Maine LearnToMod Project: Example Curriculum

Curricular Materials

Technology has many conveniences, however the breakneck pace of it’s development has created a uniquely difficult problem for today’s teachers. Coding is unquestioningly an important skill for modern students, and will only become more important in the future, but many teachers (including the author of this curriculum) received little to no formal education in coding. While programming may be daunting at first, we implore you to always remember the first and most important rule of coding, concisely summarized here by Science Fiction author Douglas Adams: “Don’t Panic.” We, here at LearnToMod

Read More

SEEK18 Cybersecurity Module Teacher Guide

Curricular Materials

Over the course of a week, your young engineers can take on the Cyber Security Challenge. Engineers will work in teams of 4-5 to apply the Engineering Design Process (EDP) and the scientific concepts related to simple 4 machines, force, energy and motion. Below you will find your week -at-a-glance, a materials list, and some background information that will help you prepare for the challenge topic area. Also included is a copy of the challenge letter as well as the end of week challenge expectations. Student Challenge Letter: Dear Young Engineers, Recent hacking activities in Cyberspace have

Read More

Veteran's Maker Workshop Featuring Bioinspired Robotics

Curricular Materials

This project will use Maker pedagogy to develop workshops to test its potential for improving the effectiveness of learning pathways in STEM disciplines for military veterans. The workshops will provide training and educational awareness in engineering topics and will include computer-aided design (CAD), rapid prototyping, 3D printing, fundamentals of bio-inspired robotics, and additive manufacturing technologies.

Read More

Using Robotics and Game Design to Promote Pathways to STEM

Publications

This research report presents the results of a STEM summer program on robotics and game design. The program was part of a three-year study funded by the National Science Foundation. Children in grades four through six participated in a two-week summer camp in 2015 to learn STEM by engaging in LEGO® EV3 robotics and computer-based games using Scalable Game Design. Twenty-eight students participated in the study that took place in a small urban community in the Rocky Mountain West. This paper reports on the results of this part of the study, specifically, how children’s computational thinking

Read More

Generación STEM: Spanish Language STEM Videos

Curricular Materials

Generación STEM is a Spanish language TV series designed for middle and high school Latino youth and their families and is part of the STEM Mio Journeys program, developed by Arizona State University. Powered by CGI’s My Lifelabs platform, the STEM Mio program supports middle and high school Latino youth as they explore their personal passions, match those to STEM futures, connect with Latino STEM mentors, and gain the experiences to become strong college applicants. The STEM Mio journey is inspired through peer stories, supported through carefully designed learning challenges and peer

Read More

Developing Teachers' Computational Thinking Beliefs and Engineering Practices Through Game Design and Robotics

Publications

This research report presents the final year results of a three-year research project on computational thinking (CT). The project, funded by the National Science Foundation, involved training teachers in grades four through six to implement Scalable Game Design and LEGO® EV3 robotics during afterschool clubs. Thirty teachers and 531 students took part in the Year-3 study that blended game design and robotics. Eight of these teachers and 98 students participated in a large urban city in Pennsylvania, while the remaining 22 teachers and 433 students participated in rural Wyoming. This paper

Read More

Using Robotics and Game Design to Enhance Children’s Self-Efficacy, STEM Attitudes, and Computational Thinking Skills

Publications

This paper describes the findings of a pilot study that used robotics and game design to develop middle school students’ computational thinking strategies. One hundred and twenty-four students engaged in LEGO® EV3 robotics and created games using Scalable Game Design software. The results of the study revealed students’ pre–post self-efficacy scores on the construct of computer use declined significantly, while the constructs of videogaming and computer gaming remained unchanged. When these constructs were analyzed by type of learning environment, self-efficacy on videogaming increased

Read More
Subscribe to Computer and informational technology science