Micro-credentials
“It’s opened up a new world of understanding for me, and I’m now seeing physics concepts in ways that feel both accessible and exciting. More than anything, I’m grateful for how this program has helped me build the confidence to bring these concepts to my students. I’ve developed a passion for sharing these ideas, and it’s exciting to think of the impact it might have on my classroom.“
– Primary Science Teacher
Einsteinian Science for School Teachers
12 UWA Credit Point Course Consisting of Four Units, Starting July 21st 2025
Einstein-First and Quantum Girls have created a two-part short course UWA micro-credential for primary and secondary level educators. Micro-credentials are short courses that anyone can undertake to develop the desired skills, knowledge, and experience in a given subject. These units will be fully online and suitable for participants across Australia as well as internationally. This micro-credential course was developed with the support of the Australian Government’s Microcredentials Pilot in Higher Education. The course has been developed in collaboration with the Science Teacher’s Association of Western Australia (STAWA).
These micro-credential units, created and run by the Einstein-First and Quantum Girls team, are designed for primary and secondary school teachers and other educators who want to build their knowledge of a modernised school curriculum. A curriculum which matches the modern science students see in their everyday lives.
The course is designed for those with or without an undergraduate science degree and presents the underlying concepts of modern science. These concepts are presented through simple, fun activities that use toys and models. Through these activities, you will discover that modern Einsteinian concepts of space and time, gravity, energy, and light are easy to understand and are easily taught to both primary and secondary students.
At the end of the course, you will be able to talk with your students about science topics that fascinate many of them, like black holes and quantum computers, and important issues like climate change, with quantum technology having recently been identified by the Australian Government as a key strategic industry for Australia’s future. You will be satisfied with knowing that you are giving students the best possible preparation for life in the modern world of science and technology.
The upcoming course will consist of online lectures, live tutorials, and training videos. The course will also incorporate fortnightly two-hour interactive online workshop sessions with demonstrators running through the activities live with active audience participation. This course will require a weekly commitment of 3-6 hours per week. All sessions will be recorded if you cannot attend live.
The course consists of two parts offered across two university semesters, with each part consisting of two individual six-week units.
The course is offered at the following subsidised rates:
Cost for individual units: $600 AUD incl. GST for each unit (see below for individual unit enrolment)
Cost for full four-unit course: $1,950 AUD incl. GST (Note, you do not need to enrol in all units beforehand)
Ask your principal to support you in this invaluable professional development that will inspire you to make your teaching more fun and engaging for your students.
A small number of Government-supported fee-free places are available! Fee-free positions will be available to domestic Australian participants who choose to enrol in the full 4-unit course. These positions are first-come first-served, so please get in quick and register below.
Course Description
Part A
An introductory unit covering our Year 3 – 6 curriculum topics. You will learn about our modern understanding of atoms, heat, states of matter, and the forces which hold them together; the fact that light is made up of photons and the nature of the electromagnetic spectrum; an introduction to the quantum nature of light and matter; an introduction to the concept of spacetime and that gravity is caused by warped spacetime; and the basic science of our climate and the key drivers of climate change. You will also learn about the mathematical concepts which underpin these ideas in a friendly and approachable way.
This unit covers our Year 7 – 9 curriculum topics. You will develop an in-depth understanding of the nature of gravity and spacetime and how it fits into Einstein’s concepts of special and general relativity. You will also learn about the concept of energy, including Einstein’s famous E = mc^2 equation, the unifying concept of binding energy, and the concepts behind methods of renewable energy production. Finally, you will explore the ideas behind quantum mechanics and learn about key concepts such as interference, phasors, quantum uncertainty, spin, and the particles of the standard model.
Part B
This unit covers our Year 10 curriculum, synthesising everything that is covered across units 1 and 2. You will develop an in-depth understanding of the physical mechanisms which are fundamental to the Earth’s climate and learn about the history of the Earth’s climate and how planets form and evolve in the universe. You will then learn about how this relates to our understanding of the evolution of the universe, from the first instants of the big bang and the initial formation of the constituents of matter, all the way to the ongoing expansion of the universe due to dark energy.
In the final unit we will go beyond the base curriculum and explore a variety of examples and applications of Einsteinian science in the real world and at the cutting edge of modern research. You will learn about applications of quantum science including exotic matter and quantum computing, the incredible technologies used in modern telescopes and gravitational wave detectors, how nuclear technology can be harnessed to generate power and for use in medicine, and the underlying connections between different fields of science. You will also become proficient in a variety of very simple calculations and processes across quantum mechanics, relativity, and astronomy.
What’s right for me?
The key concepts for the primary curriculum are covered in Unit I, however we strongly recommend that primary teachers also complete at least Unit II, where each of the topics presented in Unit I is explored in more depth, following the principle of a spiral curriculum on which the overall Einstein-First curriculum is based. The additional context and deeper level of subject proficiency obtained from Unit II is sure to provide many benefits to your teaching practice and confidence teaching science at a primary level.
