Presenters: David Gibson, Global Challenge Award; Steve Bean/Jacob Martinez, Girl Game Company
Summary: This webinar explored how educators leverage games and computer simulations to create dynamic learning experiences and was based on an IdeaBrief by the same name.
During this webinar, participants heard from ITEST projects working across the U.S. to learn specific frameworks for fostering and assessing youth motivation and STEM career interest. This webinar discussed recent developments in theory and measurement of youth interest in STEM careers. The purpose of the webinar was to share Principal Investigator knowledge of measurement techniques, analysis problems, and theories of youth motivation.
Congratulations are in order to Kimberly Scott, a long time ITEST community member, and founder of COMPUGIRLS, for being named a STEM Access Champion of Change at the White House. The Champion of Change honors people who are working to support and accelerate STEM opportunities for African American students, schools, and communities.
The YouthLearn Initiative has outline some action steps to help you plan a successful and effective youth program. Whether you're offering an in-school or out-of-school program, good planning is very often the key to success. You may find that you have the time and resources to do some of these action steps while others may be beyond the scope of your current priorities or capacity. Just remember, it's never too late to embark on a particular phase of planning, even after a program has launched.
ITEST LRC Idea Brief Volume 1, June 2005This Idea Brief shares tips and tricks from four different ITEST projects around planning and implementing summer programs.
In this report, Inverness Research summarizes their findings based on evaluating the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH)'s high school program over 10 years. The report includes:A discussion of the theory of action and the rationale that underlies the AMNH youth programsA description of three of the programs that have been offered and the evolution in program design that has taken place over the yearsA description of the core common features of the programs
The STEM Semantics Survey measures student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics as well as interest in STEM careers. The survey is comprised of five scales each with five items measured on a 7-point scale. The STEM Semantic Survey is appropriate for administration to middle school students and teachers. The link below provides access to the instrument as well as information about the instrument. Authors provide instrument validity and/or reliability information.
The Scientific Attitudes Inventory II (SAI II) assesses students' interest in science, their attitudes toward science, their views of scientists, and their desire to become scientists. The 40-item SAI II includes position statements of attitudes assessed and attitude statements that were originally included in the original SAI, with changes made only to improve readability and to eliminate gender-biased language. All items use a 5-point Likert scale. The linked article provides instrument documentation for the SAI II.Authors provide instrument validity and/or reliability information.
The Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) are the most widely used tests of their kind since testing only requires the examinee to reflect upon their life experiences. These tests invite examinees to draw and give a title to their drawings (pictures) or to write questions, reasons, consequences and different uses for objects (words). These instruments have been used for identification of the creatively gifted and as a part of gifted matrices in states and districts in the USA, especially in multicultural settings, and for special populations around the world. Published in two equivalent
The Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) was developed to measure the types of learning strategies and academic motivation used by college students. This is a 44-item instrument that uses a 7-point Likert scale. The MSLQ is both linked and attached, and its documentation is linked. Authors provide instrument validity and/or reliability information. Suggested citation: Pintrich, P. R., & de Groot, E. V. (1990). Motivational and self-regulated learning components of classroom academic performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82(1), 33–40. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022