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16th Apr 2018

Name Time Duration
Keynote 1 - It’s not what you know – informal science learning at MOD

9:30 AM

1 Hour

MOD. is a place to be and be inspired, designed for young adults aged 15-25 years old to give them experiences of emerging research and technologies. And in doing so, keep them engaged and connected to science. A continuing connection with science and technology is critical to enable future jobs in emerging STEM industries and to bring cross-disciplinary thinking to other career paths. At MOD. at the University of South Australia, we are showcasing science and education at the edge of knowledge. The first exhibition looks at the way we perceive the world to give young adults an engaging and educating experience where science is always under the surface.

Presenter: Dr Kristin Alford

Organisation: MOD, at the University of South Australia

Name Time Duration
1.01 - STEM Up! A how to guide to keep girls engaged in STEM

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Explore strategies to increase participation and engagement of girls in STEM subjects. Learn about what curriculum-aligned STEM teaching and projects can look like in the middle school. Hear stories of whole school science inspiration and successful increased participation.

Presenter: Catherine O'Halloran & Lara Lang

Organisation: Cabra Dominican College & Reynella East College

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers

Name Time Duration
1.02 - STEM, STEM, STEM … But What About The Curriculum?

11:00 AM

1 Hour

STEM is a key word in education but it can be a struggle to fit it in and also meet Australian Curriculum Standards. It can be difficult to truly implement integrated learning when subjects are still segregated. It’s easier to do small design challenges or the occasional project. This session looks at how an integrated subject can be designed to meet the Australian Curriculum Standards while actually integrating STEM. The session will run through planning and implementing integrated units, various activities that can be used in lessons, assessing students learning, and reflecting on units of work. This planning structure has also been used for multiple integrated units including 3D Printing and Planting a Garden.

Presenter: Alexandra Fowler

Organisation: Woomera Area School

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers

Name Time Duration
1.03 - 21st Century Critical Thinking

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Sustainably feeding the Earth's increasing population and supporting the growing number of young people experiencing mental health issues are 21st century contemporary issues. During this workshop we will explore how we can use the Australian Primary Science Curriculum to intellectually stretch our young students to find small scale solutions to real world problems. Following an engineering design process participants will develop learning programs that can be personalised into their own classroom environments.

Presenter: Abby MacPherson

Organisation: Burnside Primary School

Target Audience: Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
1.04 - CANCELLED: Science is fun or Burn after reading

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Suitable for Secondary Teaching with a Chemistry focus A series of simple practical Chemistry focussed demonstrations. These are designed to challenge student thinking, are fun and illustrate laboratory safety, scientific processes and methods, strength of forces, classification of reactions such as precipitation, combustion and oxidation, states of matter and physical and chemical change. All reagents and equipment used are readily available in secondary school laboratories.

Presenter: Anthony Armstrong

Organisation: DECD

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
1.05 - How can the strand Data and Information in the new Digital Technologies Curriculum be addressed in the primary classroom?

11:00 AM

1 Hour

If you listen to the media, the new Digital Technologies Curriculum is all about code or coding. Whilst this aspect is important and makes for a great 'selling point' the curriculum covers quite a bit more than just coding. One of the three Strands which make up the curriculum is Data and Information. In this session we will look at why this strand when matched with the primary science curriculum is equally, if not more, important than the 'sexy' topic of coding.

Presenter: John Pearce

Organisation: Deakin University

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
1.06 - Food and fibre education for every science teacher

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Food and fibre is mentioned 168 times in the Australian Curriculum, demonstrating its increasing importance as a learning area. The challenge now is to support teachers to integrate food and fibre education in their classrooms. The Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA) operates the Primezone web portal (www.primezone.edu.au), which showcases over 400 high quality resources, including science resources, available to teachers. The workshop will highlight and demonstrate a Yr 10 Genetics resource, a Yr 7 Water resource and a newly released Yr 5/6 fisheries resource.

Presenter: Kelly Spence

Organisation: Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
1.07 - Profiles of Women in STEM Careers and Entrepreneurship

11:00 AM

1 Hour

The STELR project has received funding to produce 20 video profiles of Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship. The purpose of the programme is to increase awareness and participation of girls and women in STEM and/or entrepreneurship education and careers, including in schools through to university and to the research sector. The 20 videos are accompanied by curriculum support materials. Career profiles provide a pull into senior maths and science classes. This session will showcase some of the profiles and explore how they can be used in class.

