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1. Public Lecture: Assessment, Technology & Science Education: What are we assessing?When: 15th FebruaryWhen: 15th FebruaryThe School of Education is hosting a public lecture by Prof Susan Rodrigues, University of Northumbria, England, entitled Assessment, Technology and Science Education: What are we assessing? AbstractThere is a body of research, providing both rhetoric and discussion about the use of ICT (audience response systems, CDROMs, simulations, dataloggers, Emails, Internet, modelling, virtual worlds and whiteboards) in science education for learning and assessment purposes. The research has alluded to benefits in terms of learner control, pro-active learning, increased student motivation, and increased student engagement. In this seminar the findings from several small scale studies will be presented in order to illustrate both the potential and the challenges of technology based assessment in science education. For if technology based assessment encourages inattentional blindness or selective amnesia, then using technology to assess student learning is unlikely to generate a better insight into their understanding or provide an accurate record of their capability. BiographySusan Rodrigues is currently Professor in Education at the University of Northumbria, England. Her previous academic experiences have been with the University of Dundee, Scotland; University of Stirling, Scotland, University of Durham, England and the University of Melbourne, Australia. She conducts research into the teaching and learning of science where her work is making a contribution both to innovative practice and to theory. Her research explores issues such as the language of science, teacher professional development, and how ICT can be used to transform teaching, learning and assessment in science. Professor Susan Rodrigues is known internationally for her science education research and has been invited to present at international events including in Australia, Brunei, Germany, Poland and Cyprus. She was a guest editor for the Science Education International journal and is referee for several international science education and technology education journals. She is currently working on projects funded by Astrazeneca Science Teaching Trust and is working in partnership with the European Union F7 programme.John Goodsell Room 119
2. O Week 2012 & Undergraduate WelcomeStarts: 20th - 24th FebruaryStarts: 20th - 24th February Welcome new Undergraduate students! Find out about the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences' 2012 O-Week activities here! We offer new students a number of services to make the transition to university as successful as possible. Peer mentoring program On Monday 20 February please join us at the official Faculty Welcome presentation and BBQ. 11am -12 noon Official Faculty Undergraduate Welcome Sir John Clancy Auditorium (map ref C24) A welcome to all new students studying in the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences by the Acting Dean, Professor Eileen Baldry and a Student Life intro. Students are then invited to join the staff from the Faculty for a BBQ lunch. 12 - 1pm Faculty Welcome Lunch Morven Brown Courtyard (map ref C20) The Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences invites all new students to join us for a BBQ lunch following the Faculty Welcome. It will provide an opportunity to network with your fellow students and to meet the academic staff. View the full schedule of Faculty of Ars & Social Sciences program specific presentations during O Week Find your way around campus during O Week with this map Click here for info about UNSW UG O-Week activitiesVarious, UNSW Kensington Campus
3. Public Lecture: How to teach Nature of Science when you don’t know what it isWhen: 22nd FebruaryWhen: 22nd FebruaryThe School of Education is hosting a free public lecture by Prof Keld Nielsen, Aarhus University, Denmark, entitled How to teach “Nature of Science” (NOS) when you don’t know what it is. Abstract In the Danish upper secondary school it has - for the past three years - been mandatory to teach “the methods and identity” of a given subject. In the science-subjects this has led to a rather unfortunate situation, since most teachers have never heard about NOS, and have received no training in philosophy of science. As a result, some teachers simply leave NOS out of their teaching, claiming that laboratory exercises in themselves will demonstrate what the methods and identity of science is. Other teachers draw on outdated knowledge and teach specifically about “the scientific method” and the interaction between experiment and theory as the driver of science. A third group adds a new level of theory and teach about inductivism, deductivism, positivism, falsification, paradigms and normal/revolutionary science etc. I will report about a recent development project in which 20 upper secondary science teachers were given the challenge of dealing with teaching “methods and identity” in science in such a way that this new topic could be integrated in the existing science teaching, not adding a new layer of complexity to their teaching, but strengthening their teaching “from within”. Biography Keld Nielsen is associate professor in history of science and science education studies at Aarhus University, Denmark. For many years he has been engaged in teaching and in museum work. For five years he was head of a department which included science studies, science education studies and a science museum. He now teaches history of science and works with pre-service and in-service teacher training.John Goodsell Room 119, UNSW
4. Postgraduate Coursework WelcomeWhen: 23rd FebruaryWhen: 23rd FebruaryThe Faculty would like to welcome new postgraduate coursework students into our community by inviting you to join us for a Faculty wine and cheese welcome reception, to celebrate the start of semester. The postgraduate coursework welcome will provide the opportunity to network with other postgraduate students and meet staff from your program. Download event invitation Campus mapTyree Room, John Niland Scientia Building (map ref G19)

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