Tagged With: education
Why do students still need textbooks?
By Dan Rowson, education policy officer at the Society of Biology At the May Policy Lunchbox, we welcomed Tim Oates, Group Director of Assessment Research and Development at Cambridge Assessment. Previously Tim was Head of Research at the Qualifications and Curriculum Agency and in 2010 he led the Government review on the National Curriculum. On … Continue reading
Location, location, habitat – who shares our neighbourhood?
By David Urry, regional coordinator for the Society of Biology. Applications for the regional grant scheme close on 12th January 2015. Please contact David to find out more or to get involved with running activities in your local area. Curiosity is an innate and essential human quality. It is also the main driver for scientific … Continue reading
Planning the future of UK science – ‘the best job in government’?
By Dr Supatra Marsh, BBSRC Policy Fellow at the Society of Biology At a Science and Technology Committee meeting last week, Chair Andrew Miller MP introduced the new Minister for Universities, Science and Cities, Rt Hon Greg Clark MP as having ‘the best job in government’. Greg Clark spoke passionately about his desire to ‘bring … Continue reading
Supporting our future scientists and engineers
Rachel Lambert-Forsyth, director of education and training at the Society of Biology, discusses the role degree accreditation can play in building the next generation of skilled life scientists. On 3rd June, I participated in a panel debate for Westminster Higher Education Forums. The topic of the event was ‘Developing the next generation of scientists … Continue reading
Future Morph – careers advice for schools
By Mark Downs, chief executive of the Society of Biology At the Society of Biology we have recently benefited from a number of interns, and it is rewarding to see young people develop at the start of their careers. But how do they get to this stage? For undergraduates we offer Life Sciences Careers Conferences, … Continue reading
Using British Sign Language (BSL) in science education
Guest blog by Jon Hickman, teacher – science teacher at Ferndown Upper School in Dorset I have been using British Sign Language (BSL) as a visual learning tool in my science classes for the past year. As a kinaesthetic process it is excellent for visual and tactile learners to reinforce key concepts. The majority of … Continue reading
Should science novels and films be introduced at schools?
By Vydeki Shanmuganathan, Senior Scientist (Microbiology) at Affinity Water Shared Services We all dissected Charles Dickens novels at school to great length and watched plays based on his novels. However, we were rarely introduced to science novels or films at schools. With the education system evolving, is now the time to introduce science novels and … Continue reading
Inspiring future generations (and feeding them)
by Rebecca Nesbit, Society of Biology People will fight passionately for medical advances, and indeed science has done a huge amout to save lives and reduce suffering caused by health problems. But the point was made at UK PlantSci 2013 that, ultimately, this is only valuable if we can feed people. I don’t think there … Continue reading
In praise of apprenticeships
by Rebecca Nesbit I was interested to hear an interviewee on the Today programme worried about the reluctance amongst many parents and schools to recognise the true value of apprenticeships. As someone who graduated prior to top-up fees, I often ask myself ‘if I was 18 now, would university still be the right thing?’, so … Continue reading
Student BioSocs: working together is success
Guest bloggers Ioanna Sigalou and Rowan Watson, President and Secretary of the Staffordshire University Biology Society, describe how the society was set up. It’s no lie that every beginning is hard, especially when it comes to things that require people with different opinions coming together to share ideas! Things get hectic very quickly, which can … Continue reading