Joanne Melville
Joanne Melville is a recognized leader in science education in British Columbia who is committed to introducing her students to the working world of science. Joanne developed the Career Preparation in Science and Technology Program that integrates classroom theory with practical experience in scientific laboratories. The program links secondary schools with industry, academia and the community to provide students with a highly motivating educational experience and has been adopted across British Columbia. More than 90 percent of the students taking her "on-the-job" course go on to further education in science or technology, and some have shared authorship of articles published in scientific journals.
All six of Joanne's students who entered the 1992 Vancouver/Lower Mainland regional science fair received awards, including gold, silver and bronze medals. In the 1992 Avogadro chemistry competition, six of her 11 students who participated scored in the top 300 of more than 4 200 total participants.
Approach to teaching
"My work with students in this program has given me the most exciting teaching experiences of my career."
My understanding of the way scientists work has shaped my teaching and the programs I have developed. Once you have worked "in science" you realize that it's extremely social — the whole process of science, including discussion and interaction with others in the field, leads to the results.
I had always found it very disappointing when students with an aptitude and interest in the field did not pursue a science career because they did not know about the wide variety of career choices available.
I try to design classroom experiences that give students practice in the "real" activities of science. The curriculum should present students with a combination of content and experience so that they can make informed decisions that will meet their own and society's needs. To achieve this, students who follow the Career Preparation in Science and Technology Program are placed in real-world laboratory situations.
Transferable experience
I recruit academically talented Grade 11 students who show interest and aptitude in science, and who are considering a career in science, engineering or technology, into the program. I begin by promoting the program at school and by asking Grade 11 teachers to help me identify students who would do well in it. Interested students can also apply directly for admission.
During the summer vacation between grades 11 and 12, these students are placed in carefully selected research laboratories, primarily at the University of British Columbia, for three weeks. During this time, the students observe and participate as members of a scientific community. They learn about the process of science and how scientific investigations are carried out by doing research with senior graduate students. The data they collect are the basis for the seminars and scientific reports that form an important part of their Grade 12 classroom work for the program.
Although the placements are set up for three weeks, many students are eager to continue their work and, if the research scientist agrees, remain longer during the summer.
The work experience component of the program also enables students to see how the academic, technical and interpersonal skills of the scientists are integral to their careers. Throughout the program, students develop and use advanced thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis and the integration of concepts.
There are now about 40 similar programs set up in British Columbia, many of them in towns without nearby universities. Science intersects with our lives at so many points that every town in the country has some sort of science placement - hospitals, mining operations and government research. Programs take on a different tone depending on where they are located. The whole focus of the program that I run is research.
A program run in association with a hospital would be focused on health science. No matter what type of program you run, you have to be very careful to ensure that students are ready for the sorts of placements you have. In my case, the program is oriented towards research and that requires a very high level of academic achievement.
The classroom activities include lectures, group discussions, panel discussions, debates, role-play, oral and written reports, films, field trips and guest speakers. I also have the students do what I call differentiated readings. These are readings on the history of science that represent a variety of perspectives on events. The classroom part of the course also includes units on scientific method, relationships among sciences, technology and society, and ethical issues in science, plus scientific communication, which includes seminar preparation and scientific report writing.
The cost for setting up this type of program is relatively low given the benefits. There is some additional administration time, so the school board will either have to pay for additional time or have a teacher devote some teaching time to the project. Most of the actual running costs are paid by the participating research laboratory.
Typically, the biggest problem has been getting legal agreements set up between the school board and the university. Labs are dangerous places and we needed to make sure the students were insured.