Presenter: Peter Pentland

Organisation: STELR

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
1.08 - STEAM Approaches to Investigations in Wind Energy

11:00 AM

1 Hour

A STEAM approach to exploring wind energy will see participants designing, making and testing their own windmill to lift a load weight or build a sail car to race across the floor! Who can design and build the most efficient machine? Can you design a functional yet aesthetically pleasing device? These activities are well suited to any studies of forces and energy but fits well with Year 6 Alternative Energies, Year 7 Unbalanced Forces and Year 8 Forms of Energy. There will also be an opportunity to explore wind turbine construction for senior year levels with the option of collecting energy and power data in an electric circuit.

Presenter: John Cadogan

Organisation: Scientrific Pty Ltd

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
1.09 - Science with a Twist

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Spark the interest of Science! An amazing, well-paced, science/magic act design to create discussion and questions well after the performance. Our fully interactive performance will provide scientifically magic entertainment, which will captivate both students and teachers alike. Share the excitement when students become the special assistant to help perform the magic. Watch in amazement as things appear and disappear and where everyday science occurs.

Presenter: James Young

Organisation: James’ Travelling Magic Show

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
1.10D - Numeracy and Literacy are Critical to build Creative Science Thinkers

11:00 AM

The Melbourne Declaration & National STEM Strategy recognise that literacy and numeracy problem solving, critical & creative thinking, are essential skills for students in becoming successful learners at school and in life beyond school, and in preparing them for their future roles as family, community and workforce members. Reading, writing, & mathematics are essential for students to excel in science. In this workshop we will investigate how to integrate innovative science learning with critical and creative thinking, statistical concepts, data analysis and problem solving. We will explore opportunities to enhance student ability to use scientific language, create & interpret diagrams, and communicate their science learning in multiple modes.

Presenter: Katrina Elliott & Claire Wood

Organisation: DECD

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
1.11D - Going Viral!

11:00 AM

Welcome to Going Viral! Innovative. Immersive. Interdisciplinary. In this interactive workshop we explore how storified, scenario based pedagogy can be designed and implemented, to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes in the STEM classroom. Using the ASMS ‘Going Viral’ unit as a Maths/Science based interdisciplinary case study, participants will be invited to workshop opportunities to create and implement inquiry based, interdisciplinary curriculum in their own classrooms.

Presenter: James Tilly

Organisation: Australian Science And Mathematics School

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
1.12D - STEM X in a Nutshell

11:00 AM

Missed out on the STEM X Academy? 5 alumni from this year’s cohort will share their experiences with you, in this interactive, hands-on workshop. Suitable for both primary and secondary teachers, we'll explore protostorming, question-generating stimuli, and makerspaces (including some digital technologies). Plenty of ideas to take away for implementing STEM at your own sites, strategies that can be applied straight away, and lots of resources to help you get started. Whether you’re already doing STEM, or are only new to it, come and join in the fun. We promise you’ll walk away feeling inspired and more confident about STEM!

Presenter: Dina Phan

Organisation: Swallowcliffe School P-7

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
2.01 - CANCELLED: Where do you find real-world problems to solve in STEM? An example of a mutually beneficial partnership.

12:05 PM

1 Hour

STEM education provides the opportunity for connected, purposeful learning but finding authentic real-world problems can be tough. This workshop will provide an example a partnership between Dr Shelley Paull (DEWNR) and year 6 students of Cummins Area School to inform the local community about the importance of marine parks. Further examples and ideas for primary and middle school will also be discussed by the presenter and attendees with the aim being to compile a list of jumping off points to STEMify your teaching.

Presenter: Kirsty Fox

Organisation: Cummins Area School

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
2.02 - Circuits and Super Jumps

12:05 PM

1 Hour

Participants will engage with Makey Makey kits to use design processes and scientific understanding of circuits and conductivity to create a video game controller using various common materials. This workshop will give participants the opportunity to work with digital technologies and design principles to allow students to explore scientific content in a STEM-based approach. Please bring a laptop if possible.

Presenter: Peter Beveridge

Organisation: Pennington School R-7

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
2.03 - Coding: It’s The Thinking That Counts

12:05 PM

1 Hour

If you believe some publicity, within a few years everyone will need to be able to code, but what does that really mean? Questions like which language should be taught and more abound. Instead of teaching languages however we really should be considering the thinking and principles underpinning learning code. Just as with science there are specific ways of thinking when coding. Many of these are shared between both science and coding. This hands-on session will explore computational and algorithmic thinking in the context of scientific thinking.

Presenter: John Pearce

Organisation: Deakin University

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
2.04 - Connecting STEM to sustainability

12:05 PM

1 Hour

Sustainability – what does it mean when applied to learning and schools? How has STEM been successfully weaved into project based and problem based learning in schools in South Australia? Julian Marchant from NRM Education provides examples of upper primary and high schools that have created projects that engage students in sustainability themed STEM projects.

