STEM experiences

3D Modellers

Being able to see a solution develop from a problem, through design and prototyping phases to evaluation and testing is a deeply satisfying experience. In many modern industries 3D printing has become the norm in product development and 3D printers are everywhere. In this online, self-paced, 8-hour course, students will learn how to use readily available opensource software (FreeCad) to create and refine objects suitable for production on FDM 3D Printers. Students will learn about coordinate systems, Boolean operations and parametric modelling as they create individual solutions to problems. As part of the course, students will also learn how to slice their products for successful printing (using FlashForge software). No access to a printer is required for this course as the teaching team will ensure students' products are printed on our printer farm and posted out to schools. Of course, if you have a printer you can also print the files yourself!

  Program
  Online
  Unlimited capacity
  8 hours (over 8 weeks)
  Year 7-8

Arduino Ninja

This online, self-paced, 10-hour program explores the ideas of computational thinking through the use of Arduinos to solve real-world problems requiring digital solutions. The Arduino Uno is a credit card-sized microcontroller that can be flexibly wired with a range of sensors and output devices and is programmed using the C/C++ language. Students enrol in the program which tailors the activities and learning pathway taking into account students' past experiences and confidence with programming. UniSA will supply Arduino kits to students at a greatly reduced rate to complete this course. These kits can be retained after the course allowing students to continue their coding adventure.

  Program
  Online
  Unlimited capacity
  8 hours (over 4-8 weeks)
  Year 7-8

Careers in STEM

From Engineering to Construction Management, IT to Environmental Science, explore the different career paths STEM can take you.

  Presentation
On campus (Mawson Lakes) or in Schools
  Also available online
  Capacity unlimited
  60-90 mins
  Year 10-12

Careers in Engineering

Ever wondered what it means to be an engineer? Learn how engineers can design civil infrastructure to support modern living, develop electrical and electronic devices and systems, or build mechanical solutions for manufacturing, sustainable energy and more. Students will explore where a career in engineering can take them, and the UniSA degrees that will help get them there.

  Presentation
  On Campus (Mawson Lakes) or in Schools
  Also available online
  Capacity unlimited
  60-90 mins
  Year 10-12

Clinical Biology

This program, held at The Clinical Education Centre, opposite the Lyell McEwin Hospital, investigates conditions related to blood. It incorporates information about blood types, components of blood, gaseous transport and hereditary blood disorders. Students will learn about clinical hand washing techniques to minimise germ spread, collect and analyse personal health data, as well as make a diagnosis of the training Manikin used by nursing students in their practical based learning.

  Workshop
  Clinical Education Centre
  24 Capacity
  1 Day
  Year 10-11

Computational Thinking through code

Embark on an exploration into the core of computational thinking, a pivotal element of mathematics and technology curricula. This workshop extends beyond mere coding, also developing logic, creativity, critical thinking, and collaborative teamwork. Through hands-on interaction with Sphero RVR Tanks, students will convert theoretical concepts into practical skills.

  Workshop
  In School
  30 capacity
  3 hours
  Year 5-6

Constructing Your Future

The construction industry is a complex and highly organised commercial industry, constantly evolving in the digital era with the accelerating pace of digital transformation, emerging technologies, and an increasing emphasis on sustainability – including green and smart building practices. This interactive presentation is designed to take students through the changing industry and help them discover why a construction career is right for them.

  Presentation
  On Campus (City East) or in Schools
  Also available online
  60 Capacity
  30-60 mins
  Year 10-12

Design Thinking Boot Camp

This interactive workshop introduces the concept of design thinking and human-centred design, critical in IT careers of the future. Students will make their own prototype to take home with them, along with a better understanding of why people, context, and pain points matter.

  Workshop
  On campus (Mawson Lakes) or in Schools
25 Capacity (an even number is optimal)
  60-90 mins
  Year 10-12

Emerging space careers

South Australia’s space sector is growing - now home to the Australian Space Agency and SmartSat Corporative Research Centre. Discover how to launch a career in the space industry with a STEM degree. Delivered by a leading academic in the local space sector, students will explore the space economy, national priorities, recent initiatives such as Moon to Mars as well as career opportunities in the field.

  Presentation
  On Campus (Mawson Lakes) or in Schools
  Also available online
  24 Capacity
  60 mins
  Year 10-12

Engineering Day

Engineering Day is an engaging full-day program exploring the field of engineering. Students participate in three challenging and exciting sessions, each based on a particular stream of engineering: Electronic Engineering, in which students assemble and construct an electronic circuit board; Software Engineering, where students use Arduino coding software to program and control their own input/output board; and Civil Engineering, where students construct and test an object that can span a given gap.

