Science

SciConnect

SciConnect program guide Quiz graphic Transparent

Created in partnership with UNSW Science students, SciConnect is the go-to toolkit for mastering university life. Currently available to UNSW Science students enrolled in a Bachelor of Science (BSc) or Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours) program.

SciConnect was born from the UNSW Business School’s award winning myBCom digital platform (AACSB International “Innovations that Inspire” award, 2023), and enabled through significant program re-design. SciConnect has customised the myBCom concept to provide a holistic backbone of professional and personal development to BSc and BAdvSc students. 

From the moment they accept their program offer, SciConnect supports a student’s journey from transition into university, program exploration and advice, as a hub for skill development resources and professional development activities, digital communities, skills development tracking, career development, and ending with a graduate portfolio. 

SciConnect is dedicated to enhancing student success, retention, sense of belonging and wellbeing. It reflects UNSW Science’s dedication to finding future-facing solutions that cater to the increasingly diverse student demographic in higher education (Thomas, Kift & Shah, 2021). We know that students persist when they feel a sense of belonging to the institution and with their peers (Tinto, 2017) and thrive when empowered to take ownership of their academic journey (Kift, 2009).
  • SciConnect Walkthrough Live Demo

  • Take the UNSW Science Persona Quiz as a fun way to engage with the diverse UNSW Science community.

    Take the quiz

    Check out the program guides below for important program, enrolment and onboarding information.

    Considering whether a UNSW Science program is right for you?  Use the program stores to explore the Bachlor of Science or Bachelor of Advanced Science program options.

  • UNSW Science would like to thank the dedicated project team for their work on making SciConnect a reality. Contact us on sciconnect@unsw.edu.au.

    Project team

    Name

    Role

    Shannan Maisey

    Director and project owner

    Lakia Turner

    Project Manager/ Manager, SciConnect

    Tom Rowlands

    Education Support Officer, SciConnect

    Martin Nester

    User Experience Designer

    Somansh Agrawal

    Technical Product Manager

    Nandan Global

    Vipul Nandan, Lead Developer

    Pankaj Vashist, Wordpress Developer

    Gary Wells

    Graphics Designer

    Rick Leong

    Project Support Officer

    Daniel Taylor-Griffiths

    Senior Project Officer (diagnostic sub-project), SCIF0000 Teacher and Designer

    Media Producers

    Matthew Oxley

    Sebastian Lee

    Science Student Faculty Advisors

    Euan Rogers (Biology/Ecology)

    Gurinder Singh (Ecology)

    Krish Pruthi (Medical Science program)

    Khandoker Taseen Subartha (Neuroscience/Creative Writing)

    Shella Lie (Psychology)

    Shay Hirani (Genetics/Molecular and Cell Biology)

    Madeline Robinson (Biotechnology/AI)

    Jade Williams (Advanced Science (Hons)/ Engineering (Hons))

    Science Education Team representatives

    Andrew Duncan

    Naomi Huynh

    Ethan Ou

    Kathleen Gray

    Science IT Business Partner

    User Acceptance Testing Participants

    14 participants across multiple rounds of testing.

    Initial UAT was conducted with 11 students.

    Additional testing was conducted with 1 neurodivergent student and 1 indigenous student.

    1 science faculty staff member participated in testing.

    The success of SciConnect is attributed to the collegial work of the team and engagement of important stakeholders and collaborators from the following UNSW areas:

  • Dingle, G. A., Han, R., & Carlyle, M. (2022). Loneliness, belonging, and mental health in Australian university students pre-and post-COVID-19. Behaviour Change, 39(3), 146-156. DOI: 10.1017/bec.2022.6

    Eccles, J. S., & Wigfield, A. (2020). From expectancy-value theory to situated expectancy-value theory: A developmental, social cognitive, and sociocultural perspective on motivation. Contemporary educational psychology, 61, 101859. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101859

    Iyengar, S. S., & Lepper, M. R. (2000). When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing?. Journal of personality and social psychology, 79(6), 995. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.79.6.995

    Kinash, S., Crane, L. H., & Schulz, M. (2014). Supporting graduate employability: From generalist disciplines through employer and private institution collaboration. In Bond Symposium.

    Kift, S. (2009). Articulating a transition pedagogy to scaffold and to enhance the first year student learning experience in Australian higher education: Final report for ALTC senior fellowship program. Strawberry Hills, NSW: Australian Learning and Teaching Council.

    Lizzio, A. (2006). Designing an orientation and transition strategy for commencing students: A conceptual summary of research and practice (First year experience project). Queensland: Griffith University.

    Pintrich, P. R. (2000). The role of goal orientation in self-regulated learning. In M. Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, & M. Zeidner (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 451–502). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012109890-2/50043-3

    Salmon, G. (2013). E-tivities: The key to active online learning (2nd ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203074640

    Thomas, L., Kift, S., & Shah, M. (2021). Student retention and success in higher education. Student retention and success in higher education: Institutional change for the 21st century, 1-16. DOI: /10.1007/978-3-030-80045-1_1

    Tinto, V. (2012). Leaving college: Rethinking the causes and cures of student attrition. University of Chicago press.

    Tinto, V. (2017). Reflections on student persistence. Student Success, 8(2), 1-8. DOI: 10.5204/ssj.v8i2.376

    Trowler, V., Allan, R.L., Bryk, J., & Din, R.R. (2022). Pathways to student engagement: Beyond triggers and mechanisms at the engagement interface. High Educ 84, 761–777. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-021-00798-1