New Science at Shepp High

Science education made a small leap forward this week thanks to an innovative new online learning program created by one of the most advanced secondary schools in the state. 

The John Monash Science School’s ‘Emerging Sciences Victoria’ program, provides an accelerated online learning environment for year 10 students who are committed and passionate about Science. Three courses are offered, ‘Biotechnology and Bioinformatics’, ‘Nanotechnology’, and ‘Astrophysics’ and four of our students have signed up to the courses. 

Sessions operate much the same as a normal classroom. Students can put a virtual hand up to ask questions and can talk to teachers and other participants and use a range of emoticons to express their understanding. The teachers use various technologies to communicate including microscopes, and cameras set up at key vantage points. Students can see teachers and teachers can see students thanks to webcam on laptops. 

Even experiments can be done via webcam. Possibly the greatest strength of this program, however, is the ability to stream in presentations and discussions with some of Australia’s leading Scientists giving students an extraordinary depth of experiences, unheard of until fairly recently.

We are very proud of our pioneering students and hope you’ll join with us in wishing them the very best of luck this semester with their journey in online Science education.

Catriona Jenkins

Science