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TSTV – TRAVELLING SCIENCE TELEVISION

Project Title	TSTV – Travelling Science Television
Project Team	Ms Moira Curtain (Catholic Education Office, WA), Professor Sue Trinidad (SiMERR WA)
Period	2007
Funding Agency	Australian Schools Innovation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (ASISTM – Round 3)
Organisational Base	SiMERR WA

Description

This project aimed to enhance the teaching and learning of science supported by technology through the use of the Primary Connections – Linking Science with Literacy Project (http://www.science.org.au/primaryconnections/index.htm). Primary Connections provides a comprehensive approach to the development of scientific literacy and aims to improve students’ learning outcomes in both science and literacy. This was achieved through an integrated professional learning program and supporting rich curriculum resources that enhance teachers’ confidence and competence for science teaching.

Schools used ICT to showcase high quality primary science teaching and curriculum units. More specifically, students from each school produced an audio-visual show that demonstrated discoveries from their science classes. They used MyInternet and the Centra 7 video conferencing systems to communicate their exciting science discoveries and create and explain local science via their ‘TV’ show. Overall communication in the project between students, teachers and Teacher Associates at the university (pre-service teachers), via video conferencing and other electronic means, further extended the use and capabilities of ICT in the classrooms. The audio visual production was produced and made available online for each contributing school to use, as well as for other schools participating in the Primary Connections – Linking Science with Literacy Project.

Participants

Five Catholic Education schools (three in regional and remote locations and two in the Perth metropolitan area), CEO teachers and consultants, and Curtin University pre-service teachers. One project coordinator; one critical friend, five School Leaders; eight teachers; 73 students; five Teacher Associates; three consultants; three partner organisations.

Findings

Outcomes

Outcomes of the project have included increased knowledge about constructivist learning, increased use of video conferencing for collaboration, and development of a collaborative network of regional primary science teachers (see website). The virtual private network (VPN) of the Catholic Education Office in WA was used in this project, providing an exemplar model for using the network, but also linking regional and city schools through a common topic of science.

Conference paper and presentation (in progress):

Trinidad, S., Broadley, T., & Smith, M. (2009, February). Building on sustainable education in science, mathematics and ICT in Western Australia. Paper submitted to the National Centre for Science, Information and Communication Technology, and Mathematics Education for Rural and Regional Australia’s national symposium on innovation for equity in rural education, University of New England, NSW.

Impact

This project has illustrated that communications via online technologies can be successfully used for promoting learning between regional and remote schools. Using the Primary Connections – Linking Science with Literacy resources as a context allowed teachers and students to develop then showcase their completed Science units of work in the form of a video based TV show.

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