WaterBotics Program Introduces Kids to Science
PublicationsLocal NJTV news segment WaterBotics Program Introduces Kids to Science
Design-based Information Technologies Learning Experience Project for K-12 STEM Outreach
PublicationsThis paper presents the design of the Design-Based Information Technologies Learning Experiences (DITLE) project, a large K-12 STEM outreach project supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF). It impacts IT education among six public high schools in a metropolitan area. The designed activities of the project are presented and shared with the education research community to invoke discussion. The project is currently in its first year of a three-year grant period. The lessons and experiences learned so far are also summarized for discussion.
Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale (CDSE)
InstrumentsThe Career Decision Self-Efficacy Scale (CDSE) measures an individual's degree of belief that he/she can successfully complete tasks necessary to making significant career decisions. The CDSE consists of five subscales measuring the five Career Choice Competencies of John O. Crites' Theory of Career Maturity. The CDSE is available in both a 50-item form and a 25-item short form. It is strongly linked to positive educational and career decisional outcomes.
Educational and Career Interest Scale in Science, Technology and Math
InstrumentsThe Educational and Career Interest scale, a self-report instrument measuring high school students’ educational and career interest in STEM, was developed and validated in two studies conducted during 2010 and 2011. Study 1 included data from 92 high school students, in which exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted with an initial item pool of 20 items. EFA identified three factors: educational and career interest in science, educational and career interest in technology, and educational and career interest in mathematics. Study 2 utilized data from 658 students to revisit the three
Student Attitudes toward STEM (S-STEM)
InstrumentsThe Upper Elementary (4-5th) and the Middle and High School (6-12th) Student Attitudes toward STEM Surveys (S-STEM) each contain four scales (sets of surveys items that most confidently describe a single characteristic of the survey-taker when the responses to these items are calculated as a single result). The first five scales consists of Likert-scale questions[1] which ask the respondent about their confidence and attitudes toward math, science, engineering and technology, and 21st century learning respectively. Final items in the surveys ask students about their attitudes toward 12
Schools as Part of Smart and Connected Communities, presentation materials from the Next Generation STEM Learning for All Forum
PublicationsWithin the context of NSF’s Dear Colleague letter that encourages innovative proposals for developing Smart and Connected Communities, speakers at the NSF-supported Next Generation STEM Learning for All Forum in November described how their work connects STEM learning with communities in need, how their work could shape schools of the future, and how to involve key systems and stakeholders in the development of these communities. View these presentation materials on the Forum website.
Building Capacity to Integrate Science into Afterschool, Home, and Community: A Work in Progress
PublicationsThe STEM 3D approach draws on evidence-based research demonstrating the proven ability of informal environments to act as an entry point to STEM and 21st Century skills for elementary-aged youth, as well as the value of involving significant adults and local communities when providing STEM learning opportunities for minority youth.
8 Things to Remember When Integrating STEM
PublicationsThis article goes over eight tips to help educators integrate STEM into their curriculum.
RoboExpo
VideoHundreds of students go to Balboa Park for the annual RoboExpo. The expo included thirty exhibits, and 700 kids registered for the event. Many of the expos involve robots that can do different tasks.
Seaperch
VideoIn Chula Vista, about 100 middle school students used seaperches - remote-controlled waterproof submersibles - to study sharks at the Living Coast Discovery Center. The seaperches are equipped with cameras to get an up-close look at sea life. The event was part of the SDSU STEM initiative to give