New Zealand Science Teacher

Science Learning Hub gets a reboot

30/08/2016

Science Learning Hub will be familiar to every science teacher in the country, for good reason: it's the premiere repository of science learning resources in this country. But if there's been one slight criticism of the site, it's that the layout can feel a bit confusing to those that aren't familiar with it. The shiny new redesigned SLH makes this a non-issue. 

It's understandable that the old nzsciencelearn.org might have seemed a bit cumbersome, or a bit hard to get around: web development has come a long way in the decade since the structural fundamentals of the site were first laid down. Though it's still in beta testing phase, the redeveloped Science Learning Hub shows that it's administrators have put a lot of thought into how best to make the experience of the user new to SLH, as well as that of the seasoned cherry picker, as intuitive as possible. 

Science Learning Hub has undergone more than just a face lift however: the site's guardians have also taken the opportunity to re-think how the massive goldmine of resources are organised and accessed, as well as bring together previously distinct areas of the site. One of those guardians is Cathy Buntting, of Waikato University's Wilf Malcolm Institute of Education Research. 

"The new-look Science Learning Hub showcases the Hub's extensive range of resources, using contemporary web-design functionality and user interfacing. It's a hugely exciting development: we've updated programming that was first done over 10 years ago, and brought together content from both the Science Learning Hub and Biotechnology Learning Hub for the first time.

"We've also re-grouped resources as 'topics' and 'concepts' in order to link with teachers planning units around topics (e.g., Antarctica, insects - and showcasing the wide range of conceptual learning possible within these), and those planning units around concepts (e.g., life cycles, forces - while showcasing the opportunities to contextualise the learning using real-life examples and applications). 

"We're delighted with the outcome, but invite users to continue to contribute feedback to ensure that the Hub best meets the needs of New Zealand's teachers and students. Our development team is committed to connecting the science and education sectors together, and making contemporary New Zealand science more accessible and visible."