KAREN inspires NZ’s young, talented scientists by connecting teachers and students with world-leading medical researchers through the LENScience programme.

Real science for NZ’s brightest budding biologists

The LENScience Senior Biology Seminar Series connects world-leading scientists with Year 13 biology students throughout New Zealand for regular curriculum-linked seminars. The interactive e-learning experience is broadcast via video conferencing and multicast on KAREN to the National Education Network (NEN), and over satellite television.

“We’re facing a global shortage of science graduates just when we need them most, KAREN is helping us to turn the problem around,” says Jacquie Bay, Director LENScience.

KAREN schools benefit from award-winning e-learning

LENScience, established in 2006, is an initiative of the Liggins Institute and the National Research Centre for Growth and Development, with support from various funding agencies. The initiative provides schools with access to scientific research communities, with the programmes designed to inspire both science students and their teachers.

“LENScience Connect series has been overwhelmingly successful. In 2009, we had nearly 100 secondary schools in 8 sessions,” said Jacquie. The series was the winner of the 2009 TUANZ Education Innovation Award. The UK’s Professor Lord Robert Winston is a big fan of LENScience. In 2006 he delivered a LENScience lecture, with over 75 New Zealand schools linking into a live webcast.

New Zealand school science teachers have also been full of praise for the initiative, with many commenting that students really enjoyed the opportunity to ask live questions and link via the live link. “Any opportunity to make students think and engage is useful. This was a great opportunity for teachers and students to hear biology straight from researchers,” says one KAREN connected teacher. Another commented that the programme succeeded in developing thinking at a higher level and challenged the students.

While most teachers would like their schools to be hooked up to KAREN, one teacher commented that it was no trouble to get to a nearby university. “We are close to the university so it was easy to get students in to be a part of the connection through Canterbury – it was very simple to take part.”

Connecting NZ schools to super-fast broadband

KAREN is leading the rollout of the NEN on behalf of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Economic Development – connecting New Zealand schools to super-fast broadband. LENScience demonstrates the possibilities of the NEN.

“While not all secondary schools are on the National Education Network, many are sending students to local universities to receive the broadcasts. During the latter part of 2009, we conducted the first trials using KAREN video conferencing to bring students from KAREN-capable schools live into the satellite broadcast. This live face-to-face interaction particularly demonstrates the value of having your own school NEN connection,” said Jacquie.

About the Liggins Institute

The University of Auckland’s Liggins Institute was founded by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman and inspired by Professor Sir Graham Liggins, the internationally renowned medical researcher who showed that giving steroids to women experiencing early labour could accelerate infant lung development so that premature newborn babies could breathe independently. Their work and that of others at the institute has transformed neonatal practice and led to dramatically improved survival rates among premature babies all over the world.

As well as ground-breaking medical research in foetal and child health, growth, and development, the institute is also gaining a reputation for research into breast cancer, nutrition, epigenetics, and evolutionary medicine. The Liggins Institute is committed to promoting awareness and understanding of science through LENScience.

More information

LENScience website (http://lens.auckland.ac.nz)
Liggins Institute website (http://www.liggins.auckland.ac.nz/)
National Research Centre for Growth and Development website (http://www.nrcgd.org.nz/)

Use this case study as a resource

Download the pdf of the LENScience case study (pdf, 164KB)

[Images. Top: renjith krishnan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net, Bottom: LENScience in action. Students from Christchurch participate in the LENScience Biology Seminar Series via video conference at the University of Canterbury]

Updated 3 May 2010