary ambition is to study medicine and eventually become a doctor. I also seek to continue my involvement in science communication and become more involved in public health and science engagement.

If you could have an hour to chat with any scientist or mathematician, who would it be and why? Charles Darwin due to his fascinating life story and scientific works, as well as his ground-breaking impact on the progress of science would make a very interesting conversation. I think he would be fascinated to hear about the progress in biology, genetics, and medicine his work influenced and enabled.

 

Want to become an In2science mentor? Click here!

Apr 21 2016

Supporting Mentors in their Placements

By News

CommunicationPD3On 7 April In2science provided mentors with a professional development workshop hosted by RMIT to help develop skills in communicating and engaging with high school students.

RMIT counsellor Lyndon Medina presented the session with the aim to give mentors new tools and techniques to engage students at their placement schools, drawing on his many years’ experience working with young people from diverse backgrounds,

From the beginning of the workshop it was clear this was going to be a different experience, as Lyndon got the participants on their feet, and lined up in order of their level of confidence in public speaking. He then called for volunteers to come out the front and tell the group what they like about science and public speaking.

The audience was invited to give feedback on what they liked about how each speaker conducted themselves. It was great to see the positivity and support that everyone showed for their fellow mentors who had put themselves out in front of the group.

The rest of the presentation was an open discussion guided by Lyndon that looked at how to empathise with students and engage their interests to encourage them in science.

This is one of several sessions In2science organises throughout the semester to give mentors the opportunity to meet up, share experiences, and to gain new skills to be more effective in inspiring students to get involved with science.

Mar 21 2016

New funding boost for In2science eMentoring

By News
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In2science acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government

In February, In2science received a grant as part of $1 million for commitment from the Victorian government to develop new mentoring programs or expand existing ones for disadvantaged young people. This funding from Department of Education and Training (DET) will be used to enhance, accelerate and broaden the rollout of the online mentoring aspect of the program.  In2science eMentoring is an innovative online mentoring program that connects secondary students in regional Victoria with eMentors studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at one of our four partner universities.

In2science has worked for 12 years with science students in disadvantaged schools in the Melbourne region with significant success. With research showing regional areas have significant unmet needs and reduced learning experiences In2science aims to inspire, motivate and mentor regional and rural students interested in studying STEM to year 12 level and beyond.

The new funding will support the employment of a dedicated eMentoring coordinator as well as the technology required to run the program effectively.  It will build on key elements of the existing program, currently funded by the Federal government Australian Maths and Science Partnerships programme, by extending its reach and giving students in regional and rural secondary schools the opportunity to interact with university maths and science students.  In2science will train and pair an eMentor with regional school students based on their interests, aspirations and/or competencies in science and mathematics. eMentors and students will meet digitally once a week for a 10-week placement period via a customised platform to discuss topics ranging from schoolwork to university life and study skills.

In2science eMentoring is preparing to roll out a pilot program with 3 Victorian regional schools in the first half of 2016 with plans to have 18 eMentors working across 6 regional schools in semester 2 and further growth in 2017.

Mar 21 2016

In2science & Quantum Victoria Event

By Events

QuantumWhen: Monday 9th May, 2016
Where: 235 Kingsbury Drive, Macleod West, Vic 3085
Cost: FREE

Quantum Victoria is an innovative centre bringing science and mathematics education to life for students, teachers and the wider community. On Monday 9th May 2016 Quantum and In2Science are partnering to run workshops for students about STEM and STEM pathways. There will be In2Science mentors from Swinburne, La Trobe, RMIT and The University of Melbourne as well as Quantum staff running workshops and Q&A sessions for secondary students.  If you are a secondary teacher and would like to bring your students to this free statewide event for government schools, please contact Anna: [email protected]  or by phone: (03) 9223 1460

Find out about other events run by Quantum Victoria:
https://www.quantumvictoria.vic.edu.au/latest-news/2016-student-statewide-events/

Dec 10 2015

In2science reflections: Semester 2, 2015

By News

Semester 2 heralded a significant milestone for the In2science program.

All four partner universities were active in placing mentors for the first time under new funding from the Federal Government’s Australian Maths and Science Partnership Programme. This funding saw the four universities:

  • recruit, train and place 74 mentors
  • reach 1646 students
  • enable an annual contribution of $3.5 million to the Australian economy as the result of mentored students pursuing science, technology, engineering and mathematics careers

The long-term benefits of peer mentoring can be difficult to quantify. However, pre- and post-placement surveys allows glimpses of the short-term impact of the In2science program on both mentors and students.

Impact on students

Word cloud generated from students' comments.

