Progress Update December 2006

Resourcing secondary science teachers in rural and regional areas of Tasmania

 

Project Aim and Overview

The aim of the project is to develop and evaluate mechanisms for resourcing secondary science teachers in rural and regional areas of Tasmania.

 

Research Questions

  1. Is WebCT an effective medium for communication with and between secondary science teachers and university academics?
  2. Is WebCT an effective medium for the provision of background information and instructions for a number of multi-disciplinary science based activities?

 

To facilitate the development and evaluation of this resourcing mechanism a multi-disciplinary environmental science activity using brine shrimp (also known as “sea monkeys”) to assess the toxicity and remediation of chemicals in water will be used across a number of schools in Northern and North-Western Tasmania.

 

Progress update

The project has developed through 2006 with a number of changes to the proposed timeline and approach taken to achieve the project’s outcomes.  These changes have included:

·        Development of the brine shrimp toxicity test activity was incorporated into the ASISTM funded project, Expanding Science Literacy in Tasmanian Regional and Rural Schools, with James Blair and Kent Poulton (Deloraine High School) participating in the development of the activity.

·        As a result of involvement in the ASISTM project a decision was made to formulate the brine shrimp toxicity test activity into a learning sequence consistent with the Department of Education’s Essential Learnings framework.

·        An information session on the brine shrimp toxicity test activity was given at the 2006 CONSTAT conference (April 29) and the project was also advertised via the Department of Education’s sci-net email forum with teachers from 10 schools across the State expressing interest in being involved in the trial of the project.

·        On review of the options available for communicating with teachers it was decided to use the Department of Education’s existing sci-net email forum and LTAG website in place of WebCT, thus eliminating the need to set up a new communication network system.

 

As a result of these changes the timeline for the project has been revised, with trialling of the project in schools across Tasmania re-scheduled for Term 1 2007.

 

Revised timeline

Date

Activity

Who

Mar 06

Attend ASISTM Expanding Science Literacy in Tasmanian Regional and Rural Schools workshop  - commence formulating learning sequence with James Blair and Kent Poulton (Deloraine High School)

AS

April 06

Present project overview at CONSTAT conference

JK/AS/JP

Mar-Nov 06

Continued development of learning sequence and review of assessment tasks by Department of Education

KP/JB/AS

Apr-Nov 06*

Purchase equipment for brine shrimp toxicity test activity and assemble five kits

AS

Nov/Dec 06*

Trial of activity at Deloraine High School

KP/JB/AS

Dec 06

Feedback from trial at Deloraine High School

KP/JB/AS /JK/JP

Jan/Feb 07

Review/revise learning sequence (including review by Denise Devitt and uploading onto LTAG website)

KP/JB/AS /JK/JP

Feb/Mar 07

Project commences in schools across Tasmania

AS /JK/JP

Apr/May 07

Evaluation: surveys and interviews

JK/AS

Jun 07

Consider future of project

JK/AS/JP

Jul/Aug 07

Communicate outcomes, PD sessions for teachers, write paper for publication

AS/JK/JP

*  Currently five kits of equipment have been put together for the brine shrimp toxicity test activity and the activity is being trialled at Deloraine High School.