While Units III and IV address topics most suitable for upper secondary classes, you are still sure to benefit from the additional broadening provided to your overall understanding of modern science if you choose to undertake these units as a primary teacher, making this an excellent opportunity for you to develop a deep understanding of both primary school science topics and the broader range of topics which your students will encounter as they progress onto high school and university.
The key concepts for the middle school and high school curriculum up to Year 9 are covered in Units I and II, and these two units together will provide you with an excellent grounding in all of the physics, mathematics, and chemistry concepts which are required to teach Einsteinian science at your year levels.
While Units III and IV address topics most suitable for upper secondary classes, you are still sure to benefit from the additional broadening provided to your overall understanding of modern science if you choose to undertake these units as a middle school teacher, making this an excellent opportunity for you to develop a deep understanding of both middle school science topics and the broader range of topics which your students will encounter as they progress onto upper secondary school and university.
Units I and II provide an excellent grounding for all of the topics to be taught at the secondary school level, including at upper secondary levels, so if you are only able to commit to these units, you will certainly still be well served by the content covered in the first two units.
However, we strongly recommend that upper secondary teachers and science specialists complete the full four-unit course, as Units III and IV address curriculum topics in Year 10 and beyond, and these will best prepare you to teach modern science topics at all levels of schooling and provide you with the broader context of how what you’re teaching relates to the real-world science careers that your students will be pursuing.
We welcome all kinds of educators, including tutors, relief teachers, home schoolers, pre-service teachers, and other science communicators in general.
We encourage you to consider the year levels you will be addressing in your teaching or science communication and follow the appropriate recommendations for teachers of those year levels provided above.
*Note: For pre-service teachers, you will need to check with your current educational provider to determine if micro-credential units can be counted towards your current program.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a fee-free position, you must enrol in the full 4-unit course and be either an Australian citizen or otherwise meet the same eligibility criteria as the Australian Government FEE-HELP program. (Note this does not involve an actual FEE-HELP loan, just the eligibility criteria.)
For general participants, there are no eligibility requirements to participate in these micro-credentials, and educators with no formal background in STEM are encouraged to participate.
Participants must complete both units in Part A, or have equivalent prior experience (e.g., at minimum a Bachelor of Science majoring in physics, mathematics, and/or chemistry) and familiarity with the Einstein-First Project before commencing units in Part B of the course.
Register
Enrolments have now opened. If you have read all of the information on this page, please click here to register for the full course if you are eligible for a fee-free position (make sure to click the fee-free option, not the standard ‘Register now’ button). Otherwise, you can follow the following links to register for individual units in sequence as a paid participant. Registrations close 14/07/25. Registration is a multi-step process, please look out for emails from UWA with further instructions once you register. Note, fee-free positions are limited and will run out fast.
Unit I – Atoms, Light, Space and Climate
Unit II – Gravity, Energy and Quantum Mechanics
Please note, enrolments for Units III and IV are only open for July and September offerings. If you are enrolling in the above individual Units I and II for a July start as a paid participant, please do not enrol in Units III and IV below. The 2026 offerings will become available for enrolment in November.
Assessment
Weekly assessment will consist of a combination of multiple-choice concept quizzes and short answer tutorial questions which should take a total of 15-30 minutes per week. At the end of each unit, 1 week will be set aside for assessment. This will variously involve short written reports or short presentations on topics related to Einsteinian science and your teaching practice.
On successfully completing the course (or unit), you will be awarded with a Certificate of Completion.
Assigned Texts
The course will frequently refer to our Teaching Einsteinian Physics in Schools book. While some excerpts will be provided, it is recommended that you purchase your own copy as a complete reference if you have the means to do so.
In addition to the textbook, readings will be assigned for each of our curriculum modules, as we cover the relevant topics in the course. You may like to get ahead by reading through some of our modules under the Resources tab above.
Course Credit
Completion of this course will provide 12 UWA credit points which can be counted towards a Bachelor of Science with a Physics Major at UWA. These course credits may also be recognised for credit towards the completion of degrees at other institutions, at their discretion.
Testimonials
Here’s what previous participants had to say
The Einstein-First Microcredential Course is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn how to teach cutting-edge science concepts in the science classroom. I went into the online class as an overseas student and the Einstein-First team went out of their way to accommodate me. Though I already knew quite a bit of the science, I was surprised at how much I learned in this course. The professors gave me new perspectives on subject material I already teach, and helped me realize there is a way to teach the Einsteinian concepts in the primary and secondary classroom settings. Even after the course, Einstein-First team members are supporting my efforts to implement their material in classrooms in the USA.
– Andy Crocker, M.A.T.
I have been teaching as a science specialist for a while now and was hoping to increase my scientific knowledge of modern science phenomenon as well as bolster my hands on program with new experiments that give kids deeper understanding. Along comes Einstein First with a curriculum that is exciting and cutting edge, delivered in a way that is not only engaging for students but puts them ahead for high school and beyond. This course gave me the ability to discuss modern science in a way that is relevant and exciting. The connection to the learning students see at a high school level helped me to better prepare my future scientists for life beyond primary school and equip them with a knowledge of the world that continues to fascinate us all.
– Chris Lambe, Level 3 Science Specialist