Presenter: Julian Marchant

Organisation: NRM Education

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
2.05 - Agarose Gel Electrophoresis

12:05 PM

1 Hour

Agarose Gel Electrophoresis is used in almost all areas of Biotechnology. The technique can be used in practical classes to engage Senior Biology students, and also in some topics in Middle School Science. This workshop is designed to be hands on, and to provide participants with enough information to be able to set up a practical session, and to confidently demonstrate the technique. Information will be available on equipment required to set up this technique, as well as Suppliers who provide the equipment in a suitable format for school use. Preparation requirements and helpful hints for Laboratory staff will also be discussed.

Presenter: Jane Hosking

Organisation: St Francis de Sales College

Target Audience: Lab officers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
2.06 - Make Games, Teach Science!

12:05 PM

1 Hour

The Academy of Interactive Entertainment Creating games requires a great understanding of how things work, from engineering a car to race around a track to building natural environments to immerse players in. The AIE offers schools and students innovative ways to approach Maths, Science and Storytelling. This seminar will demonstrate the various ways games can be used to engage students in thinking about what factors can affect a collision in a simulated environment.

Presenter: Jonathon Aucone

Organisation: Academy of Interactive Entertainment

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
2.07 - Solar Powered Racer STEM Challenge

12:05 PM

1 Hour

A STEM approach to exploring sources of alternative energies will see participants designing, making and testing a solar car to race across the floor! Who can design and build the fastest car? The approach used involves students conducting a scientific investigation to gather data on relevant variables (such as sun angle) to improve performance of the car. The results are incorporated into the design, development and testing of the vehicle. These activities are well suited to any studies of forces and energy but fits well with Year 7 Unbalanced Forces and Year 8 Forms of Energy as well as senior classes studying alternative energies.

Presenter: John Cadogan

Organisation: Scientrific Pty Ltd

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
2.08 - Using Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality in the Classroom

12:05 PM

1 Hour

We're all about exploiting the best of technology to use in the classroom. Come along to this hands-on workshop and learn about how to integrate some great virtual and augmented reality resources in your Science classroom. Suitable for both Primary and Secondary teachers.

Presenter: Katrina Don Paul & Andrew Nicholls

Organisation: Stile Education

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
2.09 - Phone Microscopy : Turning Exploration into Education

12:05 PM

1 Hour

Children are born curious. But somehow they lose it on their way through school. Phone microscopy can help revive their natural curiosity. How does it fit with the school curriculum? Is there a slot? those who write the curriculum has left a very important slot - the slot called “wonder”. How can we fill that slot and yet make it related to the curriculum – without destroying wonder that goes with it. This workshop will give you some examples how that can be done. We will run some hands-on, phones-on sessions in biology, geology to demonstrate what is possible. Also suitable for primary and kindergarten teachers interested in inquiry-based learning. Please bring your phones.

Presenter: Sivam Krish

Organisation: Sensibility Ltd

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
3.01 - Science grows from a learning STEM

2:00 PM

1 Hour

In this workshop we will explore how science understanding can grow when integrated with mathematics and technologies. We will use the inquiry process to solve real world problems involving complex thinking. This trans-disciplinary approach demonstrates how to grow learners dispositions, through collaboration, communication, critical and creative thinking. Together we can see how STEM learning evokes innovative pedagogies and new ways to measure this growth.

Presenter: Katrina Elliott & Claire Wood

Organisation: DECD

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
3.02 - Designing Circuits In New Ways

2:00 PM

1 Hour

The new South Australian STEM Strategy advocates the use of the Engineering Design Process to design hands-on activities for students. Combining this with a range of new and innovative products provides teachers with a number of alternative ways to teach circuits in order to make connections between the Science and the Design and Technologies Curricula. This hands-on session will explore some of these products in the context of the design process.

Presenter: John Pearce

Organisation: Deakin University

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
3.03 - FULL: Faster Pasta

2:00 PM

1 Hour

A FUN STEM challenge where participants will work in small groups to build working cars from only pasta and glue. This activity has been adapted from NASA and used to teach Year 4 & 7 Forces as well as Year 5 Earth and Space. However, it could easily be adapted to teach Years 8-10 Forces and motion. Although a great STEM activity and a big hit with students, there are some pitfalls for those who haven't worked with pasta in a classroom before. The Pastafarian presenter will share his experiences of using this activity with high school ESL students.