Word cloud generated from students’ comments.

In2science mentors had a generally positive impact on students’ engagement with and attitudes towards science.

Preliminary analysis of survey results reveal that, after having an In2science mentor, students:

  • Are more likely to discuss science with friends and other students in order to improve their understanding
  • Remain relatively unchanged in their perception of science ability
  • Are more likely to enjoy practical investigations
  • Can see themselves doing a job that involves science

Students completed a pre-placement survey in July, which was followed up post-placement in October/November. Using an anonymous unique student identifier, we have matched a number of responses, allowing analysis of individual students and their change in responses.

This approach to evaluation has produced an astounding 29,500 individual data points and a myriad of ways to probe them. Investigating the number of students who changed their responses to survey questions from July to November – or those who remained unchanged – reveals general trends and impacts of In2science mentors on students at an individual level. As an example, 26% of students from matched data responded more positively to the statement “Nearly everyone is capable of understanding science if they work at it” after having an In2science mentor, while 66% remained unchanged. However, of those who didn’t change their response, more than half already agreed with the statement.

Analysis of matched survey results highlights areas for the program to improve. After having an In2science mentor, students responded more positively towards the statement “If I get stuck on a science problem, I won’t be able to work it out on my own”. Although more students disagreed (27%) with this statement than agreed with it (26%), the shift trend away from disagreement suggests a change in students’ confidence in science. While there are numerous factors that may impact student confidence, there is room for In2science mentors to focus on building confidence in problem solving skills.

Impact on mentors

It wasn’t just students who benefited from In2science: mentor evaluations also reveal a positive impact.

Mentors also completed pre- and post-placement surveys to gauge their attitudes towards science, communication and education. Preliminary analysis of results indicate:

  • Mentors have a greater understanding of the teaching and learning process (54% responded more positively)
  • 20% of mentors improved their skills in working in different economic, cultural and social environments (84% felt that already had those skills prior to In2science)
  • 94% felt they had a positive impact on students throughout their placement

For some mentors, In2science is an opportunity to gain experience in a classroom environment. Our surveys looked as mentor’s responses to the statement “I am not considering teaching as a career”. Analysis of survey results show that 15% of mentors were more likely to agree with that statement after their In2science placement, while 8% were more likely to disagree. 77% remained unchanged. Although In2science does not exist to encourage university students to pursue teaching, it can play an important role in introducing university students to the classroom environment and help them make an informed decision. The change in responses to this statement suggest that In2science is serving this purpose and helping those who intend to become a teacher decide if that is really for them.

Looking towards 2016

Semester 1 will see the number of schools partnered with In2science double to 32. In addition, regional campuses will again be involved in mentoring, with Bendigo-based La Trobe University students volunteering for the program. By the end of 2016, the number of partner schools is projected to grow to 40.

In comparison, mentor numbers are projected to grow at a slower rate. In2science coordinators aim to place at least 80 mentors in the first semester, rising towards 100 mentors in the latter half of 2016. Providing adequate support for mentors which, in turn, impacts the quality of the program for students, is a key driver in moderating growth of mentor numbers. By the end of 2016 it is possible that In2science mentors may collectively interact with some 2500 students, however the final number depends on how teachers plan to utilise the mentor in their classroom.

Dec 09 2015

Placement profile: Robotics at Mount Alexander College

By Profiles
Rodrigo at Mt Alexander College

Rodrigo made a huge impact as a mentor in a robotics class at Mount Alexander College.

If the robotics class at Mount Alexander College is anything to go by, we will have robots helping in disaster zones in no time.

Science teacher Samara Kelly loves the hands-on creative process involved with robotics. “Students love to build things, and they love computers,” she said.

“Robotics is a way of teaching creative thinking and problem-solving in a way that students enjoy. Mount Alexander College has a huge focus on hands-on learning – we do a lot of practicals as part of the ‘Take Control’ student lead learning system.”

Robotics students meet future engineer

During Semester 2 in 2015, Samara welcomed Rodrigo Acosta into her classroom as an In2science mentor. Rodrigo is studying a Master of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Melbourne, with a focus on developing prosthetic limbs and designing solutions that can increase the level of healthcare in developing countries. Mentoring in a robotics class was the perfect match for Rodrigo.

Quote from Rodrigo: "I did nothing; only sat next to him and gave him the confidence to make mistakes."The first day at Mount Alexander College revealed the path Rodrigo would take during his placement, but in an unexpected way. “When Samara was taking the roll, a student called Samatar walked in late and angry,” Rodrigo recalled.