  Workshop
  On campus - Mawson Lakes
  60 Capacity
  1 day
  Year 6-9

Focus on Physics (Year 12 Physics)

Focus on Physics is a suite of experiential programs linked to the SACE Stage 2 physics curriculum. Each program can be undertaken as a single two-hour program or as a full-day visit. A full-day visit can include a campus tour and a physics presentation by University lecturers and/or postgraduate physics students. Three workshops are available: Momentum in Two Dimensions – Students carry out an experimental procedure involving large air tables and plastic pucks to investigate the law of conservation of momentum. Links with the ‘Motion and Relativity’ section of the SACE Stage 2 Physics curriculum. The Motion of Charged Particles in Electric and Magnetic Fields – Students use Teltron Tubes and Hall Effect apparatus to investigate the effect of electric and magnetic fields on electrons. Links with the ‘Electricity and Magnetism’ section of the SACE Stage 2 Physics curriculum. The Interference of Light – Students explore concepts involved in the interference and diffraction of light, including double slit interferometry, calculating the wavelength of a red HeNe laser, measuring the diameter of a human hair, and using a phone’s reflected diffraction pattern to calculate the pixel size of the screen. Links with the ‘Light and Atoms’ section of the SACE Stage 2 Physics curriculum. (Photoelectric Effect apparatus can also be used upon request.)

  Workshop
  On Campus - Mawson Lakes
  25 Capacity
  2 hours - 1 day
  Year 12

Foundation of Physics (Year 11 Physics)

Foundation of Physics is a full day experiential program linked to the SACE Stage 1 physics curriculum. This program includes hands-on data collection and data analysis and utilises specialist equipment at UniSA's Mawson Lakes campus. The program consists of two workshops – DST Group Radar Technology and Nuclear Physics. The DST Group Radar Technology workshop links with the ‘Waves’ section of the SACE Stage 1 Physics curriculum. Students use an audio radar as a learning tool in an experimental session looking at the radar concepts of reflection and Doppler shift. Two procedures are undertaken - the first uses reflection to determine the distance of an object and the speed of sound in air, while the second uses Doppler shift to determine the speed of a moving object. The Nuclear Physics program links with the ‘Nuclear Models and Radioactivity’ section of the SACE Stage 1 Physics curriculum. Students conduct three procedures that explore concepts of radiation and radioactive decay – calculating the half-life of an indium isotope, exploring the attenuation of gamma rays, and determining the penetrative range of beta particles through aluminium.

  Workshop
  On Campus - Mawson Lakes
  25 Capacity
  1 day
  Year 11

Hack the Mainframe – UniSA Escape Room

You and your team have been hired by a Professional Hacker. Together, you will complete puzzles/tasks to bring down the target network, making use of real networking tools and gear.

  Workshop
  On Campus (Mawson Lakes)
  40 Capacity
  60 mins
  Year 10-12

Real World Maths

Real World Maths is a full day program of Applied Mathematics. It consists of 3 immersive, hands-on sessions:

• Networks – Examines graph theory with a focus on mathematical modelling, from train scheduling to pandemics.
• The Game of SET – A simple card game that reveals some important concepts about probability (and, unusually enough, developed by a genetics researcher who based it on the hereditary characteristics of epilepsy in German Shepherds).
• Spatial Reasoning – A very hands-on session in which students’ spatial reasoning skills are tested, using activities such as soma cubes and ‘Fold and Cut’. 

  Workshop
  On campus - Mawson Lakes
  60 Capacity
  1 Day
  Year 10

Cracking the Code – How is data stored in computer or cloud?

How is data stored in your computer and how is it different than storing data on cloud? Does your computer understand English or any other language (Hint: Binary)? Find answers to these questions as well as the understand binary ‘language’ of computers in this interactive workshop.

  Workshop
  On campus - Mawson Lakes, or in schools
  30 Capacity
  45-60 mins
  Year 10-12

Mozzie Monitors

Mozzie Monitors introduces students to the world of Medical Entomology. Following an initial discovery of existing student knowledge, students are then introduced to the range of medically important insects, ticks and lice. Students then do activities to develop knowledge of mosquito biology, anatomy and diversity, and gain practice in observation of wild caught insects and identifying key features. Finally, students are shown how mosquito traps work and how anyone can contribute to mosquito studies through citizen science around their own homes. An additional optional program feature is for teachers to join the Mozzie Monitors program, obtaining a trap and instructions for use with their class in the following weeks.

  Workshop
  On Campus (Mawson Lakes) or in Schools
  30 Capacity
  45-60 mins
  Year 9-12 (sessions for younger students available on request)

Project LIVE

This collaborative research and teaching space is on show for students. Featuring VR and projection technology, students will explore UniSA’s virtual portfolio of immersive digital visualisations from the Adelaide coast to outback Australia, from a transformed building site to a drone boat laboratory, and many more.