Presenter: Mark Divito

Organisation: Adelaide Secondary School of English

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
3.04 - Using the HoloLens Augmented Reality glasses for Science

2:00 PM

1 Hour

The Microsoft HoloLens is an augmented reality headset that allows the user to move freely and interact with our world with an augmented view of a computer overlay. At Pulteney we have been integrating the HoloLens in the classroom to enhance the student's learning through Apps that are already available on the device as well as allowing students to design and build their own interactive environment. From walking with dinosaurs, to views of our solar system, to simply knocking around atoms, the kinesthetic learner can finally pick up and interact with elements and walk through immersive environments. This cutting edge session will give participants the opportunity to experience the device and see how it is possible to jump forward with technology to a new level of educational engagement.

Presenter: Jarrod Johnson

Organisation: Pulteney Grammar

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
3.05 - CANCELLED: From Science to HAT and LT certification

2:00 PM

1 Hour

During this session you will see how your hard work and expertise in science could lead to requirements needed to apply for Highly Accomplished or Lead Certification. We will address each of the Professional Learning Standards for Teachers and what types of evidence could be used to address them.

Presenter: Adrian Dilger

Organisation: Catholic Education SA

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
3.06 - STEAMing ahead

2:00 PM

1 Hour

In our session we will offer details of our the end of year STEAM program of activities which ran for the first time in Term 4, 2017. We will cover which aspects were successful and, following our review, how we plan to make improvements for 2018. The crucial support of the School Leadership Team allowed this innovation within our School to run with exciting new programs and ideas. We collapsed the regular timetable and created year group activities that would enthuse students and staff and maximise the learning experience.

Presenter: Michelle Payne & Andrea Sherwood

Organisation: Westminster School

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
3.07 - CANCELLED: STEM – DECD Moodle sites to support flipped learning and the new Science Course Hub

2:00 PM

1 Hour

All DECD sites have access to the Moodle learner management system, at no cost. I will show the process of creating a whole school site from scratch to demonstrate its ease of use. I will also cover the basics in constructing a course in order for teachers to provide online 24/7 resources to support your students with minimal time and effort. Finally I will demonstrate the structure of the Science Course Hub and how to contribute to it to the benefit of SACE teachers everywhere. Attendees who have not joined the Science Hub will be enrolled on the day.

Presenter: Paul Gavini

Organisation: Marryatville High School

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
3.08 - Laboratory Safety

2:00 PM

1 Hour

The workshop summarises the work being carried out under the DECD Laboratory safety initiative, a twelve-month program which aims to develop guidance and training for staff who work in DECD school science laboratories. We will be discussing how the initiative will assist delivery of a safe science curriculum by: • Ensuring a consistent approach to laboratory safety across DECD sites • Providing guidance for the control of common laboratory based risks • Developing generic Safe Operating procedures for commonly used equipment and laboratory activities • Reducing the risk of harm to students and staff in the science areas. We are working to establish a laboratory safety site on the DECD intranet with a downloadable laboratory safety manual.

Presenter: Robyn Fryar

Organisation: Department of Education and Child Development

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
3.09 - CANCELLED: Chaos, Order, Disorder, Randomness and Synchronicity

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Chaos, Order, Disorder, Randomness and Synchronicity…are there any connections between them? Has there been? Could there be? If so, what kinds of simple or complex connections could there be? In either the natural world or created realities, have you ever entertained the thought that “In all chaos there is a cosmos, in all disorder a secret order.” (Jung); or “From Chaos, comes order” (Nietzsche)? This workshop will explore explore these and other related questions about systems from scientific discovery and theoretical interpretation, and identify some of these occurrences in STEM.

Presenter: Vanessa Fay

Organisation: Australian Science and Mathematics School

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
3.10 - FULL: Inspiring students with SHE

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Science as a Human Endeavour can be hard to shoehorn into lessons - career inspiration even harder (especially in lower years). We show you how to deliver this portion of the National Curriculum without ripping up all of your lesson planning, but by offering bite sized content to slot in alongside whatever topic you might be delivering. Come along for where to find a wealth of FREE resources (no catches!)

Presenter: Hilary Jones

Organisation: Australia's Science Channel

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, More upper primary than lower primary, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
3.11 - Successfully flipping the classroom with Education Perfect

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Education Perfect is an online learning resource with over 700 curriculum-aligned lessons, which can be used for formative assessment and consolidation in order to flip the classroom. Science teachers aim to teach a scientific view of the world to students and to promote in them creative-thinking and problem-solving skills. EP has the resources and data collection to allow you to free up class time to invest in inquiry-based learning. EP lessons cover skills, comprehension & interpretation tasks and are built on the mastery model and informed by Hattie’s visible learning pedagogy, Marzano’s dimensions of learning and Bloom’s thinking skills framework.

Presenter: Michael Villanti

Organisation: Education Perfect

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
3.12 - Some call it a robot we call it a motivator!