“He argued with Samara about being late and sat at the very back of the class with his headphones on. I immediately thought he was going to be a challenge because he showed no interest in being in the class.”

When the students paired up to begin working on their Lego robots, Samatar was left to work by himself. After introducing himself to other students in the class, Samara asked Rodrigo to give Samatar a hand as he was a bit behind.

“I thought ‘great, this is going to be tough’,” Rodrigo said. “I sat down and introduced myself. Samatar was a bit cautious to start with, but when I told him I was from Mexico we started talking about Mexican soccer players. From then on he trusted me, I was on his side.”

“Samatar was starting from scratch, and I could see how unsure he was. Every time he took a piece, he double checked with me that he was putting it in the right place. I kept nudging him to try and see if it worked – if it didn’t, it was easy to fix.”

By the end of the class, Samatar had almost caught up with the other students. “He was very happy, but more importantly, proud of his work,” Rodrigo said.

“I did nothing; only sat next to him and gave him the confidence to make mistakes.”

Samara, robotics teacher at Mount Alexander College

Samara Kelly, robotics teacher at Mount Alexander College

Helping one = helping all

Samara has appreciated the attention Rodrigo was able to provide Samatar. “I could relax more, confident knowing that Samatar was getting the help he needed, which lead to a much more ordered classroom environment,” Samara said.

“Their relationship has grown really strong and Samatar’s confidence in this class has sky-rocketed due to the encouragement he got from Rodrigo. He’s the reason Samatar is so focused in class. We’re both going to miss having Rodrigo around.”

Samara said the partnership between Mount Alexander College and In2science is extremely valuable. “The experience and knowledge that external mentors bring to the school adds another layer of depth to student learning,” she said. “They help students explore real-life applications of science knowledge and provide excellent examples of how awesome a life in science is beyond school.”

Nov 04 2015

In2science reflections: October 2015

By News

Looking to the future as placements draw to a close

October was always going to be a tough month for our mentors. The looming presence of university exams has been further compounded by placements coming to a close. After 10 weeks of visiting schools, it can be tough to say goodbye. A big thank you from all the team here at In2science to our volunteer mentors who have generously donated their time and energy throughout Semester 2.

Alternative careers Q&A panel

In2science’s alternative career Q&A panel: Claire Farrugia (MC; In2science Coordinator at RMIT University), Maja Divjak (GTAC), Sarah Matthee (Engineers Without Borders), Sally Lowenstein (State Emergency Service), Jonathan Shearer (Scienceworks) and Daryl Holland (University of Melbourne).

Where to now?

Mentoring in a classroom can have a profound impact on university students.

Some mentors know exactly what they are going to do after finishing their studies. Others find a passion for talking about science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and want to find a way to make a career of sharing what they love.

The final In2science professional development session for the semester focused on helping mentors discover what might lie ahead. Hosted by In2science at RMIT University, the ‘alternate careers’ Q&A panel brought together scientific animators, communicators, education officers and journalists to talk about their jobs and how they got there. Mentors were certainly prepared with some cracking questions and engrossing post-panel discussions.

Congratulations to Dr Alan Finkel and Simon McKeon

October was also a big month the In2science Advisory Board, with Patron Dr Alan Finkel AO FTSE being announced as Australia’s next Chief Scientist and Advisory Board Chair Simon McKeon AO appointed as Chancellor of Monash University. Congratulations on your appointments!

Stories from the schools

  • Dominic Carroll_Brunswick

    Dominic spoke to students at Brunswick SC about extra dimensions beyond the three we can see.

    Marson has been mentoring at Glen Eira College this semester, helping year 9 students with their engineering project. Students were challenged to build a 30cm-tall tower using limited resources that could withstand earthquakes while under weight stress. Marson guided the students through the engineering process from brainstorming and research through to design, testing and trialling the structures using an earthquake platform while gradually increasing weight loads.

  • Rebecca brought in some pet spiders for her science class at Roxburgh College to see while discussing digestive systems. Live arachnids certainly inspired the students to ask interesting questions about caring for a unique pet and what they’re fed!
  • Mentor Gemma has been on placement at Werribee Secondary College this semester helping students with practical classes in science and mathematics. Gemma  has been helping students test which shapes sink faster than others and relating these findings to how different fishes have adapted and evolved to minimise drag and resistance in water.
  • Dom has been mentoring students at Brunswick Secondary College this semester. Although Dom’s speciality is in biological sciences, his class was learning astrophysics, so to mix things up a bit Dom brought in demonstrations to challenge the class with the idea that although we can comprehend three dimensions, physicists can use maths to understand that there are many, many more dimensions beyond what we can see with our own eyes.
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