Partnership_
Science Extension
Supporting teachers and students doing the HSC extension science course
Workshops, student mentoring program, data analysis advice and teaching resources for science extension students and teachers.
Science Extension Workshop
Spend a day learning about the HSC science extension course exploring best scientific practice, experimental design, research techniques and reviewing statistical analysis of data.
We will focus on Modules 2 and 3 of the Science Extension course. Half the day will be spent exploring best practice experimental design and identifying potential challenges, with a view to good designs producing good analyses.
The other half of the day will be an exploration of various statistical hypothesis tests as detailed in the syllabus. This is also a chance for you and your students to meet some of our PhD student mentors. PhD candidates from across the faculty have volunteered their expertise to provide advice for your students as they undertake this exciting dive into authentic scientific research.
Event Details
On-campus Workshops
Dates: 21 and 28 October 2022
Time: 9am-2:30pm
Cost: free
Audience: HSC science extension students Supervision: students must be booked and supervised by a teacher
Format: On Cumberland Campus, University of Sydney
Register your class for an on-campus workshop
Online Workshop
Dates: 26 October 2022
Time: 9am-11.45am
Cost: free
Audience: HSC science extension students, individual or classes online over Zoom
Science Extension Mentoring Program
Linking high school students with PhD mentors to support their science investigation skills development during the HSC Science Extension course.
The Science Extension Mentoring Program is designed to support the development of science investigation skills in high school students undertaking the Science Extension HSC course by offering them one-to-one advice from a PhD mentor who will follow the progress of their science investigation for the first few months of the HSC year.
Students will be able to ask their mentors for personalised suggestions and tips on how to:
- design their scientific investigation
- carry out data collection
- analyse the data
- approach arising challenges throughout the investigation
- draw meaning from their results
The program endeavours to match students and mentors by disciplines of interest and expertise.
The Science Extension Mentor Program is conducted via online pathways (e.g. email, video conferencing) or by phone and always under the supervision of the student’s teacher. Contacting times throughout the program are flexible, and are as agreed upon between teacher, student and mentor.
Program Details
Audience: HSC science extension students
Cost: free
Availability: subject to successful applications and PhD mentor availability
Applications will open: 4 October until the 12 November 2022.
Successful applicants will be matched with their mentors in the first week of December.
Student Applications
The applications will require:
- Student's school email address
- Sponsor teacher's full name, contact details
- Why the student would like to join the program
- Area of interest for science investigation
Students must complete their own entry forms to apply for the program. Each student must also have a teacher who is willing to supervise all (online) communication between mentor and their mentee for the duration of the program for Work Health and Safety reasons.
Data Analysis Advice
HSC Science Extension students sign-up either as classes or individuals for general and personalised advice on the right data analysis techniques to use for their science extension research project.
These sessions are online, held during and after school, and run by experience data scientists from the University. The data scientists will talk through some commonly used data analysis techniques using real Science Extension projects as examples, and then be able to offer advice and recommendations to students for their own investigation data.
Dates: multiple sessions available from April to June
Cost: free
Audience: HSC science extension students
Format: online Zoom sessions
Learning Resources
Texts, presentations, videos and mathematical analysis resources for the Science Extension course can be accessed directly through the Science Extension resources link.
Contact
If you have any questions about Science Teachers' Workshop, Mentoring Program, Data Analysis Advice or learning resources, please contact our team at
science.extension@sydney.edu or 0421 363 219.