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Ignite student engagement and energise learning in STEM through the use of LEGO Mindstorms Education EV3 in your classroom. This hands-on workshop will show you how to have your students exercise creative problem solving and team working skills while deepening their understanding of science, engineering and maths. Ev3 provides a powerful tool for scientific inquiry. The data logging function engages students in real life predicting, collecting and manipulation of data to make science experiments come alive. Today science educators must keep students engaged, embrace new technologies and meet curriculum standards. EV3 will help address these challenges and provide a 21st Century learning experience in your classroom.

Presenter: Libby Moore

Organisation: Moore Educational

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

17th Apr 2018

Name Time Duration
Keynote 2 - Why is evolutionary biology more than just an academic interest?

9:05 AM

1 Hour

Evolutionary biology is a conceptual paradigm that can explain the variety and diversity of all life forms, gives us the tools to untangle complex histories and provide unexpected perspectives on real world problems. The talk will illuminate how evolutionary biology provides a better basis for conservation and understanding impacts of human activities on wildlife through the ages. Core skills for evolutionary biologists can encompass all aspects of STEM.

Presenter: Professor Steve Donnellan

Organisation: South Australian Museum, Evolutionary Biology Unit

Name Time Duration
Cutting Edge 1A - Laying Waste to Mercury Pollution

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Mercury pollution threatens the environment and human health across the globe. This neurotoxic substance is encountered in artisanal gold mining, coal combustion, oil and gas refining, waste incineration, chloralkalai plant operation, metallurgy, and areas of agriculture in which mercury-rich fungicides are used. Thousands of tonnes of mercury are emitted annually through these activities. With the Minamata Convention on Mercury entering force in 2017, increasing regulation of mercury pollution is imminent. It is therefore critical to provide inexpensive and scalable mercury sorbents. The research described in this lecture addresses this need by introducing low-cost mercury sorbents made solely from sulfur and unsaturated cooking oils. Because sulfur is a by-product of petroleum refining and spent cooking oils from the food industry are suitable starting materials, these mercury-capturing polymers can be synthesised entirely from waste and supplied on multi-kilogram scales. Field studies in mercury remediation will be presented, as will future applications of sulfur polymers that benefit the environment. Additionally, this science formed the basis of several high school research projects and outreach programs. In this way, cutting edge research can reveal new knowledge and technologies that can help protect the environment and support student learning and engagement.

Presenter: Dr Justin M. Chalker

Organisation: Flinders University

Name Time Duration
Cutting Edge 1B - Project LIVE: Learning through Immersive Virtual Environments

11:00 AM

1 Hour

Fieldwork is a cornerstone of Environmental and Geospatial Science and their incorporated scientific disciplines including geology, ecology, soil science, physical geography and behavioural science. However, the diversity of field experiences required to produce a well-rounded geologist, soil scientist, ecologist or geospatial scientist by the completion of their degree present a unique challenge. Australia’s landscapes, heritage and ecosystems are extremely broad, with key localities widely dispersed across the continent – not to mention the incredible diversity that exists globally. In addition, highly instructive sites are often situated in inaccessible or remote locations where student visits are impractical. Financial, safety, legislative and logistical issues, together with the importance of flexible learning, mean that strategies to complement and augment conventional field-based teaching are essential. Project LIVE is a cross-disciplinary initiative at the University of South Australia to incorporate immersive visualisation technologies across the entire teaching program of the School of Natural and Built Environments. Its primary aim is to transform traditional classroom activities into flexible, interactive and engaging experiential learning exercises that support and enhance the attainment of critical field skills. Our most widely used technologies include Remotely Piloted Aircraft (drone) photogrammetry, gigapixel photography, 360-degree panoramic photos and videos, virtual reality (VR) headsets, and mobile learning platforms. From 3D models of geological faults and spectacular landforms along the South Australian coastline, to virtual tours of fire-risk sites in the Adelaide Hills and interactive augmented reality games for the Hallett Cove Conservation Park, this workshop will showcase some examples of digital resources developed at UniSA and discuss their implementation through skill-based projects that scaffold learning from textbooks and theory to in-situ applications. This approach has not only excited and engaged students, but more importantly helped to facilitate effective problem solving and creative thinking in a range of authentic situations.

Presenter: Dr Tom Raimondo

Organisation: The University of South Australia

Name Time Duration
Cutting Edge 1C - Genetic Scissors and the future for personalised medicine

11:00 AM

1 Hour

We use the term ‘cancer’ to group together many diseases that have one common fundamental feature: the abnormal growth of cells. Since the beginning of early surgical treatments to Sidney Farber’s discovery of chemotherapy, humans have worked to uncover methods of controlling cancer. This talk will provide a scientist’s perspective of where we have come from and where we are headed for cancer treatment. It will expose the listener to cutting edge approaches to modify DNA using genetic scissors, the power of genome sequencing for cancer samples and the use of stem cells in the selection of personalised treatments. The end goal of this very human endeavour is to find the holy grail: a cure for cancer.

