The first in an occasional series of posts in which we invite other Nature web sites into our digital party for a virtual cocktail. First up, say hello to Scitable, a teaching and learning resource from Nature Education, which has just launched new sections on careers and communications.
If you’re looking for basic information on a scientific topic – the structure of DNA, or the purpose of the Golgi apparatus, say – there’s no shortage of material on the web. We’ve all heard of Wikipedia, right? But reading up on a subject is only part of the learning process. To truly master the ideas, you need to puzzle things through, ask questions and debate alternatives. The virtual classrooms of Scitable provides all of these.
Clearly written introductory material is accompanied by subject-specific discussion areas and a Q&A facility where students can ask questions of experts and get individual replies. Users can also build up a network of classmates to share ideas and collaborate on projects. In many ways, Scitable is like a younger sibling of Nature Network, with a more pedagogical slant. There’s even a student blog. For those standing in front of the blackboard, a series of tools lets you open a classroom area and craft a lesson plan around the onlline course material.
Scitable launched in January 2009, aimed at high-school and undergraduate students. It initially focused on genetics, but has since expanded to cover cell biology and ecology. The site has recently published two new areas to help students: English Communication for Scientists and a Guide to Life Science Careers.
Conference etiquette by Dr. Jorge Cham.
Written by science communicator Jean-luc Doumont and other language experts, English Communication for Scientists is, as you’d expect from its clearly communicated title, a brief guide on how to communicate more effectively in English. Although it was developed with non-native speakers of English in mind, it is useful for native speakers, too. Organized as six self-contained units, English Communication for Scientists provides no-nonsense, directly applicable guidelines, illustrated with examples of written documents, oral presentations, and more.
The Guide to Life Science Careers, developed by Dr. Karen Peterson, Director of the Office of Scientific Career Development and the Scientific Ombudsman at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) in Seattle, Washington, helps students to explore and choose what career is best for them in life sciences. Starting with a personal assessment of who the student is and how he or she works best, the guide provides direction as to the best career fit in life science, and how to take the right steps to get their science career off to a good start. Some aspects of the guide are strategies for networking, overcoming shyness, and building a resume. This guide is a must-read for anyone embarking on a career in the life sciences.
Presentation woes by Dr. Jorge Cham.
We’d be interested in hearing from anyone who’s given Scitable a try – whether from a student or teacher perspective. Are online teaching aids such as Scitable a useful supplement to traditional classroom teaching? And might they one day supplant offline methods of learning?