  Workshop
  On Campus (Mawson Lakes)
  24 Capacity
  60 mins
  Year 10-12

Robot Coding Basics

Using Java to develop a robot tank, students will battle with other teams in an on-screen arena. They will learn the basics of programming and are introduced to artificial intelligence.

  Workshop
  On Campus (Mawson Lakes)
  22 Capacity
  60 mins
  Year 10-12

STEM Day Out

STEM Day Out consists of three STEM workshops, each focused on a different STEM learning area and linked to a degree at UniSA. The Science Workshop (UniSA degree - Aviation) explores the science of air and flight, as students discover the science behind planes and how they fly. In the Engineering Workshop (UniSA degree - Engineering) students work in small groups to design and construct the tallest tower possible, while the Perplexing Puzzles workshop (UniSA degree - Mathematical Sciences) provides a series of fun, captivating brain-benders through which students discover how mathematical thinking links to problem solving.

  Workshop
  On campus - Mawson Lakes
  90 Capacity
  1 day
  Year 6-8

STEM Girls Academy

The Academy connects girls from several ages through their passion to STEM and instil a sense of belonging. It also assist in the building of key capacities for success and offer practical support such as mentoring and career development and advice.

  Program
  Various locations
  Group size negotiable
  1 year
  Year 9-12

STEM for Humanity

Many people around the world struggle to survive on less than two dollars a day. STEM for Humanity explores some of the ways that scientists and engineers can work with communities in developing countries to support and improve their lives, in a manner that is sustainable within the community. Across three interactive and challenging sessions, students learn how map making, satellite communication, GPS systems and 3D printing can be applied to solve environmental and humanitarian problems, and how using simple materials with sensible engineering processes can make dirty water clean.

STEM Innovation Experience (STEMIE)

The STEM Innovation Experience (STEMIE) is a program run across schools in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland. STEMIE is designed to increase science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) engagement in schools and enhance awareness of STEM in the wider community through a competitive curriculum linked program.

  Program
  In school, online, on campus (Showcases & Finals)
  Unlimited capacity
  Year long program
  Year 9-11

STEM Showdown

STEM Showdown is a program designed to engage students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) activities. The students will develop their understanding of STEM and use problem solving skills to complete their weekly task, which is delivered by UniSA staff, or can be delivered by the classroom teacher using the online resources. The students collect points throughout the term to determine who will be crowned the STEM Showdown Champions at the end of the program.

  Workshop
  In School and online
  30 per class, multiple classes possible
6-10 weeks
  Year 5-6

The next generation in IT

Information Technology reaches into every facet of life – work, family, sport and leisure. The ever evolving way we use and leverage technology means there are new opportunities in this profession emerging every year. This interactive presentation is designed to take students through the advancing technology industry and help them discover why career in Information Technology is right for them.

  Presentation
  On Campus (Mawson Lakes) or in Schools
  Also available online
  60 Capacity
  30-60 mins
  Year 10-12

Think like a gamer

Game designers need to balance technical skills with creativity. In this presentation students will delve into the mind of a gamer to understand what makes a game playable and engaging, and what’s the latest practice in the gaming industry.

  Presentation
  On Campus (Mawson Lakes) or in Schools
  Also available online
  60 Capacity
  45 mins
  Year 10-12

What’s next? New ways to interact with tech

Beyond a mouse, touch, and voice, new technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, robotics, and other novel ways of interacting with computers will change how we interact with the world around us. In this interactive presentation, students will learn and be able to try cutting edge augmented reality devices, quadruped and humanoid robots, and learn about the new ways we’ll be interacting with technology in the years to come. Outside of being informative, the presentation seeks to get students excited about technology, and the potential for it to solve real problems, and highlight just how much cutting edge research starts right here in SA.

  Presentation
  On Campus (Mawson Lakes)
  30 Capacity
  60-90 mins
  Year 10-12

Work Experience Week

Spend a week getting hands-on in our state of the art laboratories and research facilities.

Work Experience Week is hosted by UniSA STEM researchers and technical experts with a range of skills and experience across multiple areas within STEM.

Across the week students will spend a day with each of our core technical teams and in our research labs some of which may include Laser Photonics, Advanced Manufacturing and the Industry 4.0 TestLab. Each day includes a mix of knowledge sharing, demonstrations and hands-on activities for the students.

  Program
  On campus (Mawson Lakes)
  8 Capacity
  5 days (July school holidays)
  Year 10-12

Campus Tours

Guided tours are available at each of our metropolitan and regional campuses. The hosted tours provide prospective students with the opportunity to visit high quality teaching facilities and modern student spaces. Throughout the tours, students learn about the range of programs and student services offered at the University.