Presenter: Dr Susan Woods

Organisation: The University of Adelaide

Name Time Duration
Cutting Edge 2A - Improving crop growth in salty soils

12:05 PM

1 Hour

Soil salinity reduces crop growth and yields worldwide. Already ~10% of the world’s land is affected by salinity. In Australia, soil salinity affects approximately 30% of all agricultural soil and 69% of the wheat belt, causing up to $1.3 billion per year in lost yields. The salinisation of agricultural lands is steadily increasing due to climate change – globally every minute we are losing two additional football fields of farmland to salinity. This jeopardises the increase in food production required to supply 9.3 billion people by 2050. A major breakthrough in crop breeding for enhanced salt tolerance is required to reverse this situation. Our traditional food crops are salt-sensitive and are less equipped to grow and produce food in salty soils. Hence, the scientific research of today must focus on discovering salt-tolerant genes from naturally salt-loving plants like quinoa, seagrass and later introduce them into our traditional crops to increase food production in Australia and other countries with salty soil. First, this talk will establish how environmental problems adversely affect crop growth and yield. Then highlight current efforts in generating resilient crops that can tackle environmental problems. The participants will have an opportunity to explore a 3D virtual plant cell and take up a salt challenge!

Presenter: Dr Jay Bose

Organisation: The University of Adelaide

Name Time Duration
Cutting Edge 2B - The application of STEM for people - Human Centred Design

12:05 PM

1 Hour

When we think of aspects of STEM, we typically conjure images of many innovative and amazing things; but rarely do we think of people, society, or the environment. However, everything we do in STEM is for people, it is for society, or it is for the environment, so why aren’t they what we think of immediately? The purpose of this workshop is to explore Human Centred Design as a tool to ensure solutions are actually designed for the end user. Case studies relating to humanitarian and development fields will be used to unpack the concepts and provide context. However, in addition to its applicable to the design of technology, the process can be applied in any field that has an end user.

Presenter: Dr Cris Birzer

Organisation: The University of Adelaide

Name Time Duration
Cutting Edge 2C - Improving medication use throough the integration of mathematic modelling and biological sciences

12:05 PM

1 Hour

The development of pharmaceutical products is, by large, expensive, time-consuming and inefficient with the clinical use of medications seldom optimal. The emerging science of pharmacometrics integrates mathematical modelling with an understanding of biological processes to fully exploit data generated during the drug development program and from clinical practice. From this, issues associated with the sub-optimal use of pharmaceutical agents can be addressed and rational, evidence-based guidelines can be developed for the appropriate prescription of these drugs in clinical practice. This session will provide an insight into pharmacometrics through the presentation of a case study describing how this innovative methodology is being used to address the inequity of access within Australia to palivizumab, an expensive drug for the prevention of a life-threatening respiratory infection in premature and vulnerable infants.

Presenter: Dr Stephanie Reuter Lange

Organisation: The University of South Australia

Name Time Duration
4.01 - Engineering Robots

2:00 PM

1 Hour

So you’ve purchased a Sphero or two? Perhaps you’ve had your students make a maze or two? Maybe you’ve thought about getting some Mindstorms but they’re a little costly or you’re wondering how else can you integrate robots. In this hands-on session you will get to look at a range of robotic options and consider how to use them to engage in the Engineering Design Process.

Presenter: John Pearce

Organisation: Deakin University

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
4.02 - Planning and Assessing STEAM Inquiry Units

2:00 PM

1 Hour

In this session, we will go through how to create and assess a STEAM inquiry unit. Participants will create an authentic question for students to solve using STEAM skills and understandings. There will also be examples of ways to assess STEAM inquiry projects which allow for differentiation within a varied primary classroom.

Presenter: Kathleen Best

Organisation: Clarendon Primary School

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
4.03 - CANCELLED: STEM – Biology; Hydroponic technology and classroom application

2:00 PM

1 Hour

Hydroponic technology is and will be feeding people into the future. I will cover the technology and systems that are currently in use and how to apply low cost, simple techniques in the classroom in order to grow plants in a more controlled, consistent and at an accelerated rate. I will also be demonstrating examples prepared for this event and cover resources and materials needed to deploy this in the classroom to increase student engagement.

