Add to collection
  • + Create new collection

    • The Hub has a very useful collections tool. Hub users who are signed in can access the tool to create their own collections, collaborate on collections, add their own notes (with both a private and public-only view) and share their collections. It is intuitive and easy to use.

    See examples of Hub-created collections here.

    Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

    The collections tool

    In this handy how-to video, learn how to make the most of the Science Learning Hub’s collection tool for your classroom planning. We cover creating collections, the note functions, collaboration, sharing and more.

    Select here to view video transcript and copyright information.

    It has been developed to support your lesson planning by creating ways you can sort, classify and annotate resources. Students can use it for their class tasks such as research or as a study tool. PLD providers or school leaders can use it to provide support and ideas for others. Annotation on an individual resource can be seen if used on a data show projector, allowing student instructions or prompts to be seen by a class. You can set these annotated notes to be visible or hidden.

    Use the ‘Add to collection’ button on individual resources to begin a new collection or add to an existing collection. Once you have content, you can click and drag resources to reorder them and add notes.

    Screenshot of Science Learning Hub 'Add to collection’ button.
    Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

    ‘Add to collection’ button

    The ‘Add to collection’ button allows you to begin a collection or add to an existing collection on the Science Learning Hub when you are signed in.

    Key collection features

    Notes in collections

    Create a note linked to a resource by entering text into the box underneath the resource image. There are basic formatting options, including being able to add external links to your note.

    You can create stand-alone notes alongside resources. Hover your cursor beside the resource image that you wish to add a note next to and click the + icon that will appear. These notes could be used to break up a collection into sections – that’s what we did for the public collection Exploring space – resources for years 5/6. If you want to add separate notes for a resource – maybe both private and public ones – add the resource again and create a new note.

    • Public notes – a public note attached to a resource will show on the right-hand side of the resource page and can be used as a teaching tool. It is coloured yellow and will be visible to anyone viewing your collection.
    • Private note – set a note to private by selecting the people icon, and it changes to pale orange. This could be used for extension ideas or answers to questions. When a note is set to private, only the title of collection(s) that the private note is part of will display on the resource page. To change a note back to public, just click the lock icon.
    Screenshot of Science Learning Hub with a Collection note.
    Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

    Collection note

    Notes created alongside a resource in your collection will appear beside the relevant resource when you are signed in. This could be used as a teaching tool. If you have a private note, only the title of collection(s) that the private note is part of will display – this could be used to add a note about extension ideas or answers to questions.

    Don’t forget to save your note by clicking ‘Save’ on each notepad. All the resources and notes can be moved around your collection in whatever order you want.

    Sharing public collections

    Your collections are private, but by clicking the padlock icon on the left of the collection title, you can create a shareable link – just copy the public URL and then you can share it. If you receive a shareable collection link, you can add it to your own personal collection – just click the copy icon. This collection will then become part of your private collection so you can now change the title and make other changes such as adding extra notes.

    Collaboration

    Invite others to collaborate on a collection in real time by clicking the white + button to the left of the Collections title. Enter the email address and click ‘Invite’. Your new collaborator will receive an email from enquiries@sciencelearn.org.nz with a link to join the new collection. TIP: If they don’t receive the email invitation, double check you’ve entered their email address correctly and/or that it hasn’t gone into their spam/junk folder.

    Once they have joined your collaboration, an icon representing them will appear in your collection. Now you can work together but be careful – if you see their icon on a note, this means that they are currently editing it, so don’t overwrite their work. Just wait until they’ve finished and their icon has gone.

    Screenshot of selection of collections from Science Learning Hub
    Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

    Using the collection tool

    You can see at a glance lots of information about your collections. which ones are private and which are public, how many resources and notes are in each one and who the collaborators are on a collection.

    Public collections to copy and use

    Hub users can copy and use public collections created by the Science Learning Hub team. To do this, click on the copy icon at the top of the collection. If you are logged in, this action automatically creates a copy of the collection that will sit in your profile. Remember to rename the collection to suit your purpose – then you are ready to customise your collection.

    The following collections have been created by the Hub team and are ready to use and customise as you want. We add to the list as we create new collections. Some of the collections are a curation of resources. Others have notes with curriculum information, key science concepts and/or suggestions for practising the science capabilities.

    We update these collections as new resources are added to the website. Keep an eye on the site’s notification bell at the top of all our pages so you can update your personal collection too.

    Screenshot of Science Learning Hub Climate change collection.
    Rights: The University of Waikato Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato

    An example of a collection

    This Climate change collection was made by the Hub team to demonstrate a few of the tool’s features. It is a public collection – Hub users are welcome to copy it for their personal use.

    Need more help?

    If you require more help navigating through your collections, please just ask the team – enquiries@sciencelearn.org.nz.

    Find out more about how we curate resources using both the collections tool and Pinterest here.

      Published 20 August 2021, Updated 4 December 2024 Referencing Hub articles
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