CSIRO to develop digital STEM resources with education tech startup

The CSIRO has signed a deal with Stile, an education technology startup, to develop digital resources in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The resources will help teachers better engage students in STEM subjects. They include online activities and games, in the context of major events like the Rosetta comet landing.

Students log into a portal and teachers can monitor their progress live and provide real-time feedback. It also enables mind mapping, drawing questions, lives polls, and analytics on student performance.

Chief scientist of Australia, Dr Alan Finkel, who founded Stile about three years ago, and CSIRO chief executive, Dr Larry Marshall, decided to connect CSIRO’s science expertise and children’s publishing experience with Stile’s digital education programs last year.

“We’ve been communicating about science to kids for the past 30 years through CSIRO’s Double Helix publications which explain science in a fun and engaging way,” CSIRO's publishing director, Andrew Stammer, said in a statement. “Through this new deal the Double Helix material will be incorporated into sophisticated digital lessons for kids.”

CSIRO will makes its Double Helix lessons, which will be linked to the Australian Curriculum, available through Stile on a subscription basis later this year.