Presenter: Paul Gavini

Organisation: Marryatville High School

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
4.04 - STEM learning in environmental contexts

2:00 PM

1 Hour

This session is for teachers interested in an introduction to a STEM approach and design thinking, exploring how STEM links to various school environmental projects, and understanding how STEM can be a focus for student (and educator) learning. We highlight how STEM learning can happen in authentic environmental contexts. We will look at what it could look like beyond classroom walls and how we can find cross curriculum solutions to tackle real world issues in our own backyard. This session is useful for educators from Preschool to Secondary.

Presenter: Cally Malone

Organisation: NRM Education

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
4.05 - Tune to the music and wave to the Science

2:00 PM

1 Hour

A forensic science scenario is used to introduce a case for analysing sound waves. Both the generation and analysis of sound is considered along with technology to examine period, frequency and note. The science, mathematics and technology are all there. Now can you engineer some music?

Presenter: Brian Lannen

Organisation: Wodonga Institute of TAFE

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
4.06 - Oliphant Science Awards Information Workshop

2:00 PM

1 Hour

The Oliphant Science Awards Competition is a grea way to incorporate science learning into any classroom! This workshop will provide information to those who many be interested in becoming involved in 2018. You will have the chance to hear about the event, what you need to do to register, tips on what criteria the projects need to meet and the key dates to remember.

Presenter: Peter Turnbull & Gerald Little

Organisation: SASTA / OSA Convenors

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
4.07D - Lab lessons with a STEM focus

2:00 PM

Laboratory instruction allows students to engage in practical experiences and authentic discovery, apply theory to practice, and explore different methods of scientific inquiry while generating new knowledge. Leading a laboratory session has challenges and opportunities that differ from those in a standard classroom environment. This workshop examines how we can make the laboratory experience more meaningful for students and replace “cookbook” experiments with more engaging techniques. To reflect the emerging emphasis on STEM, we will explore practical investigations that apply STEM skills and dispositions. These practicals ask students to apply their content knowledge and skills to create solutions to real world applications of science. Copies of the practical activity will be supplied to all participants. The workshop is aimed at resourcing teachers of Years 7-10 science.

Presenter: Kate Dilger

Organisation: SASTA Education Officer

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers

Name Time Duration
4.08D - CANCELLED: STEM X in a Nutshell (REPEAT)

2:00 PM

Missed out on the STEM X Academy? 5 alumni from this year’s cohort will share their experiences with you, in this interactive, hands-on workshop. Suitable for both primary and secondary teachers, we'll explore protostorming, question-generating stimuli, and makerspaces (including some digital technologies). Plenty of ideas to take away for implementing STEM at your own sites, strategies that can be applied straight away, and lots of resources to help you get started. Whether you’re already doing STEM, or are only new to it, come and join in the fun. We promise you’ll walk away feeling inspired and more confident about STEM!

Presenter: Dina Phan, Kerensa Greenfield, Lauren Kirk, Kirsty Richards & Stef Sotora

Organisation: Swallowcliffe School P-7, Oakbank Area School, Bordertown High School & Elizabeth East Primary School

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
4.09D - EXCURSION: Artlab

2:00 PM

Have you ever looked at paintings in a gallery or objects in a museum and wondered how these collections are sustained? Or looked at your prized broken vase and thought where can I get this restored? This is what we do. We care for your treasures by providing specialised preservation and conservation services for works of art and historic items. Artlab is responsible for the conservation programs of the State’s extensive collections in Adelaide. Our business includes corporate clientele, galleries, museums, libraries, other cultural institutions and private clients with family treasures all over Australia and overseas. This workshop will focus on the Science of preservation and restoration. This excursion visits Artlab’s five laboratories: textiles; paintings; paper and books; objects and large projects providing the opportunity to view items currently being treated, examined or condition checked from all over Australia.  Specialist conservators will explain the treatments currently being undertaken. 

Organisation: Artlab

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
4.10D - FULL: EXCURSION: SA Museum: Behind the Scenes

2:00 PM

The South Australian Museum is a familiar place for most South Australians. In particular, teachers and their students can readily list off their favorite experiences in the Museum whether it be ascending the stairs with the Giant Squid to bravely step onto the perspex platform, anticipating the swishing Nathan the Lion’s tail or wandering through a transect of our state exploring an incredible range of habitats and life forms in the SA Biodiversity Gallery. Most people however, would be unaware of the array of other fascinating storage and work spaces that make up ‘behind the scenes at the SA Museum’ including the Science Centre. The Science Centre on Morgan Thomas Lane, off Kintore Avenue, is where the majority of the Museum’s scientists work. It is also where most of the Australian Polar, Biological Sciences, Mineral Sciences, Palaeontology and Information Resources collections are housed. For these reasons, it forms a critical part of the activities of the South Australian Museum despite being largely tucked away from the public gaze. Join researchers and collection managers behind the scenes for a rare opportunity to visit some of our world renowned collections to learn more about why we collect, how the collections are maintained and about some of the diverse research projects undertaken.

