Schools Education visits

We will be pleased to host primary and secondary school visits.

Our sessions for high schools:

  • are structured flexibly — customised for specific practical syllabus outcomes
  • aim to assist teachers in meeting syllabus outcomes
  • feature SMART Farm technology — pivotal to each task/activity
  • focus on STEM in an agricultural setting.

You'll also have access to the latest research trials on campus, and our:

Activities include 'show-and-tell', general enrichment, formal structured class learning.

We are regularly developing activities and can deliver those detailed below, suggest something new, or respond to specific requests.

Please contact us to book a visit or for further information.

Tasks & Activities

EM38 Soil Sensing

This experience will enable students to:

  • gain an appreciation of soil texture, structure and fertility
  • understand and determine these factors manually with field texture
  • learn to infer soil properties by understanding EM38 readings with the introduction of technology (EM38, reads electrical conductivity)
  • understand how these varying factors affect agricultural operations and with this information how we can manage our practices accordingly.
Estimating Green Biomass with NDVI Technology

This experience will enable students to:

  • understand how to physically/manually estimate Biomass by conventionally measuring Biomass
  • relate this information practically to food on offer and stocking rates
  • use and understand a NDVI device and how NDVI readings can correlate to biomass
  • use apps relate NDVI readings back to food on offer and stocking rates.
GPS Applications

This experience will enable students to:

  • appreciate what a GPS is and how it works through practical activities
  • understand what technology is available through iPad apps, there possibilities and limitations, and the sources of errors with GPS
  • appreciate the various applications of GPS in agricultural enterprises.
Livestock Sensors

This experience will offer students hands-on activities in an agricultural setting incorporating accelerometers/inclinometers, and an understanding basic principles of their workings. Students will also get an:

  • introduction to accelerometers/inclinometers, what they are, how they work, and what devices use them
  • understanding of technology and relevant iPad apps
  • introduction to accelerometers/inclinometers in remote sensing to uses in agricultural operations.
Virtual/Remote Livestock Management

We'll give students a look at the latest:

  • livestock management technology, developing technology, and where it could be in the future.
  • autonomous systems, how they work, and their modes of communication.
  • systems, including:
    • RFID
    • virtual fences
    • walk over weigh and auto-draft
    • gate control
    • remote watering
    • remote cameras
    • drone monitoring.

Contact

For further information on the UNE SMART Farms schools program, contact:

Rachelle Hergenhan
Phone: 02 6773 1846
Email: smartfarm@une.edu.au

SMART Farm Learning Hub

A collaboration across 7 universities and 15 industry and AgTech companies, the SMART Farm Learning Hub provides learning modules for secondary and tertiary students that make use of real farm data including from the UNE SMART Farms.