Organisation: SA Museum

Target Audience: Lab officers, Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
4.12D - EXCURSION: SAHMRI

2:00 PM

This excursion will visit the SAHMRI (South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute) on North Terrace. The tour will include stunning views of the state of the art facility and well-recognised architecture, a deeper understanding of why medical research plays such a vital role in our community, an insight into why SAHMRI as an organisation is so unique. Please note, this tour is not suitable for anyone who is afraid of traveling in glass lifts or has a fear of heights. Most of the tour is conducted using the lifts and the building is above ground level.

Organisation: SAHMRI

Name Time Duration
5.01 - Stepping gently into STEM teaching

3:05 PM

1 Hour

Bring STEM to life in your science classroom by using questioning techniques that create an engaging problem solving approach to lessons. Examples and techniques will be given to provoke thinking, and participants will be given time, support and conversation to apply the ideas to their own lesson planning.

Presenter: Marianne Nicholas

Organisation: DECD

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
5.02 - Augment Your Science Reality

3:05 PM

1 Hour

If you’ve clicked on a QR Code or if you joined in the Pokemon Go craze then you’ve involved yourself with another ‘reality’, one virtual, the other augmented. Whilst higher end applications of both may be beyond most schools there are some very cost effective entry options available too. In this session we will explore some virtual and augmented reality options that can be used in your science classroom both for consumption of content as well as ones that can be used for sharing learning and understandings.

Presenter: John Pearce

Organisation: Deakin University

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
5.03 - CANCELLED: STEM Physics - Motion & image analysis using "Tracker"

3:05 PM

1 Hour

This workshop is designed to show how to implement, from both a teacher and student perspective, the use of video and images to analyse motion within the classroom. Using the free software "Tracker" from the Open Source Physics project out of Canada, students are able to collect calibrated measurement data from recording/photographing practicals for post analysis. Laptops with the installed software will be provided and participants will process video during the workshop individually.

Presenter: Paul Gavini

Organisation: Marryatville High School

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
5.04 - Energy Conversation

3:05 PM

1 Hour

Energy is a much misused word. Simply demonstrate the various forms of energy available to us in daily life. Explain Relativity and Quantum Mechanics in energy transfer. Debunk the errors, delusions and internet scams based on impossible devices.

Presenter: Dennis Gutteridge

Organisation: Pembroke School

Target Audience: Lab officers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers, Tertiary educators

Name Time Duration
5.05 - Science in STEM

3:05 PM

1 Hour

This workshop will focus on how science can be used as the driving force behind real STEM learning and assessment which is aligned to the Australian Curriculum. Science as a Human Endeavour and links to real world problems will provide the backdrop and engagement hook to spark and support student interest. Learning design samples will be used to unpack the planning process and explore potential assessment opportunities

Presenter: Peter Voudantas

Organisation: DECD

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

Name Time Duration
5.06 - SA Water STEM learning opportunities

3:05 PM

1 Hour

SA Water’s free programs explain the process of cleaning water from a variety of sources, including used water. The science and engineering (STEM) processes are explained in hands on experiments in our workshops. Students can also tour our infrastructure sites to immerse themselves in STEM industry. Join SA Water in this SASTA workshop, to learn about the experiments and also build a sustainable town on our 3-D map. There will be a chance to get outside and discuss the new technology at Adelaide High utilising Smart Water Meters and moisture/nutrient probes, enabling the school, including students to constantly monitor water usage (including leaks!).

Presenter: Alison Wilson & Emma Juricin

Organisation: SA Water

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Primary school teachers

Name Time Duration
5.11 - CANCELLED: Raising Sparks: Poetry in the Science classroom

3:05 PM

1 Hour

Creative writing in the science classroom needn’t be tokenistic: the task of the poet and the scientist are not so different. Both work with a body of received knowledge and technical skill and, within such strictures, both strive for originality. Science textbooks often suggest writing a poem about a topic without providing elaboration, scaffolding or any useful example. Through models: such as Australian neuroscientist and poet Ian Gibbins’ celebrations of cells or the metaphysical reflections of Canadian poet-physicist Kim Maltmann, students see how poetry and metaphor illumines the language of scientific discourse, and provides us with a rich resource to reflect on the wonders of our universe and the human endeavour that is science.

Presenter: Aidan Coleman & Leana Coleman

Organisation: University of Adelaide & University of South Australia

Target Audience: Middle school (year 6-9) teachers, Senior school (year 10-12) teachers

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